My favorite place to vacation is anyplace by the
ocean[lake]. — Nina Arianda
I am pretty sure that if Nina Arianda had see any of the Great Lakes she would absolutely wanted to vacation there. This week I have a “change of scenery” as we are visiting Erie and more specifically, Presque Isle – which just might be my favorite place on earth and even on a grey day the views are just glorious!
If only letting go of COVID fears was as easy as changing the scenery. I am two weeks past my second vaccine, but the idea of immersing myself back into “pre-COVID life” is still such a scary thought. I read this article in the NYTimes and I am working on rethinking risks and overcoming my COVID fears, but it is not easy. What about you? How are you doing post vaccine? How are you re-entering life? Do you have a plan? I really want to know… I think a good discussion around this would be a wonderful start – so please tell me your thoughts!
While I have no knitting photos this week, you are not missing anything. There is hardly any change from last week’s images, lol. I am at the slow going portion of Purl Strings. Lots of counting, seed stitching, and so much more increasing to do. I have knit about 3 inches of the cuff of Sock One, but I have a good bit of knitting yet before I get to the heel.
However, there is so much to do outdoors here (with practically no COVID fears!) I have been walking and walking and walking and watching all the birds. So.many.birds! We have discovered new trails and have seen so many new things. Each day is just a bit greener than the day before! It is crazy but today there is snow in the forecast so I just might get some knitting time in!
While the reading was minimal this week, I did have one finish.
The Cold Millions by Jess Walter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A fascinating story about a part of history that I knew nothing about. The writing style very much reminded me of Leif Anger or Kent Haruf. I listened and the cast of narrators were wonderful. I loved how the characters each were woven into the story… together but separately. If you want to learn more about labor in the early 1900’s in America, this book is an excellent place to start. I highly recommend it!
That is all I have for today, as always – if you wrote a post to share please leave you link below and thank you!
Hi Kat! I was wondering if you were on vacation – how lovely and what a beautiful place. Enjoy the rest of your time there. The Cold Millions looks interesting and I just requested it from my library.
Thank you for doing Unraveled Wednesday from Presque Isle! I’m two weeks post-vaccination today and I have the same covid fears. Nothing much has changed for me, but I will be making an appt. for a haircut next week (still with a mask). John has a work lunch today and it’s slightly concerning to me that he will be eating indoors with 35 other people. I think I will be trying to ease back into things very gradually – first a haircut, then maybe dinner with two other vaccinated friends, then moving Ryan back east (but I may have to be heavily sedated to get on a plane). That sock is gorgeous and so is your different scenery!
I’m so glad you’re having a little get-away, Kat. It is a bit scary to re-enter “The World” again, but that NYT article really did help me put things in better perspective! I have one more week until I’m in the “clear” . . . and I’m really itching for a beer at Bell’s . . . Enjoy the rest of your break!
I don’t have any plans to rush back into pre-COVID life. I am perfectly happy staying in my (slightly larger) bubble and waiting until we reach herd immunity for any of that.
Enjoy your time away and get all the fresh air you can!
Love, love, love Presque Isle! Be sure to look for lake glass as you walk along the shoreline. It’s amazing how the color of the glass pops out among the shades of brown as you walk along. On a good day, I might find 30 pieces – which made up about a tablespoon of glass. Happy hunting!
My husband Tom says he gets it and I am truly surprised he does but I finally realized a reason why I am so covid scared. Not only do I know if I get it I will die (which is a factor )but I brought home an illness once that killed my sister. I may have done it unknowingly at age 7 but I have lived with it since my 13th birthday and I could never live with myself if I was ever the cause of another person’s death again. I will stay home contentedly until they can assure me the pandemic is over. My actions once resulted in death. It’s the most horrific thing I have had to live with
(PS I came home infected with Chicken pox in 1962 my pregnant mother had never had them she got very ill, and the baby suffered and died shortly after birth I knew nothing of this until the night of my thirteen birthday when I overheard a discussion that I had “killed one of my siblings”–their words not mine. I know I did not have any control but the pain of hearing those words haunts me every day.)
