It's all about family, More Home School fun, Canning and using fresh produce

Arizona is starting to open up.  Gary and I actually went to eat at Hopdoddies which felt really good especially eating their Parmesan truffle fries!  However, I am still sheltering in place and the AZ numbers of this horrible Virus are up and down, but down from what they were mid April to mid May.  The % positive of tests are down from their high so that is good.  I don't think church is going to start up anytime soon and who knows when the choir will be able to sing again.  AZ does have guidelines for churches to start to open but the Methodist Church follows the Bishops guidelines and he has to consider AZ and Nevada and the church as a whole.  I think that we should open up for younger people with social distancing.  I think that would be safe. I really hope we can start ballroom dancing again in the fall.  I really miss that!
 I wonder how all these protests at the sad and horrible death of George Floyd will effect Covid numbers.  All of a sudden it is OK for all these protesters to be crowded together on the streets.  I haven't heard one word about social distancing.
 Well, on to other things.  Ryan and I have been building up Grandma's berms so she can get a full irrigation.  Ryan and I went over to check out the berms during irrigation.  There was Mom in the front yard with her sweet flowered hat checking the irrigation.  I said,  I see you're irrigating the Ayraud acres.  She said yes I am.  The yard filled up pretty good without going into the yard to the south.   It is still running in the street, but only when the yard is full and the irrigator said that is OK because if we build up the front berm more, we will also have to build up the whole south berm more.  He will turn it off when it starts running in the street.
Two people in my family need prayers for healing.  Star is getting out of ICU tomorrow after a fight for her life. She has a funny way about her and has cracked me up many a time.   Noel is having surgery tomorrow at 7am to have a new, stronger plate put on his femur after the original plate put on after a fracture in 2017 cracked. Noel is the bravest person I've ever met. I don't know how many surgeries he's had to have.  He always cracks a joke to spite the most recent broken bone.  Please Lord, watch over and protect Star and Noel. 

 Jules making elephant toothpaste when learning about exothermic reactions.  This is part of our chemistry studies: we combined 6% H2O2 with yeast, warm H2O and Dish Soap.  The temp went from 78.2 to 106.3 after adding the yeast and warm water!  Did you know that the Bombardier beetle ejects a exothermic boiling hot, horrible smelling spray for protection? 

Strong peroxide is no more!  Changed to water and oxygen

Faye's kitchen

Marinara Sauce from home grown tomatoes

Yummy peaches

Peaches and apples lined up in brown paper bags to ripen

Trying to use up my peaches:  Made jam, cobbler, peach applesauce and peach bread

Memorial Day with Mom.  We always bring roses for Dad

 We always go to to the cemetery on Memorial Day.  They usually put flags on all the veteran's graves, but they missed the old part of the cemetery this year.  Said Hey to Dad and were happy that we didn't loose Grandma Cooley this year.  Last year her grave stone had sunk down and we had to get staff to bring it back to the surface!  Everything looked great this year.  I didn't even have to trim grass growing over the stones. 

Peach bread

Starting to put up Mom's apples:  Faye & I made Peach Applesauce

Jules and her Lego tree house

Total Nerdy Nurse Response to Covid-19

I am feeling the need to have additional data to make wise decisions for myself and my Mom as Arizona opens for business.  I researched and discovered the following data:

I know Covid-19 is more contagious than the flu, but I want to compare hospitalizations between the two because being hospitalized means that you have a serious, possibly life-threatening case.

According to CDC 90% of those hospitalized with Covid-19 have one or more additional medical condition.

CDC -cumulative Covid rate of hospitalization starting March 7 2020 through May 9 2020
           all ages                  55 per 100,000 hospitalized w covid
            age 65-74              90 per 100,000 hospitalized w covid
            age 75-84             235 per 100,000 hospitalized w covid
            age 85+                350 per 100,000 hospitalized with Covid-19

Now the above Covid rates are for only 2 months. However, the first U.S. case was in January, so I suspect that they added those early hospitalizations for Covid into the cumulative above.  So, I suspect the above rates are for 3 months and not just 2.  I'm not sure however.

