I haven’t done a very good job of keeping up my blog in the last few years. One or two posts a year recapping events, trips and family news has become my norm. But amazingly, I still come back occasionally and reread many of my old entries, which is proof that my blog still gives me enjoyment.
This past year, which will forever be referred to as “Covid-19 year”, was the most unique of my lifetime. The old saying “Life goes on” was put to the test, as everything seemed to stand still. My own family lost 3 members: Carrie’s mom Bonnie (April 2020), my cousin Cindy (April 2021), and my cousin Carlene’s husband Paul (April 2021). Paul died of Covid-19 after a months long battle in the hospital. Bonnie’s death had been anticipated for several years, but Cindy’s took us by surprise. She had been managing her cancer well for several years, but in the last few months, it suddenly became more aggressive and all treatment efforts began to fail. She got the shocking news on March 29th that there was nothing more that could be done, and she likely had weeks to months left. She died just 3 weeks later on April 16. These passings have made me very aware and appreciative of my own good health.
In May, I drove to Boise to visit the Holsingers. It had been 21 months since I had been there. It was great to see everyone, meet Megan’s fiance Christian, and let all the kids take a test drive in my car. They thought autopilot was pretty awesome. While I was there, I cautiously ventured to church for the first time since Covid shutdown, and sat in the back corner by myself. (Robin was working behind the scenes.)
Our family has all been vaccinated, so we have resumed our occasional social gatherings. In fact, just this morning we received an invite to Brian & Carrie’s for a July 4th get together. Hot dogs, hamburgers and pot luck will be the food fare; games, swimming and chatter will be the activities of the day.
I’m making plans for an RV trip later this summer. My Minnie is in the shop, but as soon as she is back in tip top shape, I hope to go east to camp with Dale in New Mexico. We had such a great time there in 2019, and it’ll be a good re-entry to RV life for me after nearly two years off the road.
As I’ve been typing this out, I’ve thought of a couple other family happenings that I should record, and I’m going to make separate entries about them.
But the bottom line is: life is returning to normal, and it feels GOOD!