Oh that looks like an amazing getaway and I LOVE being able to walk and walk and walk in nature! I am also not going to dive back into much … I do plan to get a pedicure and a haircut. and I will start seeing my mom and my sister In Real Life and up close. Thinking about hugging those two makes me tear up! (10 more days to go!) I am comfortable doing that because I know them and the precautions they’re continuing to take. I will not be rejoining my neighborhood bookclub anytime soon. or hanging out with anyone I don’t know very well inside (or even outside unless we’re 6 feet apart or wearing masks).
We are two weeks from jab 2 as of today and celebrating with some fine dining. Other than a couple of weeks around this time last year and the week in December when I was sick with Covid, my life has been more normal than not (and than most of you)… except for socializing. I have more recently (since vaccination) been to a restaurant and to a local pub, both times with my immediate family bubble and with plenty of physical distance/restaurant protocols. It felt really good and, I gotta tell you, the fish sandwich, french fries and beer at the local pub were THE BEST EVER!! I really needed that. My book club plans to resume meeting in late June — outside, and subject to change.
I have such fond memories of Presque Isle. My great-grandmother and some relatives lived in Erie and my family would visit there every summer. We had such fun at Presque Isle-picnics, swimming, and just hanging out. The last time I was there was the summer of 1970, a long time ago!
As far as re-entering life after my covid vaccine, I’m taking things slow and cautious. It will be a long time before I set foot inside a restaurant again!
I did a double-take at the name Presque Isle–because that’s the name of my hometown in Maine! Nestled along the Canadian border in Northern Maine. 🙂
I just love that you’re there! And I’m right there with you on your Great Lakes perspective… So I haven’t reentered much, but because of my brother’s situation I have flown twice now. (And it does feel strange, no doubt.) It’s hard to imagine doing anything in a group setting at this point, even though most of our peeps will be vaccinated by May. I can’t imagine being inside a public place unmasked until we reach herd immunity. And I think mask wearing indoors could become a regular thing for a lot of people–because–well, unknowns… Like all things, I think it’s going to take time. To reassess, find each of our individual new normals, and to see what the variants are capable of.
I am ready to be with people but a limited amount of people 🙂 I am glad you are getting out and I know you are having fun. I always feel better when I have a weekend getaway.
What a lovely getaway. Walking outdoors and birds would be my idea of a wonderful vacation. I rather prefer a lake to an ocean myself but I am a child of the prairie. I think we will all have to find our own way out of this Covid nightmare. It calls for extending grace and patience to ourselves and others.
I also thought you were in Maine when I saw Presque Isle! Nevertheless – I am so glad you’ve managed a little time away and change of scenery. I still have to wait about 2 weeks for my second shot and haven’t given a lot of thought about what my re-entry will look like. Honestly – I don’t think much will change for me. I plan to continue wearing my mask until the CDC says it’s safe to take it off. My husband and I haven’t sat down and eaten inside of a restaurant since March of 2019 anyway, so I don’t think that will change anytime soon. (We also haven’t left the house together without some combination of children since April of that same year.) I didn’t really get to gather with friends or family pre-covid, so that probably won’t be changing either. So I don’t think I have much to add to this conversation, other than to be gentle with yourself and to trust your instincts.
I’m still only 10 days past my first shot, so I can’t yet say how I’ll feel once I’m fully vaccinated. But I started pulling mass transit back into my life (albeit not without forethought) this winter and begin playing outdoor volleyball this week. We met a friend at a restaurant for her birthday a few weeks ago before we were vaccinated and because of the nature of a crowded patio on a Friday evening, I decided that was too early. I’ll do it again after vaccination, but not until. And honestly, as soon as I can get north to my parents’ after full immunity, I’m going up there for a couple weeks. It’s been more than a year, and I fully expect tears on everyone’s part.