Posted in Books, Canada, motivational, Movies, Televison

I’m Still Standing (Yeah Yeah Yeah)

Posted on by D. Parker

     Oooooh, my little pathogen,
my pathogen!
Don’t be givin’ me germs, #Corona
Ooh, you make me petrified,
me petrified!
Got it coming off o’ the flight from #China?
My, my, my,
aye-aye, whoa!
M-m-m-my #coronavirus

Did you sing it to “My Sharona” by The Knack?
The original lyrics are actually scarier/creepier…
Pandemic, more like Pant-demic, am I right?

 

I thought we all deserved a break from the propaganda of pandemic shopping (what’s with the obsession with toilet paper? Will t.p. be our future currency? Will people years from now be telling their grandchildren, “I was there for the T.P. Wars of 2020, it was ugly, a real sh*tshow!”. Do people not understand COVID-19 is a respiratory virus, this is not the Crappocalypse…Every time someone says toilet paper I think of “Seinfeld”, “No, I don’t have a square to spare. I can’t spare a square.”  Really folks, are you going to be those type of apocalypse people who can’t even spare a square?

   Also, thinking of t.p. makes me want to sing, “Love Will Tear Us Apart” by Joy Division, but that’s for a psychiatrist to figure out…). Pandemic shopping panic is spreading faster than any virus single-strandedly could…I have my pandemic panic shopping priorities straight, I stocked up on chocolate. You know what kills the most people?
Misinformation.
Ignorance.
And in the end, life.

Make no mistake about why these babies are here –
they are here to replace us.
~ Jerry Seinfeld

Finally watched “Rocketman”. As a writer, I adore Bernie Taupin’s mind (played by the delightful Jamie Bell), as a music freak fan Elton John (Taron Egerton, who also sings the part, bravo!) is a tapestry on the castle wall of music. This film is: over-the-top, brilliant and self-indulgent, so basically, Elton John. People compare this with “Bohemian Rhapsody”, DON’T!!! Like comparing the Hope diamond with a million tiny diamonds on a huge pair of glasses, completely different, both dazzling.


Don’t you know I’m still standing, most of the time.
Looking like a tightrope walker past their prime.
I’m still standing after all this time.
Picking up the pieces of my life, kinda like a mime (ummm, on a windy street)
I’m still standing yeah yeah yeah


I’m still standing yeah yeah yeah
Seriously, disequilibrium is discombobulating
and even spelling them makes me dizzy!!!

What have you all been doing to keep COVID-19 from spreading and to stave off that beast, boredom? Have you been supporting one another, reaching out to offer help, or a kind word? Email isn’t cancelled. Texting isn’t cancelled. Calls aren’t cancelled. Kindness isn’t cancelled. Smiles aren’t cancelled. Goodwill isn’t cancelled. Some people are complaining they can’t get out, false, walking, cycling, jogging, running, hiking, all safe distancing activity that keeps you moving isn’t cancelled, just stay, stay hydrated and practice safe distancing.

It’s St. Patrick’s Day – wear green, eat green food, drink green beer, smile, get lucky, laugh, share some laughter. Support each other. Stop looking at the negative side and think about all the “me” time you’ve been missing, maybe without even realizing it. Some people are complaining there are too many precautions, maybe, but if nothing comes of this, guess what, that’s the outcome we want, nothing to happen.

Here’s things that have been keeping me amused while Earth is cancelled.

 

“The Alice Network” (not to be confused with “The Alice Project” or “Alice Cooper” or “Alice in Wonderland” or “Alice in Zombieland”…what was I talking about?) “TAN” by Kate Quinn, suggested by a friend, “thanks” cause I couldn’t put this book down!!! Seriously, my eyes got tired, so I logged onto the library, got the e-audio of it and let my ears do some of the heavy lifting. Ever read a book where the movie starts playing in your brain? Stark. Poetic. Mesmerizing. Unflinching. So many books sit on shelves, unworthy, taking up space, this book deserves a whole section to itself.

