An Inauguration, a Woman VP, We Get Vaccinated, and Your Mom Gets COVID!

 Dear Joanie,

    What a letter of despair I wrote on January 6, and with good reason.  It is a date we won't soon forget, with the insurrection at our nation's capital.

    In the two weeks that have passed since then, much has happened, and the world seems a more hopeful place.  Much, much work to do, but Trump is out of office and articles of impeachment have been invoked against him for inciting a riot.  The Senate will take up the hearings, probably in February. Stayed tuned.

    We watched the inauguration of President Biden and Vice-President Harris with tears in our eyes. Clearly it was much scaled down at a time when we had much to celebrate, but COVID distancing and the threat of violence created a scene that was filled with pomp and glory, but the backdrop was barbed wire fences, steel barriers, and over 20,000 National Guard members. Nonetheless.  Lady Gaga sang the national anthem. The Bidens and Kamala Harris and her husband Doug and their families looked splendid. Words cannot explain the emotion of watching Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor administer the oath of office to Kamala Harris, the first woman to hold that position--a woman whose mother was from India and her father from Jamaica.  How will your history books mark this moment? For us, it was as if a huge burden had been lifted from our hearts and souls, the burden of a nation led my corruption and downright meanness.  

    I hope you will know the name Amanda Gorman. A young, beautiful woman who, everyone says, stole the show. Truly that was the case. I'd like for you to look up the poem and also hear her read it. Here is the link:

            Amanda Gorman at the Inauguration 2021 

I do hope YouTube is still around.

    On the home front: Dougie and I have both received our first doses of the vaccine.  Dougie receives his second one January 28, and I receive my second on February 3.  We are both fine and still very much observing mask wearing and distancing. We do not go out except to Target and Whole Foods and that we do every two weeks or so. I hike every day.  Up here, in the mountains of Colorado, it's easy not to run into other people. The trails I take are little known, except to people around here.  I have quit hiking with our neighbors and their dogs. We were very good at distancing, but the combination of hiking uphill and wearing a mask made it really uncomfortable. My glasses fogged up, I had to blow my nose too many times, I'd take my glasses off because I couldn't see through the fog, but then I couldn't see anyway. I also have to confess that I like to walk by myself--just me and Shelby Poodle. It's much more calming for me than climbing a mountain, talking, blowing my nose, etc., etc.

    We were distressed that you mom tested positive for COVID.  We were worried about her, of course, but she seemed to be doing all right. She has now tested negative, and you have come back to her. I think that was the most stressful part, really. You went to stay with your grandparents. I think that was agonizing for your mom, although you were more than okay--your grandparents dote on you. But we were glad to see the pictures of her holding you and the joy in both your faces.

    Here's to better times for us all.

        Love,

        GG Katie

     

A Heartbreaking Week/A Glimmer of Hope

 Dear, Dear Joanie,

    What a task it is to write to you this week. This country, the United States has reached the brink of a precipice and some have fallen into it. 

    On Wednesday, January 6, while Congress was meeting in a joint session to certify the electoral college votes, (I mentioned that our voting system is a little complicated), the Capitol Building was attacked by insurrectionists, who breached the walls, knocked down barriers, charged the police (many of whom let them inside the capitol, but not all), entered the building and began acts of destruction and desecration not only to the building, but to our institutions as well. Our country was attacked, yes, and most horrifically, it was attacked by American citizens, whose grotesque, hate-filled faces were seen throughout, stealing, occupying the chamber, breaking glass. It was mob rule, and, to date, five people have died, including a capitol policeman. 

    Dougie and I watched the events unfold as they were happening. We had merely tuned in to PBS to watch the mostly perfunctory vote take place in the joint session.  Then, what we saw, or, rather, heard, was noise from outside the chamber, then a rushing in. We saw Congress and staff's alarmed faces, then saw them scatter and escape. These images will be available to you, I'm sure, and I don't have the heart to post any here. I don't want that stain on these letters to you, and you will be able to find the images with little trouble.

    Here is what I posted on Facebook.

I have been a voter for 60 years and a proud American for longer than that. I just thought I'd seen it all, having lived through Viet Nam, Civil Rights, Watergate, assassinations, revelations of torture done by our troops. I have never witnessed this level of corruption, and, with yesterday's mob, a president inciting a riot. I have called Sen. Bennett, Sen. Hickenlooper, and Rep Neguse urging impeachment or demanding cabinet invoke Amendment 25. I'm angry and heartbroken and prayerful.

