I’m exhausted, but there’s not really any good reason for it. Father took Duchess up to Dallas so she could surprise her boyfriend for his birthday. That’s a generous man, right there. They’ll be back tomorrow.

This week we did the Canon of St. Andrew Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, and the first Presanctified Liturgy on Wednesday. That meant later suppers and bedtimes all week. Maybe that’s one reason I’m tired.

I’ve finished two dolls’ heads and will start on the bodies tomorrow. Right now I just want to knit something incredibly mindless. Of course, I need to start another project like I need a hole in my head. *starts thinking about yarn*…

I’ve been reading a book by Nikki Haley (“With All Due Respect”) and enjoying it. I never read books with political topics, but I’ve always admired her and the book was recommended to me. She is definitely someone I could get behind as a future presidential candidate, and not because she’s female, but because of the kind of person she is, her intelligence, policies, past actions, and her backbone. I hate spinelessness. Anyway, enough about that.

Because everyone is talking about The Virus, I guess I’ll say a few words too: I’m not panicking. I’m not even worrying. I’m practicing my usual preventative measures (WASH YOUR HANDS) and have decided to limit outings for the little ones that involve indoors or groups of people. We’re all still going to church and I’m taking Moppet to speech twice a week (although the latter is a legitimate source of concern for me for illnesses in general). I’ve decided to forego any purely preventative checkups for the children until this has passed. They’re more likely to catch something if I take them in. I’m not buying masks – they only keep you from spreading your own germs, not from catching someone else’s – nor am I stocking up on hand sanitizer. I have some for when we’re out and can’t wash hands, but good old soap and water is fine. There are confirmed cases at the hospital a few miles from us, but the likelihood of any of us coming into contact with a vector, and catching it, and having symptoms severe enough to have to be managed in a hospital, is vanishingly small. We’re all going to be fine.

So don’t worry! Behave prudently and carry on with life. And here is a nice calming picture to help: