As Jane Austen famously said, “Where shall I begin? Which of all my important nothings shall I tell you first.”
(Jane was writing to her sister Cassandra, who fortunately saved 160 of her letters, for they tell us much about her life in the early 1800’s. Unfortunately, she destroyed the majority of the correspondence, reputed to be in the thousands, after Jane’s death, likely to protect her reputation. Jane’s witty and barbed comments make for amusing reading now, but may not have if you were the subject of her satire.)
Caught up in the minutiae of her daily existence, Jane probably felt there wasn’t much to write about – much like my life at present. First there was the spring that wasn’t, then the summer that wasn’t and I’m sure the rest of the year will be more of the same. It feels like things are in a holding pattern, but this is the new reality of living in the time of COVID.
I started the Corona Diaries in May (link to first installment), back when the pandemic was still fairly new, with the intentions of recording a personal history of life during lockdown. Here’s a recap of what’s happened in the not-terribly-exciting months since then.
THE SCAVENGER’s MISTAKE: (otherwise known, by the grass-cutter, as that damn table….)
Before plastic surgery to fix the sagging side…
May 21 – While out for my daily walk I noticed a discarded table put out for pickup. It was at the end of a driveway along the river McMansions, so it was of high quality, solid cedar wood with a hole in the middle for an umbrella. (I live at the poorer end of town but like to walk there for the shade trees). Now, I’ve been known to scavenge the odd thing or two on garbage day. It’s truly amazing what people will throw away, like this corner picket fence, which ended up sheltering my rose bush from the snow plow,
They threw out the $300 arbor too?
and a wrought iron cart which found new life in my garden after a coat of paint.
Lime green spray paint
Nobody seemed to be around but I noticed my mother’s grass-cutter doing a lawn nearby with his riding lawn mover, so I waved him over and enlisted his help in carrying this perfectly good table three doors down to his truck, and then later from his truck to my back yard. I did hesitate, because I remembered “The Summer of the Patio Stones”, but that was ten years ago and my back had been fine since and he proclaimed that it wasn’t very heavy and I didn’t want to be a wimp and I really wanted the table. I could envision it painted light blue under my shade trees, and a Jane Austen tea party in progress sometime in the COVID-free future.
(photo sourced from Pinterest)
(Maybe Serene Blue, like this chair I painted in chalk-paint?)
Was it worth it?
No! No! A thousand times No! I spent a miserable month with back pain, living on Tylenol Arthritis around the clock. As I could not sit or lie down comfortably, there was no blogging done and little computer time. I could not even focus on reading, so I lay on the couch like a tragic heroine from a Jane Austen novel (possibly the overly dramatic Marianne Dashwood, from Sense and Sensibility) and felt sorry for myself. Well, at least it isn’t COVID, I thought, trying to cheer myself up.
A COVID TEST IS MORE PAINFUL THAN YOU MIGHT THINK:
By early June I was dealing with a couple of other health issues, one of which involved a fever – intermittent low-grade when the Tylenol wore off. Despite a fever being such a rare occurrence for me that I can’t remember ever having one, even when I had the H1N1 flu, I was not worried about having COVID – fever, headache, fatigue and some abdominal pain, but no chest, SOB or cough and I could still taste and smell food.
Any day you wake up and can smell the coffee is a good one…
On Day 4, after doing the COVID assessment test online and speaking to as assessment nurse, I booked an appointment at one of the drive-through testing centres – way more painful than I thought. It’s supposed to hurt the nurse said, when I complained, it means you got a good sample. It felt like he scraped the inside of my nose for ten seconds. I had to pull over on the drive home to see if it was bleeding. It wasn’t, but it hurt for about half an hour more. Luckily, the test results were available online within 48hrs – negative. Well, that was a relief.
A few more days of misery ensued, in which I suffer from both back pain and mystery illness, which seems to be getting worse. On Day 7, I started an antibiotic and felt much better after 48 hours, so likely not COVID as the response to the antibiotic was so quick.
Still, there was that nagging worry, reinforced by a nurse who said, everyone presents differently and my neighbor who casually remarked, how do you know you didn’t test too early? Is that the kind of thing you say to an already paranoid person? So, I got retested on Day 14, mostly for peace of mind so I could visit my elderly mother whom I had not seen for several weeks, and it was negative too. The second test hardly hurt at all, a mere pinch, by the exact same tester.
