Hi everyone. Not a lot to report about our Christmas this year. We had all the kids home and/or over to our place on Christmas Day.
There is a certain rhythm to Christmas Day in our family which I've been aware of for many years. It basically goes like this:
- Christmas morning: a frenzy of gift opening. When the kids were younger and Herr Kringle's annual visit more overt, the frenzy began at 7 am or some similarly ungodly hour. Now that all our kids are in their 20s, and some of them don't actually reside here anymore, we pegged the slightly more bearable time of 9 am for gift opening. If not for my mass schedule, the kids would have voted for it being considerably later than that.
- Christmas afternoon: a certain ennui sets in. We've expended much energy in the days leading up to Christmas, and by Christmas afternoon, most of what we've been preparing for already has passed. In the afternoon, some of our family are absorbed with consuming their gifts: reading books or - this is much more common with our kids - playing electronic games on whatever devices are used for that purpose these days. As I am not a gamer, and tend to receive bookstore gift cards rather than actual books as gifts, and my parish liturgical duties are done for the day by then, I'm usually pretty bored on Christmas afternoons. For many families around here, this is the time of day when they are visiting the grandparents or the children or the sister's family. But I don't actually have any family who lives in this area, and my parents usually are traveling on Christmas, visiting siblings of mine who live far away. So Christmas afternoons get a little slow. There usually aren't even any particularly compelling sports events to watch on television (well, at least not for me, as I am not much of an NBA basketball fan; there is a lot of NBA basketball on television during Christmas). At some point, I usually just take a nap. I think I am one of those people who doesn't do well with slowness. I need something to do.
- Christmas evening: we eat a big dinner, so there is another flurry of activity leading up to that event. After dinner, my wife and I do what we do most evenings: find something to watch on television.
Liturgically, my activity was not too different than most years: I played the piano at a Christmas Eve afternoon mass, and then again at our "midnight" mass, which actually begins at 10 pm and is over by 11 or so. Then I was a deacon at one of our two Christmas Day masses.
The mass attendance was really poor this year. Pre-COVID, the Christmas Eve masses would be very full, to the point that we had to brainstorm every year to think of ways not to run afoul of the fire marshal. This is because families with young children wanted to get Christmas mass "out of the way" on Christmas Eve, so they could do other things on Christmas Day. Most years on Christmas Eve we would run two simultaneous mid-afternoon masses, one in the church and the other in the parish center. We offered that this year, but we didn't even fill up the church, and there were only 50 or so people in the parish center. The other two masses I attended, the church wasn't even half full. For the "midnight" mass, that's particularly shocking. I have to think Omicron and Delta are the reasons. And maybe that's a good thing. Two demographics, the elderly and families with young children, have been staying away from our parish masses for the last two years. No blame to them; they surely are doing the prudent thing. But when you think about it, if you remove those two profiles, there aren't a lot of people in other profiles to actually come to church. Around here, families with teens are likely to have everyone fully vaccinated; but most teens around here don't exactly look forward to going to mass with their families (and most of them, not really at all).
I hope all of you had a blessed Christmas, rising even to moments of merriment.
Two demographics, the elderly and families with young children, have been staying away from our parish masses for the last two years.
ReplyDeleteWhat the elderly and the people with kids are finding out is that it is much safer and more convenient to go to Mass at home. Parishes need to adjust to this new reality.
This past summer when I participated in the Notre Dame online course about "getting people back to church" there were two attitudes.
The majority wondered whether we should have ever dispensed with Mass obligation and whether we should continue to offer livestreamed Masses once the obligation was restored. I think they were really disturbed by the many parents that were happy with "home Masses." None of them seemed disturbed about us old people; they are only interested in the future of the church represented by families with kids.
A minority of parish ministers this summer reported that they had thrown resources into being an online parish in terms of livestreaming, welcoming new parish members and keeping in contact with existing parish members. These people were finding that they were getting new parish members, even from across the country. People were contacting them when they moved into the area. Parishes that were rationing pews, i.e. having people pre-register to come to Mass, found that a great way to keep in contact with parish members. One parish that consisted of two merged parishes even reported that whole physical process of registration was helping them overcome the hostilities between the old parishes.
