Wyoming Breezes

Nearly every Thursday afternoon I join a group of friends at the local senior center to play Mexican Train dominoes. The center was closed for much of the pandemic and only opened full time a year ago. Gradually, each week more seniors come to play. Last week fourteen individuals played together (two tables of seven). Before the pandemic, we had two full tables playing every week. Have people in your community returned to pre-pandemic activities? Have you?

October 2022 I did my best to evade the coronavirus, but it found me last week. Ironically, I had an appointment for the third booster jab on Friday -- the very day I tested positive for the virus.  On Monday, I thought it was merely an allergy flare as it started with a runny nose (typical allergies) and a sore throat. The next day, the hoarseness settled in my throat, and I developed a slight cough. Wednesday, I thought I was okay as the test I took was negative. By Thursday, the cough had turned into hacking and the hoarseness was terrible. Friday morning, I retested and wasn't really surprised by the positive result.  I'm very grateful I was vaccinated because I have no doubt I would have been much sicker without the protection it offered.  This morning, I am feeling almost human again: the cough has all but disappeared and the hoarseness is nearly gone, too. I'll retest on Wednesday and Thursday to see if the virus has moved on.  Beware that some of the symptoms...

Mexican Train Domino players (bottom photo) photo from Eppson Center April newsletter (Gayle, Kathleen, Tania, Nancy, Bunny, Darlene, Marilyn, Paula) November 2021 Every week, you will find me at the Eppson Center playing Mexican Train Dominos with a fun group. We've been playing together since 2018 with some time off when the Center was closed during the pandemic. Before the pandemic, we always had a full table (eight players), and some weeks we had enough players for two full tables. We enjoy playing so much that we don't even keep score.  Last week the Center was closed for the installation of new carpeting, but the group decided to play at another location. We went to O'Dwyer's Restaurant/Pub and had a great time playing and enjoying a delicious meal afterward. playing at O'Dwyer's  (Pat, Bunny, Tania, Marilyn, Linda, Gary, Kathleen) March 2022 The Eppson Center still requires masks, but masks are no longer required around town. We felt safe meeting without ...

January 2022 During the first months of the pandemic, I craved color and ordered the most colorful sock yarn that I could find online. This skein of Trekking XXL was one of the skeins I added to my stash. I didn’t know if the colors would pool or stripe, but I’m happy the brightly colored yarn is striping in such a fun sequence. 

discarded mask November 2021 More and more disposable masks are carelessly being discarded in parking lots, in the street, beside chairs in waiting rooms — literally they are EVERYWHERE! This week I discovered one under the hedge by my front door: the wind had blown it there from somewhere. I realize some people are angry that masks are required in many businesses, but tossing the unwanted masks anywhere but a trash can is rude and unsanitary. Today’s Public Service Announcement: please toss used masks in a trash can or wear reusable masks that can be washed.  Is this a problem in your community? 

August 2021 For the last month, nearly every street corner in my neighborhood has a Detour sign pointing left or right and some streets are blocked off completely. It’s construction season in Laramie, and at times I feel like I need a map just to go to the grocery store or to fill the gas tank. Even my life has been filled with detours: a few weeks ago, the senior center started opening its doors for in-person activities for the first time since March 2020. The Mexican Train Dominoes group was anxious to start again, and permission was granted on July 19, 2021. The group met on the 20th and again on the 27th before the center was closed once more because several staff members tested positive for COVID. This week, the center is opening for a limited number of in-person activities - the domino group being one.  So . . . I’ve started wearing a mask in public again. University students are returning to town this week. The positive COVID cases in the neighboring county are increasing ra...

Wyoming COVID vaccination rates (click image to enlarge) I was disappointed, but not surprised, when I saw this graphic two weeks ago. The areas on the map are the individual counties in Wyoming. I live in Albany County. Wyoming residents were upset last year when Governor Gordon issued a mask mandate and restricted gathering sizes. Wyoming residents pride themselves in being independent, and the mandates and restrictions created feelings that the government was infringing on personal freedoms.  I don't see the statistics changing much even though it's possible to easily be vaccinated without an appointment.  What are vaccination rates like in your community/state?