Whatever I had was certainly strange and unusual, as I never get headaches or fever. While I was not sick enough to go to ER, and felt well enough to drive the fifty minutes to the testing center, what if you weren’t? It’s definitely not ideal for someone to be in the car with you, especially if there is a long wait time. If the tests only have some degree of accuracy, depending on viral load and whether you are testing too early or too late, is a negative test a positive reassurance or a false one? Even antibody levels may not be all that reliable as they are reputed to wane quickly after a mild case. Ten days seems to be the critical time period for many patients, where you’ve either recovered or end up in the hospital on oxygen. If my antibiotic response was just a coincidence at the ten day mark, and I did have a mild case where did I catch it? I had been at the hospital lab a few days before for thyroid blood-work, the grocery store and the hardware store where the teenage clerk sneezed behind the plexiglass before shoving my receipt into the bag. So many unknowns, it’s mind-boggling. At any rate, I slept a lot and was lethargic for another few weeks but am now back to my regular low energy-normal and grateful to be recovered from whatever it was, plus the back pain had departed by then too.
With the back pain/health issues/general lethargy/hot weather, there was no daily walking, no gardening and no flowers bought at all, as I couldn’t even lift a watering can. Also no table painting, or other painting projects, or deck cleaning or window washing either, and certainly no house work! Freedom 55 in a sense…it was a month of nothing.
THE VICTORY GARDEN WAS A BUST:
My total Victory garden expenditure was $8 – for three types of lettuce and one tomato and cucumber plant. The cucumbers were stunted, tough and full of seeds, but I still have hope for the beefsteak tomatoes. I harvested two of the lettuces, the third unknown variety was so bitter even the rabbits wouldn’t touch it. I prefer romaine but couldn’t find any, nor asparagus which I had wanted to get started this year but I was able to harvest my rhubarb for the first time. When I went to pick more, there was a nest of baby bunnies underneath the rhubarb leaves. As there was a lot of rabbit fur lying around and I’m not into sharing with the wildlife, I left the second crop for them. They eventually hopped away, but next year I need to replace the fence.
Poor little things sheltering in place…
We had some pleasant days in June, perfect for reading outside on the swing, but I had nothing good to read, so I looked at pretty pictures in Victoria magazine. (I collect the back issues, as I find them inspiring. In my next life, I would like to work for this magazine.)
And then Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
THE LIBRARY REOPENS
June 9 – the Library reopened for Curbside Pickup and I got 6 books the first week. They brought them out to you in a little paper bag to minimize handling, so I now have a collection of paper bags to recycle. I miss the librarians, but it’s too hard to chat through a mask through a car window. I was still too miserable to read then but am back to reading one book a week.
It was like Christmas in July…
STRAWBERRY SEASON
June 21 – I had recovered enough by strawberry season to drive an hour to a farm to buy a flat of berries to make two batches of freezer jam. Normally I would go to the Farmer’s Market, but it’s overcrowded at the best of times. I took my mother along for the drive, as she needed to get out of the house. She enjoyed the drive through the countryside and remarked how green everything was, and I felt guilty for not getting her out more often, but where exactly is it safe to go when you’re 94? She misses going out for groceries. At least she still lives in her own home. Imagine all those seniors confined to the same small room in nursing homes for months on end, and the amount of cognitive decline. The retirement home we had toured last year, ended up with ten COVID deaths this spring and it was one of the better ones.
(pioneer provisions for the winter)
HAIRDRESSERS SHOULD BE DECLARED ESSENTIAL WORKERS:
June 26 – I was reunited with my hairdresser. We were both happy – I was happy I could see out of my eyes again, and she was happy to be out of the house, but as I was her only client for 2 ½ hours (cut and color) she can’t be making any money. The price went up by $10 to $75, but I would have paid much more. They’d only been open a few days so she did have to remind the other stylist not to come near the sink with her client while I was rinsing, and informed two customers, who walked in ignoring the sign, that masks were required. No more waiting room – you stay in your car until they come and get you. I do appreciate a strict business owner.
PORCH VISITS RESUME:
On July 1 Canada Day, I was well enough to receive my first porch visitor, (unless you count the bunnies). I brought out my blue Moroccan dishes and served key lime pie, chocolate chip cookies and a pineapple punch.