What we are finding now is that the country is beginning to shut itself down. Part of it is because workers are getting sick and staying home. Some of these people may have Covid. Many may not know what they have. Some may be self-quarantining because they have been exposed to others. Some are just being cautious.
ReplyDeleteEpidemiologists are beginning to recognize that their models do not take into account all of this behavior by individuals, so the spikes and downturns are becoming difficult to predict. I suspect that as the cold weather settles into over the northern parts of the country, people are just going to hibernate and hope the virus goes away.
I went to NYC yesterday for the first time since the plague. Many people wore masks even outside. The Banksy exhibit was great fun and they metered the people going through so there was social distancing. Myself, M and her daughter had a lasagna lunch in one of the little outside greenhouses in front of the restaurant. I'll give myself another home test on Friday, sooner, if symptoms manifest.
ReplyDeleteOur Christmas was blessedly quiet. Raber went to live Mass in the morning because it is the least crowded. I did TV prayers and made lasagna. We joked about the Church Ladies' Definition of Bad vs. Fallen Away Catholics.
ReplyDeleteThe Boy showed up to help Raber decorate the tree. We ate, drank a lot of coffee, decimated my cookies, and reminisced about my dad, with whom The Boy had a special bond. The cats are old and now ignore the tree, which has cut down on our entertainment.
We haven't done presents for years, though The Boy and Raber have birthdays right next to Christmas, so I give them birthday gifts.
I was very tired by 7 p.m. My ability to concentrate in discussions begins to fall off after 5 p.m., so I went off to bed to read after the dishes were done. Raber chatted with his brothers on text.
Yesterday was very nice, so we took our annual run up through the back roads to the cider mill, which will stay open until NY Eve. We had a nice chat with our friends who run that and brought home a few treats.
Stanley, your trip sounds fun! I hope there was no backseat driving!
Jack, interesting insights on church attendance. The Episcopal church I "attend" now is all old people who are plugged in online. Not sure how long they can keep that up.
I am praying Anne's husband will get only mild symptoms and that she will avoid serious infection. I gather they are away from home, which might add to the distress.
I am waiting to receive my home covid tests and oximeter, and am stocking up on Gatorade. Given that Raber is back to work and Mass where there are lots of anti-maskers and -vaxxers, I expect it is just a matter of time before we catch it.
Haha Jean. No. The backseat driver from hell was driving. Her daughter was in the front passenger seat and I was in the back seat, happy and silent. Oh heaven.
ReplyDeleteHope you and yours avoid the omicron but it's looking like we'll all be getting it sooner or later and have to hope the vaccines will pull us through.
Mass attendance here was down a bit, but not too bad, all things considered. We had 4:00 and 6:00 Christmas Eve Masses, and an 8:00 and a 10:00 am on Christmas day. We haven't had an actual midnight Mass for years. The grade school choir sang for the 4:00 pm one. Their families came too, so it was the best attended. Some people were grousing that in the old days ("BC", before Covid) there would have been a little pageant, with kids dressed like Mary and Joseph, and shepherds and angels. But that was not in the cards this year.
ReplyDeleteOur choir sang at the 10:00 on Christmas morning. Got through our duet of "Lo How a Rose" okay. Then went home and relaxed a bit before coming back and doing it all again on Sunday.
I wish the PTB wouldn't worry about lifting the Mass obligation or imposing it. There are ample reasons to attend without the the threat of sin being one of them. TV liturgies are better than nothing. But in-person has advantages similar to the reasons in-person school is preferable to virtual classes. We watched tv Mass for eleven weeks in 2020 when everything was pretty well shut down here. It's not the same. The absence of the physical Eucharist was painful.
I can only comment on the 10AM Mass I attended on Christmas Day. It was the only one that day. Well attended but not full. Yes, Katherine, physical presence is the best for me, too.