 

Words cannot describe how happy “Avenue 5” made me…Hugh Laurie (reminds me of his “Blackadder-A-Bit-of-Fry-Laurie-with-a-smidge-of-Jeeves & Wooster-glory-days), Zach Woods, Josh Gad, Ethan Phillips and so many more. A delightful disaster you can’t stop watching…more please?“Star Trek: Picard” is a gift to loyal Trekkies/Trekkers. Patrick Stewart reprises his role as the iconic Jean-Luc Picard (please commence arguments about who’s the best Starfleet Captain now) and with a whole host of new and oldie (but still-in-our-hearts) spacies: Brent Spiner, Jeri Ryan, Jonathan Frakes, Marina Sirtis, Santiago Cabrera, Harry Treadaway, Alison Pill, Isa Briones, etc. Not already a “Star Trek” fanatic fan, probably not for you; for those who’ve spent a majority of their lives thrilling at: “Make it so”, “Set Phasers to stun”, “Engage”, “I’m a doctor, not a…”, “Resistance is futile”, “Highly illogical”, etc.…you get it, that electric energy zinging through you. And the cherry on top? Picard has a dog named Number One…wonder-filled.

“The Outsider” – I got chills, they’re multiplying!!! Watch the series, read the book by Stephen King and when your inner voice says “Don’t watch another episode before bed!”, listen to it, same goes for what your I.V. tells you about donuts (mostly, sometimes your I.V. is just bossy and should mind it’s own business!). Oh no, I have a scratch on my hand, yikes.

“Hunters” – weirdly reminds me of “The Watchmen” (the mind-blowing movie not the HBO series), but, like, hunting Nazis in the 70s…Al Pacino is still a master of micro-expressions. This is a reminder to trust government…seriously? Obviously kidding.

“Sex Education” on Netflix, there are no words, just watch (and learn?).

“Freaks” (isn’t this just sorta “Firestarter” again?).

 

  “The Stranger”, “The Five”, Safe” all adapted from Harlan Coben books – What? What? What? Oh, the UK sure knows how to do a mystery up right. 

Watched “The Hate U Give” and  “Where Hands Touch”, apparently Amandla Stenberg likes to make me keep-the-tissue-box-handy because, ok, I’m welling up now thinking about both films, so amazing.

 

Too many books to list (just when I think I’m getting caught up on my to-read book list, I’m…squirrel! Yes, that easily distracted), for now, yet “F*ck No! how to stop saying yes when you can’t, you shouldn’t, or you just don’t want to” by Sarah Knight (author of one of my favs, “The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck”) stands out. https://yadadarcyyada.com/2020/01/26/aggressivesimplification/

So before we panic, er, even more (Don’t Panic! Be Cautious! Be Kind!)…

Frankly, I’m feeling a bit panicked about how upset people are about having to wash their hands! And asking how to wash their hands properly! Being put out at having to wash their hands more! Ummm, supergross…) and all the stockpiling hoarding toilet paper, masks, hand sanitizer, medications, water, etc.

Not to downplay the loss, it’s terrible, but to put this into perspective, approx. 500 people die each day to firearms worldwide. Not to mention: cancer, heart disease, poison, fire, flu, diabetes, suicide, murder, driving while: texting, drunk, high, tired, smoking, sleeping, watching TV, checking their phone, hair, make-up, eating, and wow, seriously people, just drive the car, sober, rested, it’s not a toy. 

 

I could go on. People die of preventable illnesses and “accidents” (is anything really an accident?). People are still starving, really, that’s still a thing in 2020? So before we continue to panic (which involves a lot of toilet paper I guess?),

I know this is bad and gonna get a whole lot worse, but let’s look back at all the things that went bump-in-the-night, the “scare-du-jour” that made us run out then and buy, buy, buy (currently residing in the “Where Are They Now?” files):


Ebola (since I was a teen I’ve been saying Ebola and other viruses are just a plane ride away, then again, I also wore a Hawaiian shirt every Thursday cause Magnum P.I. was on…so that happened).


