Coronavirus Update

Good late morning! It's a quiet, rainy morning here on the coast. The sky is a very light grey, but there is new green on the ground. I see more buds on some trees, and the bluebirds that occupy Caleb's birdhouses are definitely twitterpated. So are our geese, and we have at least one starting to lay eggs in a nest! It is suppose to rain all day, so this is a day I will make my own sunshine with the radio and light-heartedness with the family. It's chilly enough we had to light a fire in our woodstove..which I had already cleaned out for the season. I will share how Clint's second job and our neighbor are affected by Covid later in the week. The already scheduled posts will continue to run. It's just too much work during a busy season to reschedule all of them. 

The Virginia Coronavirus Map  is updated around 1-2 p.m. each day. There is another map on the Virginia Department of Health's website here. 

The number of cases in the immediate area where Clint, Brandon, and Amanda are employed is now at 32 for James City County and 5 for Williamsburg with a total of 4 souls who have passed away. These two areas overlap right where they work, and I will combine the totals in future posts on Covid-19. (The new total for Monday is 39.) In our hometown of Suffolk, there is one case, but we know of 24 people that are being monitored due to proximity. We heard the one case was coming early to Suffolk because a friend was at the doctor's office when it was suddenly evacuated and taped off.  

Following what other states have done, Virginia, our state, closed schools for the rest of the year and closed nonessential businesses starting today at 5. We learned CFA will stay open due to an exception the President made to give people as many options for food as possible. So, no one in our immediate family is affected by the closures. However, our outer family is affected and will be hit especially hard. Please join us in praying for them. 

Clint is feeling much better from whatever virus our family has been battling. He has some fatigue, but it is not as bad. Caleb still has not come down with it. I am still coughing a lot. I have started using a tip I learned from a loved one who had, and passed, from COPD. When you feel a cough coming on, take in as deep a breath as you can. Then cough a little more forcefully. This does seem to help, but it has left my back muscles sore. I feel a better, but I am still coughing a lot, having chills now and then, and feel very tired. I am about a week behind Clint, so hopefully in coming days I will see a return in energy. 

Our local grocery stores had even less food in them this week. It is hard for my 51 year old mind to comprehend that here in America, always a land of plenty, that we have empty shelves and severe limits on purchases. Yet here we are. I have a doctor friend who worked in Venezuela and said this is what it was like there after socialism took root except there would be long, long lines of people waiting until the item ran out. 

Last week, I had a head's up from a local grocery store worker who told me less and less meat is coming in on the trucks. In fact, she told me the trucks were not even filled. She has seen trucks arrive half or more empty. They get what they get each day. That's it. There is no ordering to refill shelves based on inventory. That portion of the company's internal website is blocked. The individual stores are at the mercy of the warehouses. If they get in a high demand item, it is now usually a very small quantity and one brand. No longer are people picky about having only a certain brand. They are learning to be thankful to have a need filled. 

some pinto beans (brown boxes)
Rice goes in the empty spaces.

Only the higher priced milk was left.

These signs are all over the store. 

You can see some of them in the other photos Clint took.

frozen meats

While multitudes are buying much more than normal, I am only trying replace what our family uses each week. That is very hard for a large family when the limits are one item per purchase. I share that to give perspective, but please don't be worried for us. We are very good at this point. We are also working on putting in our garden, but it is slow going with Clint and I sick and the rains.

Our groceries from Sam's Club usually fill the cargo area and the back two bench seats and floor under them in our suburban. They average $300+ which does not include our stops at Walmart and Food Lion. This was the haul from Sam's Club this week. We aren't complaining. We are thankful for what we found. We are simply noting the differences. Clint found us 10 lbs of chicken leg quarters from Food Lion. We also managed six pounds of fresh green beans by going to three different stores. We normally purchase eight to ten pounds at a time, so it wasn't too far off from normal. We just had to look harder for it. 

Dear Reader, things are hard all over the world right now. It's a time where many are very fearful for their lives and for the lives of their loved ones. I believe God will use this virus to shake many awake. Please join me in prayer that multitudes will repent, surrender, and obey the one true God! If you do not know Him, I encourage you to consider a relationship with Him today. I will testify that knowing Him makes all the difference in this life and especially during trying circumstances. What He asks of us is so very little compared to what He gives us. I know I would not trade the peace I have in my heart during this "big scary event" for anything. Having an intimate relationship with him gives me that peace! I am praying the Lord works in your heart to draw you closer to Him, protects you and yours, and provides for all of your needs.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

The Lord says, “If someone trusts me, I will save them.
    I will protect my followers who call to me for help.
 When my followers call to me, I will answer them.
    I will be with them when they are in trouble.
    I will rescue them and honor them.
 I will give my followers a long life
    and show them my power to save.”

Psalm 91:14-16