Dalton Farms-- Sunflower Immersion in Swedesboro, NJ.

Emerging from Covid

Since 2019, I have been very cautious, avoiding possible exposure to Covid. After receiving two vaccine doses, I gained the confidence to venture out. My grandson's school did not hold a prom, so they had a smaller private prom instead. I was able to fly to Florida to attend some of the pre-prom festivities. I had a short stay with my daughter and returned to New Jersey within a week. However, soon after my return, another variant of COVID-19 became prevalent. Mask mandates were not fully lifted, and the decline in the number of cases seemed tentative. Nevertheless, December 2021 was a bit festive with some Christmas shopping, attending a Winter festival at Renault Winery near me, and hosting two family get-togethers at my home. See my grandson with his white tux.

As January 2022 arrived, the figures were disappointing; however, a decline was anticipated, and by the end of March 2022, there was a rise in optimism.

On my 75th birthday, I took a Spirit Airlines flight from Atlantic City Airport to West Palm Beach International Airport. March in New Jersey had been chilly, so the daytime temperatures above 72 degrees were delightful. I am 75 but I had been feeling closer to 80.  I improved somewhat health-wise:  my acid reflux subsided, my plantar fasciitis got better, and my stiff, achy body felt rejuvenated like it hadn't in months. A highlight of the vacation was my granddaughter's cheerleading banquet, where I saw a group of young ladies looking stunning in their sleek black dresses and heels.

So another venture was to visit a tattoo and piercing shop.  My granddaughter, Cece, was getting an ear  piercing with her friend, and I was given the opportunity, as a birthday gift from my daughter, to get a tattoo.  I agreed to replica of Post Malone's signature and a Posty inspired wave design.

Drove by this houseboat on the way to Miami while on the Brightline train.

The terminal is clean and up-dated area where many reviewers say it compares favorably to the best in Europe where train service is more appreciated.

Had lunch here:

 

Quarantined, 2019 and Following Post Malone

I started making blogs as a hobby after I retired in 2011. Now it is August 18, 2020 and I am now 73 years old.  How could I have imagined living a quarantined life?  I did imagine a possibility of nuclear warfare or some type of dirty bomb exploding but nothing like this threat.  My year prior to this quarantined year, was filled with activities and events.  I am so thankful that I pushed myself to keep my calendar full after all when you hit your seventies just about anything can end your ability to be mobile.  I am now wondering if life will ever provide me with such opportunities in the future as we hopefully recover from the corona virus pandemic.  I predict that it will be long time before people will get back to having huge festivals whether the focus is on music or other cultural celebrations. 

Below is my niece who accompanied me to two Post Malone concerts.  This is the closest we have been since the concert at Wells Fargo on February 21, 2020:

 

Besides doing lots of yard work and gardening I have been spending time online administering Facebook groups and following a rock star---Post Malone.  In February of 2019, I saw a video of Post Malone singing with his guitar at an Elvis Tribute.  After seeing this young rising star in that yellow western suit I had to find out what he was all about and I have been hooked ever since following all the latest.  By June 21, 2019,  I was at my first musical festival in my life---the Firefly Festival in Dover, Delaware.   I didn't get to go to the Woodstock Festival in 1969 so I waited until I was 72 to attend my first music festival.  In October 2019, I went to Convention Hall in Atlantic City and saw him again with my sister and my niece.  I still did not have enough and when he came to the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia February 21, 2020, I was there again.   It was about 3 weeks later that the whole world changed in the face of the corona virus pandemic.   I was glad for Post because he may have needed a break from his heavy touring schedule. Also, he says he is working on his 4th album that should come out later this year.  Some of these are my own photos but others are just my favorites that I saved from the internet.

From Post Malone's Elvis tribute:

First photos from the FireFly Festival.  I guess it was noticeable that I was older by decades but the young people were happy to see an older lady who was a fan of Post Malone.  They remarked that when they get to be my age that they hoped that they could still get out and enjoy a concert.  Some liked the idea so much they wanted to take pictures of me with them.  

