19 minute read
not giving in to the pandemic
The Silly Dragon What we are doing to survive the pandemic lockdown
Grandmother and granddaughter connect by writing a virtual book
Advertisement
By Judy Weaver
These last few months have been difficult and challenging for all of us — no matter our age, our gender or status. We have all been affected by this pandemic.
We have all dealt with these challenging times in different ways: taking walks (while social distancing), reading more, baking more, “zooming” and FaceTiming with friends and family, etc.
It certainly hasn’t been easy, but hopefully our efforts will result in a positive outcome and that we all have learned something about ourselves in the process.
In keeping with trying to stay connected with family, some weeks ago I had a conversation via FaceTime with some of our family in the Seattle area. Our 9-year-old granddaughter, Camille, was part of the conversation.
I suggested to Camille that she might like to write us a letter. I indicated that if she wrote me a letter, I would respond.
I was delighted when there was a letter in our mailbox just a few days later. What I expected was a standard elementary school student letter that said: “Hi Nana. How are you? I am fine. I am reading books. I miss my friends. Love, Camille”
That is not what I received. Camille wrote a story titled:
Judy Weaver and her 9-year-old granddaughter Camille stay connected on Zoom.
The Silly Dragon. It was just a delightful story about a dragon named Bob and his pet monkey named Monkey. Bob and Monkey live in a cave with no gravity. They eat spaghetti and float around in their cave.
Needless to say, it was the highlight of my day, receiving this story from our creative granddaughter. I showed it to friends and family (at a distance, of course).
Within a day or two I wrote Camille back, but instead of writing a standard Nana letter, I wrote a second chapter to The Silly Dragon. In my chapter, Bob and Monkey tie ropes around their tails and attach the ropes to a tree outside their cave so they can float outside.
The letters (with more chapters of The Silly Dragon) have continued.
At the writing of this piece, Camille and I have completed six chapters. Maybe we will have our story published one day.
No matter what, this exchange of “letters” with my granddaughter has been a gift to me during this anxious time.
Well, our governor said it was okay to take a walk, or go for a bike ride… So, I threw caution to the wind and decided that a kayak paddle would substitute for riding a bike, though I know our governor dearly loves his bike rides.
So, I’ve been alternating, a day at home doing yard work, then a day when I walk several miles with my most awesome dog, Maverick. Maverick insists that we haul a camera along on our walks, and that was a great idea, because we’ve seen some wonderful things on our walks.
Me, Maverick & a camera: So much to see
8 | The Good Life www.ncwgoodlife.com | June 2020 By Guy Miner
Maverick is particularly fond of the Horan Natural Area, though the Dunes and the 19th Street area of the Loop Trail are also good.
I hope it has been fun for Camille as well. It has allowed us to stay connected in a unique and creative way. I highly recommend it to others.
My hope is that each one of us has the opportunity to experience some “highlights” during this difficult time.
May we keep the good news and highlights coming in the weeks and months ahead.
He likes places that smell of quail, pheasant and other wild things. He smells ’em, I just walk and look, and work the camera for Mav. Lack of opposing thumbs hampers his efforts with the camera.
At home we built two raised garden beds: eight feet long, three feet wide, and about 16 inches deep. Filled them with rich topsoil and planted quite a
Meditation: Antidote in a pandemic
By Linda Kelly
“I think this is the best osprey photo I’ve ever taken — just a couple of weeks ago, walking along the Loop Trail with my dog, Maverick,” said Guy Miner.
crop — tomatoes, carrots, bell pepper, strawberries and more. We’re all very much looking forward to the bounty of our garden!
Walking… We’ve watched deer, Millie the Moose and our ospreys returned in the first week of April and have been amazingly active.
The pair of eagles returned to their nest in the Horan Natural Area and seem to be quite busy near that spot. We’ve found quail and pheasant, which greatly pleased Maverick. He apologized for nearly pulling me over in his enthusiasm to close in on those birds. Fortunately I outweigh him by, ahem, never mind, I’m heavier than the dog, let’s leave it at that.
The kayak has only been out a few times. Mav is not yet kayak trained, we’re working on that slowly.
From the kayak I get a different look at the scenery and the wildlife — deer, osprey, eagles,
Guy and Maverick, out for a walk in the park.
even the great blue heron. All are easier to approach.
I learned to beware the current from the Wenatchee River, it’s running strong now. Even paddling out from the swim area at Walla Walla Point Park, into the Columbia, the strong current tugged at the bow of my kayak and threatened to swirl me around.