ReplyDeleteI was discussing with choir members yesterday that many churches are doing Blue Christmas services on Dec. 21, which is the shortest day/longest night of the year. It focuses on people who have suffered the loss of a loved one, or who have other reasons for not feeling very jolly during the holiday season. It's something we might think about for next year, if our pastor is willing.
ReplyDeleteI started googling around about this topic and found this: https://bangordailynews.com/2021/12/15/bdn-maine/blue-christmas-mass-tradition-to-be-renewed-in-portland-on-dec-21/
DeleteI presume the grieving are still obligated to attend Christmas Mass, so not sure how it helps those who aren't up to the light, noise, and general cheeriness of the Main Event.
A Quiet Christmas Mass alternative later on Christmas afternoon might be nice. It would give grieving people something to look forward to as they get through that long day. It would also entirely screw up the day for people who aren't grieving but have to go in and service the sad people. Downer for them.
Covid update - my husband went to the hospital yesterday and they sent him home after xray, ecg, blood tests, oxygen test. WE had an oximeter and went when it seemed too low. But we've learned that as soon as he gets up and walks around the oxygen level goes up. I noticed on his test results that the reading they use is while walking. But they told him to get the monoclonal antibody treatment. It turns out that he can't - they have too many cases and rejected him out of hand because he's not a resident of the county. The county's residents are in a lottery for the treatment. The main treatments (Regeneron) apparently don't work well against omicron - the current ratio where we are is 80% omicron. Getting tests is almost impossible apparently. No quick tests available, and long lines everywhere else. Fortunately my son has his Google tests - but he's down to 14 left - he has another order in but doesn't know when he will get them. I retested last night and was negative. There is an unvaxxed 4 year old in the house. I badly misjudged - looking at Europe I figured the surge would come a week or two after Christmas/New Year's. How wrong I was. Now I also probably have to go home alone because my radiation starts Jan 4 - as long as I still test negative. Don't take chances even if fully vaxxed and boostered as my husband was. We have been so careful. But so was Tom Blackburn and somehow he got it too. Jean, her husband with heart disease, and all the over 65s here need to be even more careful than they think.
ReplyDeleteYou might consult with your oncologist to find out if there is wiggle room in your radiation schedule. I postponed second oral surg until we saw how Raber's post-myocardial infarction treatment was going.
DeleteI didn't need to be on Vicodin
while trying to take care of him.
Otherwise, one foot in front of the other, say your centering prayer as often as needed, hold a good memory in your heart, and let this mess help you clarify what matters.
Thank you, Jean. Stay safe! Don't let Raber go to church anymore and hire someone to do the laundry run. I figured we were pretty safe being fully vaxxed and boosters,flying out of an airport without a subway to terminals, paying extra for upgraded seats. Everyone was masked at the airport and on the plane. We did stop at a fast food place for 20 minutes or so on the way here from the airport. The only other possible exposure might have been the cab driver whose mask kept slipping below his nose. I kept the windows open in the car and we had on KN95s, but I'm sure we will never know where he was exposed. We flew on Wednesday, he tested negative on Saturday and positive on Sunday. I wish I could test everyday but we have to conserve the tests since they are completely unavailable. I couldn't find any on Amazon either for delivery within the next 2 weeks.
DeleteI notified the radiation oncologists office and the first reply was pretty casual - as long as I don't test positive before Jan 4 I can have the radiation. But I'm going to contact them again and ask them to push it back a week or so. I don't want to go home before my husband is in the clear here.
Thanks for the update, Anne. Continued prayers for his speedy recovery, and that you don't get it. I suppose there's no way of knowing if it is omicron or not.
DeleteI hope your husband isn't feeling too miserable and that it is starting to turn around.
Katherine, you would prob know this better than me: Sounds like many areas are only sampling a random number of tests for Omicron to get an idea of its incidence rate. But they don't have time to test everybody for more than the general covid antigen. Do I have that right?
