Blog – Page 10 – Jennifer Grashel

Silver Linings

I wasn’t sure I’d sit down to write anything this week. I haven’t had many opportunities even to sit down.

Well, there have been a few. I watched all of The Tiger King on Netflix, so I feel more clued in to the plethora of memes and pop culture references on the social media. It is every bit of the promised viewer discretion strongly advised train wreck and more. I barely have words.

There have been bright spots the last few days. I scored a Panera reward for a free bagel every day for a week.

I give the sprouted grain bagel flat two thumbs up.

A neighbor dropped off a chicken broccoli rice casserole on our patio table. If a casserole isn’t the official midwestern love language, I don’t know what is.

The young lady across the street ding dong ditched us, leaving a handpicked bouquet accompanied by a sweet note.

This “vase” bearing my initials pairs well with the flower aesthetic.

We’ve been eating peanut butter cup banana bread for days. Pro tip shared by a friend recently – use banana bread to make French toast.

I found a source for in-stock hand sanitizer. Such a rare phenomenon at this time. My hair salon is still shipping retail products and they have hand sanitizer! The small travel size is lovely. I can’t speak to the manly man version, but I’m sure it’s great as well. If you order, consider giving credit to Stacy at the New Albany location.

Speaking of hair salons and personal appearance. I walked to the mailbox this morning wearing pajamas, a hoodie (with the hood up), and my fuzzy gray boots. A family a couple houses away looked like they were heading out for a walk – the entire family and all pets. I quickly returned to the house before they could get close enough to appreciate my rose print pajama Unabomber vibe.

They say you should change out of your pjs every day during this quarantine to achieve some semblance of a normalish routine. And I have been, although not necessarily prior to the morning mail. Hair and makeup don’t always happen, however. I also have been making a point of wearing earrings. I can’t speak to other types of piercings, but if you go too long without … those holes will close up. My ears have been pierced since the fifth grade. I have no desire to have them redone in the … well, let’s not talk about what grade that is when you solve for x.

Beyond the aforementioned train wreck, other online items of note this week:

Derek Webb and his wife Abbie Parker (of the band I Am They) are doing a free “All Covers” concert via FB live to benefit Childfund. Tune in this Friday, April 24, at 9pm eastern.

We did the first Ragamuffin Google hangout this week. (For those not familiar, similar technology to Zoom.) Every Monday at 8pm eastern. Stay tuned to the Ragamuffin Church Facebook group for details and the link. Pro tip: Once in the chat/hangout, look for a “join the video call” link. Chat in more depth about topics from the previous Ragamuffin Sunday, get to know others in the ragamuffin community, ask questions, talk about struggles, whatever. It’s a loose agenda. Note that much like at our retreats, the discussion might get “really real”, so parental discretion is advised.

My friend Mitch McVicker continues to do a free weekly concert via Facebook live. (Always family friendly.) The last couple have been Tuesday evening at 8pm eastern, but check his page for details. This concert series has been extra fun because, unlike on a regular tour, the set list is almost entirely different every time. He’s been making his way through a long list of requests, so we’re being treated to songs he hasn’t performed in years in some cases.

And how is your Corona Quarantine going? What beauty and entertainment tips do you have to share, lol? What bright spots are you noticing?

Shell Shocked

In today’s Wine with Dewine & Snackin’ with Acton – as in the daily 2pm press conference featuring Ohio governor Mike Dewine and director of public health Dr. Amy Acton – the heroic ODH director talked about her own experience going through the stages of grief as we navigate the COVID19 crisis. She also encouraged everyone to keep wearing their masks and capes.

(There’s a reason Dr. Acton has become the most beloved person in Ohio and beyond. Someone suggested she deserves a Presidential Medal of Freedom when the dust settles.)

It’s becoming clearer that mask wearing and social distancing will be with us for a while, even when we start reopening businesses and lifting restrictions little by little. That’s difficult to wrap one’s head around.

Last Friday I donned my mask (and sweater in lieu of a cape) and went to Target for Sudafed. Thanks to pseudoephedrine being a popular ingredient in homecooked meth, I am limited on how much and how often I can buy what is an essential medication for this allergy girl. (Yes, my doctor could write a prescription to make my life easier. Don’t get me started on his refusal to write prescriptions for OTC meds. Yes, I have considered changing doctors.) I picked up a few other items since I was in the store anyway, thereby extending our need for groceries into this week.

The day prior I had visited the pharmacy drive-through at my local Walmart. I could be coy and avoid naming names, but today I feel like naming names. After phoning Wednesday to confirm I wouldn’t have to enter the store (like I normally do for such a dangerous substance), on Thursday the story was different. Confused, I asked questions and ascertained a different pharmacist was on duty. Uuuuhhhhhh, ok. Well now that I’ve touched these buttons that get wiped down … maybe never, let me douse my hands in sanitizer before pulling away. There were ten to fifteen people waiting in line outside the door on a high tree pollen day, so there was no way I was going to mask up and wait to go inside. I have since learned the temporary Sudafed at the drive-through thing is an Ohio Pharmacy Board policy, so I’ll just drive through somewhere that actually understands what they’re doing next time.

