A postcard with wishes for “a very happy Easter.” (Postcard courtesy Marjorie and Calvin Dodge)
The second week of April has started and we both sit here in our dining room working on everyday items. We both have had a great deal of time to think and talk over the events of the past month. We have watched all the news on local TV and read our daily newspapers and have received many calls each day from our close friends near and far off.
We find we are all in this battle of the coronavirus and are all staying in our homes to slow the spreading of this virus. We both miss going to church each week and seeing our friends. This is the first time in 59 years we have missed the Palm Sunday church services, as well as the Passover and Good Friday services, at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church.
We have received calls from St. Andrew’s members checking up on our health and if we need any help in getting any of our prescriptions or food items. We also have received calls from local organizations here in the Damariscotta area. We take this time to truly thank each and every one of these caring people for looking out for our needs. We are both blessed to live in such a wonderful area of caring people.
The past two months have been a stressful time for many people across our great nation and those who have children and family members to take care of. Also for many people who have their parents or loved ones in a local nursing home and are unable to visit them. Our hearts go out to those people we see on TV that are in the emergency room of a hospital room and are dying of the coronavirus and their loved ones cannot be by their bedside. It is a stressful event that will take a long time to get rid of and will take a lot of love and support from everyone and family members for the next months.
We must all unite and join together in our great country and worldwide to defeat this coronavirus and support the medical scientists on the study of future viruses. Let this be a lesson to all the world.
This morning, as I stepped out the porch door and walked down the sidewalk, I noticed the daffodils were in bloom. Their yellow flowers were nodding their heads to the sun and giving us all a good feeling of love and hope. The crocus are also in full bloom and are a beautiful sight. The tulips are about 8 inches tall and soon will be in blossom in their many beautiful colors. The buds on our lilacs are the size of squirrel’s ears. So we can all see that the spring plants have all started to awake to the spring season and the rays of the sun and temperature.
Through the winter months and into spring, my wife’s hands have not been idle. Marjorie has knitted a pink crib afghan and a blue afghan, and is now working on a light sea-green afghan, as well as many scarves. She so often says knitting is her relaxation. Over the years she has always kept a good supply of yarn on hand. So one can see that with all the yarn stores closed for March and April, she still has a good supply of yarn on hand.
The same is true in that I have had a good supply of items to clean and oil in my tool collection and to take to the barn to sell this summer, if we can open when the virus is gone. We also have a good supply of history books and reference books to read and study Maine history and the area around us.
Maine is rich in history as a young state. Maine is a state full of many people who are strong, full of pride and kind hearts, and always looking out for one another in great times of need throughout the 12 months here in our great state of Maine.
We will come through this coronavirus and, by the grace of God, become united and close to each others’ needs. This may teach our government to work together for the good of everyone throughout each state. Most of all, may we each say our prayers for all the people who have lost loved ones in this coronavirus event.