In this area, gasoline prices typically increase around Memorial Day and stay that way until tourist season ends in the Fall.  Currently the price for a gallon of unleaded gasoline is hovering around $3.00 Thanks to the COVID-19 shutdowns, I used only two tanks of gasoline from March 2020 through April 2021. I drove so little, that the car battery had no life in September 2020. After that, I set a reminder to drive the car every week to keep the battery charged. Now, that life is returning to “normal,” I won’t have any worries about a dead battery.  What is the cost of gasoline in your area? 

one hundred-twenty HSTs March 2021 Sunday's FaceTime call resulted in 120 HSTs for a new Quilt of Valor. The technique used by the pattern made eight HSTs from two 10 inch squares of fabric. This week I will press the HSTs and hopefully square them before next Sunday. These pieces will be used to make Friendship Stars.  I received the second Moderna shot last Thursday. The side effects have been a sore arm and fatigue for a couple of days, some joint aches, and some mild itching at the injection site. The first shot resulted in a spreading rash at the injection site one week after being vaccinated. That rash grew to 3 inches in diameter and itched like crazy for nearly two weeks before it faded. Because of the rash after the first dose, I had the second shot in the other arm. In my case, the rash is a delayed reaction, so I will keep a watchful eye on the injection site for the four/five days. Did you have any side effects from the vaccine?

Not all of the public art (murals) in Laramie are large and commanding. Some are small and hint at something larger than themselves. This mosaic is on the west side of the alley between Ivinson and Grand.  It's made with bits of tile, broken mirrors and pottery shards.  On a side note: I received the first dose of the Moderna vaccine last Thursday. Other than a sore arm on Friday and a red patch the size of a fifty-cent piece at the vaccination site, I didn't have any side effects. I'm scheduled for the second dose next month. 

Have you received the vaccine yet? Appointments are being made here for individuals over 75, and supposedly next week those over 70 can make appointments.  I don’t anticipate being eligible for an appointment until late February or early March.  Hopefully, the virus’ grip on the world can be  under control by late summer. 

When I saved this cartoon last year, I had no idea a virtual holiday meal would become a reality and not so funny in 2020. The surging numbers of Covid-19 in many states, makes a virtual Thanksgiving the most sensible thing to do.  Did you alter your family Thanksgiving celebration because of Covid-19?

via text message

from Facebook

from Facebook This graphic sums up my feelings perfectly.  Please wear a mask when in public to help stop COVID-19 from infecting you, your family, friends, and community. 

Carpenter's Star 60 x 70 inches Quilt of Valor #185 June 2020 Carpenter's Star was made with backing scraps from other Quilts of Valor. 

COVID-19 mural June 2020 Two masked critters (prairie dogs) were added to the COVID-19 mural  recently.  Wyoming has seen a large increase of positive COVID-19 cases, so I wish more people would follow the example of the animals on this mural.  Governor Gordon urges Wyomingites to wear masks through the use of these two graphics:

placing HSTs in the correct position June 2020 Here's a sneak peek at my current sewing/quilting project. The dark fabric looks black in the photo, but it is actually dark navy. Both fabrics were used for backings for previous Quilts of Valor and are the same print, only different colors. At this point the pieces haven't been sewn together. This is the first Carpenter's Star quilt that I've made.  According to Wendy Russell at Patchwork Square , "The Carpenter's Wheel quilt block has been around for a long time and is also known by a few other names ... Star of Bethlehem and Carpenter's Star. Most of the time, this block is made using squares and diamonds, but I have chosen to make this pattern using half square triangle sets, rather than the diamonds, to bypass distortion of the bias edges from the frequent handling, and also this method avoids the dreaded set in seam. My view is why do it the hard way, when you can choose the easy way? Now the down side o...

Still Chatting 61 x 75 inches Quilt of Valor #184 June 2020 Still Chatting is a twin to FaceTime Chats  that was finished a couple of weeks ago from 2.5 inch scraps. Can you believe that I still have 5 sixteen-patch blocks remaining? They went into the orphan bin for a future project. Currently, I'm slightly ahead of my goal to make two QOV each month this year. This quilt and the American Symbols QOV have been sent to Idaho for quilting and for awarding. 

women's size 10 June 2020 Yarn : Trekking (XXL) color #160 I didn't try very hard to match the stripes because I ran into a knot mid-way through the cuff on the second sock and knew at that point that it would be futile to try, especially since I found another knot while knitting the foot of the second sock. I've never found knots in Trekking before, so I'm sure this skein was given to me by a yarn sales representative. The samples are often "seconds."