DeleteAlso, because testing efforts are left up to states or counties, the test policies for covid variants are kind of all over the map.
Results of home test kits, unless they're the kind that go to a lab, will not be added in to the official counts, and Willensky was on the radio saying yesterday that that means we probably have undercounted covid cases, and those undercounts will increase as more home testing is done.
Our test kits are supposed to come in 10 days, but I expect delays.
I have three tests left and ordered more (same delivery wait as yours, Jean). I gave some to friends. I was thinking of giving some to family but they got really weird at Christmas so frack it.
Delete"They got really weird at Christmas." Ha! That was always the standard excuse for weird behavior in my family. "Well, it WAS Christmas ..."
DeleteI will give half our tests to The Boy if/when they arrive. Uncle Joe is supposed to provide free tests to everybody in January that Medicare will cover.
The boy loves working retail, but that means a high degree of interaction with all sorts of nutbars, whom he handles way better than I would.
I gave him a big supply of KN-95s. His boss provides sanitation equipment and training at check-out areas. They have "sneeze guard" type things set up. It's about as good as it can get, I guess.
We have a plan for helping him if he gets sick, winter weather permitting.
My husband is getting the monoclonal antibody infusion this morning. My son tested positive this morning but feels ok and is driving him to the appointment. I still test negative. I’m hearing of cases among friends and family. Seriously reconsider church and other outside activities for a while. Katherine, do you work virtually?
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear he's getting the treatment. Sorry your son is positive but hopefully he'll be asymptomatic. Chances are it's the Omicron. There's a surge here in PA. But the hospitals seem to be doing ok.
DeleteI’m hoping he will be a symptomatic too. His wife is now sleeping on an air mattress in the family room. My husband has the master with private bath. I am in a guest room. The kids are in their own rooms. The 4 year old isn’t vaxed. My son is sleeping in the office room. Good thing they bought this new, big house in September with home office for virtual work and a guest room. The count soared past previous records yesterday and that doesn’t include all the home tests. Our family togetherness is pretty shot. Christmas with the other sons was canceled. Even here it as minimal togetherness and that was before my husband tested positive. We don’t get near the kids - no story books in grandma’s lap. No building block towers with grandparents. We try to not be in the same room with them. We all eat separately now, we canceled Thanksgiving when our Colorado son had a breakthrough infection- probably delta. The whole family eventually tested positive, including the five month old, but only he had symptoms.
DeleteDC has become the epicenter for Omicron in the US. Since people can pass it on when they are asymptomatic, it is highly likely that some people in any fair size group are carriers. Cleveland and Lake County are almost as bad as DC.
DeleteThis morning the Lake County Sheriff opened a testing center at 10am having enough tests to keep it open until 3pm. They had so many applicants that by 11am they had filled their quota for the day. So obviously a lot of people are not getting tested.
I really would not trust flying in this situation. With so many people having the virus, and it is spreading so fast, I don’t think masks are going to keep people safe. Since some people on the airplane are going to have the virus, I think they will give it to others.
Unfortunately we have to fly home. I have postponed radiation therapy for a week but can’t push it much later. I also have to pray that I don’t get infected before it begins because then there will be another delay.
DeleteOh -and the hospital for radiation is in DC.
DeleteAnne, I can't work virtually. My job is pretty much hands on. But most of the time I'm either in the lab or in my office. Either place I work by myself most of the time. Anyway I'm off now until Jan.4.
DeleteMy husband started having cold symptoms yesterday. It pretty much seems like an ordinary cold. But I talked him into going for a Covid test this afternoon. The pharmacy does drive-up tests. It was the PCR (polymerase chain reaction test) which takes longer than the rapid antigen test, but it is more highly accurate. They told him he'd have to go to Lincoln, which would be a 90 mile drive, if he wanted the rapid antigen type. We were fine with waiting for the results of the PCR test, which might take a day or two. I guess all the rapid antigen ones are sold out here.