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There was a fellow from Fish Town, Philadelphia but I never got his name.  We enjoyed chatting for about 25 minutes.

My son was my chaperone in case I got into any difficulties but there wasn't one issue the whole day and I enjoyed a Bud Light with a lobster roll sandwich.

 

Tyla Yaweh, good friend and collaborator of Post Malone appearing at the Firefly Festival 2019. 

This one is from the Wells Fargo Center in Philly where we saw Post Malone on February 21, 2020. I embellished my trucker's vest with all kinds of appliques.  Just a few weeks before the virus caused a cancellation of all concerts.

Me in the middle between my sister and my niece.

In Atlantic City Convention Hall:

My sister and I at Convention Hall in Atlantic City making friends with some of the young Post Malone fans:

Post made a commercial for a special type of Dorito flavor and he wore this suit:

We all are getting older.  I hope the next time I see him he can jump like this and his photographer Adam DeGross gets to capture it.

Love this colorful T-shirt....Half of the reason I am so fascinated with his fashion choices:

So many photos of him with animals.  All the animals love Post!

My son has promised to get me to another Post concert after this virus is a thing of the past.  Have to mention here that I have been one of the more careful quarantiners but I had a blip recently where I needed medical intervention for an abscessed tooth. I originally opted for an extraction because of past dental horrors but then I went ahead and got a root canal surgery done.  They asked me what music I wanted to hear and I said Post Malone's Hollywood's Bleeding.  I had them keep it low but I think the technician and the endodontist enjoyed it even though neither one had said that they were fans.  I think I was in that chair for at least 3 hours maybe more.  I was surprised that the young technician had been to the Firefly Festival in Delaware.   

There were many good artists performing at the Firefly Festival like this fellow but for me the excitement was because of Post.

My embellished vest made for the last concert that I attended in Philly: 

I did not buy a T-shirt but I got the Gentlemen's Quarterly Magazine featuring his fashion choices.  I like his music but his attitude in making his own style a statement is so exciting.

In addition to attending Post's Concerts, I have to describe how full my calendar was In 2019, making this slow down in my life such a contrast.   In March I attended the Philadelphia Flower Show in Philadelphia, on Mother's Day we went to the Parx Casino to see Jay Leno performing live along with....Simply Three----creative musicians.   Jay was outstanding but so was this musical trio.  Mother's Day 2019. In June it was a double hitter.  

I omitted another event and I will be editing this blog because I also went to a Cherry Blossom Festival in Fairmount Park in Philadelphia and I want to add photos of the festival and maybe some photos from the flower show as well.  

 

At the end of May I flew in to Florida for my oldest granddaughter's graduation and my sister from Charlotte flew in as well.  Such a special event with dinner, pool party and an excursion on the inland water way near Jupiter.  Such a beautiful thing to do even though I am mainly a watcher....watching the dancing, the kids on the bow of the boat, swimming and the kids on the wave runners.  When my sister left after the graduation festivities it was onto Disney for three days.  When I expressed some concerns about keeping up, I turned down an opportunity to use a scooter but I kept up with the gang.   Next time I may need a scooter.  

 

In  September my youngest sister came up to Jersey and we took a day to go hiking at Estell Manor's Atlantic County Park system of trails. We took the trail that was a two mile trek into the woods ending at an artesian well and some old factory ruins. It was a good test for my sister who had a knee replacement more recently on the same leg that had a hip replacement but she kept up with us.  She proved that she was up for the 13 hour Amtrak trip to Charlotte. 

My next exciting adventure came in November 2019. My sister and I took a 6 day trip to Charlotte, North Carolina to see my sister who lives there.  The ride was 12 hours on Amtrak to get there and I got at our Vrbo rental in time to watch Post Malone at the AMAs accepting an award.  It was basically to join up with our youngest sister for Thanksgiving.  I do not have to write too much about that trip because I made three blogs about the trip and you can look back if you want to see them:  Charlotte, The Biltmore Estate, and the Billy Graham preserved homestead. 

Post Malone from the night of the AMA awards in 2019:

Amtrak train that we spent a total riding time of 24 hours: