As I was preparing the taxes, I discovered several charities I hadn't yet received receipts from. When I got home from Bikram, I made phone calls. The organizations were able to email them to me. I printed them out and included them in the packet for the tax consultant. They have to be Xeroxed; the government wants proof of payment upfront. I also had to call the dentist. I had the receipts but couldn't figure out how much I had actually pay.
I started having a drink of Bragg's apple cider vinegar with honey to boost my immune system. I plan to do it daily. I assume there is no medical support for this theory, but I figure it can do no harm.
One of the elementary school teachers I work with invited me for lunch. She wanted to pay me back for all I've done for her kids. A lovely gesture. She took me to the Kona Inn Restaurant. All the views along the coast are amazing. After living here for a while, each one is entirely different. She told me that school was closed for another week after the spring recess was over because of the virus's outbreak. She thought they were talking about possibly closing school until the end of the year.
I stopped off at Safeway on my way home to pick up some chicken. Safeway has a large refrigerator case in the middle of the back aisle. It was practically bare. I picked up two packages. I was going to stop at the post office to mail two parcels to Shivani. I had already sent her part of a wooden flower kit; the rest was in these boxes. I didn't because I was running late.
I got home just in time to drop off the food and pick up Elsa to go off to the vet. She needed to have her heartworm checkup. I had preordered more food and pills for her skin condition. I like to be well-stocked, usually, but particularly now that we are supposed to stay in place because of the virus. The vet's office had set up a window check-in and pick up so people didn't have to go into the office. I hope they don't have to close down. Animals will continue to need medical care as much as their humans.
I received texts from John Zimmerman, Damon, and Sandor, all warning me to stay home. I decided not to go to yoga anymore, just to be on the safe side. Then I sat down to check my email. There was an announcement from Crista saying she decided to close the yoga studio for the duration. I went down for a nap. I do love those naps.
Mindy texted Paulette, Judy, and me to cancel our lunch date for Saturday. Her daughter-in-law, an infectious disease doctor in Chicago, told her not to leave her house. We've been doing well in Hawaii and particularly here on the Big Island; there was only one confirmed case so far. We must be well ahead of the curve, putting in precautions because of all the news we're getting about what's happening on the mainland.
Mindy wrote that Mike helped her " know God;" I need to talk to her. Sadly, Mike never discussed his beliefs with me because he thought I wouldn't approve, I believe. His mother was very narrow-minded; what she didn't believe in or agree with was, by definition, nonsense. While I'm not that way, I know that he never overcame the trauma of his mother. He had difficulty believing I was different even when he knew I was. Very sad for both of us.
I would love to talk to someone like Mindy to hear what he had to say to better understand him. I did some reading of the journal he kept for the spiritual direction course. It's primarily academic. Maybe he even hid his beliefs from himself. He was firmly anchored in his left brain. Things had to make sense. I know why I was attracted to him. My father was like him. He had two lawyer degrees, one from Germany and one from NY, which he got after he attended Fordham Law for several years; Mike had his two Ph.D. degrees. What are the chances? Mind you, Mike only got the second Ph.D. long after we were married. However, his reasons for being attracted to me are less clear. I believe it was because he felt the call of his spiritual side but had trouble owning it. He 'knew' he would be safe with me.
I can remember when he told me that he wanted to become a Catholic. I didn't have any particular reaction. He might as well have told me that he wanted to learn to swim. As long as I didn't think it would do him, me, or our marriage any harm, I was good with it.
Boy, becoming a Catholic turned that man's life around in so many ways. He was always moral, he was always a wonderful counselor, but he wasn't always a kind, tolerant family member. He was a judgmental jerk. That was one thing that his becoming a catholic helped resolve. I would also like to take some credit for that change. I jumped on him every time he made a contemptuous comment. He said he was just expressing his opinion. It took time, but I finally got through to him that it wasn't his opinion that was disturbing; it was the way he expressed it. Once he understood, change came rapidly.
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