Zika. Iran. West Nile Virus. Ozone Hole.
Y2K. SARS. Caravans. H1N1. Acid Rain.
Mad Cow (I simply can’t get a disease like Creutzfeldt-Jakob, I can’t even spell/say it correctly).
AI. Jellyfish. MERS. Sharks (landsharks?).


Global Thermonuclear War (seriously, watch “War Games” again, you’ll thank me).


Weapons of Mass Destruction (now plagued by Weapons of Mass Distraction).
Terrorism. UFOs. Comets.
Asteroids (also a cool video game).


Vampires. Pizzagate. FOMO. North Korea. ISIS. AIDS. Momo. Rickrolling.


Remember the world ending in 2012? Mayans must be having a right good laugh at us.
Evil clowns, sorry, that was redundant…I meant, clowns.


Chemicals in the water that turn the freakin’ frogs gay!


Swine flu (that’s some pig!).
Eggs. Chickens and other birds (which came first?).

And my all-time fav, Killer Bees from South America.

Where are they? Did they take a decades-long siesta? Are they still coming? I need answers!


Fear is used to manipulate the population,
to keep them docile and easily lead. Then again, how have we survived this long? Seriously…
“What, me worry?” Worry is a weird thing to do cause stress/worry hurt your immune system which leaves you open to viruses…see where this is going?


Risk is part of life (and a magnificent game).

Maybe we need relax, take a deep breath, calm down and have some tea and some chicken soup (gluten-free, GMO-free, organic with no chicken for our frightened souls). I have just the thing. A delightful friend and tireless blogger, Cher P. Garman https://thechicagofiles.com/ has contributed to “Chicken Soup for the Soul: Think Positive, Live Happy (101 Stories About Creating Your Best Life)” by Amy Newmark and Deborah Norville (CSS) and good news, none contain tales of rushing to Costco, pushing people out of the way to stockpile toilet paper and hand sanitizer.
Cher’s inspirational story is #60. This ex-pat was a fish out of Canadian waters when her family moved to Chicago, but did Cher wallow? No, in the belly of the windy whale the blind taught her to see. Cher helped herself by helping others. You can’t feel alone or sad or frustrated when you give the gift of yourself to those in need.

“Chicken Soup” books are oft mocked as ‘corny’ or ‘cheesy’ (both corn and cheese taste good in soup, by the way), but they’re meant to remind us to see past the doom-and-gloom headlines and “if-it-bleeds-it-leads” stuff because it sells, sells, sells!!!

That the “Breaking News” crap and social media frenzies aren’t meant to motivate you, or to make you content or grateful or happy, they’re meant to disrupt, disturb, depress so you’ll be desperate and despairing.

I’m not dismissing the loss, the horror, the fear…germs are super scary, they’re a killer we can’t see, but really, so are a lot of things,  Mother Nature is always trying to kill us and we’re doing the same to her. How about a truce?

Anxiety is my brain telling me to be careful, except fear isn’t using it’s inside voice. Panic, anxiety, worry, grieving, frustration, depression, etc. during these situations is normal, but if we amplify, then fear wins.

I feel sad for so many people in this crisis, including those told to stay home when they have no home. I’m going to rely heavily on science, I know, not popular in some circles, but it’s one of the few things in life that’s always tried to be honest with me.

My thinking is: stay home more, “social distancing” (hmmm, people with Autism were born for this), help “flatten the curve”, stay calm and we can do this…

Also, keep your risk perception under control, toilet paper will not keep you safe from COVID-19:


1) Wash your hands w/ soap often for 20-30 seconds. Use hand sanitizer when you can’t wash your hands. Stop touching your face so much! Seriously! Stop! Humans touch their face anywhere from 15-50 times/hour (what?!?). And clean your phones, they may very well herald the zombie apocalypse.


2) Human contact is important, but again, be cautious (a good general rule). Animal/human is also important, but this is zoonotic, again be cautious and be kind. Stop blaming bats, if we weren’t stomping all over their ecozones, their homes they’d just continue to hand around and be batty.