 The normal flu season starts slowly in Oct-Nov and ends in March with February usually being it's peak. The average flu season lasts 5-6 months 

I couldn't find data on CDC that divided hospitalizations for flu into similar ages as above.
However, a study published in Journal of Am Med Assoc 9/15/04  (Influenza Associated Hospitalizations in the U.S.) listed following averages of # of hospitalizations based on records from 500 hospitals in the U.S.
Average # hospitalized yearly for influenza related illness between 1980 and 2001
Age 65-69                               71/100,000 (106/100,000 for Flu with pneumonia)
Age 70-74                             128/100,000  (207/100,000   "         "           "          )
Age 75-79                              220/100,000  (312   "            "                "               )
Age 80-84                              302/100,000   (376    "            "                "             )
Age 85+                                 629/100,000    (777    "             "                   "        )

It seems to me that we are on track to having a similar number hospitalized with Covid-19 as we have in our average Flu season.  We are higher in hospitalizations  over 2-3 months with covid  especially in the 75-84 year group than the average flu season (study averaged over 21 years), but not too much.  

How does this translate to my every day life?  Hummm

OK.  I had my ASU roomy and fellow nursing buddy who never had to study and went on to become an awesome ER Doctor look at this and I post her comments for your review.  Her recommendation:  Lay Low. Although she does say that starting to open is the only option now. "Hopeful for a vaccine (even with the known issues of mutations), and really excited about the antibody therapies in trials, but herd immunity is what is most likely to help us in the long run."  And I say that the only way to get herd immunity is to open up.  I will stay home as much as possible and protect my Sweet Mom. 

Hi Dear Carol!

I tried to answer, at least partially, on your blog and failed twice without it telling me why. I copied my message the last time, so...

You always look fabulous in your ASU cap! I can’t bring myself to compare Covid to the flu, for which we have some immunity, post infectious therapy, and vaccines that at least offer at some cross protection. I’m not sure that we can rely on the hospitalization figures for guidance either (helpful, aren’t I? - Ha!). Many patients have died at home, and the majority have not been counted unless they had a previous positive test (my least favorite topic these days). Patients dying of pneumonia as early as December were almost certainly Covid in retrospect. Lost my message once already, and since you can’t get me off my soapbox 🤣 I’ll write more below.

Testing has been a problem, IMHO, and not because of availability, or lack thereof. People are relying on it, and you just can’t yet, although PCR is at least somewhat helpful. At least 10-20% of tests are false negative, and as high as 30% in some reports. Hard to interpret a lot of the reports though. Patients dying of Covid often test negative well into the course of the hospitalizations before their test converts. This is well substantiated.

China’s data says that patients are infectious for 2-9 days before they test positive. I don’t know about 9, because date of exposure is often unknown, but several, during which they are spreading the virus. Throw in the asymptomatic patients who are never tested, and the numbers infected could be all over the map. 

Don’t get me started on the thousands of people being hired to do contact tracing. (Or screening for temperatures at the airport...) Well, I guess it’s a job. Works great with a few cases of STD’s, but nearly worthless in a pandemic where patients are often asymptomatic or think they have the common cold. 

Aren’t you sorry you asked? Ha!

On a personal level, I always love to hear from you, and would love to see you when this settles down!

With us being of a certain age, and even more so with your Dear Mother, I agree with laying low. There will be a second wave, and maybe more. I am 100% in favor of flattening the curve in hot spots to avoid becoming another NYC, but starting to open up is really the only option now. Hopeful for a vaccine (even with the known issues of mutations), and really excited about the antibody therapies in trials, but herd immunity is what is most likely to help us in the long run. 

So, Dan, daughter who lives nearby and I have self quarantined except for 2 Costco runs (the first after 6 weeks because we hadn’t prepared). We are lucky to have some acreage just outside of SD with a few fruit trees and a couple of avocado ones that survived the 07 wildfires. Nice, safe outing!

I do the shopping because I think I’m better prepared to self protect, and I wear my one N95 mask and one glove. The glove is so when I get back to my car (where I have a trash bag hanging on the door handle), I have one clean hand to open the door and reach for the wipes/sanitizer. 

If I’m making another stop, I don’t touch my mask until I’m home where it hangs in the sun. People laugh about wearing a mask alone in a car, but there’s the reason...) We leave mail and packaged goods in the garage for a couple of days, but mostly take our chances with the cold stuff, washing our hands though. I do strip down in the garage and leave my clothes there for a few days. Don’t shake them. 

