Home Again

[Edith Cook]

Dear Readers and Friends,

My return to Wyoming happened last week—as you know, I tend to spend some of our winter months with family in Texas and California. One of the reasons I’ve been out of touch was travel difficulty after the outbreak of COVID-19. When I got home, I found my internet down—it took quite an effort to get a technician to come out and re-affix a cable on the dish. All good now. Tomorrow (Sunday, April 5) I’ll join my church’s virtual worship service. The following Tuesday at 7 PM the Cheyenne Guitar Society will hold its first virtual meeting via Zoom. I have learned the basics of the system and very much look forward to both events—it helps overcome separateness. It’s good to stay in touch long-distance.

Please let me know how you fare in these difficult times.—you can do so by responding to my personal email, e104...@gmail.com, or by posting a facebook message at https://www.facebook.com/edith.cook.127 Currently my facebook posts are mostly about dos and don’ts during CIVID-19. Sometimes I post a commentary by a trusted source, a reporter or opinion writer. Recently Kerry Drake of WYOFile imbued his post with a (much appreciated) bit of humor by commenting on the current toilet-paper-and-guns mania. 

These are trying times. Financial hardships, I’m afraid, are upon many if not most of us. The isolation makes things worse, particularly for families with small children. When I was in California with young grandchildren I saw first-hand the difficulty of parents having to work from home (in this case, mostly via telecommunication) while trying to keep track of their children’s homework efforts. My son and daughter-in-law are fortunate in that both own their own laptops; plus, there’s a computer for the children to do work online. Still, the household was pandemonium. Someone was always talking in teleconference—and the children take advantage by playing games on their phones instead of doing homework. 

In addition to my contributions to Ageless Writers, I have taken on online reader-judging for a literary magazine, Mud River Review, where I review fiction submissions. It’s a good way to learn how to shape stories for a general readership. I never knew how poor some of my essays were until I started reading large volumes of submissions and making a decision about rating for each one.

Be well and keep in touch. We need to maintain relationships now more than ever.

Edith Cook
www.edithcook.com

[Janet Cunningham]

Glad to know you are back home in Wyoming. I have been wondering about you. Did you drive home? I hope you did and not on a plane. 

I just learned my first cousin Dean has cancer and expected time is two months Dean was taken to the hospital by his son on the eve of his 92nd birthday. It was the first time EVER that he had spent a night in a hospital! . If not for this darn virus I would fly out to spend a few days with him.

 On the same day we learned that one of Lynn's first cousins passed away the first part of March of prostate cancer John was in his early 70s. ! 

I called Lynn's cousin Dave in Sidney, Nebraska. Asked if his farmer friends had yet soured on Trump. He said that hadn't. They still don't see he's done anything wrong ! Imagine! Dave thinks like I do. His daughter-in-law is still firmly in Trump's corner. Imagine! A woman! 

My guy, Lynn's birthday is Tuesday the 7th - he too will be 92. This past Monday we were to leave for Canon City, CO to ride the Royal Gorge train.That was to be his birthday gift. Also had talked of an open-house party. 

 

Our daughter in Saratoga says her bees are beginning to come out. She is still feeding them with sugar water as there are no flowers yet. She is busy getting ready to continue teaching her science classes on line. There's a lot to it. Glad I don't have to figure that stuff out now. 

Son Forest has been very overwrought not to be able to see Linda in the nursing home. He has thrown himself into organizing his dad's tools in the garage and building some shelves out there; now working on an art piece. Amanda still going to work. I cannot imagine why they don't tell her to work from home. 

I am busy enough. Not bored. I should be doing some closet cleaning, unpacking some boxes from our move nearly two years ago. But I cannot get motivated. I have been trying to get some "learning" into Liam each day. That, along  with cooking, dishes, laundry, etc. keep me busy enough. For two weeks we had another boy - Dean, age 10- here and I tried to have them learning for part of each day. Got some attitude from Dean, which was rubbing off on Liam and too, they had some disagreements. Now he is going to his aunt's farm east of town. Liam is happy as a lark to just stay home all day every day. Monday the school district will have some things up and going. Also, a "Teacher Parade" will take place at 12:45 on Monday. They will drive up and down the streets. We are going to make a sign and do some sidewalk chalk drawing for the event. 

Lynn is ok with all this. He can sit all day in front of a puzzle back in his train room. We haven't had good weather, but hopefully soon. I want to get out to work in my garden beds soon. Think this week I can plant some radish seeds. they like cool weather. 

Take care. Enjoy your guitar meeting. 

When this is all over, you and I will take a trip to Saratoga to see Lesley and her bees. Bring your swim suit and we can hang out in the Hobo Pool!

Love, Janet  

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