Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family… in another city.
‒ George Burns
Amy and Jack Ray: Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
My beautiful cousin, Amy, is the daughter of Aunt Bev. Amy was an RN and worked mainly as a surgical heart team member. She and her husband, Jack, are keeping busy around their lovely home with their trusty dog, Teddy. I had not spoken with Amy in a while and it was good to hear her voice. After an initial phone call to Amy, she told her mother that she “hadn’t laughed so much in a long time.” (Laughter is the best medicine!)
Amy Ray, text: “We are doing fine considering what so many people are going through. In fact, we feel kinda guilty that we are so fortunate to not have been terribly impacted.
“We have been very compliant with all the guide lines and pretty much stay at home. Our public beaches are closed, but we have a private access which is allowed to be be open, so we have been able to take our dog, Teddy, for beach walks everyday. And our golf course is open with a lot of modifications!
“One plus is that Jack and I have learned that we are very compatible for long periods of time!
“We hope you, Jaye and Ross are all doing well and staying safe. I am sure it is very hard for Aunt Marilyn not being able to have you visit her. [We have ‘window visits.’] My heart goes out to her.
“Mom and Ron are doing well, although the first case of COVID-19 did occur at ‘the home’ [Aunt Bev and Uncle Ron’s retirement village.] so hopefully it will be contained!
“Take care.”
Richard Inge: Beaver, Pennsylvania
I have never called my dear cousin by the name of Richard. I call him “Buck,” a sadly lingering nickname from our closely-knit childhoods. (Try playing the ‘Name Game’ with that handle!) Buck lives in my cherished hometown of Beaver, Pennsylvania, overlooking the magnificent Ohio River. The charming, tree lined town ‒ laden with parks ‒ is well over 200 years old. Beaver is almost like an elaborate back-lot in Hollywood. You can imagine Jimmy Stewart in front of his Victorian house, hemming and hawing with the good townspeople.
Buck is a chef at one of the local country clubs, but at the time of this writing was laid off due to the pandemic. He and his lovely wife, Mary Ann, are sheltering at home, but according to Buck, “It will all be over in three weeks!” Unfortunately, the Brighton Rehabilitation & Wellness Center in Beaver ‒ not far from both my cousins’ homes ‒ has been in the news lately. The facility has had several deaths due to COVID-19 and over 40 patients have tested positive. The “nursing home has reportedly opted to operate under the presumption that its entire resident population and whole staff may be infected with the coronavirus.” Whew…
Richard Inge, phone: “Now, everyone has to wear a mask when entering a store or public building. My wife says I should wear a mask all the time – even after all this is over!” [I think Mary Ann is trying to tell him something…]
“In this time of self-seclusion, I have found I’d rather be locked up with nobody but myself. But my greatest fear about the pandemic is that I die, wake up in hell and can’t tell the difference!”
Gregory Inge: Beaver, Pennsylvania
Teaching high school history is challenging enough, but my dear cousin, Greg (affectionately known as “Gig”), is teaching his classes online – three hours a day. In his spare time he fishes and is painting rooms in his historic, early 19th century house above the picturesque town of Beaver. I have a published history book hidden somewhere in my bookshelves that Gregory Inge wrote. The book, concerning the rich history of Western Pennsylvania, is part of the high school curriculum.
As for the current pandemic, Greg intones sarcastically: “God has a really good sense of humor.”
The following labored response almost brought me to tears. In his voice, I hear the sad and troubling incomprehension that this dreaded virus has wrought; or maybe its political in nature? I don’t know.
Greg Inge, FB Messenger: “Dave, I have really thought about my thoughts for the past 24 hours.
And I don’t yet know what I think about what is going on. I would be glad to share if I knew what I thought.
“I just don’t. Sorry.”
Robin Heckathorne: Hendersonville, North Carolina
After 9/11, my dear cousin Rob put his whole life on hold and joined the Navy as a Chaplain. He has been to sea on the aircraft carrier Carl Vinson, and then later he ministered to US Marines stateside.
He had departed from his wife and two children for the sake of serving the country, and if you ask me, that’s pretty damned selfless!
He has recently retired from the US Navy as a Lieutenant Commander. Rob and his beautiful wife, Kathy have settled down in the charming town of Hendersonville, NC ‒ population 14,107.
The couple is sheltering on their property. Rob is doing a lot of yard work lately and has grown a beard (which came in solid white!), and Kathy is getting into her needlepoint. (At the time of this writing, their county had recorded 106 positive tests and 21 deaths.)
Rob Heckathorne, phone: “Like a Navy Chief once told me, ‘It is what it is.'”
Ross Duncan: Pagosa Springs, Colorado
My younger brother Ross has been employed building a huge home out Piedra Road, right across from our old house on seven acres. But after the COVID-19 crisis erupted, the owner decided to shut the project down – for the time being. Now Ross is housebound and restless, living across the road from our home in Outlaw Land, west of Pagosa. He’s catching up on movies and news casts, counting empty beer cans, working on his model railroad, “window visiting” our mother, and interacting with his quirky cat, Wink.
Ross has a mental encyclopedia full of opinions on the pandemic, but it seems that Wink has a viewpoint of her own and insisted on writing a piece for us…
Wink Duncan, paw print: “ONE-EYED CAT COMPLAINS THAT COVID-19 PANDEMIC SHOULD BE EXTENDED!”
“Meow! That’s to let you know I’m the real thing, I’m a cat and proud of it. My human calls me ‘Wink’ because I have only one eye. I answer to ‘kitty’ and think the ‘Wink’ moniker is a bad joke. After scratching all things scratchable and musing over the coronavirus, I’ve come to the conclusion that this pandemic is a windfall for all furry, four-legged companions.”
“Having my human at home day and night, even with that stupid mask, is the ‘cat’s meow.’ Being stroked and cuddled ‒ especially during the day ‒ is a joy not attainable when there was no pandemic. Food and treats are easily extracted from the powers that be and indoor/outdoor access is non-stop. And, as an unexpected treat, I take my human on walks into the woods.
“So as you can see, life with the COVID-19 pandemic has its advantages. As a rabies-vaccinated card carrier, I demand an extension to the ‘stay at home order’ and all my furry friends stand with me. I’m in the catbird seat now!
“Sincerely meowing,
“Wink”
DC has been a frustrated musician for over fifty years, and now has decided to become a frustrated writer. Learn more at DCDuncan.com. He’ll keep you posted.