This week I was excited to learn Giant Eagle has cut their lead time for Curbside Express orders down to two days or less. Target still remains at less than a day, although they don’t include refrigerated or frozen groceries. Note high demand items like many paper products, cleaning products, etc. are not available for curbside pickup at any major retailer. For those you must go inside the store early in the day and hope for the best to find what you want in stock.

I actually had not done curbside pickup at either store before. I kind of like perusing for what I want and selecting my own produce. It’s also been said about Target (and Hobby Lobby) that you don’t go in with a list, you let the store reveal what you need. But to save a trip inside what is probably the riskiest environment I’m in these days, it was totally worthwhile and super convenient. There were a couple items not available and a couple substitutions made. Our personal shopper did great with the substitutions, we have no complaints. Target offered free shipping for the one out-of-stock item. A box of cornflakes will arrive at our door tomorrow, lol.

I feel like I’m devoting way more time than usual to keeping the house supplied with food and essentials. Does anyone else feel the same way? I guess essential errands during Quarantine 2020 require more planning than we’re used to. I’m grateful that in the greater scheme of things, I’m only experiencing minor inconveniences, though. I know not everyone’s experience is the same in this crisis.

Fun and thought-provoking things of interest this week …

Jordan Raynor’s latest devotional series is titled Gospel Driven Work in the COVID-19 Crisis.

Jeff Goins’ recent post claims he’s doing quarantine worse than you. Also available via podcast. It made me laugh, as I have largely given up on being productive in this weird environment.

Micah Murray doesn’t post a lot, but this story about an Easter art project is poignant and beautiful. Micah, like a number of people I know, has gone through a bit of a deconstruction phase in his faith, although he is currently in seminary. He grew up in a super legalistic environment and has been an eye-opening source for me on church abuse. I often minister to the dechurched and spiritually marginalized, so I’m always interested in what Micah has to share. Adult language warning.

In CCM (Contemporary Christian Music) news, Kevin Max of dc Talk fame is working on a remake of Larry Norman’s Only Visiting This Planet album in partnership with Larry’s son Mike. You can learn about the project and participate in the crowdfunding effort here. Kevin joined us with an original poem during Ragamuffin Sunday on Easter. (Reminder – we go live with a ragamuffiny church service and interactive chat every Sunday at 4pm eastern.)

In the name of fun and Buckeye spirit, you can download coloring pages, Zoom backgrounds, etc. here .

Easter dinner. He is risen. He is risen, indeed.

Mask Wearing and Other Easter Traditions

Time wasters are a pet peeve of mine.

Today’s adventure to town – my first time leaving the house in three days – turned out to be a fruitless mission. Apparently store policy varies depending on who is working. Why did I bother calling ahead again? Peace and love, friends. I understand this a challenging time and a challenging environment. I do. But I’ll go somewhere I trust has it more together tomorrow.

Also I’ve noted that my most uttered phrase of 2020 thus far is … “This is such a weird time.”

Sigh.

A week ago the CDC began recommending everyone wear a cloth mask over their nose and mouth when out in public. In situations where it may be difficult to stay at least six feet apart – say inside a grocery store – the mask will reduce the chances of the wearer spreading coronavirus to others. A simple cloth mask (as opposed to higher grade masks we need to reserve for healthcare workers) provides minimal protection for the wearer. Since one can be asymptomatic but still contagious, though … you can do your part to protect others. A friend referred to the situation as a classic “love thy neighbor” scenario. They also noted one may be less likely to touch their face when wearing a mask – another important hygiene practice.

The CDC and many public department of health web sites have instructions on how to make cloth masks. (There are Facebook and YouTube videos as well.) It can be as simple as folding a bandana and using hair ties or rubber bands to anchor it around your ears. A t-shirt or scarf will even do in a pinch.

Following CDC guidelines or preparing to rob a bank?

I’ve seen a disconcertingly large number of people on social media making fun of those who choose to wear masks and/or rubber gloves while running their essential errands. Indeed, it is difficult at best even for those who know what they’re doing to avoid cross-contaminating something with gloved hands. I could go on and on about proper procedures for removing gloves and masks and sanitizing everything, but I’m tired and bored of the subject.

The moral of the story is stay home as much as possible. When not possible, be a good human and do whatever you can not to spread the virus to others.

Be less like the shrieky people and more like this container of hummus.

A friend posted a great phrase this week … “I’m a Christian, but I wear my seatbelt.” Why do you wear a seatbelt? Hopefully it’s not just because the law requires it. Science says seatbelt wearing results in fewer deaths and severe injuries.

I’ve seen views across the spectrum from thoughtfully questioning (awesome!) to the truly tinfoil hat wearing theories. Many people are just sure they’ve had coronavirus already, as far back as November, implying (or blatantly stating) that because they recovered it’s no big deal. Maybe they did have the virus. But we don’t know how much immunity for how long that might provide. Tests are being developed. We’ll get there. Be patient, stay home when possible, and when not possible … wear a danged mask.

Also your anecdotal evidence doesn’t equal scientific data.

Also choosing to be a good human by wearing a mask … and maybe gaining some protection by wearing gloves … does not equate to cowering in fear or being, as some of you so eloquently put it, a sheeple. Please get over yourself, be kind, and just shut up.