3) This is a good time to educate people on the risks (“Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint.” Mark Twain would tell you 100x and more goes for the internet) and how to combat them.
Don’t Panic! Be Cautious! Be Kind!


I’m going with what the doctors/scientists/experts say, wash your hands. #WashYourHands #SafeHands

 

The world is a ball of wonder, don’t let the latest storm be your whole life’s weather forecast. Don’t just learn to dance in the rain, learn to dance like you’re in the rain, in a “Wham!” video!

 

Author:

Very me

114 thoughts on “I’m Still Standing (Yeah Yeah Yeah)”

  1. Woe is me… the only toilet paper I could find was covered with pictures of Trump puckering up for a kiss. I might be to clean the toilet with it, but I wouldn’t be able to put his pathetic pucker anywhere near my posterior! Be well, be happy, Donna. Hugs on the wing!

    Liked by 2 people

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    1. How terrifying, Teagan, that could give you nightmares and no, he shouldn’t get anywhere near, er, there. lol 😉
      I have yet to figure out the toilet paper rush, I can just imagine people years from now saying to their grandchildren, “I was there for the T.P. Wars of 2020, it was ugly, a real sh*tshow!”
      Is anyone else having trouble with their WordPress, well, more than usual, went I try to Like a post I get a weird blank page that flashes then nothing and no Like, it also won’t let me preview or post in the new editor (kind of a good thing actually).
      We are all virus-free (as far as we know) and are taking the time to watch too much Netflix, clean house, blog, and play games not neccessarily in that order. 😉
      Hope you are well and stay that way, dear friend. 🙂
      Big enthusiastic virtual social distancing hugs xoxoxoxoxox

      Liked by 1 person

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      1. I am laughing out loud. I had a friend coming back from Mexico to this shitshow and she asked me – what is it with people and their obsession of hoarding toilet paper? Thank you D. for the awesome post!

        Like

      2. I know, right, I have IBS and I’m not this excited about toilet paper! TMI lol 😉
        Thanks for dropping by, I’ll remain open, so far I’m not cancelled… 😉
        Hope this week is good to you and yours xox

        Liked by 1 person

  2. Well shared! You’ve found some perfect clips! Like they were made for this madness. I think my favorite is Elaine running out of the public toilet loaded down with tp…LOL. Thanks for the mental break!

    Liked by 2 people

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    1. True, if we ever need a mental break with plenty of laughs, shows like “Seinfeld” are there for us and my blog too lol 😉
      Hope this week is treating you kindly (all things considered). 🙂 xox

      Liked by 3 people

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  3. Very interesting. I got to feel your emotions with this one. Even though you covered all fear I still was able to find a little comedy. I enjoyed this. Best to you and your plight.

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    1. My work here is done. 🙂 But seriously, that was my point, laughing boosts your immune system and I want to help in any way I can. 🙂
      Hope this week treats you kindly, well, you know, all things considered. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

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  7. Donna, laughter is the best medicine, and you’ve given us a much needed spoonful or two. Yeah, what’s with the t.p., paper towels, and water hoarding. Panic buying and the intense looks on people’s faces. The effects of Stress are gonna get us before the virus has a chance. Good to hear from you. Stay well. 📚🎶 Christine

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    1. Maybe they’re getting coronavirus confused with norovirus? And then once it starts people think, if they’re getting some, I should get some! They’re putting themselves, their loved ones and all of society more at risk by being out in crowds for toilet paper. The stores aren’t closing down, why the panic? Weird.
      You called it, Christine, the effects of stress are horrible for the immune system which leaves us open to…oh, what’s it called again? Oh yeah, COVID-19. Sigh.
      It’s nice to be heard from lol
      Hope that you and yours stay well and with low stress (no stress seems oo much to ask for right about now). xoxox

      Liked by 3 people

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      1. Thanks, Donna. Yep, low stress around our house and even with family in WA. Everyone working at home and vigilant if out in public places. Continue to stay well. 📚🎶 Christine

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      2. I’m staying well and working on ways to make others happy and well (busy with emailing campaigns to dredge up supplies for healthcare), but I’m making time to blog too. 🙂
        Big big big non-contagious but heartfelt hugs xoxoxox

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  11. I work at Walmart and got to see this up close. First they came for the TP, hand sanitizer, masks, and Clorox wipes, then the paper towels/bleach, then the tissues/baby wipes, then the food. Now it’s serious – the ice cream is beginning to get low.