I am not feeling any symptoms, and hopefully it will just turn out to be a cold for my husband. But even so, it pretty well shoots our plans for the family gathering on Friday. We already moved it from Saturday because of predicted bad weather. But nobody wants to catch a cold either.
Anne, I'm sorry you have to do the radiation. I'll pray that you don't have any more delays, because I'm sure you just want to get it over.
DeleteI also got COVID tested two days ago, as I was experiencing some cold-like symptoms, and my sense of taste and smell seemed to have diminished. I did a telemedicine conversation with my doctor; his initial take was, "If you've lost taste and smell, that's pretty indicative you have COVID. You probably don't need a test." But I insisted on being tested*, so he arranged for me to do a drive-up test - this doctor is part of a private practice, one of the few still existing in this area, and the practice has its own lab. I drove up to their office, a lab technician came out into the parking lot to my car, and took three nasal swabs: I got one of the rapid-result tests, and a PCR test, and also a rapid-result flu test. The two rapid-result tests both came back negative. I'm still awaiting the PCR results.
Delete* I trust doctors, and certainly am aware of my own lack of medical knowledge. But this doctor is new to the practice - I've only met him one time previously - and he doesn't know my body as well as I do. I always have a cough and always have the sniffles (this is has been the case for decades), so my having cold-like symptoms is par for the course. So I didn't accept his over-the-phone diagnosis at face value. He didn't seem put out, and I'm not either. I don't think I'm a difficult patient, but I've learned from my wife, who basically was burdened with the decline and death of both her parents, that one may and sometimes should stand up for one's healthcare interests, even against the experts.
The PCR test results came back as "not detected", which I assume means I don't have COVID. I'm a little confused because the results of the two rapid-results tests were "negative", whereas this one is "not detected".
DeleteJim, I think it's good to get tested so that health departments have more accurate numbers and so you can do something to prevent spread if you do have it.
DeleteI've had a couple covid tests out of an abundance of caution because the way covid goes for people with chronic blood cancers is a bit different. I would need early treatment with monoclonal infusion or, preferably, one of those new pills. Ventilation for me is not an option.
We are fortunate to have a satellite hospital just 10 miles away from the cornfield, and--so far--there is quick service at the testing drive thru.
I also live in a very conservative county, but we have high vax rates and infection rates lower than the state average. So I am grateful to the many Repubs in my area for not making this a partisan issue.
I’m glad you can sort of isolate at work Katherine. I hope it’s just a cold for your husband. I also think it wise to postpone social gatherings for a while. I am hearing about a lot of breakthrough cases. The vaccines don’t prevent omicron very well unfortunately. Even boosters- both my son and my husband have had the booster
ReplyDeleteThis Dr. Campbell gives clear ongoing updates on the virus. In this YouTube, he is optimistic that the Omicron is much less pathogenic and shows the virus is transitioning to a much less lethal endemic type.
ReplyDeletehttps://youtu.be/OM2VgBm9pTI
He describes the new variant as occupying the ecological niche of COVID. He seems to believe that he and everyone will ultimately contract it but that it is the beginning of the end. In a good way. I certainly hope he is right.
Thanks Stanley, that's an interesting video. Yes, I hope he is right. It's ironic if the "beginning to the end" of our catastrophic couple of years with the virus ends up being a more contagious (but less lethal) version of that same virus.
DeleteJim, according to Dr. Google, "not detected" results in a PCR test does mean "negative'.
ReplyDeleteProbably a lawyer-induced thing. If you say someone is negative and they turn out to be the one-in-a-hundred who are actually positive, the tester might be liable to predatory lawyers. But not detected is true for an actual positive as well. All medicine today is practiced with the vultures hunched over in the trees in wait.
Delete"None detected" is what I put in the conclusion of a report where an analysis was done for a contaminant, for instance lead. My supervisor made the point that one is constrained by the detection limits of the instrument used.
DeleteA number of years ago there was a multi million dollar lawsuit over cadmium, a toxic heavy metal, found in a Sony PlayStation cord. In order to find cadmium in a cord, someone had to be going to a great deal of trouble looking for it.