Some suggest we just need to have faith and know where we’re going when we die. Again, I’m a Christian but I wear my seatbelt. Perhaps you’re familiar with the story of the flood victim waiting on the roof of their house for God to send a helicopter to rescue them. While the water continues to rise, they turn down the neighbor in a rowboat who offers them a ride to safety … “No thank you, God’s going to send a helicopter.” When someone from the fire department comes by in a raft, they respond the same … “No thank you, God’s going to send a helicopter.” After being swept away in the flood, at the pearly gates they ask why God didn’t send a helicopter to rescue them. “Well, you turned down the rowboat and the raft I sent …”

Be a good human. Stay home when possible. When not possible, wear your seatbelt and a danged mask.

So Easter. It’s coming up this Sunday. Much like the Christmas season, this is a time that causes many to think more about their faith. Many of us now will be participating in online church. (Please don’t go to a mass gathering of people. Just don’t.)

Communion is an important part of many church services. Some traditions share in it every week, others at certain intervals. The transition to joining in virtually has led to a variety of options for communion at home. Some churches are providing sealed communion kits available for contact-free pickup, but you can make communion out of whatever you have around. A bread product and a juice product. Cheez-its and Juicy Juice. Ritz and a Pepsi. Home baked bread and wine if you’re into wine. The most unique and memorable communion I’ve ever had was after the great Ice Storm of Christmas Eve 2004. Multiday power outages were widespread throughout our area, canceling Sunday services at our church. A small portion of the Glory Sunday School class got together at a friend’s house that day. Communion consisted of broken up saltines and small Dixie cups of prune juice. Saltines and prune juice. It’s what they had in the house. Necessity is the mother of invention.

If you want to make your own unleavened bread, here’s a recipe you can whip up from ingredients you may already have on hand. If you need gluten free or food allergy friendly communion wafers consider ordering them here .

Other resources of note this week …

Mike Morell shared a post on praying the breastplate of St. Patrick. I thought it was really beautiful.

Fil Anderson has been praying Psalm 91 for 90 days. I’m kind of sort of keeping up.

I finally watched this video of my buddy David speaking at a recent fundraiser where he was opening for William Paul Young, author of The Shack. It’s about forty minutes of David and the rest panel discussion including him, Paul, and others.

Online church Easter Sunday. I’ll be tuning in to my local service that morning at 9am eastern. We’re still doing Ragamuffin Sunday at 4pm eastern, including online chat.

My Good Friday tradition is listening to Glenn Beck’s telling of that day’s events set to Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon. Ignore any feelings you have about who the storyteller is, as it’s a nonpolitical tale. The joy of Sunday’s resurrection can overshadow (which to a large extent it should) what happened on Friday, and I find this little work of art helps drive home the darkness of that day. May we never take any of it for granted.

Happy Resurrection Weekend. Stay home. When you can’t stay home, wear a danged mask in public. It’s the latest Easter tradition.

The blurriness of this shot is a metaphor for how well I deal with mornings, which is when you now have to go to the store to have any hope of finding “high demand” items.

Yeah, My Head’s Still Spinning, Too

Well, not in a Linda Blair The Exorcist kind of way. Just still trying to get used to pandemic life.

Trying to stay up to date on the news without overdosing on it.

Trying to get my tax paperwork together without worrying too much about it since the deadlines have all been extended. But still wanting it done sooner rather than later. Both to clear my head and to be considerate of my CPA.

Trying to maintain healthy lifestyle habits. The struggle is real. I’d like to emerge from this crisis looking as little like Fat Thor as possible. If you want to look more like Buff Thor, for a few more days Chris Hemsworth is offering six weeks free of his online workout program. Google him.

Speaking of Linda Blair, I first saw The Exorcist in college with a few people at a friend’s house. It was late at night when the movie finished. My friend’s roommate wasn’t home, though, and there was no way he was staying in an apartment alone after watching The Exorcist. He made us stay to watch Batman.

And on the subject of scary things.

I’ve been trying to limit my trips to the store to once a week. I know more than the average bear about protecting myself from viruses, but (1) there are some unknowns with the Corona and mostly, (2) clearly too many people are oblivious. I ended up needing to run two quick errands Saturday morning. You would think, it being a weekend morning, that relatively few people would have rolled out of bed yet, let alone changed out of pjs and headed to town. (I was not in Walmart. More on that in a minute.)

The grocery parking lot was disconcertingly full, as were the aisles inside the store. Entire families were together, as if our state’s stay-at-home government order didn’t exist. I give a free pass to single parents of children too young to stay home alone. Families with one parent away working an essential job during store hours get some leeway as well. Again, that’s if the children are too young to be left alone for a couple hours. Most groups I encountered did not meet any of those profiles.

What is wrong with people.

Fast forward to Monday. I drove to Wally World mainly for OTC decongestant. Thanks to the meth epidemic and resulting legislation, this allergy girl has to sign her life away at the pharmacy to get really basic medication. While there are cart wipes and hand sanitizer (not automatic, you have to touch the handle, ew) at the store entrance, there are no such items at the pharmacy counter. They did have tables lined up in front of the counter, so as to ensure social distancing between customer and pharmacy worker. Awesome. But I had to sign the screen with a stylus touched by who knows how many people, with no assurance that workers were wiping down the equipment between customers.