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  12. It’s all too surrealistic. I feel like I’ll wake up tomorrow (if the virus doesn’t get me overnight) and it will all have been a bad dream. Some TV news station’s big joke. Maybe some of the news anchor people had a bet to see who could make people buy the most toilet paper. Of course they would have bought extra stock shares in Charmin’ before they start the panic.

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    1. I have to guess it started with confusion between “coronavirus” and “norovirus” and then slid easily into, “They’re buying it, I should be buying it!” chaos. Those that have shares in T.P. can wipe their bums w/ money after this. lol 😉
      Hope this week treats you well and the T.P. Fairy brings you all you need! 😉

      Liked by 1 person

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  14. Mission complete. I am LMAO
    What a hilarious, artful, sweeping presentation. Thank you for the laughs! Stay well! 🙂

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    1. I’m glad I could add something good to this situation and laughter is still the best medicine! 😉
      Stay well and hope this week is good to everyone. 🙂

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  15. I didn’t have to do any panic shopping as my “Zombie Apocalypse” pantry and “Alien Invasion” pantry were both pretty well intact. I might have to start a “Trump Second Term” pantry but I don’t know what to put in it yet. I don’t understand the loo roll panic. I didn’t have excessive amounts stored away. Firstly I figure not using it would fool zombies into thinking I was one of them; and simply gross out aliens looking for abduction candidates. Hoarding water here in the Pacific Northwest is akin to hoarding Air. Makes no sense at all!

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    1. It’s all very odd. I have my pandemic panic shopping priorities straight, I believe, I stocked up on chocolate, just in case cause a day without chocolate is like…oh, how would I know?
      Glad to hear you’re stocked up, just in case, and please stop saying such filthy words on blog, “Trump Second Term”, how could you?!? lol 😉
      All the best to you and yours today and every single day. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  17. You always bring a smile! In my town the recent runs have been on eggs. My kingdom for a chicken! Makes no sense as there is no way to freeze or can an egg that I know of.

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    1. Thank you kindly, then I’ve done what I set out to do, Jan. 🙂
      Eggs? We haven’t hit on that one yet, people are going bonkers for toilet paper, hand sanitizer, bread, and booze, but eggs are still plentiful, so far. but who knows what’s next in these times?
      Stay safe, dear friend, you and yours and wishing you all the best, always (that includes eggs, who knows, maybe some chickens will wander into your home. 😉 ). xoxo

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    1. I figured we could all use some laughter, after all, it’s the best medicine…but now I really want lemonade. 😉
      Thanks for dropping by, Debby, stay safe. 🙂
      Big non-contagious hugs xoxo

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    1. I watch/read a lot of dystopian stuff but right now, it feels too real to enjoy, we’re living it.
      Hope this day is treating you and your loved ones kindly. 🙂
      Big non-contagious hugs xoxo

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    1. I keep thinking toilet paper will be our future currency and we’ll all talk about the “Great T.P. War of 2020”! lol 😉
      But seriously, thank you, not just for the lovely reblog but for all you do, tirelessly for bloggers and readers, you connect us and fill our lives with each other making them better each day.
      Thank you kindly and I hope you and yours are staying well and happy (all things considered).
      Big mega huge non-contagious hugs my friend xoxoxox

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  21. Its so good to hear from you again! Your writing will keep me busy for days. And since I’m home quarantined for a goodly portion of the next few weeks/months/years, it will give me much pleasure to read and reread! Hope you are doing well. Miss your humor!

