Lockdown - the Tragedy

 Warning: The content might be a bit morbid for few.

Imagine this: You are sick and in hospital, surrounded by machines, wires, tubes, etc. One monitoring your heart rate and oxygen levels, one ensuring your sustenance, one eliminating toxins from your body, one pumping oxygen into your body, and whatnot. You do not have the energy to raise a finger but just enough to be aware of what is going on around you, which is not much except the beeping of the machines. Once in awhile a medical professional comes to check on you and to note down your vitals. They are also a bit cautious, donning PPE suites - a scene right out of a medical thriller. You have no contact with the outside world and have no way of knowing what's happening. God forbid, but what a way to spend your last days - alone and lost.
In the not so serious scenario, you are in a quarantine ward and it is worse. You have energy levels but nothing to do. Loneliness - how long can you talk to friends and family over the phone (no one is allowed to meet you). Boredom -  how long can you play games or watch TV? Since you are more aware of the surroundings, you are aware of the fact that even medical staff is maintaining a safe distance, it does prick. A lot.
The least serious scenario, home isolation - you are plagued with the thoughts of your family's safety and whether it would be better to be in a hospital or isolation centers. Such a dilemma.

Imagine the other aspect: You have a loved one diagnosed as positive. They are in ICU under medical care, but little is revealed to you. No one can be blamed since no one knows what needs to be done, what will happen, and when. You are chased away from the hospital, to minimize the risk of infection. You cannot stay away - it is someone you love in there. What if they need your help? But what assistance can you provide and how? Was it a mistake to get them to the hospital? Would it have been better if they were at home? But then there are kids/seniors at home. Should you have taken the chance? So many thoughts while you wait helplessly for some news, and flinch every time the phone rings.
At last some news - recovered. But the euphoria does not long last. Apparently, there are side effects like heart or liver complications at a later date, so the fear is not completely gone. What if they are still carriers?
If unfortunately - succumbed. The situation enters a realm we never knew existed. You do not get a last glimpse of the person. An ambulance picks up the body and transports it to the crematorium. There the last rites are performed by a complete stranger. The maximum you can do is watch from a safe distance. Even if you are not a believer, it hurts. While all this is done for the benefit of the community and society, it still feels unfair and inhuman. 

I think most of the families by now have experienced these situations - directly or indirectly. That is how COVID 19 is affecting all of us. This is one pandemic that is affecting all - equally and globally. The situation is really pathetic. Apart from the physical pain and suffering of those infected, it is touching every single aspect of our lives. What can be done? How can we mitigate its effects? Looks like there is no viable solution to this problem. We keep getting tons of advice - mask, sanitizer, 6 feet distance, zinc fortified vit c, pranayama, yoga, etc. etc. Do any of these work? No one knows. 

People are getting frustrated with the safety measures and are rebelling. The common refrain - how much longer and more importantly to what end. Some are getting infected despite precautions while some who are moving around more freely are not infected. Some are showing minor symptoms and recovering fast, while some are succumbing easily. 
Might be maintaining physical distance doesn't help - but what is the harm in keeping distance? Do we have to pile on one another at shops, banks, and other public places? (I used to wonder about this even in the pre-pandemic days)
Mask - they may not eradicate but I am sure they do help in containing. It is like adding a glass of cold water to a bucket of hot water - it might not bring down the temperature drastically but it would definitely take the sting away. Same with a mask, I feel.
Sanitizer - a little bit of hygiene won't kill anyone.

We needn't lock ourselves in the houses, that would be detrimental to building our immunity but few precautions might, just might, go a long way. Next time you step out of the house and feel like ditching the mask, think of all the damage that it can cause. Think for a second, not just about yourself but your family and society at large.

BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY

Hobbies

The most common ice-breaker after the weather is discussing hobbies. Since childhood, we are pestered with this question and honestly, I never knew how to answer it. My interests seem to change and I never had a steady answer to that question. I remember when we were kids my cousin told someone snooker was her hobby and at that point of time we had no idea what it was. Later to my query, she said it sounded very posh (this was before the word cool was in use). That was the importance we gave to hobbies!

I always stuck to reading and music as my hobbies, both of which I have written about here and here, respectively. Later I added running to the list, since though it started as an exercise regime it turned into a pastime, and I have covered in detail starting here, adding and continuing to it.

So what is left to cover in this blog? Well, a lesser-known hobby of mine - needlework.

Not exactly lesser-known. Those who know me well have one of these in their homes, hopefully adorning one of the walls and not gathering dust in a closet. These are my pride and my joy, my stress busters. I have tried various other outlets like colouring, painting, zigsaw puzzles etc., but after cleaning up the house, this works best for me.

How did I get hooked on? Well, in school we had a class called SUPW - Socially Useful Productive Work (popularly known as Some Useful Periods Wasted). And in the conservative city that I was studying - boys were tasked with gardening (read weeding) work and girls were made to sit in the class with cloth and needle. I never like these classes. I hated hemming and all the teeny weeny dresses we were forced to make and file. That was until they introduced embroidery and I was hooked. Our first project -  handkerchiefs to be showcased in the annual fete. I had warned my mom to be prepared to spend some money, she had to buy my products if no one else did, it was a matter of pride. But alas my handkerchiefs were missing from the stall. I was sure my teacher thought they were not worth displaying. It took a lot of courage (we hesitated to talk to our teachers in those days) to approach the teacher and ask her why my handicraft was not put out. Imagine my surprise when she informed me that the principal's wife, who toured the stalls in the morning, took them since she liked them so much. I was on cloud nine. That was it. For a couple of years, our tables, fridge, curtains all were adorned with my art. My goal was to do a sari but somehow it didn't happen.

Then with the busy schedule of life involving studies, job, marriage this hobby of mine took a backseat. Every now and then I would look at the magazines with these embroidery designs and sigh. It seemed too much work to come up with a creative idea and then buy all the material for it. Then I chanced upon the DIY kits at Hobby Lobby in the US. These kits came with material and instructions for some of the coolest home decor projects. Thus began my second innings. I did wall hangings with cross stitch, 

  plastic baskets, 

fridge magnets and whatnot. 

I learnt a lot about cloth count, needles, threads and colours like mauve, fuchsia, lavender, champagne and more.

Then came the problem - what to do with all these "masterpieces"? My mother-in-law unwittingly gave me a solution. She had visited us in the US and during her stay, our out-station friends decided to pay us a visit. My mother-in-law said we need to gift them something, as you are aware as per Indian tradition we usually felicitate our guests with new clothes. Well, buying clothes that they would like in theUS was a tricky business, at least for me, so I came up with a novel idea. Why not present them with some of my "artwork", sort of a punishment for being my friend 😉. So that solved not only the issue of choosing gifts for all but any future gift dilemmas. Now all my friends and relatives enjoy my talent (if anyone doesn't agree, keep it to yourself).

Once we decided to return to India, the one thing I was sure I would miss out on was these kits. I bought a few to tide me over. In India, I discovered Anchor Stitch kits. These were much easier than cross-stitch, it was just straight-stitches. My favourite and also of many who have visited and seen it in our home 

Then I chanced upon beadwork hanging in one of our neighbour's house which I liked a lot. With the help of my mother, I converted it into cross-stitch format and presented it to my Dad. It still hangs in their puja room.

Now there was one kit I bought in the US, which was yet to be my pièce de résistance. It was very intricate and very appealing. Though I opened and sorted the threads way back in 2005, I somehow could never work on it continuously. I completed many other projects big and small (including a sari for myself) but this was always on the back burner. Now with lockdown, containment and work from home, I finally completed it. Isn't it a beauty!!!!

Lockdown - the New Normal

Well, this is it. COVID 19 came spoiled my grand day, we were under lockdown for nearly two months, some in containment, and then Unlockdown - what happened, nothing. The statistics show a drastic rise in the number of cases. Everyone is blaming everyone else. People flout all rules - have birthday parties, kitty parties, unnecessary get-togethers, don't maintain physical distance and blame the government for not taking adequate precautions. The private hospitals say they are not being allowed to serve the needy, and when given the chance, jack up the prices and commercialise the entire tragedy. The government says the death rate is low, so its a victory. Well, who knows, might be the situation would have been worse if not for the lockdown.

But as a layman, who is not well-versed with the medical jargon and not at all into political or economic repercussions, what should we do? They say "Stay home, stay safe". I don't mind that but for how long? We do have to get out for essentials or to take care of parents' need or get a tap or a bulb fixed in the house, then what? They say "mask, disinfectant and physical distance" are our best friends now. The virus is here to stay, we better get used to it - the new normal.

