Howdy-hi, folks! Earlier this morning I shared a new edition of Top Ten Tuesdays. I’m busier than usual today as I’m stacking the deck in seemly a random post but really it’s anything other than that. You’ll find TMT funnies and my responses to Tuesday 4 but before that I hope you’ll give me a little extra time regarding the Covid vaccine.
I’m in the learn and discover mode. I want to learn all I can about Covid vaccinations. I know some of you have braved the new line of defense against this virus opting to take the vaccine and I hope you can help. Regardless if you live inside or outside the US, I’m eager to know about your experiences. What I want to know is which vaccine did you get, how many doses, and why did you pick the vaccine you received? It would be nice if you live in another country. Did you have any life threatening side-effects? Did you get the Coronovirus after you were fully vaccinated?
We aren’t sure what we will do but we definitely want to know everything there is to know before should we opt to poked. You’re welcome to leave a comment but I certainly respect your privacy and if you want to share less openly then you’re welcome to shoot me an email at curiousasacathy@gmail.com.
It’s been a very long time for me to participate in the Tuesday 4 Q&A session and it’s time to fix that now that I’m back into my blogging saddle again. This week Anne has Thanksgiving on her mind. I know our northern neighbors celebrate this holiday in October but here in the states we are more than two months away from the king feast. However, if the truth be told I’m really looking forward to the holiday season. Alrighty, here how I answered today’s questions.
1. What is your favorite Thanksgiving show/animated show? When I was a kid, I’d have to say, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.
The popcorn scene was always so much fun but now as an adult one of my favorite Thanksgiving movies is Planes, Trains, and Automobiles and if you haven’t seen it then I highly recommend it.
2. What is there about Thanksgiving you like the best: Obviously the food and company are the important parts of the holiday but really it is the meaning of the season a special time to acknowledge one’s blessings. We should do this 365 days a year but life clouds our mind and we often do not see how good we have it. I’m not talking about the big, showy stuff in our life. I’m talking about having good health, a roof over our heads, plenty of food, clothes, and a job that gives us a way to pay for the things we have. It’s the basic stuff but it’s also the essentials that make our life easier. If we’ve been showered beyond this then holy cow, thank God almighty! Don’t ever take it for granted because there are those who struggle to just it, barely having the basics.
3. Favorite Thanksgiving/holiday song? I don’t know that I have a favorite holiday song but when thinking of Thanksgiving the first song that comes to mind is one that was introduced to me in White Christmas, Count Your Blessings (Instead of Sheep).
4. If you have an all holiday music radio station when do you start listening to it? Typically, I recycle my huge collection of Christmas music I uploaded to my computer to play non-stop throughout the holiday season beginning Thanksgiving weekend. We do subscribe to SiriusXM which allows us to listen online so I can tune into one of their Christmas channels for variety.
It’s time to grab a cup of coffee and follow along with me as I head off to visit some of my favorites Comedy-Plus (Sandee) and Stacy Uncorked. I’m taking one day at time in Blogosphere so if you don’t see anything new posted then I’m just sitting it out for the day or if I’m energized then you’ll find a new edition of Wild Wednesdays – the party where just about anything goes! 😉 X
X, Cathy
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A lot of different opinions have been offered. I was very much against getting the vaccine as my husband had very mild cases back late 2020; however, I did finally give in and get the Pfizer 1st dose. My symptoms were almost as bad as the actual Covid. I have chosen to not get the 2nd one. After hearing a doctor speak today who was part of the development of the Moderna/Pfizer vaccines, I am glad I didn’t. The vaccines being given now are for a virus that is a year old. It will not address any of the new variants. Also, the FDA approved Pfizer is in short supply and the old non-approved will continue to be given until a greater supply is available. He also simply stated regarding the regular flu shots that less is better. Getting annual flu shot could actually do more damage than not getting one because it would have been developed for an old virus strain and it also destroys ones natural immunity to fight the new viruses. So, there in a nutshell is why I am against personally getting the vaccine. I have never had a flu shot and never will – neither have I ever had the flu.
There are many fears generated about getting the vaccine which is such a shame because it stops people from dying. I can’t help but think of Jenny McCarthy who was all over the airwaves, years back, stating that her son got autism because he got vaccinated for all the childhood diseases like mumps, scarlet fever, measles, whooping cough etc.. Many women started to freak out and believed what she was saying which had no…no, basis in scientific fact. Because of her, there has been a resurgence in all these diseases and have truly scarred this kids for life.
Polio came out in the late 40s and 50s and it was devastating with many kids and some adults, dying from it, ending up in the iron lung or becoming quite crippled. My one friend’s father got it when he was 17 and had to wear a leg brace for the rest of his life. I recently watched a documentary on Polio and it seemed people were very appreciative of the vaccine and, yes, they had to show proof that they were vaccinated when they went out to restaurants or travelled.