It was good to entertain again, even if not at a table. We sat on the deck, socially distanced, for four hours, as it was a perfect summer day, warm with a nice breeze. The remainder of July was so hot and humid you couldn’t even go outside, let alone entertain there. We’ll meet again someday, when it’s cooler…
(This song by Vera Lynn, who died recently at age 94, was popular during WW2 and could be our new COVID anthem.)
THE WEATHER: (every diary should include a good dose of complaining about the weather.)
Since then hot and humid has ruled the day. The majority of days in July were over 30 C (90 F), with humidex often close to 40 C, and not much cooler at night when the mosquitoes reigned. Two weeks of no rain meant I had to lug the garden hose around one evening, thus ensuring several itchy nights. What did we do without A/C? We wilted like Jane Austen heroines…..
SHOPPING RESUMES: (sort of….)
Speaking of inelegance, I’m still schlepping around in my yoga pants and t-shirts. I haven’t dressed up once this summer or been fun shopping, but I’ve expanded my repertoire of stores to include Michael’s (framing, but still out of canvas boards), the hardware store (home of the sneezer and special lightbulbs), Winners (had to use the washroom, one of few open) and the Dairy Queen (twice, once with my mother who enjoyed the treat), where the young man making my milkshake told me he liked my mask with the paw prints. (I didn’t even know they were paw prints, as it’s reversible). But horror or horrors, a visit to the Beauty Boutique revealed that they were out of Estee Lauder Night Repair, a product I have used for over thirty years. (Thankfully that face mask hides wrinkles too.) In common with so many other things, once it’s out of stock, it’s out for months. Lesson learned, I scooped up the last eight boxes of my favorite Yardley English Lavender Soap at Dollarama, and noticed a lot more bare shelves since my last visit there in March. I also popped into Reitmans to check on my missing (capris) order, before they go bankrupt, but I didn’t try buy or try anything on, although I saw some cute summer face masks. I resisted as summer’s already half over, and surely we won’t be dealing with this next year?
I’m still being cautious, mask and gloves and disinfectant, but am not as paranoid about going out as I was in the early days. I still hate grocery shopping, even more so now that the hot humid weather makes the mask more suffocating, but I’m going weekly now to take advantage of all the fresh summer produce, instead of every 3 weeks. I speed walk through the aisles during the off hours and try to avoid the nose-wiping-with-hand/nose-blowing-but-failed-to-disinfect cashiers. I know it’s allergy season, but medical-me is horrified by these things.
THE GREAT MASK DEBATE:
We can turn to Jane’s wisdom again for advice on this thorny topic.
An adaptation of Jane Austen…
Perhaps the matter can be simplified into two camps – worried pessimists (I’m sure I’ll get it and die), versus sunny optimists (the odds are against it and I’ll live). This debate has been settled recently by city council finally mandating mask wearing indoors in public spaces, with the inevitable protest ensuing outside city hall.
TO EAT IN OR OUT?
I’m tired of cooking and eating the same old thing. We’ve had takeout a few times but have not been brave enough to visit a restaurant patio yet…likewise dining in when that happens. One, it’s way too hot, and two, you can’t convince me (see above scenes) of the safety, when so many people have hygiene fatigue. Many of the pop-up patios seem crowded, and being surrounded by ugly wire fencing, barrels and a few potted plants in some parking lot is not my idea of an appealing atmosphere. Now I might be tempted if it was more like Paris, with bistro tables and a red awning, or something with a water view.
Coastal living photo
THE NEW VIRTUAL REALITY: (or think like a millennial)
July 16 – The museum curator emailed that my mothers art exhibit is still on for this fall, and she’d like to hang it earlier than planned. I’m surprised, as I had assumed it would be on hold until next year, but as we’re going into Phase 3 they are planning ahead on having galleries and museums open soon. (This is a 3 month show we had committed to last summer, as these things book up well in advance). I had already completed most of the prep work back in January and the paintings are finished, but I still need to do some framing and art cards, after the curator makes the final selection. (There is only space for 25 out of 40 paintings so I’m glad it’s not me choosing). Of course, thinking like an old-fogy, I can’t imagine anyone going to a museum right now, but she assured me that if we have to lockdown again in the winter, the exhibit will go virtual. Spoken like a true millennial! So, that’s something for my mother to look forward to – although there won’t be an open house, she might even get more exposure online. (For readers unaware of my mother’s amazing story, she started painting again at age 87 after she gave up driving. I entered her in a gallery contest for local artists and she was one of three selected, so she got to show her work for the first time at the age of 90. This will be her third exhibit since then.)