By nature, I am not a person who panics easily. I can handle medical and non-medical emergencies calmly and without getting too worked up. I get anxious but once I know the cause or have a plan in place I am good to go. But this pandemic has turned me into a scaredy-cat. Every time someone sneezes or coughs, I startle. Every visit to the vegetable market either ends up in a fight or returning half-way out of disgust and frustration (I am surrounded by morons who think wearing a mask and maintaining distance is for losers). When I see the news of how people in the US and the UK are flocking their beaches, I hyperventilate (apparently it was the hottest day). The other day my maid said a 30-year old in her building passed away suddenly without any apparent (or revealed) cause, I told her not to come for a week (she is the watchman at that neighbouring building and stays there). Am I overreacting? I hate this "new normal" which is making us watch over our shoulder all the time.

I am remembering my childhood, especially my grandmother. Feels like I am living her life with her rules all over again. As soon as we enter the gate, we had to wash our feet. Next, we were to discard our "street clothes", wash our hands and face with soap (have a bath if feasible) and don our "house clothes". Only then could we talk, or have a glass of water, or do whatever in the house. Guests were restricted to the drawing-room, only close relatives were allowed inside the sanctum sanctorum. She never allowed the maid inside the house. For sweeping and mopping, the maid was allowed after all the morning activities were over and most adults had left the house on their business, ie when the house was practically empty. We, kids, were driven out to play in the backyard, till the maid finished her "inside work".  The maid's entry into the kitchen was a big no-no. My grandmother would leave the vessels outside and the maid would leave them at the threshold after wash. My grandmother would rinse them and then bring them into the kitchen. Grocery shopping was done once a year, all the items sun-dried before storing them away for the rest of the year. New clothes were to be washed before wear, how we used to crib that the new clothes don't feel new. Are we not doing the exact same things now? Wash our hands and feet as soon as we enter the house, sanitize all the veggies and groceries before use, rinse all the utensils after maid washes them.

They say there is no going back, but guess we are going back to the roots.

Lockdown - the Containment

Can there be anything worse than Lockdown? Turns out yes and it is called containment. Two weeks of imprisonment. 

One fine Saturday afternoon, my watchman calls saying police are here. I rush downstairs. Apparently, the watchman from the opposite apartment building was tested positive and his wife was working for an elderly couple in our building. So our apartment complex along with theirs is declared a containment zone. Since it was late in the evening, the police left with a warning - no one leaves the building until further instructions. But people being people, the first whiff of trouble they start disappearing leaving us to face police queries.
For the uninitiated, ours is a single building complex with 22 flats. Of these 3-4 are permanently locked, 2-3 were not occupied since well before lockdown, 2-3 vacated just after lockdown, and 2-3 on the day of containment. So there were a total of 10 flats in containment. Sunday the police, GHMC, and health workers landed. Each gathering information and the same information - who are the occupants, their age, occupation, and health conditions. Exact same information had to be shared with all the three. In the meantime, the apartment complex was sprayed with disinfectant, gates closed and barricades put up with a banner. We protested at the suddenness and they gave us a grace period of an hour to stock up. There are two doctors in the building who were on duty, so they called the collector or some such official, got special permission, and were allowed to continue with their duties. So by Sunday evening, we were locked in.

Now coming back to my personal experience. The story which started on my birthday, took shape, got extended, and continues here. My husband was taking care of his parents at their house, my parents were staying with me and now this. With my moral support available only over the phone and WhatsApp, I was getting scared. Here I was with my aged (70+) parents, already risking by allowing maid to continue working, now in a worst-case scenario. Well, not exactly worst-case, since my maid was not posing any danger, or was she??? So many doubts, so many thoughts, and no place to run, literally no place to hide. I tried my best to stay upbeat, parents were very supportive. But dil hai ki manta nahin.

Till now lockdown meant restriction in movement. I was getting domestic help so didn't feel the pinch apart from the fact that getting and sanitizing provisions and groceries was a bit painful. Now I was in the same boat as the rest. Have to take care of the dishes and house. House I was not very particular, gone were the days when I wanted a spic and span home. Now a dust speck here and a cobweb there doesn't bother me that much. And I will not claim that my house is cleaner when I clean it. I depend heavily on my maid to keep my house neat and tidy, and my maid does an excellent job of it. In these past 10+ years that we have been in India, I never held a broom, leave alone the mop. I was fortunate that my maid hardly took any time off, and even if she did it would be for a day or two. I didn't have any issues leaving the house unswept for a couple of days.