Ok…I will ask my brother who has been keeping track, statistically on this virus and see if he knows more but, he stated that the rate of people getting the virus substantially decreased where people had to get the vaccine and listened to wearing masks and using hand sanitizer. I will keep doing this because I simply hate getting the common cold or the flu and that is spread by people coughing and touching stuff.
I got the astra zenica for the first dose and felt “wonky” for 3 days. I was listless, tired and had a very low grade fever. The second dose was Moderna and, aside from a slightly sore arm for a couple of days, I felt nothing! I was just glad I got it done especially since I am going for surgery. I heard Moderna is a good one as well as Pfizer. Oh..side note, my dear friend’s boyfriend is from Mexico..southern part and his family has been ravaged by covid. His grandfather died earlier this year from it. His grandmother, mother, father, uncle and a few cousins all contracted it. His Uncle has not regained his sense of taste and smell. One cousin feels extremely tired months after getting it and his mom started feeling better when he was here visiting me. I heard it has been very corrupt in Mexico when it comes to getting the vaccine to the average person.
Ok that is my lengthy spiel but i hope you don’t mind and I truly hope you get the vaccine. Regardless what happens in life, never let fear and panic dictate what one will do. Learn all you can and get the best vaccine.
I got the vaccine because of my age and health issues. Wellstar, which runs many of the hospitals around here and for whom our doctors work, was offering them and had a good signup process. They were giving the Pfizer vaccine. So far, so good: I haven’t had any off the side effects that some have had (clots forming, being infected with one of the variant viruses, etc.)
My son “may” (no tests back then) have had COVID in early April 2020; (he described it as the “cold from hell”.) My developmentally disabled brother in law did have COVID that same month and was hospitalized for three weeks. He was one step away from going on a ventilator. It took him months for his lungs to return to full normal. My husband and I got the vaccine as soon as we could get an appointment (this was back when it took heroic efforts just to get an appointment) – we are both senior citizens. My husband had no reaction to first shot just a sore arm from second. His brother was very tired from both shots for about 24 hours – that’s all. My 1st shot just a sore arm; 2nd shot gave me chills and extreme tiredness for perhaps half a day, that started about 22 hours after the shot. I also had a sore arm for nearly two weeks. It was worth every ache. All three of us had Pfizer because that is what was being offered. My son got Moderna when his age group was permitted, he was pretty knocked out by the 2nd shot for a day.. Again, in my view, Cathy, I would ask that you seriously consider the vaccine. It way beats getting COVID because, even if you get the mild COVID, you can end up with what they call Long COVID, where it hangs on for month after month.
Count your blessings instead of sheep, that’s a favorite! Thank you for the lovely post, and i’m glad there aren’t any pilgrims under the bed, it’s dusty under there and they’d sneeze and wake me!
Mimi,
That’s right if pilgrims were under my bed they’d be sneezing their heads off. lol
My hubby and I got the Johnson& Johnson in March. I was sick that night with fever and chills for about 8 hours which was my body doing what it was supposed to do and fighting off an invader. My favorite Thanksgiving movie is Peanuts too, but I like to watch all the Thanksgiving episodes of Everybody Loves Raymond too. XO
Ellen,
You and your hubs are the first ones to tell me you got the J&J vaccine. Were you offered a choice? Is it a one or two shot series?
Everybody Loves Raymond is a fun sitcom that we used to enjoy watching. The show is cast perfectly! Thanks for visiting and sharing with me, my dear!
Hi Cathy – Hubby and I are in California and both got the vaccine as soon as we were able (we are both over 65). We were given no choice of vaccine but thankfully got the Pfizer, which I believe is the better one. Hubby actually had Covid in December of 2020 and luckily none of the other family members got it. When he got the shot he did have a mild reaction to each dose. I had no reaction to either dose and neither did our daughter who was able to get the vaccine early on as she is an assistant teacher. She also got the Pfizer one. Our son got the Moderna and he did have a mild reaction but nothing that lasted longer than overnight and he was just mostly tired. Our daughter and I joked that the women in the family are stronger than the men since we were symptom free – LOL. Hubby and I plan to get the booster when we can. He has a heart condition. That said, we do have another daughter who is 35 and is refusing to get the vaccine. She claims that she is not sure about the long term effects and that she wants to be able to have kids, yada, yada, yada. It causes some difficult situations for us because we can’t do things as a family if proof of vaccination is required. I don’t have a problem with showing my vaccination card when attending concerts or other gatherings. I feel safer. This disease is real and anything I can do to keep it from affecting our family and friends I will do.
Janet,
It appears most aren’t given the option to pick their vaccine. I wonder why that is? So far, it seems everyone who’s shared with me reported experiencing the common side-effects or nothing at all which is good to know. It has been told some have had heart attacks. This is one of those rare side-effects but what makes one person a target and not the other? No doubt it’s related to underlying health issues. That’s what I’d like to know. I may not find all the answers as it is the case with most things which is frustrating. At least most of your family are now vaccinated. I’m sure your daughter who doesn’t want to have it, feels this is this is the right thign for her right now. That might change tomorrow, though. Have a great day, my friend!
