Bfth's Boring Blog

I live in a world of waiting Waiting for something to begin Waiting for it to end Waiting for the rain to stop Waiting for the sun to shine Waiting... Waiting for the world to stabilize Waiting for normal Knowing that normal will not be so Normal But waiting still Waiting for a cure Hoping for a solution Vaccination For all nations Waiting... Waiting to breath Wanting to know Not wanting to know Waiting to hear Afraid of the words Hoping for words Still waiting Waiting for silence In a world of noise Waiting for noise When there is only silence Waiting...still waiting Waiting for answers As more questions form Waiting for education  Longing for knowledge In a world of unknowns We are still waiting The world turns The sun shines The night falls The stars shine The clouds gather Full of rain When the sun shines again We are waiting Still waiting Waiting Still waiting...

Having been in quarantine for over a month now, I'm sure we're all getting a bit antsy.  Aren't we all dreaming of the time when we can go out to eat, go on vacation or just hug our friends and loved ones?  But now is NOT the time for frivolity.  We need to be vigilant and keep our distance physically to protect ourselves and our loved ones.  While I am lucky enough to live in an area where I can go out for daily walks and venture out into my front yard for the daily 7 PM applause/noise making session to show my appreciation for all of those who are on the front lines; I do not take the situation lightly.  I have a responsibility as a citizen of our planet to do what is necessary to help slow the spread of this disease and NOT endanger ANYONE with carelessness.  I filled my gas tank on March 11th or 12th (the last days that I worked in an office building).  Since then, for the most part, I have ventured out only once a week to purchase groceries...

Another Friday morning pre-grocery selfie...lovely to look at right? If it's Friday it must be time for another "thrilling" episode of Bfth goes to the grocery store!  I'm sure you've all been waiting with baited breath for this week's installment.  I hope you haven't missed any previous weeks, but if you did be sure to check out (in chronological order):   https://bfthsboringblog.blogspot.com/2020/03/freaky-friday-13th-of-march.html ,   https://bfthsboringblog.blogspot.com/2020/03/st-patricks-day-2020-view-from-shoprite.html  (the only NON- Friday grocery entry),  https://bfthsboringblog.blogspot.com/2020/03/the-virus-diary-week-one.html  ,  https://bfthsboringblog.blogspot.com/2020/03/the-virus-diary-frustrated-festering.html ,  https://bfthsboringblog.blogspot.com/2020/04/the-virus-diary-april-3-adventures-in.html ,  https://bfthsboringblog.blogspot.com/2020/04/the-virus-diaries-different-kind-of.html  and ...

Every day every one of us makes choices.  It doesn't matter how old or young we are.  It doesn't matter if we are male or female.  All humans every day make choices. After all, you chose to click on the link and read what I have written.  (For that, I thank you.) We make choices without even consciously thinking about it.  Do I get out of bed and go to the bathroom or do I wet the bed?  Is that really a choice?  Yes it is!  Do I eat this sandwich for lunch?  Do I eat something else?  Do I not eat at all?  There's another set of choices.  Do I go to work today or do I take the day off?  We are constantly making choices. I'm not going to categorize choices into good or bad; because what might be a "good" choice in one person's mind (for example a child deciding to decorate his/her room by drawing on the walls; thus showing his/her creativity and imagination) could be "bad" in another's (what is the parent of t...

Who ever thought I'd be blogging about my grocery shopping experiences?  But then who thought we'd be experiencing a pandemic? I had to look back on past blogs.  This was 6th grocery trip in "pandemic time" (I really like my friend who is  a Pastor's way of marking the calendar in "extraordinary time" better, but it doesn't seem like the right way to mark grocery shopping.)  The first two trips my husband went with me because that's the way we've (almost) always done it.  This was my fourth trip on my own. (I was going to say alone, but that's not right either.) What does it say about your and/or your life when you have trouble sleeping the night before you go grocery shopping?  What does it say when you have weird dreams about the grocery store before going?  (Why was I shopping with my mother and my son?  Why did we split up?  Why was the produce in strange places throughout the store and not in one section?  Why am I tellin...

Back in February (can anyone remember back that far?) right before Ash Wednesday (can anybody remember back that far?), when I preached in my church (does anyone remember actually going to a church for a service?), I talked about what I was going to do for Lent. Specifically I said (and here I am quoting myself again!):  " This year I am making a firm commitment to perform one act of kindness each and every day of Lent.  To keep myself "honest" I will keep a journal of what that act is each and every day.  Because I freely admit that I tried to do this in the past, but I don't recall being mindfully focused on performing at least one specific kind action every day.  And by keeping a daily tab on what I have done, I will have a record of kindnesses that I have done; hopefully something that I can reflect on and be proud of.  Something that is NOT just daily routine.  I want this Lent to be not the way I've always done it.  I want it to be f...

Easter is a time of celebration; a time of rejoicing.  A pandemic cannot stop that.  It CAN stop the way we celebrate, but it CANNOT stop the rejoicing. This Easter Sunday was like others in some ways:  my family had brunch together (only it was my immediate family and not my extended family) and my son and I went to church together (only it was online).  We sang hymns.  There was an Easter basket.  I am getting ready to indulge in some chocolate soon.  (Although the chocolate flavored creamer in used in my coffee might count).  We've watched Godspell  (last night) and will watch Easter Parade   (tonight).  I've dressed just as I would have if I was visiting the church building. Despite everything there IS joy in this Easter.  However, there is also sadness.  It goes without saying.  This isn't your ordinary Easter. And since it is NOT an ordinary Easter, I wanted to do something not extraordinary, but diff...

Holy week has been different this year.  It's not that we aren't observing; it's not that we haven't been (and will be) celebrating.  Things are just different but that doesn't make them any less valid, respectful or holy.  Instead of waving palm branches on Palm Sunday, I decorated my front door with local flora (and a palm that was graciously left out in a basket at a local church).  I participated in a "live" Zoom online service as well as watching my own church's recorded message which went live at the time that the service would have started if we were able to gather together.  On Maundy Thursday, my son and I watched our churches recorded message as it went "live."  We washed each other's hands, we took a modified communion (I don't think that God minds that I actually used tortilla chips in place of bread.  I was trying to conserve what bread I had) and we had a simple supper of soup.  All of which we would have done with our...

Yesterday was a bad day.  It had NOTHING to do with the pandemic and everything to do with work. It was a good thing that I was working from home so that the woman I report to could not see that I was I was crying and I covered my microphone so she couldn't hear me sobbing at various points in our conversation.  I was at a point yesterday where I just wanted to give up.  I wanted to say: "I quit.  I can't do this.  To me it seems like you think I can't do this.  You don't understand me."  But I didn't.  And it wasn't out of any nobleness; I need this job and this paycheck.  I need to keep going. After our conversation, I took a break and went for a walk.  I am lucky enough to be able to do so and I realize that.  I tried to enjoy the sun on my face.  I tried to enjoy the view.  It worked; a little.  Not enough, but enough to keep me going. While I was on that walk, my former boss called me.  We still work...

In days of yore (maybe 2 months ago), I would encourage friends to get out of their comfort zones.  To try new and exciting things.  To do something different.  Now all bets are off.  And though I am an expert on nothing, here is my unsolicited advice to you: STAY IN YOUR COMFORT ZONE! Let me rephrase the:  Be SAFE, follow guidelines/rules/laws and STAY IN YOUR COMFORT ZONE! These are strange days indeed (to quote John Lennon).  This is no time to feel that you SHOULD be doing this or SHOULD be doing that.  This is the time to cut yourself some slack and be comfortable. Are you working from home in your pajamas?  Is that comfortable for you?  Then go for it!  No judgement. Are you having Cheetos for breakfast?  Is that what you were craving?  Go for it.  No judgement. Now I am NOT saying that you should ONLY wear your pajamas or ONLY eat snack foods.  That is not safe and it will a...

I take my role as a Christian seriously.  I do my best to follow the teachings of Jesus and to do so responsibly and rationally. Right now I'm thinking of John 13:34-35:  "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”  I also think of 1 John 3:17-18:  If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth." It is a strange time and in order to love my neighbor as myself, I need to physically distance myself.  My action needs to be (at least on the surface) inaction.  To show our love from one another we need to stay away from one another.  To NOT stay away from each other; to gather in large groups is to be uncaring and reckless.  When you...

Three weeks since my  "freaky" Friday  which I guess was the official start of this pandemic diary.  How have things changed since then? It's Friday so it's my annual visit to  Shoprite .  Three weeks ago I went with my husband.  Today I went alone.  Not because his knee or ankle were bothering him (which happened last week), but because it's the responsible thing to do.  Less people, less chance of exposure.  I'm trying to be responsible, even if it is an easier job to do with two people. I don't have a mask.  I shouldn't have a mask.  Masks should be something that medical personnel need.  But it is socially responsible now to wear a mask to protect others from yourself (in case you are a carrier).  I took a scarf and wrapped it around my neck, mouth and nose.  I did this once I got into the parking lot.  It worked, sort of.  I probably should have tied it on at home, where I could better...