A Note To My Readers

Dear Readers of my blog, 

Today would normally be my monthly publishing date for my blog, being the next-to-last Wednesday of the month.

However, I am continuing to push through on a big project to try to get it finished before the pandemic can worsen again, as the news reported last week that cases of Covid have tripled in the last 6 weeks. This pandemic is not over, still, as much as I would like for it to be. I am so tired of it curtailing my social life and creating additional safety issues for me. 

I did get the initial two Pfizer shots, but have not gotten boosted. I stay socially isolated 99% of the time, anyway, have virtually everything I need delivered, and I had some very concerning reactions after the second shot, that caused me to feel that I may be better focusing on isolating rather than taking more shots at this point. 

When the last variant went through, in a big wave, which was Omicron, even completely vaxed (and even boosted) people could, and sometimes did, still catch Covid. Some, even died, despite their vaccines. 

While reports are that the shots do make the symptoms less severe and/or life threatening, they haven't been a guarantee against infection.

Therefore, I continue to feel that social distancing, masking, self-isolating, handwashing, etc., are my most effective preventative measures. After all, I live totally alone, so I am rarely around other people at all.

This is not meant as medical advice for you or as advocacy for or against the vaccine. I am just letting you know what my own decisions are, regarding my health and safety, at this juncture in this years-long-and-counting worldwide pandemic, that many are choosing to pretend is over now. 

It isn't.

I wish that it were!

I am a person that is very into holistic health; the majority of the time.

I have also been an anti-vaxxer my whole life, to the extent that is possible (as sometimes certain vaccines have been required for me to get, such as for summer camp as a child, and when I was in the military, etc.).

Many people that know me now would find that hard to believe, because I did get the first 2 Pfizer shots (just not the boosters; at least at the time of this writing).

However, I didn't even get the first Pfizer vaccine until early August of 2021. I simply stayed in total isolation until then. I only got it then because I had to travel, and I got the 2nd vaccine (it's a two-shot series) last Halloween, anticipating socializing during the holidays, which I didn't end up risking after all. As I said, the vaxes were not an absolute guarantee of not catching Covid, and if I had begun socializing, almost all people around here were not wearing masks or taking any particular precautions; and many have had Covid one, two, (some even) three, times! I didn't think that these people, that took this that casually, were folks that I should be exposing myself to, therefore. Hence, no socializing.

I did finally relax my mask wearing, recently, for a few months, although I have still worn it at times, such as if I am in enclosed buildings for any amount of time, etc., and I have continued staying fairly far from almost all people.

In monitoring the news for updates, I have heard, over the last couple of weeks or so, that a new strain, or two, are spreading in other countries.

Inevitably, especially with much more relaxed regulations in place, now, these will come to America.

Then, as I said, the news here did recently report that the level of Covid infections in the U.S. have tripled over the last month and a half. That is concerning to me. I also believe they reported that this new variant is even more contagious than Omicron, which was more contagious than the original Delta variant of Covid.

Social isolating continues to be my best bet for staying alive and well during this pandemic.

I have become a little too relaxed about being around other people, the last few weeks, and I need to not do that, now.

Staying healthy is very important to me. Staying alive is also very important to me.

I have the option to get further vaccines, also, but as I said, I had some alarming physical reactions to the second Pfizer shot, and I had taken those 2 shots due to the terror I have felt from this pandemic being worldwide. Including all around me, here. Some people I know here, in very close proximity to me, have had it more than once, already, and some that I know have been hospitalized, and nearly died. It is very scary to me!

I actually am a holistic-health-oriented person, however, that does turn to foods as the first 'medicine' for my body. I also have been a lifelong anti-vaxxer (which in NO way reflects on a political affiliation; and began when I was a child). I have taken myself to get tetanus shots, when I have had injuries that seemed to advise that for me. However, I even get ALL dental work done with NO injections. It freaks out my dentists, the first time they deal with that, with me. It seems to be harder on THEM, than it is on me! Believe it or not, I use my own sense of humor/frame of mind/mind over matter as my 'anesthesia' during such procedures, and that works for me!

Everybody is different. I make my own choices about what I think is best for me.

Sometimes, I get that wrong.

But I am not a person who lets other people think for me, or make decisions, about me, for me. There are people in my life even now that have turned on me simply because I wouldn't ALLOW THEM to CONTROL ME. Some of which didn't even have ANY RIGHT OR REASON to even EXPECT TO DO THAT. (Like, neighbors.) Good riddance! THOSE aren't people that I NEED in MY LIFE.

My position also isn't a political one for me.

I am an intelligent, educated, person, who knows what the news updates are, in real time, and deals in facts and truth; not weird conspiracy theories and bizarre speculations. I make my decisions accordingly, where Covid is concerned.

I am just doing what I think IS BEST FOR ME, at any given time.

So, currently, as I said at the outset of this post, I am trying to get some things accomplished, on a major project, while there is still a relatively 'safe' window of opportunity to do so, before Covid cases could spread, so much, again, that I can't have people around me to get these things done.

This project had been delayed for quite a while, already, because of my socially isolating due to Covid contagion risks. I am SO RELIEVED to ACTUALLY BE MAKING REAL PROGRESS NOW, on this project. The DELAY has NOT BEEN 'FUN'. 

I doubt that I can get EVERYTHING done, that I would LIKE to, regarding it, right now, because of Covid constraints as well as budgetary ones.

But, every step that I do get done, is a STEP FORWARD, that I have been LONGING to take, toward getting this project underway, finally!

I am both excited and exhausted, as I try to do all these things, for it, in this timespan where I feel I can still get the people to come and help me with it, without putting me at extreme risk of serious illness or death from Covid.

There are no guarantees in life.

I just hope that my timing is good, and that I stay safe, as I work on this, finally.

Because I am doing all that, right now, I have been too busy, and too tired, to write a full post for this month, yet.

I have begun it, however.

I just couldn't finish it before today's (normal) publishing deadline.

It is about my cockatiel bird-baby, CeeBee, and the MIRACLE of him in my life!

I am hoping and planning to post it NEXT Wednesday, May 25th; God Willing.

Thank you for your understanding!

I can WRITE BLOG POSTS while totally ISOLATED, but I cannot get this BIG PROJECT done, that way. People have to help me with it, and that puts me at some amount of risk. That's why it NEEDS TO BE the PRIORITY now, for me.

If you pray, PLEASE PRAY for my HEALTH and SAFETY.

Those things are VERY IMPORTANT TO ME!

Love, Deb

P.S. I actually DO PRAY for YOU blog readers ALSO!