In the aisles of the store, while many people were being courteous, there were enough customers and stockers not observing safe distancing that I’ll be avoiding big blue for the time being. I’ll pay more somewhere else where they seem to care about my health.

So the last week has taught me what stores are safer than others.

I’ve also learned that getting the post office to ship you stamps will cost $1.30 extra in most cases. Totally worth it to save a trip.

Also FedEx is not requiring a signature even when a package is shipped as such. In those cases they must hand it to a person, but the delivery driver then from six feet away enters your info in their device.

In other news, a couple of musical notes …

My friend Lee released a new album of worship songs. The Meek Squad includes him and a few of his roommates/neighbors. Here’s a preview on YouTube. See the description for links to stream/download.

My friend Mitch McVicker livestreamed a concert this week via Facebook live. Next one is Monday, April 6 at 8pm eastern. Details on his Facebook page .

And now for something completely different. In the name of levity, I bring you coronavirus haiku written by The Posse. Enjoy.

Fever cough and pain
My lungs are full of fluid
Coronavirus

Kindness is my jam
We’re all in this together
Coronavirus

Social distancing
Just sitting at home eating
Refrigerator

Augh! I’m infected.
See you on the other side.
Coronavirus.

Bored in quarantine
Think I’ll get a snack from the
Refrigerator

You stay over there
Cough into your elbow please
I think it’ll be fine

I’ll be all set if
Extra Toasty Cheez-its cure
Coronavirus

New advice is to
Sneeze into a tissue, toss
It out then wash hands

My moron neighbors
Think social distancing is
Drink beer together

Social distancing
Seems to mean nothing to the
Dorks in the store aisles

When once a week trip
To store yields avocados
Make guacamole

How to do a blog
Write many haikus about
Coronavirus

How to kill the blues
Write many haikus about
Coronavirus

Captain’s Log Stardate … Oh I Have No Idea What Day It Is

How is your COVID-19 Quarantine going?

Quarantine is a bit of a broad misnomer, as I think (don’t quote me on this) technically the word quarantine applies to those who are experiencing symptoms, have been confirmed positive, have been exposed to a confirmed case, or who have recently traveled to certain high risk areas. But it’s close enough to what is recommended for everyone and especially those in high risk groups (elderly and those with complicating health conditions) that we’ll go with it. Many states and municipalities across the US have issued stay-at-home or shelter-in-place orders. Nationally we’ve been hearing similar guidance, but often the official orders are more appropriately issued at the state and local levels.

Choose whatever terminology is most meaningful to you. In areas that experience hurricanes and those in proximity to chemical plants and refineries, “shelter-in-place” is a well-known term. Maybe not so much in other parts of the country.

It has been a scramble on everyone’s part to adapt to this unprecedented (in my lifetime anyway) situation. Governments, companies, teachers, healthcare workers, individuals and many others I don’t have space to list out are figuring out the new normal day by day and sometimes hour by hour. There are always critics (and hoarders, don’t even get me started), but by and large I’ve seen the American spirit alive and well. An American spirit that perhaps we weren’t sure we still had.

We are not where we need to be yet – I still observe people not taking the threat seriously. Personally I have reduced my trips to town. I’m limiting the adventure of foraging for groceries and supplies to once a week. I do frequent my favorite local coffeeshop for takeout to keep supporting them, but I take precautions … I make sure not to touch the door handle with my bare hand, use a credit card so the barista doesn’t have to handle cash, put some cash directly in the tip jar, use hand sanitizer when I get back to my car, and wait to add cream and sweetener until I’m home and have washed my hands. All the while touching as few door handles with bare hands as possible.

Some days I just get my afternoon caffeine fix at home.

Iced coffee and birthday month treats at home.

I have used antibacterial wipes or cleaner daily on high touch surfaces around the house. Doorknobs, light switches, remotes, phones, countertops, computer keyboards, faucets. I have taken an antibacterial wipe to steering wheels, buttons and switches and turn signals, inside car door handles (outside painted ones might not be able to handle the chemicals, use your judgment), and even my credit card.

I’m encouraging the older folks in my family to opt for delivery of groceries and takeout, offering to help with the ordering process. We live in a semi-rural area, so delivery isn’t available from a ton of businesses. There are enough, though, and Amazon Prime is quite familiar with where we live. Curbside pickup is the next best thing. Staying at home as much as possible like the experts said is ideal, especially if you’re high risk and not an essential employee.

Speaking of essential. The definition of essential by government orders has been intentionally broad. There are lots of dominos in the supply chain to what most people would consider obviously essential businesses.

Auto repair is an essential business here in Ohio. Commercial vehicles need to be in working order to move supplies around. Personal vehicles need to be in working order to get essential employees where they need to be and to enable the general public to obtain essential supplies if they can’t be delivered. When the alternator on my aging personal vehicle started doing the death rattle over the weekend (while on my once a week foraging expedition last Friday … ack!), I was grateful to be able to leave it with my favorite mom and pop (okay, pop) repair shop this week. After an overnight stay for a new alternator and some other much needed TLC, my little SUV is happy again.

If it is safe for you to be out and you have the time / funds to do so, now would be a great time to drop off your vehicle for any attention it needs. Don’t plan on hanging out in a waiting area – get another member of your household to pick you up and drop you off … and if that is not an option, think carefully about whether public transportation or a courtesy shuttle is advisable. If you are high risk, maybe have a low risk relative, friend, or neighbor take your car in. If you are low risk, still take precautions. This virus survives for a while on surfaces. Touch an infected surface … then touch your face … and guess what.

Okay, enough preaching on stay at home, disinfect, sanitize, and stop touching everything.

There has been an overwhelming glut of online viewing and streaming options popping up. Don’t feel like you need to watch everything. Choose some. And know when to step away from the screens. That being said, here are links to my suggestions this week:

My friend Traci started a blog about her experience living in Italy during this virus crisis.

My friend Andrew released new music this week. He says he was trying to recreate the sound of peace, and I think he nailed it.

Ragamuffin Sundays is livestreaming every … surprise, Sunday … at 4pm eastern / 1pm pacific on Ragamuffin TV’s free YouTube channel. Join in whether or not you’re connected to a local church, and join the live chat. (It may prompt you to “create a channel”, which only takes a couple clicks.) Playback is also available.

That’s all for now. Remember … sanitize … social distance … and keep looking up.

The New Normal

This was kind of an accidental shot, but I’m sure it’s a metaphor for something. “Surrender Dorothy” comes to mind.

Ack.

I feel like I’ve been drinking from a veritable fire hose of information overload for the last week.

P.S. “The new normal” sounds like a misnomer. In no way is any of this really normal.

Coronavirus Chaos has swept the nation, not to mention the world, and raised our collective anxiety level a few hundred notches. I was going to say “a few”, but I feel that would be intellectually dishonest. It may depend somewhat on the state in which you reside but here in Ohio each day has brought the mandated closure of more and more businesses. Even more have voluntarily closed. Timelines are typically two to three weeks with an option to reevaluate. Schools and universities are transitioning to online learning for at least a couple weeks, with many making the call now for classes to be online through the end of the semester. Graduation ceremonies are being postponed – students will still graduate, but when they will walk in front of a mass gathering of classmates and loved ones remains to be seen. Spring extracurricular activities have been cancelled or postponed.

The world is in a collective holding pattern while we get the spread of this virus under control.

Some political sniping exists about the situation. There will always be about most anything, plus we’re in a presidential election year. The pleasant surprise is how much bipartisan effort there has been toward putting our noses to the grindstone and just getting this done. The president described it as a wartime-like situation. I tend to agree with that assessment. We can – and should in the sense that gleaning lessons learned is important – Monday-morning-quarterback it all later.

As I mentioned, I live in Ohio. We’re the seventh most populated state in the country (I think once upon a time we were fifth?), so it makes sense we would be amongst the leaders and trendsetters in getting ahead of this pandemic. Our governor and in particular our director of public health have received national attention for their handling of the state’s response. It seems to be a constant balancing act between what looks like an overreaction and overly restrictive government mandates versus why-didn’t-we-have-this-under-control-sooner.

As the meme says, “Our elders were called to war to save lives. We are being called to sit on the couch to save theirs. We can do this.” My grandma actually was a Rosie the Riveter during World War II, by they way.

So anyway.

Everyone remember to breathe in … breathe out … from at least six feet away.

Keep eating healthy.

Sometimes I play with my food. I call this one Audrey II.

Stay hydrated.

Follow the hygiene, cleaning, and distancing/isolation practices recommended by public health officials.

If it is safe for you to do so, get outside for some exercise and vitamin D. Spring allergy sufferers, walk your local shopping mall if it’s still open. (Some malls have announced closures, and enough businesses in ours have temporarily shuttered I’m not sure how long they will stay open.) For everyone, there are tons of online streaming resources to guide in-home workouts. A number of companies, YMCAs, and individuals are offering their online workouts for free during the crisis.

If you have the resources, keep patronizing the takeout and delivery options from local restaurants and coffeeshops.

Be a good human and stop hoarding the toilet paper and countless other items at the grocery stores.

Check on your elderly and high risk neighbors and loved ones. Help them get the supplies they need. Not everyone is tech savvy about ordering groceries and takeout on an app. An app to them may mean “appetizer” or, as a local car commercial says, “A nap? Sounds great.”

Tune into the news and/or press conferences enough to know important announcements and changes, but know when to walk away. Check web sites and social media pages of local businesses before you visit them, to learn of any closures or reduction in hours.

Be kind to everyone. Many are being laid off from their jobs or find the businesses they own grinding to a halt because of government mandates. Unemployment and other compensation may be uncertain/insufficient in their case, and they might not know how they’re going to meet their financial obligations. Many others are being tasked to work overtime including in fields that put them at high risk of contracting the virus. Grocery stores, warehousing operations, and big box stores are challenged to meet demand and can’t hire people fast enough. Sometimes the workforce displaced from shuttered businesses translates into workers ready to step into those roles, sometimes not. But it’s all a scramble.

