Pandemic, Week 66 (#itwasintents)

This week President Biden met with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss nuclear arms limitations and cyber security, to mixed reviews. Israel voted out Prime Minister Netanyahu after twelve years in office. Juneteenth was signed into law as a federal holiday after passing this week unanimously in the Senate and by all but 14 Republicans in the house. The U.S. Conference of Bishops voted to potentially deny Communion to Catholic politicians that are pro-choice, a move that specifically targets President Biden, despite being warned by the Vatican of the dangers of politicizing the Eucharist. A Cape Cod lobster diver was swallowed by a humpback whale before being safely expelled.

The number of total COVID cases worldwide reached 178.9 million and 3.9 million deaths this week. Total cases in the U.S. hit 34.4 million and 617,000 deaths. 177 million Americans, 53 percent of the population, have received at least one dose of the COVID vaccine and 149 million, 45 percent of the population, is fully vaccinated. This is a good thing, as the markedly more transmissible and severe Delta variant of COVID that originated in India, is now the dominant strain of the virus.

But for us, this week was focused on tying up loose ends. We spent Saturday working in Katherine's back yard (hauling rocks, painting, digging up root balls, cleaning up bird baths and bamboo) to make the place look good for Allen's belated (and alternative location) work retreat. Owen finished all of his class recordings (including an epic all-day affair to nail the transition of the 4th and 5th movement in the Shostakovich).  Katherine drove Grandpa Fawcett to Iowa while we continued to watch an increasingly insolent Ducky. Allen and I had a lovely at home date night on Thursday followed by a surprise lunch date with the Telfair-Chas on Friday in honor of Juneteenth. Allen and Owen made the Nats game on Friday and got to see Yan Gomes hit off walk-off double resulting in Soto scoring and the Nats beating the Mets.

But the big event was Nora's DCYOP concert on Saturday. DCYOP was remote last spring and for the fall and winter semesters this year. But this spring, they decided neither rain (well technically, they did cancel one rehearsal due to rain), nor cicadas nor a pandemic could stop these dedicated musicians from rehearsing in-person. And so, starting in April, every Saturday Nora and I headed to a tent at Takoma Park Education Campus where a masked Nora played viola in the Young Artists Orchestra. The practice paid off and this weekend Mom Mom and Grandpa Don joined us for their outdoor concert – with only a few few raindrops -- and a lovely testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the importance of the arts.

(To see all of this week's pictures, click here.)