The novel coronavirus cannot compete with Xpot's impeachment trial on the news front. Only an unbelievably good or bad aspect of the virus could compete with coverage of the trial. I suppose that's warranted. We've had pandemics before, but we've never had a second impeachment trial nor have we ever had an impeachment trial for someone no longer in office. Once again, I have watched no news coverage during the day and will rely on the nightly news for the high points. I instead have been wrestling with a quilt repair, but that's another story.
On the news front but not related to either pandemic or impeachment is that breakdancing will be a sport in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Breakdancing. Really. Here, I revert to Michael Wilbon (former sports columnist for The Washington Post) for guidance as to what is a competitive "sport." Are you competing directly with another person? Is there an objective standard such as time against which each competitor is measured? Then it's a sport. I believe that gymnasts and figure skaters are tremendously physically fit, but gymnastics and figure skating are not sports.
In terms of the Olympics, the Tokyo ones that is, the director of Australian tennis says that a more rigorous coronavirus plan is needed. He's basing this on what has been required to get the Australian Open up and running. One of his suggestions is to lengthen the games to allow for longer quarantine periods with athletes training at their own accommodations rather than together at Olympic facilities. Another factor in terms of the Olympics in Tokyo is that Japan's general population of people ages 16 to 59 will likely not be getting covid vaccines until July, the month is which the games are scheduled to be held. Will the world accept the Olympic Games without spectators? Your guess is as good as mine.
Moving to Europe, Europe's oldest living person, a nun, has survived covid-19 days before her 117th birthday. She was asymptomatic even. In case anyone is wondering, she is the world's second oldest living person.
The CDC has issued new mask advice. A tightly fitting surgical mask or layering a cloth mask over a surgical mask can reduce transmission of covid-19 by up to 96.5 percent if (you knew there had to be a condition, right?) both people are wearing them. Other covid highlights include that half of US deaths have come since November 1, 2020. Experts are advising that a dip in new case rates does not mean that restrictions should be reset totally. Once spring arrives and people are doing more outdoor activities might be a better time to relax things. Starting Friday, Philadelphia will allow restaurants to increase indoor dining from 25 percent of capacity to 50 percent if they pass an air test. First, they must have HVAC or a standalone ventilation unit that is fully operational and that ventilates the entire dining area. The room's air must be replaced at least 15 times per hour. I did not look into exactly how this would be measured.
As for the quilt repair mentioned at the outset, when The Sons were little, 4 to 6 years old, I made each of them a trip around the world tied quilt that emerged from my first ever quilting class. They kept these quilts on their beds year after year. About seven or eight years ago, Son #1 asked if I could repair his quilt; there were holes or tears from just how well it had been loved. I said I would do it, having absolutely no idea how to do that. I actually took the quilt to a meeting of one of the guild chapters to which I belonged thinking it might be a way to get to know some of the people better, asking for advice. That plan bombed. The main suggestion was to make a new quilt, this offered after asking why I would even think of trying to repair this one, even after hearing how long my son had had the quilt and how much he valued it. I ended up winging it and actually did a not-too-bad job.
Then Son #2 asked me to repair his quilt. Son #1 was okay with my adding some new fabric patches to cover the holes; I was surprised at how closely I could match 20-plus year old fabric at Joann's. I repaired it as if the three worn layers were one, then put down new batting and backing and machine-quilted all the ditches. Son #2, on the other hand, has asked me to replace as little fabric as possible. He does not want new batting because he does not want it to be any warmer than it already is. His quilt also has more wear and tear then the first one. I won't say how long I've had the quilt sitting awaiting repair. I will just say that it occurred to me that getting the quilt done would be a great birthday present. This gives me until April 2. I have already determined that it's getting new backing. I will not add a new batting layer, but there's no way I can do a reasonable job if the original backing has to be visible.
The punchline is that Son #1 says his quilt has a few more rips and worn spots, so can I fix his again once I'm done with Son #2's. Momming really is a lifelong experience.
1 comment:
My rule is that it's not a sport if a judge has to determine whether you won. That's diving out then as well as gymnastics.
Dan's magpie quilt is standing up well after twenty years on a bed. I had to sew the binding back down, the thread had lost its strength. Fortunately the thread in the quilt was made of stronger stuff.
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