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Pick Me Up: Who’s Mama’s Mama when she is scared of the rain. 

The world is living in scary times for so many reasons.  How do we lift each other up?  I’m talking about us in the blogosphere and in our personal lives.  What inspires you to keep going?  I need your words of wisdom right now.

The past few days, I’m feeling so alone and isolated.  I’m feeling trapped inside and have nowhere to go.  What’s worse, I can usually pick myself up and keep walking forward and find the joy.  Both Chris and I are down and feeling depressed, and that is so very unusual for us.

I know I’m not the only person feeling the isolation of Covid.  I’m not the only one with a chronic illness or older age that the virus likes to attack.  Chris had polio as a kid and her lungs were damaged and my lungs are my weakest point.  So we feel as if we are an island of just two people, 2 pugs and a cat.

The statistics for Corona keep going up.  We had 75 new cases in Clackamas County (where I live) since yesterday and 400 in the state of Oregon.

I feel like I’ve lost so much this year, and believe me I know I’m not the only one.   In Oregon the only person I have contact with is  Chris.  We talk to her daughter and have a few friends that are scattered.  But since I’ve been sick for so long, friends and communication with other people are totally non-existent.  That is why my blog is so very important to me.

In the Helen Reddy song below, it’s all about Mama being the strong person who takes care of the kids.  But the song is really about “Who’s Mama’s Mama when she is scared of the rain.”  Chris and I tell each other to tie another knot in the rope and hold on.

 

I’ve put together a list of challenges and their hosts.  So if you know a challenge host, please direct them to my blog.  Feel free to contact me anytime.  I hope everyone will be able to use my lists.

Qi (energy) hugs

Cee

57 replies »

  1. Yes, we are mama’s mamas to each other on our blogs. I haven’t seen mine since August and haven’t talked to anybody but amore in person since October. Oh, and to bestia, of course, my dog, I talk to him all the time. Blogging friends are priceless. As for this situation – it’s getting to all of us. Wishing you well.

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  2. Im reading this a few months later and curious to know how you’re doing now? Hope you and Chris are both safe and emotionally at peace 💖

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  4. When I was at me deepest depression I used a 4 or 5 letter word to help me through. BIBOS. That is the only thing that I absolutely had to do… breathe in breathe out smile. Some particularly hard days it was just BIBO when I felt I just couldn’t manage the smile. These days are testing all of us and having asthma I too am in a high risk group like you. I realized today we have gone through more than half of the year now… that should mean we can coast down hill from here. 2021 has to be better!

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  5. I am so sorry to read about your tough times. I have up days and I have down days. Getting outside helps me immensely. Even though it is very hot. And we do go out to eat. That is a great break for us. We are careful, but neither of us have health concerns. I also pray. Praying brings me peace and helps me feel not so alone. I hope you are able to hang in there and find your peace. This is a strange and scary world right now. I do feel scared at times. Hugs and prayers for the both of you, and so many others feeling the same way. 🤗🙏🏻

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  7. I don’t want to sound insolent: but count your blessings. (It’s in some ways what you’ve been doing with “On the Hunt for Joy”.) What others here have said: you are not alone. We all feel like that at times, some of us more than others. My school starts again next week (adult education) and I was okay with it – until I heard that two families in the buildings where my students live are in quarantine because two children have caught COVID. I don’t know yet what it means for my classes. They will probably go ahead but I am not sure how I feel about it. We haven’t been able to see our granddaugther, she is two and has probably forgotten who we are. I see our grandson once a month – from a distance. We talk while I sit in the car and he is outside. So while my issues might be different from your issues (healthwise I am more worried about my husband than myself but we all know that either way there is no guarantee), we are all going through extraordinary times, unknown times. Only idiots don’t feel threatened or afraid by what it is happening. To get back to my first thought: concentrating on what we have – a partner, a child, a passion – and thus warding off the black thoughts. Don’t hesitate to ask for help. This might at times even be medical help. — Does it make a difference to say that your blog and your challenged help me to get a needed diversion. I can literally say: it makes me feel better. YOU make me feel better. I hope that it is a two-way street.

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    • Oh it is definitely a two-way street. You and everyone else makes my life so much better. Day by day and smile by smile. Over my years of blogging, if it weren’t for people like you I would have gone stir crazy years ago. I really feel for people like you who are on the front lines. Teachers, do I teach others and follow my heart and bliss (and yes a paycheck helps), but is it really worth risking my life. Tough decisions and choices. Chris and I are lucky, because Chris works from home. So our lives really hasn’t been effected in some ways. Her job is extremely stable, amazingly so through all of this.

