The last time I wrote was on day 6 of COVID-19 Isolation/Social Distancing/Quarantining/Mask Wearing. We had plans to go to Ocracoke for our regular annual Spring cleaning at the end of March like we always do. There was much to be done because we had hurricane repairs in addition to the annual cleaning to ready the house for rental season. We had no dock, no backyard deck, a wonky Boathouse that was knocked off its pilings by the flood, and an outdoor shower leaning against a tree. (See last post for Hurricane Dorian experience). Well it is now day 135 of COVID; 5 1/2 months of Isolation/Social Distancing/Quarantining/Mask Wearing which I foolishly thought might last a couple of weeks! Since the Outer Banks were closed, we couldn’t go to Ocracoke until the end of May to do clean up and repairs, and then ended up going twice because there was so much work to do (the end of May and then in June). We lost the Fall rental season due to Hurricane Dorian and the Spring rental season due to COVID19. My heart aches for Ocracoke for what they have been through this last year! But they are a resilient bunch!
Our first trip to the Island was the week before the Memorial Holiday. The kids came and joined us for Memorial weekend and we had a great time! And that weekend was the opening of in-door dining in North Carolina which we wholeheartedly embraced as some of our favorite restaurants began to open. Howard’s Pub was our first “go to” and we thoroughly enjoyed our first restaurant experience in 2 1/2 months! The waitstaff was incredible. Most were happy to be working again and all were in great moods. Then we hit SmacNally’s on the harbor which is probably our favorite (great food, great views, and great atmosphere). Even though Social Distancing was practiced as well as Mask Wearing, it was wonderful to be back to some sense of normalcy! We were all especially respectful of our precious island because of its inaccessibility to hospitals and its large population of senior citizens. Visitors seemed only too eager to abide by COVID rules.
Our trip back to Ocracoke in June was supposed to be our family vacation week but there was still so much work to be done that The Doer spent most of his time Doing although I got to rest and relax most of the week. Our daughter (The Teacher) and her husband joined us. The other daughter and hubby couldn’t take the time off to be there. In the course of 3 weeks time between the May trip and the June trip, the dock was replaced, a new and improved back deck was built, the Boathouse was put back on its pilings and finish-cleaned with a new TV and sofa cushions and trap doors built into the floor to allow flood water to rise and fall without lifting the whole building up from its foundation, and the outdoor shower got fixed. WOW! Much accomplished by The Doer with help from sons-in-law; Javier, our wonderful and talented island handyman; and a great dock building crew that came from the mainland.
One year ago we looked at houses and property and began dreaming of another purchase on the Island because we have had such a phenomenal experience as rental owners on Ocracoke. Now we’re not so sure......
I don’t want Dorian to crush our dreams but hurricanes are a reality on the East coast. Even now as I write this, Hurricane Isaias is flirting around with the entire East coast! Now viruses are a reality worldwide, although they’ve been around since life began. I don’t want a stupid virus to crush my dreams either. When I started to write, I swore I would not talk about COVID, but here I am, talking about COVID. It has impacted every life on this planet in some way.
When we all went “COVID”, life came to an abrupt halt to many people, including me. I lost every activity/social group I was involved in, lost the ability to see my mother and Aunt Blanche (I have not seen them since March 14 when we celebrated Aunt Blanche’s 105th birthday), and I lost my precious dog, Bodo, The Golden Retriever, to a brain tumor. Much much loss.....
While I originally assumed it would last a few weeks at most, here we are 135 days later in the same situation with no end in sight. Can we permanently change to this new way of life? How do we navigate through this change of course, especially for those of us who have reached an age where we have “nailed down” a standard and way of living that we are glued to, wed to, attached to, become “set in our ways" to? In my younger days when raising small children, I would have given anything to have a day or 2 of isolation and alone-ness. Now I would give anything to have activity and life inside the walls of this house! Why do we always want what we do not have? Why does it take a global crisis to make us appreciate what we have had in the past? Where is hope when there is no end in sight to the crises happening around us?
It’s because we don’t allow God to be God and Everything to us. We put all our faith, hope, and trust in temporal (i.e. temporary and dying) things. We can’t see the forest for the trees. We can’t see the big picture of God calling a world to Himself with a bigger plan in store for us that is far superior to anything we could ever hope or dream for on this earth. I think COVID is a tool that He is using to get us closer to the reality that His plan is being implemented on this earth. Along with that, He is using Politics/politicians, Black Lives Matter, protests (whether violent or peaceful), terrorism, catastrophic events, Socialism, Capitalism, you name it, He is using it to orchestrate His plans. I don’t care what anyone thinks, I firmly believe this with all my heart and I am thankful for everything that is going on whether I’m for it or offended by it! When I get discouraged and disillusioned, I just read through the history of His people and His plans for the future of this earth and His people in Christ and I am reminded of His great love for this planet and for His people and I am encouraged and full of hope!
I didn’t take many photos on these last 2 trips. Just not in the mood, although many walks were taken. Here are just a couple that I managed to get:
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