And did I mention the kids are home and doing online school now? Many of those working from home are doing double duty as homeschool parents.

Give everybody a lot of grace.

Give yourself a lot of grace.

When life has changed in so many ways so fast … none of us can be as productive as we’d like to be.

I keep hearing our elected officials say, “We’re all in this together.” I’m waiting for one of them to break out in song.

Stay connected, friends … from an assured clear distance.

And for the love of all that is holy, wash your hands.

I probably should have bought this to occupy my time while social distancing. I mean, it was almost the Ides of March.

Keep looking up, even if the sun makes you squint.

A Viral Post

Greetings from the day before Friday the 13^th! You would think superstitions surrounding the date and this week’s full moon would be the main topic of conversation, but noooooo. The words of the day are coronavirus, COVID-19, the novel coronavirus, pandemic. “Social distancing” surely will be added to the dictionary this year.

The situation is changing rapidly here in the US as shutdowns, restrictions, new government orders, and positive test results are announced. It’s only natural to be at least a little on edge in the midst of such chaos.

I tend to be fairly fearless. I also tend to be regarded as intelligent and in possession of common sense. With two engineering degrees, expertise in nutrition, and a background in manufacturing of nutritional products for vulnerable populations, here’s my take on the pandemic and our response.

I am not a doctor, public health professional, or government official, so don’t construe any of this as official medical advice, claims, or policy.

From what I’ve seen, our government is acting appropriately. Acting early on the whole social distancing thing – as we’re trying to do in this country – is lifesaving and reduces the overall number of infections and deaths. The data and math support that. Perhaps you’ve seen a graph like this one shared by a doctor friend that helps explain the reasoning. It’s okay to moan and groan and vent about changing plans. It’s okay to make and laugh at funny memes (we need all the laughs we can get right now). It’s okay to raise an eyebrow and take pause over these temporary restrictions on personal liberty. Ultimately, though, please be a good human and get with the program. We have learned from the experience of China, Italy, and other countries ahead of us (chronologically) in the spread of this virus. A friend in Italy (we’ve known each other since we were three-years-old in nursery school) has been updating regularly on the situation there. Their healthcare system is being overwhelmed. People are permitted to leave their homes only in limited circumstances (grocery, pharmacy, doctor’s appointment, for example), and law enforcement is checking anyone out and about to make sure rules are being followed.

Yes, it’s scary. Yes, it makes one think of the Holocaust and endless other martial law situations throughout history.

But given the atrocious hygiene practices of the average individual, we gotta do what we gotta do.

I am frequently amazed at people’s lack of knowledge – or at least lack of practicing – of proper handwashing techniques. But if you don’t know you don’t know. So here are some basics:

After washing your hands in the restroom, do not touch anything. Don’t do it! Na ga da!
Do not touch the faucet handle to turn it off – you just touched it with your potty hands to turn it on.
Do not touch the paper towel dispenser – people who don’t know any better (or who are following proper procedure and readying a towel prior to handwashing) have touched it with their potty hands or faucet-handle-contaminated potty hands.
Do not touch the door handle when exiting the restroom. People who don’t know any better have touched it with their potty hands or post-handwashing-let’s-touch-everything-we-can-contaminated potty hands.
Have a paper towel ready before washing your hands. Use the paper towel to turn off the faucet and to grab the door handle on the way out. Thoughtful venues have a trash can at the exit door where you can dispose of the paper towel. Find the nearest trash can outside the restroom otherwise. In paper towel-less situations, use an elbow to turn off the faucet and the hem of your shirt to protect your hand from the door handle. It’s awkward, but it’ll do.

Here’s a handy video demonstration. A common suggestion is to hum a song to yourself (or silently in your head) to ensure you’re washing long enough. The alphabet song or Happy Birthday twice through are often cited, but many alternatives have popped up recently. I’m partial to this tune.

Beyond proper handwashing, not touching your face (which is so, so difficult), and staying home if you’re symptomatic, overall healthy habits are especially important at this time. I’m talking sleep, diet, and exercise.

Avoiding the gym because of the virus? Not a bad idea – make a judgment call based on all your specific factors. Go for a walk, run, or bike ride outside instead. If, like me, you have spring allergies already in overdrive and have to hide indoors, walking a shopping mall may be an acceptable alternative. Hopefully a mall with automatic doors so you don’t have to touch door handles. Or work out at home. There are tons of videos on the interwebs, both free and paid, as well as my free handy 30-day challenge. Also take this opportunity if you’re confined at home to burn calories catching up on laundry and cleaning.

While it’s tempting to sit on the couch surfing the webs and binging Netflix while eating bonbons, be smart about when to turn off the electronics and get some sleep. Be smart about food choices. I won’t bore anyone with details here – I could write a whole book on healthy eating advice. I’m always happy to consult with anyone interested in making diet changes. (Full disclosure: I do rep a nutrition company, but I try to customize advice to fit each person’s situation, likes, and dislikes – whether that ultimately includes our products or not. Check out “how I stay healthy” on my Links page.)

I’m very “ish” on the keto, but I do drink ketones daily. My company sent me a bday gift!