      You are right only the idiots don’t feel threatened right now. It is scary times and ….

      Thanks so much for your comment, it helped a lot.

      Liked by 1 person

  8. you’re not alone, Cee. perhaps you can think of how wonderful this blogging community, a huge blogging community. personally, it is in here where i find beauty, friendship, joy and love. hugs. 🥰

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  9. My friends call me to tell me their woes and what they are doing. I’m going thru my possessions and recycling. Looking at my old photos gives me a new perspective on my life. The surprise of memories gives me moments of gratitude for what went before this dreadful time. Creativity keeps the spirit alive. Keep on keepin’ on …the world needs beauty and love.

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  11. Oh no that’s no good. It must be very hard for people that are isolated ..you have a great blog to keep you going and also the fantastic community of WordPress which I have found to be so friendly. I hope things get better for you very soon 🥰

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  12. Hi Cee, I do worry about my blogging friends in the USA where things just don’t seem to be getting any better. Everyone has given great advice and I can only say the same things. Try not to watch or read the news too much. I know that’s a tough one. I have days when I spend too much time reading news articles online and there is little good news.
    At least you and Chris have each other, your animals and your home where you can feel safe. I pretty much think of 2020 as having been cancelled and am now looking forward to next year when I hope that the events and holidays that we will miss this year will be back in some form. In the meantime I enjoy what I have, my home,nature, my hobbies and my onine friends in the blogging world. I do so look forward to your photo challenges, they are a big part of my blogging life.
    I think the advice you gave each other, tie a knot in the rope and hang on is the best thing you can do right now.
    Find some funny movies or TV shows, maybe old favourites from the past, and music. I never listened to much classical music until David got sick but I find it comforting now and have the classical music station on for a while most days. The other advantage is that they don’t have news bulletins all day long so you get a break from it. Take care, I’m thinking of you both.

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    • HI Vanda, we only watch TV that is streamed. So fortunately we don’t watch the news or are bombarded by bulletins etc. We are watching a lot more TV these days and we are really picky on what we watch. Especially before bedtime. Thanks so much for the reminder of taking care of yourself. Stay safe my friend 😀

      Liked by 1 person

  13. Sending love and positive vibes to you and Chris. I believe that once there is a vaccine (soon I hope) we can all breathe a little easier. Outdoors is probably the safest place right now (with social distancing of course). I think you are wise to be knowledgeable of the data for your area. Take care – I believe there is a light !!

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  14. sending lots of love to you both. These are difficult times, so I really appreciated your post. It’s important that we try to lift each other up in all spheres of our lives including the blogosphere.

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    • I wrote mainly for me. But I also know a lot of other people would connect. Knowing others are going through the same feeling during tough times, helps. Thanks. 😀

      Liked by 1 person

  15. Oh Cee and Chris, you beautiful women,who give so much to others. Maybe it’s time to recharge and look after yourselves for a bit. I look forward to your blogs every day but if I knew you were taking a break, I could wait, as others could.
    After all the previous very good suggestions, I can only add spending time with nature. We learn so much from watching it and how to apply ‘one moment at a time’, or ‘consider the lillies’.
    Why not take a chair into that beautiful yard of yours, or do some gentle rounds of it, taking lessons from the very air itself.
    I send you peace, across the living, breathing, ever changing oceans.

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    • There is a lot of water between us and the peace is flowing in. I do need to spend more time outside. I did go out and take some photos of my hydrangeas, lilies, tomatoes and peas in our garden. 😀 Nature is a great healer. Thanks.

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  16. Hang in there Cee – and you too Chris. You are definitely not alone – it is a scary awful time of uncertainty and feeling the way you do is understandable. We, of a certain age, have more to be worried about than those younger. I too wonder sometimes – what is the purpose now. I try to push back on the isolation which is suffocating. I understand what you mean. I have been calling and emailing old friends. Taking time to watch comedies. Trying not to watch every news report – on television and on my newsfeed. The other thing – I try not to think too far ahead at all – towards holidays and activities that may be impacted by the pandemic in the future. We are all in the same nightmare – to varying degrees – but horribly challenging all the same. I know it sounds cliche, but a one day at a time mantra may help too. Sending blogging hugs your way.