But then two weeks is a totally different deal. I couldn't leave it, and I couldn't lock up any rooms. So it was the entire house. How I curse the size of the apartment and how I wish I was shorter so that reaching the floor wouldn't kill my back. To top it, GHMC decided to utilise the lockdown period to re-pave the road, resulting in dust and debris floating into the flat, cons of living in afa on the first floor.

While daily essentials like milk were being delivered, and Big Basket was delivering so provisions were taken care of.  Fresh fruits and vegetables were a bit tricky, we have a weekly market in our colony on Saturdays. Luckily friends in the neighbourhood volunteered to get for us. That was a relief. Though we do not go out much which was further limited post lockdown, still the restriction that we cannot go out was very frustrating. Dad and I were used to going out for either a morning or evening walk which was now a big no, the terrace was too hot to be considered and our parking space limited. We were feeling like we were in jail. Every day the health workers would knock on the doors promptly by 11:30am to see if we were all doing fine. And we started pestering them for our freedom, poor people they were not in control but were getting harassed all the same. Two weeks were nearing their end and we were ready to heave a sigh of relief.

Amidst all this, weather decided to test us. Huge gales and rain battered the city one day a week into the containment. A huge tree on the south side of our flats was uprooted and it fell on the transformer. No power for 6 hours. What was impressive was the disaster team response. Within half hour electricity board guys were here and within couple of hours the disaster recovery guys. They first cleared the tree and then restored the power. I got to watch the show from our utility balcony, really impressive.

Two weeks came and went, so did 15 days, now it was getting really irritating. Every day we were told 2-3 days more, nothing more nothing less. Residents were getting anxious and started seeking out avenues to complain - police, commissioner, collectorate all included, nowhere did we get a proper response. Unfortunately for us, the timing coincided with the Lockdown 4.0 announcement and all officials were busy with those arrangements. Me being the logical soul, tried to find a meaning behind this so-called official negligence/goof up. My theory was - since a positive case turned up among the watchman's contacts and our two weeks got reset to that date. 

Finally one fine Thursday morning, after 19 days of containment we were free..... But where to go???? Nowhere, just an exhilaration that we are now on par with everyone else in the city........

And then I come across a case where one person was in containment, not once, not twice but a total of three times !!!!! He should be awarded a Nobel prize.

Lockdown - the Saga

In continuation from the Prequel & the Beginning.

End of vacation, time to take things seriously. Even with all the additional household chores, people were becoming anxious about their fitness, kids were getting bored without the school routine, work from home was becoming a pain with all the meetings and status calls, and those who were literally on paid vacation had no clue what to do with all the leisure. Tempers were on the rise and looked like corona was creating additional domestic issues. 

The enterprising fitness instructors started posting instructional videos, some started conducting classes over hangout/google meetings, skype, and even zoom. Schools started giving online assignment and soon came up with online classes with a set schedule. TV channels started telecasting old serials like Mahabharat, Ramayan, Buniyaad, etc. Anything to keep people home and occupied. Slowly a trickle of the morning and evening walkers started cropping up. But not in groups only scattered individuals. People were taking social distancing seriously, initially, it was not that scary but with all the new cases, some closer home, people started behaving responsibly. The daily wage labourers returned to their hometowns, by hook or crook, easing the pressure on the police a bit.

Social Media exploded. WhatsApp was inundated with messages. There was no dearth of theories, solutions, and jokes. People became experts - medical advice, pandemic experts, governance ideas, you name it we had them all - some all rolled into one. Quizzes, puzzles, jokes. memes starting making rounds easing the tension a bit. These were the times I realized so much talent was getting wasted. People were scouring through their contacts and calling long-forgotten friends and acquaintances - the standard topics irrespective of age and gender were - how are you coping, are you getting groceries and provisions, are you getting domestic help. With the lack of traffic, we could hear bird calls and all sorts of things that we were earlier unaware of. For example, I realized the wall clock in our kitchen tick-tocked a bit too loud.

