Uncertain Times: Here We Go Again

 Its two days before Thanksgiving.  Last night we got the call...the high school is closed again.  This time until December 7th.  It's a two week quarantine as there is another positive case.  (If you'll recall they closed down last week for a day:  https://bfthsboringblog.blogspot.com/
2020/11/why-i-am-losing-my-mind.html and the football team had to quarantine for 14 days.)  I expected this to happen AFTER Thanksgiving and not before but...

We are living in uneasy times.  Although I try to follow guidelines, I have no idea if what I'm doing is right or wrong.  However, I do KNOW that I am not perfect and my son has gone out with friends; a small group outside and then his girlfriend pretty much daily.  (I'm pretty sure there is no social distancing or safety there.) 

As exciting as it is to hear about vaccines, we "regular" folks are a long way away from that.  Yesterday, as I drove to a local grocery store (don't ask), I passed a long line of people waiting to get into an urgent care center. They were standing in the rain.  In the past when I saw lines like that around this time of year it was Black Friday and they were waiting to get into a mega-store to get bargains.  Today the line is for Covid testing.

It is a difficult world.  We all have difficult decisions to make.

What are we doing for Thanksgiving this year?  My plans for the next few days are as such:

• Wednesday:  Work but also make a pumpkin bread with maple cream cheese filling.  Later in the day, cut two large slices and package them up.  Drive on to my aunt's in town.  My other aunt will pick up at our house.  It's my way of sharing Thanksgiving with what I consider a low risk
• Thursday:  At some point in the afternoon cook a meal.  I can't eat turkey (allergy) so usually we would have a roast, but with three of us that seems pretty silly.  I had hoped to get a Gardein Holiday Roast (which is meatless but really does taste like turkey without the threat of death for me), but I couldn't find it.  Instead I bought individual packets of Savory Stuffed turk'y(which of course cost more since you need to buy more) of a faux turkey and will heat those along with sides like wild rice and Brussel sprouts (which are for me since the boys won't eat them).  I'm hoping the three of us will have a nice meal in the dining room.  I'd like this Thanksgiving Day to be about actual family, but I'm not sure how that will go with a moody (often surly) teen.  I'm also thinking we could do some decorating after the meal, but...
  
• Friday:  We are planning to go visit my in laws and have a day after Thanksgiving meal.  I'm making yet another pumpkin bread with maple cream cheese filling for them.  (When I'm making it is still up in the air.)  I'm really looking forward to seeing them again.  The last time we saw them was in mid-October for my mother in laws birthday.  I'm a little apprehensive about this.  We will be inside but I'm going to make sure the sliding glass door is kept open for ventilation.  And I'm also going to try to make sure that the 3 of us sit slightly apart from the two of them.  
• Saturday:  I'll volunteer at the church thrift Shop for several hours.  I'll be the shop bitch making sure that we only have 20 people in the space at a time.  I'll keep people out when we've reached our max.  I'll ask people to finish up and leave after 20 minutes if there is a line.  (And I will be ignored.)  I'll ask people to keep their masks over their mouth AND noses.  I hope I will help people in need since Saturday is also our local food pantry give away day and I've asked the pastor at that church to send people our way if they are needing coats for winter or warm clothing.  (We do discreetly give away items when there is a need.)
• Sunday:  I'll go to church along with 20 or so other people who will be wearing masks and seated a safe distance from each other.  We don't yet have the service in the sanctuary, but it a large hall with a stage and doors that open to the outside to keep a flow of air.  In the afternoon, I'll probably go back to the thrift shop, which is closed on Sunday, and help clean up and put out new items.  (This is very difficult to do when there are shoppers.)  Clothing that hasn't sold will be packed up and put in bags that will be donated to a local shelter.  

Then the new week will begin.  I will "go" to work and my son will "go" to school.  But we will both do so from home.  Maybe he will go back on the 7th.  Maybe the school building will remain closed.  There is no way to knowing...there can't be.  These are uncertain times and we are uncertain people.  The best thing we can do is do our best.  We can try to stay safe and use our judgement to keep others safe as well.  And that looks different for each and every one of us this year.  But if we do our best to stay safe and keep other safe, there will be another year.  There will be another Thanksgiving and a whole slew of other holidays to enjoy together.  There will be.