Hello, everyone. I hope your personal week has been pleasantly uneventful. It’s strange to live in time of a crisis when good weeks are the ones that are uneventful.
Staying safe can be boring but oh so critical. I often watch NY Gov. Cuomo and found his message about wearing a mask very important. He emphasized that wearing a mask in public is an expression of respect for others as much as for yourself. When you wear your mask you are saying “I care about others”. Even though I know I have been isolating and using safety measures, if I don’t protect myself and become infected, the chain of those effected is long – from family to first responders to hospital workers to sanitation workers and on. And that’s if I am symptomatic. If asymptomatic, I can infect a host of unsuspecting others. It is likely we will be wearing masks in most public situations for months to come. I have seen some really cool ones so I may splurge and buy one that makes a statement. If any of you have one that says “ME!”, send me a pic to share. (I’ve seen Whobear wearing one of his mom’s cleaver creations.
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The deadline to register to vote in GA in the June primary is this coming Monday, May 11. You can go to the GA League of Women Voters for a link or search the GA.gov site to check your registration and request an mail ballot if you haven’t already. You can also see a sample ballot. I looked at the one for Dem and Rep. It’s interesting to see the Party specific questions. Ck it out.
I saw an email conversation between the Petus family/friends where some took an oath not to cut their hair til the pandemic was over. LOL. Unless I take the scissors to my own, I guess I’ll start to look like a Petus, too. On top of that, I’ll be showing off my “farmer’s tan” from working outside. Just wanted to provide you with a visual image in preparation of our re-emergence. How about you? Anything we need to prepare for? 
(Humor is one of the best ways to help us get through this!)
Amid the tragic, heart-wrenching events of this crisis, there are also the victories and stories of courage and caring. If you need some food for your spirit, check out these sites(there are many others); CNN and Huffington Post Both have a Good News section; Happy News; Optimist World; Goodnet.org; Good News Network; USA Today Kindness. And if you want to search for ways to enhance your happiness, check out these sites: The Happiness Project; 1000 Awesome Things; Tiny Buddha; Zen Habits; The Kindness Rock Project. And/or use your time to be creative or learn: TED talks; Ode Wire; Doityourself; Greenupgrade; Ehow.com. And check out some of the local online sites (some available free on certain days): Atlanta Botanical Gardens; High Museum of Art; Fernbank; Children’s Museum of ATL; College Football Hall of Fame; ATL Music online. See. There are many ways to stay safe and avoid boredom, be creative and feed your spirit. Send me your suggestions.
It was great to see/hear Rev. Janna Nelson this past Sunday and to connect with others (29 of us!) via zoom after the meeting. Your First E Board of Directors (newly elected) and various guilds and committees are carrying on the business of the Congregation during our temporary shut down. We are keeping track of the virus statistics and fast moving research while looking at possible options to reconvene in person when the time is right. At some point we will enlist your input to decide when/how to reopen. Be thinking about what measures you would require to feel safe about returning to services in the Old Stone Church.
The last of the Supermoons in 2020 rose at 6:45 this morning. Following Native American tradition, it is known as The Full Flower Moon for obvious reasons. Look for it tonight as rain and falling temps are rolling in tomorrow. Also, on May 16 the Moon, Jupiter and Venus will be in rare alignment (a conjunction) to form a Smiley Face.
Who can resist that?!
Ok. That’s about it for this week. I hope you don’t get tired of hearing it because I have to say again, I miss you enormously! You are on my mind every day and in my heart with every breath. YOU are an important part of what keeps me going and encourages me to feel positive about the future.
I’m going to attach some pics to make you think/smile. Note: the cutie pie with the “dirty” face is my great niece, Kleveland, going “camo”.
Share hope and spread kindness.
Rev. Marsha