We have been lulled into a false sense of security here, not having had any COVID deaths or hospital admissions since June, and relatively few active cases. We were down to 5 cases, but recently climbed to 25 as more things reopen, but it is still manageable with testing and contact tracing. All of the nursing home outbreaks are over as well and visits have resumed. While things may be better stats-wise, it could flare up again at any moment. The very randomness of this virus is the scariest part – once it stealthily enters a place, one case can become ten and then a hundred and soon it’s snowballing out of control, and now the dreaded back to school decision is looming and with it cold and flu season not far behind.
DOMINOES
July – All spring, appointments have been falling like dominoes, one after the other. I’m now in the process of standing them back up again – hearing, vision, dentist, medical tests. A trip to the hospital’s ambulatory care for a minor skin procedure was so efficient it should run that way always. (Absolutely zero waiting – screened, registered, escorted to room, doctor there two minutes later). I’m trying to take advantage of this little lull to get things done, as it’s better to get all these appointments in now before the next wave hits….because we know it’s coming.
Finally, if we have to go into lockdown again, after enjoying this bit of summer freedom, remember Jane’s words of wisdom….
Dear Readers: Thank you for still reading…..next week’s blog will be much much shorter, but Jane may be making more guest appearances in my blog, for she really has a quote for everything!
(All Jane Austen quotes and illustrations sourced from:)
thehomeplaceweb 
So many unknowns, it’s mind-boggling.
You summed up this summer perfectly. I’m sorry you went through all that you did with your brush with Covid-19 but kind of the story of our times. Sadly.
That serene blue chalk paint on the chair is perfect. I used to go to flea markets and buy old wood chairs, then paint them to use around outside in the flower beds. I don’t know why I got away from doing that.
I agree that we know the next wave is coming. It weighs on my mind. I think you’re smart to get all your doctor-y things done now. I’m trying, but appointments are difficult to come by…
I like your *important nothings*, btw. That’d make a great name for a blog, now that I think about it.
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Thanks for reading Ally….I know it was a long one. I’m hoping to get some painting done in August when it’s cooler. I have 3 or 4 projects that need doing, but no paint!
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💗glad to see you….one day this will be but a distant memory….
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Well, I have enjoyed reading this. It is interesting to note that you too have experienced different waves of emotion as this pandemic lingers with no clear endpoint in view. Every sore throat, cough or something out of the ordinary naturally makes us wonder if we are about to become the next victim! I too suffer from back pain – made worse by my attempts at weeding when the ground has baked hard and sawing down a dead bush yesterday. I ran out of novels to read weeks ago yet am finding many non-fiction books fascinating in their stead. We still cannot buy alcohol or have friends and family to visit – the latter is the worst! Nonetheless, there are bright moments: we are going to visit a nearby national park for the day tomorrow for the first time since January. I am like a young child, so filled am I with the anticipation of driving our of our town and standing the chance to see some wild animals and birds different from those in my garden!
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Thanks for reading Anne…..I know it was a long post even for me. We can have ten people (whom you trust) in your social bubble, but I am being extra cautious because of my mother. I’ve read a fair number of non-fiction books too this summer. I sometimes enjoy a non-fiction book before bed, whereas a novel or mystery keeps me up too late! Have fun at your park – we have to treasure these occasional outings and remember there is a world out there!
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What a (horrid) season you’ve struggled through! I had no idea as you still posted as well as responded to my posts. My struggles mostly have been mental, although I did come down with a relatively mild case of what we’re sure now was the coronavirus. That was back in late May/early June when I couldn’t be tested as they were taking only desperate cases. Later my doctor was able to confirm it tentatively by all the symptoms I described to her.
About nabbing pieces discarded along curbside, I’ve done that, too. Once it was a valet chair from the neighbor behind me. It was yellow, for a child’s nursery, and I thought it just right for my little boy. My neighbor gladly gave it to me!
To get out of the house, Hubby and I have taken a few country drives and made trips out to Cowiche Creek Nursery 10 miles out of town. At first, the nursery required online orders only and curbside pickup; now, we make appointments and observe strict COVID rules, which I’m happy to do.
I managed well with my “back yard” garden areas and the courtyard until mid-July’s triple digits kept me inside. Only the very early mornings do I go out on those days, but not to work. I strained my back!! Just like you. Tylenol doesn’t work for me, so I use double the dosage of Aleve which helps. Also those Solonpas pain relieving patches.
Yes, “we’ll meet again.” The Queen promised in her message to England early on.
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Thanks for reading Jo…I know it was a long post. I did skip posting blogs for 3 weeks in early-mid June, but I managed to keep up with the Reader and comments. It’s interesting that you probably had the Coronavirus. I wonder how many other thousands of people haven’t been officially counted. It must be somewhat reassuring that your doctor thinks you had it, and thus you have some immunity to it now. After weeks of complaining about the heat, today was a bit cooler, and had that look and feel of August, a month I’ve always disliked, as it means summer is slipping away already.
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The same here yesterday and today the way mid-August usually cools down in preparation for September, or so it seems. Like you, I have same feeling that “summer is slipping away already” and, surprisingly, I don’t like it, only because the days will start getting shorter, too soon. So long as I may keep my lovely early mornings to myself, I’ll try not to complain.
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I was reading outside on the swing tonight after supper and it was already getting dark around 8ish – I definitely don’t like it!
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On the other hand, my courtyard sun-powered lanterns began to light up just after 8 p.m. as I sat down to pray Compline. Magic moments!
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That sounds lovely!
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Wow, you’ve had quite a summer. So glad you are feeling better. Lovely message and photos. Happy you are back!
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Thank you so much! I try and be womewhat entertaining in these gloomy times…..
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That’s EXACTLY what we need. Love the pictures of the tables set for tea time too.
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I really enjoyed reading you diary entry especially with the Jane Austin theme. Since I have read most of the books on my bookshelves I have been re-reading some of her books. Finished Emma last week and picked up Persuasion.
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I’ve read Emma & P&P, but never Persuasion. A friend of mine says it is her favorite Austen novel, so I should pick it up. A few years ago I posted a Valentine’s Day blog, An Interview with Jane Austen, and it remains my all time highest viewed blog. I think it must have been picked up by one of those JA websites, as it is still getting views. Lots of Jane fans out there.
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I have read all six at least once>i don’t think I could pick a favorite – loved them all.
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Our lives are made up of ordinary moments that look extraordinary in someone else’s eyes. Covid spring/summer has been a mental and emotional rollercoaster on it’s own…so much so that the ordinary errands like grocery trips are infused with all kinds of emotions–far from dull or ordinary. Who ever would have thought! Regardless, time is passing so quickly…in less than 4 months, it’s Christmas! I guess whether we fill our days or leave them empty, time still marches on
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It’s been such a strange contradictory year….I’m busy all the time, but not doing much of anything. Time goes quickly, but I have nothing productive to show for it. Summer is already half over and I feel I haven’t enjoyed it, as it’s been too hot. I don’t even want to think about winter or Christmas. At least now I can escape to the backyard, the thoughts of being housebound all winter again is just too depressing.
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Mostly delightful—except thinking of your pain. So glad you’re through that. If one has to choose, I think boredom is preferable.
Yes, this was long, but it held my interest throughout. And those bunnies are adorable.
Brava to your mom. Hope she’s able to have the real show, though it would be interesting to see if she might become an Internet sensation.
Enjoy as you can—and stay safe.
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Thanks Annie! Those bunnies are now living in my lavender bushes. The fullness provides lots of shelter!
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Wow – what a Summer for you Joni. I think we all need a do-over, but you most of all. I’m a germaphobe and not at all comfortable with interacting out in public spots but out stats are so terrible here. For you, with the medical background, it must be doubly hard to deal with this pandemic. I worry incessantly, and like you, in that I am sure I will get it because I am not exposed to people on a regular basis, therefore those people are more immune in my opinion, leaving me feeling like a sitting duck. I love the blue chair and have one in the same color. I bought it at Michael’s years ago – it is a “pout chair” and I bought it in natural wood and painted it and decoupaged some hearts on the back of the chair. I painted it blue to match the house and painted a step stool as well. You do have a flair for recreating a Victorian-era yard and home. I have never read “Jane Austen” anything – lousy school system for sure. I do like how you interspersed her quotes and the picture in this post.
