making a list, checking it twice

I was up far too late last night, watching the former Prime Minister of Italy plead with the world to learn from their example, to be proactive in their approach to safeguarding their citizens' lives.
Heartbreaking.
Then, I was awakened early by a phone call from California. Paul's university in San Francisco was going to online classes immediately. The 1000 confirmed cases of COV-19 on Monday was now at 1300 and expected to rise exponentially.
Paul only has one kidney, the result of renal cancer several years ago. That puts him at higher risk than most adults of his age, 52 years old, the same as my youngest brother.
Heartbreaking.
I contacted Jeff to touch base with him, see how Michigan is faring. He talked about the economic harm done so far to Amy's job, which relies on goods from China. He talked about the lock-out of sports stadiums following the positive test of a Utah basketball player. Jeff has four stents in his heart, putting him at higher risk than that of 55-year-olds.
Heartbreaking.
I walked around my house, sobbing uncontrollably at the thought of losing them, of losing anyone else in my circle of family and friends.
Sobbing, uncontrollably, inconsolably.

I finally got control enough on my emotions to realize that I needed to leave the house if I were going to retain my tether on sanity.
But where to go?
What to do?
How to dress?
So, I made a list, using purple ink.
Then I prioritized the items, knowing I had far more tasks than I could complete.
Finally, I took a shower and got dressed up...
that's right, dressed up...
rather than wearing oversized and baggy clothes.

I started with the salmon peach skort
I'd bought for my birthday60 trip for
Elvis in Las Vegas.
It's a definite favorite that makes me
feel pretty and girly.
That was a great mood-booster right
there, especially when I paired it with
the flirty and light dancing sandals I'd
bought for that same trip.
i thank You, God, for the warmth of spring
to welcome me today!
A relatively-new, flowery top completed
my ensemble nicely.
Hair brushed, Elvis purse packed, and list
in hand, out the front door I threw myself,
into the sunshiny day.
i thank You, God.

My first destination was the Southwest Chatham Library, to have my 2019 taxes handled by the professionals there.
I usually handle them myself online, but the loopholes meant H&R Block was going to charge me, as I had only retirement income and no W-2 forms.
I was very nearly too late, but the folks with the AARP Foundation rushed to accommodate me.
I'm grateful for Howard, John, and Pat, for their work on my taxes.
i thank You, God, to have that weighty task done now.
My second stop was the American Red Cross center, as I was again eligible to give.
I was quite reassured by the new practices they have for safeguarding the donors and the precious blood.
Everyone - and I do mean everyone, including workers there - who enters the building has to first sanitize their hands and have their temperature taken before they are allowed to touch anything or to sign in.
That was good for my peace of mind.
I passed muster, so I was permitted to have my blood taken to give life to another.
i thank You, God.

I next treated myself to a leisurely slunch at Carrabbas.
That allowed me to use the 20% off coupon they'd sent.
In essence, they were covering the tip for me!
How very kind of them...
and how very kind Christopher was to me,
pacing my meal perfectly.
Here are the first two courses - the bread with seasoned olive oil, and the Mama "that's a spicy chicken" soup!
(smile)

The soup had been finished just a moment or two before my entree appeared - most excellent!
I'd selected another spicy, yes-I'm-alive, dish, this time the Tilapia Bellimbusto, and it definitely perked me up.
Plus, that word is fun to say.
It's Italian for "beautiful garment", which was true for me in my lovely skort, too!
Right dish, right place, right time.
i thank You, God.

As if all of that was not enough to make me feel special, here was the topper:
Limoncello Bread Pudding, my favorite!
The taste and aroma of that Italian liqueur always transports me back to a sunny day on October 24, 2002, at the isle of Capri, sipping that liquid for the first time, my husband by my side for our tenth anniversary.
i thank You, God, again, for that blessing.


Christopher also made sure I had a discounted second meal to carry home.
Thanks to his suggestion, I have a beautiful salad and a generous helping of Rigatoni Campagnalo for another slunch - or perhaps a proper lunch or dinner or both.
Wait an excellent waiter, giving me the gracious attention I needed!
i thank You, God.

I was able to use the balance on my Lowe's gift card to purchase more bulbs for my dining room light fixture, so I won't spend so much time in the dark again.
Plus, I bought more air filters, as the pollen is already been out for a month.
Then, I stopped at CVS with my coupon in hand, to buy more vitamins.
How nice to have an on-demand 30% off sale!
Then, I made my penultimate stop, at the Savannah Children's Theatre, to buy my ticket for tomorrow night's show.
After my return home to offload all my purchases, I realized that I still had a movie slot open in my AMC A*List allotment - hooray!!!
Time to take in "Sonic The Hedgehog" for the third time!
Plus, I refilled my popcorn tub, checking off one more item on my list.
Ah, bliss!
i thank You, God.