Spring is a wonderful time here in our area. So many birds have returned to Wenatchee. I’m getting photos of goldfinch, warblers, red-winged blackbirds, ducks, geese, mergansers and of course the eagles and osprey.
So — I’ve been taking this time to spend more time walking with my dog, and photographing the natural beauty of our area. It’s actually been very good for me.
I miss coffee with my friends. I miss shopping at Pybus. But, it’s been a good time for me, as I not-so-patiently wait for restrictions to ease.
}}} Continued on next page
I write this in the peak of the pandemic and as the world looks for a cure — miracle or scientific — for the physical ravages of COVID-19.
But what about a cure, or at least a prescription, for the mental health effects of this historic health crisis? I recently enrolled in an online meditation series created by local Leavenworth yoga and meditation instructors Joanna Dunn and Kelli Riddle.
I wondered: Being a middle-aged mom and now online schooling coach to my youngest, could I really learn to deepen my inner world and decrease stress during this pandemic through an online meditation class?
While I’ve personally made half-hearted attempts at meditation in the past, I had not given it a serious try and knew more about the image of meditation rather than its real benefits: you know, the stereotype of a guru sitting for hours, seemingly having no chores or Zoom meetings to attend to, and obscured by a fog of burning incense?
For years I had heard about the benefits of meditation, including enhanced focus, decreased anxiety and better sleep. A pandemic seemed like the perfect time to try something
Linda Kelly: De-mystifying meditation
}}} Continued from previous page that would help tune out fears and worries and bring more emotional balance and peace to my day.
And, as it turns out, I had a lot of misconceptions about what meditation was and what it took to be successful at it. Going into the class, my trepidation included these thoughts: n Meditation must be done a certain way or it does not “work.” n Any meditation session less than at least a half an hour is not real meditation and has no benefit. n Meditation requires buying into an Eastern religion or deity.
During the class, which was taught over four weeks to a group of about 20 of us via Zoom, I learned how wrong I was and what I had been missing.
The reality is that the physical act of meditation does not need to be fixed, and can be done in the traditional floor seated position but also while simply seated in a chair, or can take place while walking and conducting other routine activities.
What’s most important is your intention, focus and state of mind.
Some very practical benefits of meditation can be achieved in as little as 5-10 minutes per day. In fact, a Yale study cited by Inc. Magazine (2018) found that 10 minutes of meditating before a test boosted cognitive performance of college students.
Meditation is accessible to everyone and does not need to be tied to any religion. It can be a means to connect to your God, if you have one, as well as a way to pray and cultivate your inner life. In fact, meditation is mentioned in the Bible 23 times.
One common meditation is actually called the metta prayer, which is a prayer of protection and peace for ourselves, others and the world — kind of like a
10 | The Good Life www.ncwgoodlife.com | June 2020 y ’Tricia Devereaux
My dear 106-year-old (she will be 107 on June 9) GreatGreat Aunt Dorothy lived through the flu epidemic of 1918, and now she is living through the COVID-19 crisis of 2020.
To stay safe from this terrible virus, she has been isolating at home with her son, Jim Reed, keeping her company.
To stay busy and productive during the stay-at-home directive, she was spending her time making quilt tops for St. Paul’s Lutheran Church until she read the plea in the Wenatchee World for people to make facemasks and gowns.
golden rule prayer. I learned about many mindtraps and distractions that can keep us from quieting the mind while we try and tune out the world.
Ideally, working your way to a place of mental stillness and openness is the goal but perfection is not the objective. After all, that is one reason why it is called the “practice” of meditation.
And, I learned that everyone struggles with these distractions, yet the benefits of meditation are still accessible to any less-than-perfect meditator like me.
Once I was able to release the self-judgment about how I was “performing,” I was able to truly enjoy the benefits of focusing on my intention of fostering a positive and compassionate mindset.
It is a free gift of self-care you can give to yourself in minutes a day and requires no membership fees, special equipment or apps.
For me, this has personally meant a greater acceptance of — and finding joy in — “what is” rather than lamenting about what “should be.”
For the rest of this pandemic, I’ll now be sending up prayers for our safety, health and peace.
Dorothy Reed measures material to make protective masks. Dealing with pandemic No. 2 — 100 years apart
Always one to help when there’s a need, she put her quilting projects aside, and using her old Singer sewing machine, she started making face masks.