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  22. Pingback: Coronavirus Tips And Thoughts #Coronavirus – M J Mallon YA/Paranormal Author

    1. I’ve been overwhelmed and WordPress is playing tricks on me (no treats sadly), but I’m glad to be here and to share. 🙂 Thank you kindly. Stay safe. Stay connected. 🙂

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  24. Donna, this was great! Each person who wants to defy the order to Stay at Home needs to start thinking about someone besides themselves. And when someone tells me how bored they are staying home, I remember my mother saying, “Don’t ever tell me you’re bored. Bored people are boring.” I haven’t had a spare moment in three weeks because I’ve been making contact with everyone I know, making sure they’re okay, seeing what they need, keeping up morale. We all know lots of people who live alone. Those of us who have another person or even a pet to interact with in isolation need to think of those who are totally alone. C’mon people, we can do this!

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    1. My Mom used to say that to me and my brother too and we learned from a young age not to say we were bored because we were handed a vacuum and/or broom and/or garbage bag (for our rooms), duster, cleaning clothes, etc. lol 😉
      That is so lovely of you, Jean and not at all a surprise, you’re so kind, it’s what the world needs right now, it’s our best defense and our best medicine, kindness and laughter.
      As a person with Fibromyalgia, I understand isolation and thanks to my upbringing, I’m never bored (I’m my own party!!!). I’ve been cleaning/organizing, playing games, indulging my son’s love of classic Doctor Who (I love it, not as much as him), writing, and getting free trials of various streaming services, I figured it would be a good time to try them out with all this time on my hands. lol 😉 I started with HBO/TMN/Crave, now on the last day of Britbox, maybe Disney+ next…

      We can do this, we are strong and resilient, the world will never be the same and maybe that’s a good thing, we’ve certainly seen the truth more than ever.

      Hope this time is treating you and those you love kindly (all things considered) and big bloggy non-contagious hugs xoxoxo

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  25. Thanks Donna.. a breath of fresh air and plenty to make us smile and think…I am loving Picard having been a life long Star Trek fan. we are binge watching some older series and laughing at how dated they are with phones and televisions..that is why watching regency and early 1900’s film and television never dates. Stay safe and I would let you have a loo roll anytime…hugsx

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    1. I know, sometimes I watch an older ST and giggle and other times I marvel at how ahead Gene Roddenberry was, he was amazing, what a mind and spirit!
      True, Jane Austen never looks outdated. 🙂
      I’ve been getting free trials of streaming services then cancelling and moving on to the next – I’m sure I’ll go back to some. Right now I’m on “Acorn TC”, it’s so good but I think I’m becoming British though. Could be worse. 🙂
      Hope this day is treating you kindly, dear Sally. #StaySafe
      Big non-contagious hugs xoxox

      Liked by 1 person

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      2. Been through Britbox, Disney+, Crave/HBO/TMN, Acorn TV, I guess I’ll try AppleTV next, sadly we can’t get ones like Hulu here in the colonies, I mean, Canada lol 😉

        Liked by 1 person

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    1. I’ve been overwhelmed and WordPress is playing tricks on me (no treats sadly), but I’m glad to be here and to share. 🙂 Thank you kindly. Stay safe. Stay connected. 🙂

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    1. Yes, thank you. I’m slow blogging lately, partly because I’m doing blogging and zooming for a group I’m in called “Fibromyalgia London Group”, but I’m working on a new post right now, well, not right now cause I’m checking comments, but right after that right now. 😉
      How is everything with you? Well, I hope. 🙂
      Stay Home. Stay Safe. Stay Connected. Stay Tuned. 🙂

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    1. Thank you kindly, Ian, I don’t know if you’re getting these comments, sometimes WordPress plays tricks (no treats) and says No!
      Hope this finds you safe and sound. Thank you for the lovely reblog! How delightful!
      Stay safe. Stay connected. 🙂
      Big non-contagious hugs xoxo

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