That being said, we did just drive to Prescott Valley to help my brother get ready to go home to Alaska. Advisable, IDK? He reportedly has to avoid eating and sleeping (except in his vehicle) all the way across Canada. He thinks they won’t stop him at the border because AK is still his home base. He’s pulling up a snowmobile trailer, so that will be his motel, going up at least. We will head home tomorrow.

Did I answer your question? I got sidetracked ...  I’d be careful for the foreseeable future. Sadly, I’d completely avoid churches, all gyms, and malls for now. A lot of folks are taking their chances with no social distancing, but I’m not there yet. Some churches are doing Zoom services. 

Take good care, and stay safe! Greet your Dear Mother for me!

Love and prayers!

Your old Roomie

Hope for a normal life and Enjoying Home School Fun

Definitely closer than 6 feet, hugs during home school

I am busy at home, just finished juicing oranges 2 days ago, almost finished using or freezing all my apricots, ready to start on my peaches, next will be Mom's apple tree crop.  Things are opening up in Arizona with many restrictions.  Social distancing (Stay away! Don't touch! Don't shake hands! Most of all don't hug!)  well I have issues with this since I like hugs!  It's even more confusing for those of us 65 and above.  I want more information!  How many people who are 65 and above, are healthy and get this virus end up in ICU, how many die?  So far can't find stats. They should be available! However, I did find this guideline for those 65+.   Stay home and self isolate if you are frail:  F (Are you consistently fatigued?), R (How resilient are you -  example can you easily climb a flight of stairs?), A (How aerobic are you?- example can you quickly walk around the block?), I (How many chronic illnesses or diseases do you have?), L (Loss of weight, unless you are overweight and need to loose).  If you answer yes to 3 or more be very careful and self-isolate.  If you score 1, take care but you don't have to self isolate.  The more I read it's about how healthy you are, not how old you are.  And yes, I know at 71 and healthy I should be sensible, but I can do some things especially if they are in the open air.  I better hurry with with open air stuff because soon it will be very hot in Phoenix!  Talking about hot, I went to the chiropractor and they took my temperature when I walked in.  Well, it was 100!  A few minutes later it was 99.5.  I realized that I drove my Mom's car which was sitting in the sun and so I got hot cause the AC didn't have time to cool off since the office is so close.  Lesson learned,  don't drive a hot car to a medical appt!

Now the next conundrum!  My Mom is 96 and healthy.  I have been her only contact with the outside world.  However, she still lives in her own home, can wander in her yard and ride her bike around the block.  When can I invite her to dinner at my house if Gary or my son Ryan are here?  They are both still working, so she has only seen me and neighbors at a distance since this started.  I think she should be lonely with only me to visit, but she says no.  "I'm my own best friend," she says.  I think I'll wait a couple weeks, and if AZ opening goes well, then take her on a field trip to Whitfil nursery to look at the plants.  What do you think?

My sweet Mom, tried to find a picture of her riding her bike but couldn't find it

I have Jules one day a week again and we are so happy!  We concentrate on science, sometimes also learning about history on important days.  Some of our recent topics were: electricity (static and circuits), magnets, robots (she made a soda can Robug) and learned about rovers on Mars, bacteria (we grew our own on agar), celebrated the 75 anniversary of VE day, crystals, chemistry and physics!

Slime Chemistry and Fun

Is this Jules or an elephant?

Lemon Volcano

Endothermic reaction take in energy resulting in a temp drop

We built our own volcano under the fruit trees.  We made a mud volcano around a glass filled with water, baking soda, paint and dish soap.  Then we added vinegar for the explosion.  A real volcano would be an exothermic reaction, but this baking soda and vinegar is endothermic

Mixing mud

Making the volcano

Exploding volcano!

We learned about bacteria and how they fit into Linnaeus's system of organizing all living things (Keep Ponds Clean Or Frogs Get Sick- stands for Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species). It is one of 5 Kingdoms that's called the prokaryotes (bacteria and blue-green algae).  Gary brought us agar plates, we streaked them and we grew all kinds of interesting stuff

Our VE day celebratory Tea

Victory in Europe London May 8 1945