Week 26 and Week 27: Pours and Cedar Screened in Patio

Wow has it been hot!  We have been dealing with some heat indexes in the 107 to 108 degree range!  And I have been working outside!  But I drink plenty of water and I have a lovely wife who reminds me to hydrate! 

So last week I skipped the blog.  I decided to spend my time in the studio working on acrylic pours.  It just felt good to get back in their, get my hands covered in paint because I forget to wear gloves, and just create.  So my two favorites:

The first is made with fluorescent colors and the other just colorful colors.  These were lots of fun to make and are Ginger's favorite too.

So this week I was able to build a screened in patio at work with my friend Brian.  This was a fun project to do.  The heat was brutal, but we had a big fan out there and plenty of water and gatorade.  And the finished project, well, we were pretty happy with ourselves!

Before:

During:

After:

It is made of cedar and the screen is black but quite transparent.  Stained everything ourselves and after stapling the screen on put up trim we cut ourselves, sanded and stained.  This was a lot of fun to do!

And what blog would be complete without a picture of Sophie!

Sleeping quite peacefully by Momma!

So the virus has decided to ramp itself up here in Texas.  Even here in Smith County we have seen quite a spike and a doubling of positive cases.  I am not surprised.  Warning, rant alert.

Steps up on soap box.

Testing, testing into the microphone.

Okay.  As an essential worker I have been on the front lines since day one.  I am blessed in that I have had a job and that I have been able to continue to provide for my family.  I have practiced social distancing and when masks became mandatory, wore a mask.  If I was around customers I wore a mask anyway but for the most part I just stayed socially distant.  I kept myself informed one time a day in the morning, so as not to overload myself with news.  That can drive you crazy.  My in laws have self quarantined to protect themselves and Ginger has been able to pick things up for them and drop them off.  It has been an adjustment and it is more of a burden for my extroverted wife than it has been for me.   Even our community group, we meet outside, we are six feet apart and have fans going.   One of Ginger's best friends and her husband are positive for the virus, thankfully we have been socially distant from them. 

Where is the rant?  Here ya go.  So I am driving yesterday, with my mask ready, to go run some errands.  I drove by what looked to be a car show.  People packed like sardines, no masks, no social distancing.  Last Saturday Ginger and I drove by a baseball park with droves of people, all packed like sardines, no masks, no distance.  I walk into a hardware store to get some things and people have flocked there, once again, no social distancing.  Don't get me started on the protests.  Nothing at all against the protests, but no social distancing or masks for a majority.

So why in the heck is everyone surprised that cases are spiking?  Why in the heck are you blaming Greg Abbott for opening things up when he said to continue to social distance and wear masks?  I don't care if you are Republican, Democratic, Independent, Libertarian, whatever, get off it already.  I realize it is an election year.  But before your preference to political leaning we are Americans, and here we are Texans, and yes I am proud to be a Texan.  Yes, we have some things that need to be fixed.  But we have a virus going on for goodness sake.  Can we come together to defeat a common foe?  Can we stop pointing fingers?  Can we help our neighbors and those not like us? 

Listen, I am not thrilled to wear a mask.  But I got these gaiters (used a lot for fishing to cover your face) that I wear.  Because I am thinking of my wife, and those around me.  We have plenty of time after all of this to discuss the merits of politics, have at it.  But I am sick and tired of both sides.  Everyone pointing a finger.  Trump this, democrats that.  This is why I look at the news in the morning once to figure out what is going on.  And usually it is so I can see if there are any executive orders or other mandates.  Ginger and I cannot go out of town right now out of fear we will have to self quarantine for 14 days because we are from Texas.  It sucks.  We have family we would love to see.  But let me ask you something.  If I cannot see my family for six months, isn't that better than seeing them, giving them the virus possibly, and then not seeing them at all because something tragic happened? 

Some people are taking it way too lightly.  Look I know some people who have taken it to the extreme the other way and I can't say I blame them after driving by and seeing what I have.  You have retail workers and restaurant workers who have to work who are essential as well.  Police officers, Fire men, EMS, doctors, nurses, the people keeping your houses going while you are at home.

As a Christian, what is my responsibility?  Matt and I and our community group had a great discussion on this.

It is a choice to get out, and I support that choice.  If you want, get out.  I am not against that.  But be smart and safe about it.  And those that want to stay in, leave them alone.  They have that right.  Are they being overly cautious?  That is not for you to decide.  But be part of the solution and not the problem.  The government is not responsible for your well being, you are. 

Mic drop.

On another topic, our community group.  I love our group of people.  All walks of life.  Differing opinions at times but I think that is healthy because we come under a common goal of serving Christ.  It is my belief that each person there is hand picked by God to be there.  We have introverts and extroverts and even an ambivert.  We have bookworms.  We have computer people.   We even have a eclectic, fickle artist (me) and other artists in the group.  Photographers, craft makers, and even those starting out new artistic projects.  But more importantly we have different views.  It makes discussions very rewarding.  And as we follow the lead of our church in meeting, I believe our community group leaders are doing a great job guiding us.  Just had to put my thoughts on our group, I love each and every one of them and what they offer.

Have a wonderful week.

Baa