Overall, remember to inhale … exhale … and relax. Increased stress weakens the immune system.

God is in control.

It’s all gonna be okay.

Keep looking up.

Remember to support small, local business. Like picking up the best yogurt cup I know of with your iced coffee at Village Coffee. I got mine to go so I could social distance & work at home.

Order a copy of PC’s book (Google him for signed ones) to keep you entertained while staying home.

Pivot!

I had a great birthday weekend. Thanks for asking. As a belated gift, the powers that be at the Friendbook got me a gift so spectacular you aren’t going to believe it.

Go ahead, guess what it is.

Nope. They didn’t get me original artwork.

Zuck’s army labeled my site as spam (the one on which you’re reading this, unless you’re catching it in an email), removed all posts that linked to it (eight months’ worth), and disabled links in my bios on their platform and on the Insta, which they also own. If you visit my author page, it looks like I’ve been doing mostly de nada since its inception. If you click one of the bio links, it tells you it’s been disabled for violating their community standards against spam.

For shame!

There’s a quote I like that you’ll find on memes, artwork, and cross-stitched pillows.

“There is always, always something to be thankful for.”

It’s true and I believe it. Today I’d like to offer my Murphy’s Law version of that phrase.

There is always, always something in the terms and conditions that can be used to justify banning whatever the owner would like banned.

I clicked the box saying I’d like a human to review the case, but I have low confidence of getting anywhere. So if my expectations end up being exceeded … woohoo. Mazel tov. Fantastic.

It comes down to the bottom line. Theirs. And the advertising revenue to which they’d like everyone to contribute.

There is always, always something in the terms and conditions that can be used to justify banning whatever the owner would like banned. ~Jennifer Grashel Share on X

You may all return now to political posts, coronavirus and baby Yoda memes, and funny cat videos.

“We all come to wisdom at the major price of both our innocence and our control. Which means that few go there willingly. Disorder must normally be thrust upon us. Why would anyone choose it?” ~ Richard Rohr

Bring it.

Before I get any further, if you’re reading this, thank you thank you thank you for being interested in what I have to say. You’re my kind of people.

I’m sure I’ve written about “the pivot” before. When something isn’t working, do something different. That doesn’t mean give up completely on everything in your life. It doesn’t necessarily call for complete and total disorder. Just pivot in a different direction.

I’ve never known the holy spirit to make clear a complete and total process for getting anywhere. But he might nudge you toward the next step.

There’s another phrase I like.

“Remember who you are and whose you are.”

Having had Toy Story 4 and Forky on the brain lately, I’ve also had a line from that movie running through my brain. New-to-the-Toy-Story-saga character Duke Caboom needs to be reminded of his greatness and daring. (I learned from the interwebs Caboom is indeed spelled with a C, not a K.) During a pivotal scene he declares,

“I’m Duke Caboom.”

You can see a clip here. For the five minute nerdy background on character development and Keanu’s involvement, click here.

So I’m going to keep being the Tenacious J that I am. Keep loving my tribe well as best I know how. And keep looking up.

Tenacity

“Hey there! How are you?!?”

“I’m fine. How are you?”

I’m not really, but who is. I was feeling supremely unfine in so many different ways, but it seemed like neither the time nor place for sharing. We chatted for a few minutes.

“No one is like you. No one has your tenacity.”

While tempted to write that statement off as mere flattery – I mean, they called because they wanted something – um, I have to admit they’re right.

Several months ago someone else told me, “No one else can do what you do.”

Um, really? I just did it, thereby proving it can be done. They seemed almost critical that I hadn’t done it before. Conditions change, we learn more … and ask successful people how many failures they had along the way. Failures … perceived or real … or they might call them learning experiences.

My sis and I have a phrase we utter from time to time. It makes us laugh because we’re fans of irony and it’s the complete opposite of what we believe.

I tried. I failed. Lesson: Never try.

I tried. I failed. Lesson: Never try. #oknotreally #jklol #failyourwaytosuccess #learnyourwaytosuccess ~Jennifer Grashel Share on X

Success is a relative term anyway, and I’m not sure what it means anymore. I think contentment is a more desirable thing.

Anyway, all this talk of tenacity means I can’t stop thinking about Tenacious D.

Insert sound of crickets chirping.

Tenacious D, a band known for their #facemeltingawesomeness. I’d link to a video or two, but I’d have to slap a big giant language warning on it.

So just call me Tenacious J, and we’ll leave it at that.

I keep realizing more and more how different and unique we all are. I mean, duh, of course and it’s pretty much a cliché. But do you really get how much everyone else’s world is not like your own? How much what’s easy for you is not easy for everyone else? How much what’s second nature and obvious to you is anything but to others?

I’d quote some scripture, but you really need to go read the whole 1 Corinthians 12 chapter.

After the tenacity discussion the other day, I finally made it out of the house and to the toy section in Target. I was shopping for a budding scientist who also likes art. (Sounds familiar, perhaps we’re related.) The young man is having a Bob Ross-themed birthday party. A Bob Ross-themed birthday party! I was nowhere near that cool at the same age.