I should have added that I was born in 1939, in October. Hitler had invaded Poland that September, and I often wondered what my parents thought about bringing a baby girl into such a sad and evil world. Do your parents wonder the same right now?

    Congress did reconvene, and met into the night to certify the election of Biden and Harris.  Why did they have to meet into the night, you ask?  Because a large group of representatives and some senators challenged the electoral votes in certain states, essentially saying that they could not care less about the will of us, the people, who voted in good faith for one of the candidates.  

    It's pretty clear that Trump encouraged, even requested, this "supporters," a band of insurrectionists, come to DC on January 6 and not be "weak," but show their strength. Trump has supported white supremacists for a while now, voicing support for QAnon and Proud Boys. He has encouraged and incited violence.  Twitter has thankfully canceled his account--a little late, but nonetheless....

    Democracy now is in a big, tragic mess. There should be a call for impeachment on Monday.  Biden will be inaugurated in less than two weeks now, but that monster Trump can wreak a lot of havoc until then.

    Did a mention a glimmer of hope? We now have a Democratic House and Senate, thanks to the State of Georgia.

    More hope: Dougie received his first vaccine shot last Tuesday. I will receive my first one on January 13. COVID is raging still.

GG Dougie, Off to Teach Shakespeare

 

    Even more hope: the pictures of you, your mom, your dad, and Lucille. Your sweet smile and bright eyes!

    Love,

    GG Katie

Happy, and I mean HAPPY New Year!

 Dear Joanie,

    Here we are on the first day of 2021. We loved the Christmas card your parents sent: three pictures of you at various stages over the month, including one with Lucile, your devoted companion, most of the time, I think.  We have also enjoyed pictures of you at your grandmother Coco's house at Christmas. I think your days must be filled with wonder.

    Here in Colorado, we had a quiet and peaceful Christmas. I gave your great grandfather Dougie a Kindle reader.  We are lovers of books, books that we can actually hold in our hands and read and turn pages.  But Dougie's eyesight is not good, so I have showed him how to increase the font size of whatever he's reading. The Kindle is also good for him because it doesn't require extra light. So often, if he's reading a book, he has to squint and hold it up to a light. I think he'll enjoy it, but he also has a resistance to learning technology; in fact, he doesn't even use a cell phone, which actually makes his life more complicated than if he did. 

    In passing, I told your Grandmother Coco that I was so tired of fixing dinner every night of the week. Before COVID-19, we would eat out two or three times a week. Right now all restaurants in Boulder County are closed to indoor dining. It's cold in Colorado now, so people dining out of doors have propane heaters and little individual "bubbles" to sit in and keep warm. As high risk people, we really can't do that. 

    But back to Coco. Hearing my exhaustion over meal planning, she sent: jambalaya from New Orleans; a full ham dinner, including veggies and biscuits; a cheese and cracker tray from Zabar's; a key lime pie from Miami, and, for New Year's, a shepherd's pie, the very favorite of Dougie (there is one piece left as we speak).  Oh--and a huge box of pralines.  My sister Karol always sends a pecan pie from Texas. In short, I haven't had to plan a meal for days!!!!

    We so miss out family this holiday. We were able to do a drive-by to your Uncle André's house in Nederland.  We did a quick tour of his house, since his friend Eileen and her son Legend have moved in with him. Everything is homey and warm. We gave Legend two of Dougie's books, which we also sent to you when you were born.  It was beautiful and snowy up in Nederland. 

    We also attended, via Zoom, Christmas Eve services at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. When Coco lived in D.C., we were able to attend services there once.  It was moving and beautiful; the camera panned throughout an empty cathedral, save for the altar party and the musicians, all of whom wore masks. We have also been "attending" church via Zoom at our home church, St. Aidan's Episcopal Church in Boulder, where I served as priest associate, now retired.  From St. Aidan's, I also am leading a grief group, designed especially for those of us who have lost loved ones during this pandemic.

    I'm sure you're aware from everything I've said that COVID-19 is still with us. Vaccines are being distributed, but we have no idea when it will be our turn. I think most health care workers in Boulder County have been vaccinated, and work has begun in nursing facilities. We are told not to call our doctors or hospitals or pharmacy seeking appointments or waiting lists. Supposedly, we will be called by someone sometime or another. More news as it happens.

    Sending love, hope, and prayers for peace in the coming year. Welcome 2021!

        GG Katie