2019-2020 President Bill Thorp with his amazing family

Your Weekly eCOGS April 8, 2020

Greetings! Week Three of no face to face Rotary meeting. Darn. I hope this finds you all well and safe! As you can see below, I am starting to get some inspirational things and some funny things. Please keep sending them to me. We obviously have the time to connect in whatever way we can. Also if you have a business that needs a bit of publicity - please send me your information. For example: Terall Blalock owns Jimmy's Drive-in. He is open for business for take out meals. You can order and drive up and enjoy wonderful burgers and fries, among other things. I know there are others - but I don't have definitive information. Please let me know and I'll publish it all in next week's eCOGS. If you have ideas or pictures of what you are doing to pass the time feel free to send them. I'll use whatever you send. If you know of someone who is ill or has needs - please let us know. Our club is very generous and can help. Right now our focus is on Fred Borngasser. He fell and broke his hip and is in the hospital. Kind thoughts and virtual hugs would be appreciated. And don't forget about helping our own club. If you feel so inclined, please donate the amount you would normally spend for your lunches to our club's foundation. You can send checks to Grants Pass Rotary Foundation at P.O. Box 1201. Grants Pass, OR 08528. Take care. Hyla

Announcements

NOTES FROM A ROTARY VIRTUAL SORT OF BOARD MEETING CLUB: The board is meeting "virtually" on Zoom every Monday afternoon. If you have something you would like the board to discuss, please let Secretary Ron Eichorn know ahead of time. THE FUTURE FOR OUR CLUB: We very much want to stay connected. To that end eCOGS and pmail will have information going out frequently. If you have questions or comments feel free to contact us. Next week we will have more information about Student of the Year, Scholarships, Community Service Grants, the Rotary Track Meet and more.People are busy making things happen! IDEA: How about donating the money you would have spent on lunch for our meetings to a fund within Rotary to help others who are in need. Send a check to The Grants Pass Rotary Foundation. Mail it to P.O. Box 1201. Grants Pass, OR 97528. VIRTUAL MEETING: Our first virtual meeting will be April 22 using Zoom for connecting. Our program will be Win Howard and two doctors who will discuss today's situation with the Corona Virus. If you have questions you would like answered, please send them to Rich Acosta at racost58@outlook.com DISTRICT: District Convention has been cancelled. 2 nd Quarter Grant meeting will probably be virtual on April 4. If you are involved in getting Grants, contact President Bill for a link or connection. The District wants stories about our local heroes – people and clubs who are doing great things during this crisis. INTERNATIONAL: The RI Convention has been cancelled.

Inspirations

Grandma once gave me a tip: During difficult times, you move forward in small steps. Do what you have to do, but little by bit. Don't think about the future, not even what might happen tomorrow. Wash the dishes. Take off the dust. Write a letter. Make some soup. Do you see? You are moving forward step by step. Take a step and stop. Get some rest. Compliment yourself. Take another step. Then another one. You won't notice, but your steps will grow bigger and bigger. And time will come when you can think about the future without crying. Good morning

By: Elena Mikhalkova, "The Room of Ancient Keys"

Sent by Kathy Chelminiak

Happenings

CLICK THE POSTER TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT WHAT IS NEEDED!

The Scholarship Committee and the Community Service Committee are meeting virtually to discuss the allocation of money. We will keep you posted as to outcomes and presentations. Thank you for donating to our club Foundation which is where the money for these charitable offerings is derived.

Funny Stuff - needed in a time of crisis!

A self isolation quarantine diary: Day 1 – I Can Do This!! Got enough food and wine to last a month! Day 2 – Opening my 8th bottle of Wine. I fear wine supplies might not last! Day 3 – Strawberries: Some have 210 seeds, some have 235 seeds. Who Knew?? Day 4 – 8:00pm. Removed my Day Pajamas and put on my Night Pajamas. Day 5 – Today, I tried to make Hand Sanitizer. It came out as Jello Shots!! Day 6 – I get to take the Garbage out. I’m So excited, I can’t decide what to wear. Day 7 – Laughing way too much at my own jokes!! Day 8 – Went to a new restaurant called “The Kitchen”. You have to gather all the ingredients and make your own meal. I have No clue how this place is still in business. Day 9 – I put liquor bottles in every room. Tonight, I’m getting all dressed up and going Bar hopping. Day 10 – Struck up a conversation with a Spider today. Seems nice. He’s a Web Designer. Day 11 – Isolation is hard. I swear my fridge just said, “What the hell do you want now?” Day 12 – I realized why dogs get so excited about something moving outside, going for walks or car rides. I think I just barked at a squirrel. Day 13 – If you keep a glass of wine in each hand, you can’t accidently touch your face. Day 14 – Watched the birds fight over a worm. The Cardinals lead the Blue Jays 3–1. Day 15 – Anybody else feel like they’ve cooked dinner about 395 times this month? Found on the internet

If you keep a glass of wine in each hand, you can’t accidentally touch your face. This cleaning with alcohol is total b.s. NOTHING gets done after that first bottle.  Kinda’ starting to understand why pets try to run out of the house when the door opens.  Does anyone know if we can take showers yet or should we just keep washing our hands???  I’m so excited it’s time to take the garbage out. I wonder what I should wear?  You think it’s bad now? In 20 years our country will be run by people home schooled by day drinkers….  Day 7 at home and the dog is looking at me like, “See? This is why I chew the furniture.”  My Mom always told me I wouldn’t accomplish anything by laying in the bed all day, but look at me now! I’m saving the world!  I miss the days when we were terrified of Romaine lettuce. Ahh, the good times….  I swear my fridge just said: “what the hell do you want now?”  Coronavirus has turned us all into dogs. We roam the house all day looking for food. We’re told “no” if we get too close to strangers. And we get really excited about car rides. Homeschooling Day #3: they all graduated. #Done.  I’m giving up drinking for a month. Sorry, bad punctuation. I’m giving up. Drinking for a month. From Judi Beard-Strubing

Toilet paper blues with Carol Burnett

Songs for the Day

Here are the lyrics to a song that Al Francis is writing. One of these days we'll be able to actually hear the song. Smilin’ Again Al Francis Lyrics Springin’ up from the downs, losin’ the frown, reverse that attitude. Turn those lips upside down, shake off those catastrophic blues. Fly your own kite in azure skies, the blues don’t have to be so dark Onward and upward, smile until its true . . . just start where you are . . . start, smilin’ anyhoo Smilin’ again, smilin’ again, Changin’ that frown, into a big ole grin. Smilin’ again, smilin’ again, We are just human, our kind of people Love is the key, Life is the steeple We’re in this together, so . . . choose to start smilin’ again. Blues don’t have to be of the sad variety, Many of the hues have the greatest beauty Look up at the cobalt, star studded, skies Somehow the entire world is really in control, our destiny Let’s not waste . . . the gift of living . . . just start somewhere . . . and start smilin’ again. Bridge: Slappy, happy blues, an apparent contradiction But feelings aren’t facts, love, and joy aren’t fiction So laugh so hard, that it becomes real Regardless of the the circumstances you can heal We can fill our souls with a heartfelt smile . . . and . . . somehow . . . someway, start smilin’ again.

A couple of songs for the Isolation Blues!

One more thing!

The need for blood is urgent! The effects of COVID-19 are having an enormous impact on the blood supply in Southern Oregon, as well as across the country. This shortage will ultimately affect our patients — the very people who rely on us to provide them with the best care possible. The need for blood is urgent. Here’s how you can help! Please encourage your family and friends to donate blood if they are healthy and able. Here is a list of blood drives through the end of April. Go to American Red Cross to schedule an appointment. Blood drives Knife River Materials 3959 Hamrick Road, Central Point Thursday, April 16 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Phoenix Civic Center 220 N Main Street, Phoenix Monday, April 20 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. Crater High School 655 N Third Street, Central Point Tuesday, April 21 and Wednesday, April 22 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Other clubs in the area (for visits and makeups) Rogue Gateway Thursday at noon Wild River Pub  roguegateway.org/ Greater Grants Pass Fridays at 7:00 am Tap Rock Grill  greatergprotary.org/ Illinois Valley  Tuesdays at noon Wild River Brewing Cave Junction  facebook.com/IllinoisValleyRotaryClub District 5110 eClub State of Jefferson eClub stateofjeffersonrotary.org Rotary eClub One rotaryeclubone.org/ For most other District or Club resources, click the DACdb logo above.

All face to face meetings are cancelled until further notice. First Virtual Meeting April 22, 2020 More information will follow soon. NEW MEMBER PROPOSAL If you have a new person who you think would make a good member of our club - you can download a fillable proposal form by CLICKING HERE!! Once you have filled in the form you can bring it to Secretary Ron Eichorn, membership chair Dennis Webber, or President Bill Thorp Being a Rotarian Booklet CLICK HERE Financial Expectations as a member of the Rotary Club of Grants Pass CLICK HERE

IF YOU GET THIS FAR: Some people obviously have too much time on their hands during this particular time in our lives. These two men were inspired to create an amazing Rube Goldberg machine just to pass the salt to one another. When I saw the video I thought, wow it's a little over four minutes long - would people sit and watch for four minutes? I was fascinated in the ingenuity and I figure - you have the time! You'll love this!

Editor Hyla Lipson  The Rotary Club of Grants Pass