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Thanks Linda. Your chair sounds lovely….I bought one at a garage sale that had little flowers on the seat, very pretty, so I do have two chairs to go with my table. Just need some outdoor paint, which requires a trip to the store….maybe August will be more painting weather.
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I painted it over the Winter one year plus the little milk stool. I did three coats one each, then polyurethane on top of that. But when I had it out in 2010-2013, every time it would rain, I’d take it around the back and under the patio roof … I used to do that with all the yard ornaments so they would not get ruined by the rain. Now I leave everything out – the blue chair and stool are in the basement right now. I bought a child’s white rocking chair about 7 years ago and have the flowers sitting on it. It is starting to peel a little but I want to eventually paint it red when I change “garden themes” in a few years. I have to paint the white trim around the side door as it’s starting to crack a little. It’s been too hot or humid or rainy to do that job.
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One more comment: Those little white fence corners were popular around here for awhile. If another one pops up somewhere, I have just the place for it at my entrance garden.
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New England Arbors has a charity auction here every year and those picket fences are priced at $50 so I consider mine a bargain! New people had moved in on my mothers street and they put it and a large white arbor out for garbage pickup. I guess they didn’t like white. I dragged the picket fence down to my mothers garage and went to tell my neighbour about the arbour (I already have two) but by the time we came back, someone with a truck had already scooped it up with. My arbor retailed for $280 at Loews, so they could have sold it online but probably didn’t realize what they cost.
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It may be long, but captivatingly written. You’ve captured the angst of anyone who has had anything resembling a Covid symptom (and who hasn’t?). It really sounds like you had a dreadful spring and summer. Sad to hear your garden didn’t go as planned, but the bunnies are cute. We don’t see many of them anymore – maybe too many fox and coyote.
I liked your Jane Austin theme – can’t seem to get through her books, but love the movies based on them. How on earth did she write so many letters? Must have been a pandemic!
Glad you seem to be on an upswing right now. Hope your mother’s art show goes as planned. It’s interesting to be visiting with my mother on Zoom (she’s in lockdown in memory care with severe dementia). She’s actually starting to get the hang of it, where she has normally been averse to technology.
Best wishes, Joni. Hang in there.
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Thanks for the compliment Eilene and for reading. I much prefer the Jane Austen movies too, esp P&P, but find her life so interesting, and have read many biographies, as there are always new ones coming out for the Janeites. I think they wrote letters back then daily , ie correspondence, maybe the way we write emails now or go on Facebook or Twitter? And as she was 41 when she died, the two decades of letter writing might account for the thousands, plus she had a large family of siblings and other relatives and friends. It’s unfortunate most of the letters were destroyed, as she had a wicked sense of humor. I received a copy of the Wit and Wisdom book last year for Christmas, which is what got me thinking about the “important nothings” theme. It’s interesting your mother can ZOOM. I’m hoping the art show goes off too, after putting this much work into it, but the curator seems determined.
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Mom doesn’t actually do any of the technical part of Zoom. A staff person does that. At first she thought we were all going somewhere to meet in person. She’s gotten the hang of seeing us on a screen now (sort of).
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You have captured our strange times quite nicely. Sorry to hear of the back trouble and mystery illness. I have fortunately avoided such things which is good because work is getting more and more demanding of my time.
Do I recall that Vera Lynn record as the ending of the movie Dr. Strangelove from the 60s? I know nothing about her other than this song, which is odd because I usually have a pretty good handle on entertainment during her era.
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I’ve just googled it and the Dr. Strangelove/Vera Lynn video is on youtube! It’s the only song of her’s I like….although I think she had some others, White Cliffs of Dover? Mostly sentimental British war songs I think. Sorry to hear your work is so busy. I do remember work taking up way too much time….and the stress of never ever getting caught up…
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Wow what a summer you are having. A big SCORE on the table etc., you are so talented! Hope your back is feeling better.
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Thanks Diane. Back is all better, but I am being careful not to lift anything too heavy. I’m hoping we will soon have some cooler painting weather, but I still need to buy some paint.
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Joni, so sorry to hear about your health issues! I’m so glad you are feeling better. Back issues are awful..please be careful!! You were so brave to endure a COVID test..so happy it came back negative my friend!!
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Thanks Denise….yes, now that I’m back to my normal energy level summer is almost over!
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