Aunt Dorothy’s positive cando attitude would do Rosie the Riveter proud, and it does us proud too.
She’s our inspiration!
Joanna and Kelli make this positive mental health learning available to all during this global health catastrophe. Visit joannadunn.com for more information. Linda Kelly is a semi-retired local government manager and lives in Leavenworth. Joanna Dunn lives in Leavenworth and Kelli Riddle lives in Cashmere.
A mother’s tale during Covid-19
y Sarah Shaffer
How do we keep our heads balanced, keep optimism and strength, when nothing seems balanced anymore?
This is my tale as a mother, as a lover of the wild and free outdoors, as a wife, as a human, as a woman. This is my way of finding steady footing during a time of worldly chaos.
Most during this time I think of my relationship with my only child, my daughter, who is 6. She is bright, kind and joyous.
I think of how she shouldn’t have to experience such a scary and poignant time in our lives, in everyone in the entire world’s lives.
How do I balance the task of explaining to her why she can’t go to school, why she can’t play with friends, without scaring her about the big bad things in the world?
Sometimes, I hold and hug her and kiss her, and other times after a long day of homeschooling by day and working by night, I just want to cry from feeling burnt out, exhausted and the longing for a date with my husband, even if it’s just in the backyard.
How do we, as parents, come up for air during this time?
I have decided we don’t come up for air. We cope, and we all have our own methods for coping.
I have gratitude, as I know my life is relatively easy. I have my body, which is still in relatively good shape, am healthy and eager for exercise. I have nature.
For the first couple of weeks, I tried running and using my mountain bike to grind up a
steep paved road near my home. Then on week two I realized my back couldn’t handle the running anymore, an ongoing issue for me for years.
So I formed a new exercise goal: Power walking 40-plus miles per week with my dog while my daughter rode her bike.
Our 11-year-old dog did surprisingly well, with her arthritis subsiding from all the activity. I guess we were under-exercising her for the last six years of her life since the kiddo came along.
After three weeks of getting between 40-44 miles per week, my child lost interest in biking around the neighborhood, or biking much at all really. Now I have to bribe her with a popsicle.
I bought some stretchy bands and looked up various garage workouts to do with them. Too often, I mess with the bands and try not to have them hit me in the face.
The garage workouts get a bit boring, but I am trying new activities, participating in some workouts using video and having my daughter keep track of what I have left to do while she rolls around on the skateboard or makes obstacle courses around me.
The biggest jolt of energy and feeling the most grounded is when I ride my mountain bike up steep hills and mountains. The pain I feel in my lungs, in my legs, and the burning sensa
Sarah rests at the turn-around point for her weekly 1,500-foot bike climb to get her sweat in.
www.ncwgoodlife.com | 11 tion in my face is heaven.
I do the same ride every week, only I want to do it faster.
Sometimes, I lay on the ground at my topping-out spot for a minute or two and just take in the utter fatigue because that makes me realize I am well at this moment. It is what keeps me balanced.
I think this is what you can consider type 2 fun. Not at all fun while it is happening but totally awesome afterwards.
In my neighborhood, I find great joy exploring the little things with my daughter, seeing the Balsamroot flowers in bloom, finding rolly pollys, digging in the dirt and planting veggie seedlings, listening to the birds, the meadowlark, the robin, the sage grouse along with the quail.
Most exciting is listening to the Pacific tree frogs (a.k.a. the chorus frog) that have a beautiful call that is also super powerful outside our back door. They stop and start their call almost in complete unison. With all the windows closed you can still hear them clearly. It feels like a special gift to listen to them on a nightly basis.
Although I cannot make things better in the world for my child, I am working at keeping myself somewhat whole during this devastating time for our collective world.
For me, having activities that bring me joy or give me clarity makes me a better mother.
I hope someday my child doesn’t remember this time as scary and unknown, but as time she got to spend with her parents. I am hopeful that I can remember it that way too.
I want to give a big thank you to all the physicians, EMTs, grocery workers, package delivery drivers, scientists, lab workers and many, many more who are risking their health for us. You are very appreciated.
Vikki Schmidt was enjoying the dog park in Wenatchee with her dog, Tigger Tiger, and her daughter’s dog, Aphrodite.
Aphrodite is a six-month-old Shepherd mix and Tigger Tiger, 8, is a Terrier mix.