Doomsday predictions, conspiracy theories, natural calamity advisories, pralay sagas, you name it and all laid a stake on the virus. My favourite of all - nature reclamation. As most are aware, in Hindu religion we have a belief - whenever atrocities by a man spillover, God takes a mortal form and rids humans of that villain - the story behind dasavatars. Now it was the entire humanity's atrocity against nature which had to be taken care of. That is the reason we are seeing so many natural calamities like tsunami, forest fires, volcanic eruptions, epidemics and now this pandemic. Makes sense, we had taken nature for granted and in our demand for comfortable and luxurious living, we have overlooked the negative impact our inventions and comforts had on nature. And nature is retaliating.

Apart from this, there were other things that Corona was teaching us.
First, personal hygiene. People started washing hands more often, covering their mouth and nose while sneezing and coughing. Washing hands and feet after returning home. Now that we started I hope it becomes a habit.
Second sanctity of personal space. This is proving a bit tough, but people are trying to maintain distance, it will take some time to become a habit but I am optimistic.
Third, most importantly, it brought families together. With nowhere else to go, families were forced to hang out together. They started watching movies together, talking to each other and spending more time with each other. Of course, there was a side effect to it, quarrels also were on the rise. Especially things were difficult for the newly-weds, with no relatives, malls and movies acting as buffers, they were having doubts on their compatibility.

Things seemed to be coming under control, the new cases per day dipped and things seemed to be getting better. Then the bubble burst. Cases spiralled due to one unfortunate incident and the age-old fear and dread for cops. One incident triggered a spike in the infections and fear of cops and authorities led to those infected into hiding and prevented timely action. The once hopeful situation of nearing the end of Lockdown now seemed to be a distant dream. Where will this lead to? When will this end?

Continued here...

Lockdown - the Beginning

As you all know a deadly pandemic broke in 2020 - COVID-19 and the only way to mitigate it was social distancing. Cities and countries started announcing lockdown to discourage people from meeting and mingling with the hope to mitigate the effect of this virus. India was also not left behind.

In my previous blog, I spoke about the week leading to the lockdown. Now let us get into the details. Once again a disclaimer - my intention is not to undermine the effect of corona nor belittle the efforts taken to keep it under control, it is just to give some comic relief in these difficult times.

Well, PM has asked us to stay at home on Sunday (March 22nd) and then the following Wednesday (25th March) imposed a nation-wide lockdown for 21 days. By then we, in Hyderabad, were already working from home for a week now and in lockdown since 22nd March. So this was just an extension to the situation.

The initial euphoria behind working from home died. For some, it was vacation time, but for most of us, it was still working time. We realized that we had deadlines to be met, calls to attend, status to be given and amidst all this a house to be taken care of. With police blocks in place, the movement of domestic help and daily vegetable/fruit vendors were restricted. This meant additional household work to be taken care of within the limited means, and everyone in the house had to pitch in some way or the other. Wives realized that their husbands were not that useless after all, parents realized that kids can be responsible and kids discovered homemade food was edible.

Of the innumerable measures state took to contain the virus, one was to seal off the state borders but this meant that along with the virus, provisions and groceries were also stuck at the border. Being the end of the month, many households had the same issue with provisions. And for people like me who are totally dependent on supermarkets and Big Basket, the outlook was bleak. Supermarkets stock was dwindling. Online delivery portals failed due to the lack of delivery executives. The crowd was increasing at supermarkets and hoarding started Seeing the crowd I started getting paranoid, what happened to the social distancing call by our beloved PM? Luckily the local Kirana shops came to rescue, basic needs were taken care of but with no supplies coming in, they were also not able to restock. Slowly the law enforcement started coming up with waivers - allowing entry for trucks carrying provisions and groceries, allowing passes for the delivery vans, prioritizing the vehicular movement, allowing for relaxation hours - a classic case of act first think later!!!!!

The law enforcers had a tough time enforcing social distancing. People refused to take things seriously, either out of innocence or out of arrogance. Everywhere they had to be monitored. Markets, shops, supermarkets were given strict orders not to allow people in without masks, there were markers in place to ensure people maintained distance. All this queue system, lack of crowd and lack of noise (no traffic no noise) made my Dad comment that it almost feels like we are in a foreign country, not India.