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    • Big virtual hugs being sent your way. Thanks so much for your wonderful response. We don’t watch any news. Chris will look up the statistics and see if things are slowing down. But since the numbers are sky rocketing right now, she is keeping a closer eye. She is the one who goes out and does limited shopping for groceries. She goes when our grocery store first opens, so there are very few people out. Other than that we have things delivered. We will all get through these times. As you say, one day at a time, or even, one hour at a time. 😀

      Liked by 1 person

  17. Hello from a fellow Oregonian. I think many of us are having feelings similar to yours. Bend, where I live, is a tourist destination and last night I read that our hotels are up to 92% full. Is that a good thing? Not sure in these times. I am finding small moments of joy to keep me going. I finally found the tree where the mountain bluebirds nest on our property and now I can stake it out next spring. Some of the special plants I put in the landscaping last fall are popping up with colorful flowers. Lichens growing on rocks are getting more attention in my pictures. Pygmy nuthatches, a frequent visitor this year, make me smile with their giggling calls and tendency to fly when they see my camera. I’m also trying to do things that brought me joy in the past, like painting. After months of doing other things, I’m going to start a mural of a pronghorn.

    Getting through these times will not be easy, but know that your blog brings joy to so many.

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  18. You’re not alone. Your beautiful pictures are uplifting! Thank you for these gifts. Sending you big hugs. ❤️

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  19. Oh, this is indeed very heartbreaking, Cee.
    Over here in my city, the situation is still very grim. People followed the social distancing only when government used the force. When restrictions were lifted up, the curve deflated in record time just because of people’s ignorance here.
    My elder uncle and his wife were following the social distancing and all the SOPs to keep themselves safe. But back in last week of June, he got sick. Went through COVID-19 testing and he was diagnosed positive, so he is now in quarantine. He is recovering now but his wife is still sick. She also went through COVID-19 test and diagnosed negative but her fever and weakness didn’t lowered down. Doctor then advised another COVID-19 test and her report will arrive tomorrow. I have to take them to the doctor and helped out their daughters because my uncle sold his car back in June. My family is worried very much about him and other relatives of ours who are also sick.

    Liked by 1 person

    • I so hope your uncle and his wife recover fully. It sounds like they are on the way. Getting it in your family is a real scary thing. I am praying for you and your family and sending those healthy energy vibes your way. I know it is possible to follow all the protocols and still get infected. Take care my friend. Thanks for writing 😀

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  20. I can imaging how feel. But you are not alone, so many all over the world feel closed up. Keep going with your blogs, they help so many out of loneliness. I admire you for all your strength to answer everybody who posts to your challenges. Feel hugged from me as well…

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  21. Oh Cee – sending a virtual hug to you and Chris.
    And prayi right now for that joy to Swell up inside you Both!
    And come against any spirit of heaviness – so smile right now to think of how many of your blog Friends live ya and appreciate you-
    And release any fear of getting this virus because that fear can impair your immunity
    And I am not saying to blow it off – just exhale and relax and stay safe!
    And you know – remember the increase in cases is partly due to flattening the curve as well as more testing – so take heart and bring every thought captive
    – find ways to smile
    We listened to George Carlin coming back from Florida and omg – my cheeks hurt so bad.
    We skipped a few extra inappropriate jokes – but Cee, I was reminded of the power of laughing – it does good things for us.
    Carlin might not be your flavor – but watch some Jim gaffigan or watch your favorite comedy show – it can provide much relief to weary and woe!

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      • So glad to share a smile – we also looked him up on the trio and had a quick skim…. his story is inspiring in a way – three heart attacks and battled using drugs to take 20 years to pay off back taxes – I guess his HBO specials happened because of his first heart attack – and turned out to help his career more than touring – but then he said that with the heavy debt he was forced to go back touring later and it turned out to be what he needed to stay fresh and creatively alive!!
        Cee – it was another example of how our setbacks and limitations can sometimes be just what we need for health in other areas – and sometimes save our life and keep us with a pulse in fervor and living!
        —
        Anyhow – George Carlin snippets revived us of from that dang “news fatigue”
        —
        Wishing you and Chris a great Monday and be back soon
        Love you both 🌸🌺

        Liked by 1 person

  23. You are not alone in these feelings. After months of being cautious we opened our bubble to include two daughters and our grandbabies, but now they have expanded their bubbles even more and it feels unsafe again. I’m losing perspective. “It’s all about the risk” my husband tells me. Do I really care anymore, I ask myself. Wouldn’t I rather spend time with family. But of course, those of us who already suffer ill health know it’s not simple. Hugs to you both. A virtual hand hold. Appreciate all that you have done for so many. It’s okay to feel down.

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