“I fostered dogs for many years and told myself if I ever kept one that would be it. I call Tigger Tiger my foster failure because once I got her I fell in love and kept her. She was just a small puppy,” said Vikki.
Vikki also said that fostering is very hard because “you fall in love with just about everyone of them.”
June is Adopt-A-Cat Month
Brenda Byrd just popped out of her car with her dog Libby, a six-year-old Chihuahua rescue dog, along with Joseph Overbee and his dog Blaze. Blaze is a 2-year-old Australian Shepherd mix rescue dog.
Joseph said that Blaze is a lover, loves to play and is a fast runner. “When I come home from work, Blaze jumps up and licks my ear.”
Joseph also said he loves Blaze’s yellow eyes.
One father, one dad, different men
The questions raised by a DNA test still linger on this Father’s Day
By Alex Sali y
My dad was Alexander Saliby, Jr. His name is on my birth certificate. I was his son.
At his funeral, the honor guard gave me the American Flag, which had been on his coffin. We lived in the same home until the divorce. I was 9 when they divorced; I was 48 at dad’s funeral.
We remained in contact throughout the years of his life. Alexander Saliby is and was my dad.
My father was Luigi Joseph Resciniti who lived in Binghamton, NY, the town where I was born.
Some of you may recall from my The Good Life story in the November issue of 2016, that my DNA test came back with shocking news — my dad was not my father.
Rather, my father was a man who worked at the family cleaners next door to the laundry where my mother worked when they were both late teens to early 20s — a fact that nobody breathed a word to me previously.
While I was unaware of his existence way back then, he, on the other hand, knew I was there.
That last sentence is the thought that bothered me most of all when I learned through Ancestry.com he was my biological father.
Up front, I confess, I was angry and a little confused. I had dozens of questions to ask him. The most troubling question was why? Why, if he knew about me, did he not come to see me?
Funny, how time brings a new dimension to issues of the past.
I have a different feeling toward the man now. I’ve learned some things about him from several of my newly found cousins and my sister Violet.
What’s that poem by Alexander Pope?
A little learning is a dangerous thing;
Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian Spring:
There shallow draughts intoxicate the brain,
And drinking largely sobers us again.
When all I had was the knowledge that Luigi J. Resciniti was my biological father, I had in fact only a little learning.
The more I drank at that Pierian Spring and dug into learning more and more about the man, the better I felt knowing the truth about my genetic background, and the more respect and admiration I had for the man who fathered me.
Some time ago, pondering the question: He knew where I was, and he knew I was his son; why didn’t he come to visit me? I felt some strange comfort in pondering the reason why and out of nowhere in the dark recesses of my small brain, I felt I knew why he didn’t visit.
The mother of his son was married to another man, and as far as he knew and could tell, she was happy in that relationship. His visits would have amounted to a major disruption in her life.
To the outside world — and he was an outsider — we were a growing and content family. By 1942, the year my father joined
Above, a picture of Alex’s mom and dad taken in August of 1943, just before he shipped out to the war in the Pacific. At right, Alex’s biological father.
www.ncwgoodlife.com | 13 the Army, my Saliby family grew to four, two sons and two parents. When the war ended in 1945, and my father returned from Europe, we became a family of five, three sons and two parents.
And for all intents and purposes, we were a happy family.
Coming to grips with that idea had an enormous affect on my outlook, on my opinion on my feelings for the man who fathered me.
How could I not fully respect the kindness of his behavior?
I mean, to me, only some bobble-headed jerk showing off his muscles and his masculinity would have acted without care and consideration for the woman with whom he had fathered a child.
He wasn’t ignoring me — he was protecting me and my mother in our family relationship.
My father, though, kept track of me. He knew I had been moved to New Jersey after mom and dad divorced.
Why didn’t he come to visit me in New Jersey?
That one’s easy for me to answer. My father married in
1947 and had the responsibilities of the family and his business ventures, not to mention helping his widowed mother at the business.
I still have a great many questions I’d like to ask him. They will all remain unanswered. My father died in 1968 at the young age of 51.
However, I respect and admire that he built his own family and prospered as a small-business man, a husband, a father, and an uncle to a great many cousins, and sibling to his brothers and sisters.
In any event, it’s Father’s Day month, and I simply wish to hug both my Dad Alexander, and my Father Luigi and wish them both a very happy Father’s Day, and to thank them both for the who and the what I am.
While I am a Resciniti genetically, I am a Saliby by up-bringing and family environment.
Love to both of you, your son Alexander.