Uneducated people had no clue as to what a virus was and what a pandemic is. Some educated morons very ardently believed themselves to be immune to the virus attack and that the government knows nothing. Most blamed the police for impeding their freedom. Both the class of people looked for ways to break the law. Poor cops, they were beaten up if they allowed people to go and also if they didn't. To overcome this mess, they did what they do the best - erect barricades. Flyovers were closed, all major roads were blocked, areas were cordoned off from each other. While it was the need of the hour it had its own repercussions as we would witness later (I always wanted to say that in my blog!!!).

 As I  mentioned, it was the senior citizens living by themselves who were the worst affected. Even though the maids were willing to come and help out the elderly, the law enforcers were very harsh on them. Without the delivery guys, they had no means to acquire fresh provisions. My parents and my in-laws were stuck. Given the caution around senior citizens, we weren't too comfortable moving them. My husband and I decided to take care of them separately, he moved in with his parents and my parents moved in with me. This move ensured that we would not be on the list of rising domestic dispute cases!!!

Continued here....

Lockdown - a Prequel

Disclaimer

I am not undermining the effect of corona nor am I trying to belittle the efforts taken to keep it under control. 

This blog, as with all my other blogs, is meant to serve as comic relief in an otherwise grim and grave situation.

It all started last week, 17th March to be precise, with our office declaring mandatory work from home from 18th till 31st March. This was keeping in view the threat of Corona pandemic looming large in India and specifically Hyderabad. The initial euphoria about being able to work from home died once we came to know of all the measures taken to ensure that we work. Hangout meeting links were established for each team and we were supposed to log in the morning and be available during the working hours. Status calls twice daily - morning and evening, now that was becoming a bit difficult, weekly status was fine but daily? To top it we need to inform the team via the meeting link when we stepped away from the machine, now that was brutal. We decided it would be better to forgo the work from home and proceed to the workplace. But then the cafeteria would be closed we were warned, so would the AC. Pedestal fans would be supplied they said, and lunch can be taken care of by getting from home but what about tea/coffee? That was a toughie. There were few who didn't have connectivity at home and were forced to go to office till those issues were sorted, we thought we would check with their experience and then decide. The first couple of days were fine, then stringent checks started - no swiggy, no entry if you have travelled by cab or any other public transport system, daily temperature checks. There rested our plans to go to the office.

Working from home was not a bed of roses - it had major thorns. I tried maintaining office schedule but that was slowly becoming a challenge. With the corona scare, ensuring smooth functioning on the home front was proving to be a Herculean task. Each day came with a new challenge. I was lucky to have my maid living next door, so that was taken care of. Many were having problems on that front. Senior citizens are the worst affected, they can not manage without maids, and the worrier that I am I was concerned for my parents and in-laws. Vegetables and groceries were proving hard to procure. Day 2 luckily a street vendor turned up with fresh vegetable supply, and I stocked up. Groceries were not an issue but then the lockdown started and got extended to 21 days. I ventured out only to find the local kirana shop had run out of stock, but he assured me supplies are on the way and if I can manage I should come back in a day or two for any needs. With the cancellation of yoga classes and morning walks, not having my daily dose of the exercise was effecting my mental well being.
Attending meetings in a peaceful atmosphere was also tough. Imagine two people working from home and having to attend meetings, and add to that traffic and TV (better half suddenly gets the urge to watch a movie) noise to it. Then the connectivity took a hit, speed started dropping. Amidst all this chaos how does one be productive????

To top it I had a major milestone coming up - my half-century. Beginning of the year, I was happy that I would get a holiday for my birthday this year, as it coincides with Ugadi. But then not happy with just a National holiday, Global holiday was declared, the entire world gets not just one but an entire month off as celebrations. What did I do? Nothing. Initial plans were a weekend outing with family but that was proving tough given the varied interests of parents, in-laws, nieces & nephew. My brother not too kindly pointed out that I should be doing something I liked to do the best. Point taken, I searched and found Mussoorie trail run slated for the weekend before. I thought that would be ideal, I could take a couple of days off and have a run-cation celebration of sorts. Somehow that didn't pan out. Finally, it was supposed to be a lunch with parents, inlaws and brother's family. That too got cancelled given the situation. I thought I would just go visit my parents and in-laws and get their blessings. Thanks to 21-day lockdown that too was overruled. So much for my milestone. I should have stuck to my resolution last year when I decided no more birthdays for a decade - from 49 years to 60 in one leap. 

My nephew observed that half my life is over but then with this week I feel like I have seen it all......

Continued here....