Tuesday, March 02, 2021

Pot roast makes for a good day


Pot roast

Yesterday, for reasons of its own, was not one of my better days, but today is a good day. I woke to sunshine, the temperature has been moderate all day, and my cottage smells wonderful. I put a pot roast in the crockpot early this morning, added potatoes about noon, and carrots about four. Now I can’t wait to eat it. They say you should bake bread (or cookies) if your house is being shown for sale; after today, I’d say you should put a roast on. The gravy in this one is a simple mix of dry onion soup, cream of mushroom soup, and half a cup of red wine. I used to do that for my kids all the time.

Am I crazy? I am just devastated that Gov. Abbott has opened up the state—no mask mandate, business as usual. Yes, I’ve had both shots and feel fairly safe but not invincible. I had been looking forward to dinner in a restaurant with a friend next week. I distinctly remember having dinner with her on March 12, 2020—it was the last time either of us ate in a restaurant. But now I’m not sure I want to eat elbow-to-elbow with unmasked people. The CDC is issuing a stern warning against rushing to open too soon—guess the good governor just didn’t hear that one. I’m not inclined to be a fan of the Texas governor, he who brought us the energy crisis. Now he’s exacerbating the covid crisis.

I know the argument is that we must restore the economy, but I’m skeptical that letting large numbers of people catch the virus is going to do much for the economy. It seems to me a question of weighing human life against the economy, and I know which one I’d choose. Abbott says individual vigilance is still needed but state mandates are not necessary. What fairyland does he live in that he thinks everyone is going to continue to mask and social distance without the mandate? Sure, a lot of us will, but too many won’t. For one thing, trump politicized the whole mask question to the point his followers think it’s a badge of independence to go without a mask. And Lord knows, we have too many of his followers in Texas!

One more comment on that subject: how many people have you heard of with the flu? Think maybe masks work? Sure, between CDC protocols (masks and social distance) and the terrific roll-out of vaccinations (Isn’t it nice to have a president who does what he promises?), covid numbers are dramatically going down. When you’re winning is not the time to quit fighting.

On a brighter note, I found some clothes I’d lost. I asked Jordan to help look, and she was quite insistent that I had approved giving them away. I knew that wasn’t true because it was a favorite pair of leggings and a shirt that I wore with several things. She was standing in the closet, puzzled, when I suggested maybe they were buried in a basket that sat to one side. And there they were, under some other things—shirt, leggings, a pair of pajamas I wear a lot. Please do not ask how they got there. Brightened my day.

And another bit of bad news for the day—the estate of Dr. Seuss has decided to pull six books from the market because of racial images. I’m not sure which six books, so I can’t speak to the images, but it seems a shame to deprive children of the joy of Dr. Seuss.

Don’t get me started on Governor Cuomo. I’m on a tear already tonight!

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