Right after placing my selection in the cart, I heard a mild crashing, cluttering sound nearby. I didn’t think much of it, assuming someone knocked a couple boxes over, no big deal. But then at the end of the aisle I encountered another shopper also looking around to see what fell. On top of a display of I think it was Lego boxes sat a security camera that had fallen from upon high. As in from the ceiling. This particular Target is fairly new, so perhaps the camera installation contractor didn’t quite fulfill their obligations or maybe there’s some manufacturing defect. My fellow shopper picked up the unit to return it to a store employee while I zoomed in and snapped this pic of a similar camera way, way up on the ceiling.

I’m not sure if this was a sign … a metaphor … coincidence … or Godincidence. I’ll leave that discussion for another day.

Once I had all components of the birthday gift gathered, I assessed my wrapping options. I debated bag versus wrapping paper, as a gift bag seems like a cop out. But … the cost of a gift bag versus a roll of paper is roughly equivalent, although the paper would last for multiple occasions. But once I found this gem, it was an easy decision.

A Toy Story 4 gift bag with Forky sporting googly eyes! Birthday boy dressed as Forky for Halloween. Last summer his great-grandma took him to see the movie and then to the store. He selected two toys, one being a Forky. The other? Benson.

Haven’t seen the movie? Don’t know / don’t remember who Benson is? (By the way, yes, Forky is a sentient spork. Say “sentient spork” five times fast.) Benson is the villainous ventriloquist dummy. Reportedly birthday boy likes to place Benson in random places around the house to surprise / scare his parents.

Because that’s how the cool kids roll. Stay cool, my friends.

Enjoy these pics from last weekend’s mild winter walk. Keep looking up.

If you zoom way in, you can see a planet that’s been visible recently. I’d tell you which planet, but I Googled it and then forgot.

Surely this is a metaphor for something.

Deathbed Confessions

Greetings, faithful readers! I’m coming at ya from an afternoon spent sitting in the BMV renewing my driver’s license. With the new super duper industrial strength “compliant” version, you don’t actually leave with your license in hand. You leave with your old license – now hole punched like swiss cheese in the corner – and a temporary paper printout of the new one. I have a confused look on my face in the new pic. I don’t know why they didn’t retake it. But some degree of horrifying is what one expects from a driver’s license pic, so whatever. I’m just excited I passed the vision test. Does anyone else get nervous about that?

This morning’s devotion struck me.

That one line leapt off the page. “The world does not understand such vulnerability.” Indeed. Everything about modern society says be strong, be perfect. Even those who believe “such vulnerability” are prone to doubt it. Or we feel we need to defend it, as if we’re capable of such a thing. The best defense is a good offense. But is it?

I was talking with a friend about deathbed confessions the other day. We were acknowledging that when an unbeliever dies, it is possible for them to become a believer in their last breath. The legalism prevalent in my youth would say, “But they hadn’t been baptized!!! Surely they went to straight to Hades.” Acts 2:38 does say …

“Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

But then there are those pesky other verses about “by grace” and “whoever believes”. I saw a video of Francis Chan discussing the subject several years ago. This one isn’t the one I was thinking of, but it explains where he stands, which is, “Why do you care? The bible says do it, so do it.” By the way, there’s some bonus David Platt at the end of this clip.

Beep beep beep! We interrupt this post for a short aside.

Once upon a time a friend connected me with a gentleman she thought would be a good match for me romantically. As we were “talking to” each other (that’s what the kids call it these days, right?) … via phone calls and email, we hadn’t gone out yet … he emailed me a question. He wanted to know my view on when the moment of salvation is for a person. Upon reading my response he replied he could never date someone who believed that.

Bahahahahahahahaha!

Wait, let me catch my breath.

Bahahahahahahahaha!

I was already thinking this was not a match because the guy acted about a hundred years old. It was chivalrous of him to save me the trouble of having to be the rejector.

Anyway.

Deathbed confessions. I shared with my friend a phrase I’ve heard one of our preachers use.

“I trust in God’s common sense.”

It’s a helpful phrase in addressing some of the more difficult theological questions. Many of the “but what if” questions.

“But what if they repented on their deathbed but didn’t get baptized?”

“But what if they believed and repented in those last moments but were unable to speak the words?”

“But what if, even after studying scripture, they believed XYZ wasn’t a sin so they never repented of it?”

“But what if they said they were Christian but I never saw the fruit?”

(Fruit of the spirit. Go read Galatians 5.)

Just because we believe someone to be an unbeliever doesn’t mean they actually are. The fruit of the spirit is a decent indication but way way far away from foolproof. Maybe the seeds you planted and your example got through and they didn’t tell you.

Just because someone was an unbeliever their entire life doesn’t mean they didn’t take care of things right before the end. It’s still a really great idea not to wait to “repent and be baptized, love God, love people, make disciples”. There is no guarantee we will have the chance right before the end. There is no guarantee we will recognize “the end is near”.

We could practice whataboutism all day long, but we all have more important things to do. So here’s the paraphrase.

If you haven’t done the repent and be baptized thing, go do that ‘cause the bible says do it.

Take comfort that your loved ones whose salvation you doubt might have repented. We’ll find out later.

Trust in God’s common sense.