Hi Cathy. I live in Oregon, US. Our state didn’t get hit as hard as some others, until now. I will explain that in a minute. Even with our lower numbers I had 3 friends die of covid and in one of the same families a 30 year old son. I knew as soon as we could we would get vaccinated. We didn’t have a choice of vaccines we were offered the pfizer. Both M. Mr and I had one day of feeling crappy. Mr. M. had a head ache and we both felt tired. After a just a few days we were our normal selves. In the beginning our governor had us locked down and no tourists. However, the tourists still came and brought the virus in with them. This summer has been worse. The tourists think they don’t have to follow any rules. We are under a mask mandate and like I said the tourist think they don’t have to follow this rule. Trying to enforce it causes physical fights. It’s so crazy. Our covid numbers are up again. I believe in the vaccines. Like ANY vaccine they are made so that if you get the virus it doesn’t hit you as hard. That’s how all vaccines work. As Songbird wrote we will all need to prove we are vaccinated if we want to go out. Yes, insurance companies are now not paying for your hospital stay if you get covid and not vaccinated. But think about it. We went through this for seat belts. The fines were huge when people fought this. The same with smoking, no smoking in public places. The same when car insurance was mandated. People fought it but these are things that are all for the good and protection of the people. There are so many lies being published by anti vaxers and (I am just going to say it) rebulicans in government that people are confused and wonder what to do. You are doing the right thing. Asking questions, learning about the vaccines and making the right decision for you. Let me know what you do.
Nicole,
Terrorist… I mean tourist should respect local business protocols. I don’t like wearing a mask but I will if I need to go into a store. Since all of this hit, I’ve only been in stores a handful of times and that’s only because I had to pick up a script. We get our groceries delivered and the only time we’re close to people is at a doctor’s appointment in which we are masked up. I appreciate you sharing y’alls Pfizer vaccine experiences. I guess as long as the world stands, people will resist things that are imposed upon them even if it is for their own good. I think it’s just the human nature to not want to be controlled. It pays to know all you can about things, especially when it comes to important issues such as one’s health, so yes these questions and perhaps more to come will need answered before we will know what’s absolutely right for us. Thanks, my dear!
Hi Cathy, I would highly recommend you and DH get yourselves vaccinated, not only for your own protection, but for the common good. Here in Canada, over 75% of the adult population has been fully vaccinated, most getting two doses (which is the norm here – they haven’t said we need a 3rd one) of Moderna (me) or Pfizer (hubby). Some people got Astra Zeneca as a first dose, but that one was discontinued, as there were more side effects, apparently. I had a slightly sore arm for a couple of days after the first one. The second one gave me a few more body aches and a headache for a few days, but that’s unusual. Hubby had absolutely no side effects both times. Either way, that’s much better than getting COVID and ending up on a ventilator in the hospital. I knew a couple online from Georgia who didn’t believe in getting vaccinated. Well, guess what? They both got COVID. He died last week and she died the other day. 😢
Definitely, we should always be grateful for what we have. It’s the key to a happy life. Haven’t heard that Bing Crosby song in years. Thanks for sharing it! 🙂 Clever to call coffee a performance-enhancing drug. It sure is, for me. Couldn’t get my day started without it. Cheers! ☕
Thanks for the info, Debbie! I’m with you on the traveling thing. I think it’s too soon for international travel for sure. Being confined to tight, closed quarters for hours is risky anytime and the pandemic just magnifies the problem. The vaccines aren’t fool-proof and I seriously doubt they ever will but as Robin pointed out it might keep you out of the hospital and morgue so those are good reasons to get the shot. That’s horrible sad news about your online friends from Georgia. I have to wonder when people contract Covid if they are social distancing or isolators. We pretty much stay to ourselves. That factor alone greatly reduces the likelihood of exposure but all it takes is one time being in the wrong place with perhaps with an already weakened immune system for whatever reason for the virus to take hold. We’re taking each person’s comments under advisement. 😉 Yeah, coffee is my performance-enhancing drug, too. lol
Love all the Q&A. Now you have me in Thanksgiving mode. That’s a good thing.
Thank you for joining the Happy Tuesday Blog Hop.
Have a fabulous Happy Tuesday. Love and hugs. ♥
Thanks for dropping by, Sandee. I’m glad you enjoyed the giggles and more!
Both Mom and Dad got the Moderna vaccine, two doses, because it was the one immediately available. They’re old so they opted for the shots, plus Covid was pretty bad here and nobody was interested in social distancing or wearing masks here. The only side effect was sore arms and they were both really tired for about two days. We enjoyed the funnies today!
Brian,
As Dirty Harry says, “A man’s gotta know his limitations” and it sounds like your mom and dad know theirs. They did what was right for them and I certainly can’t fault anyone for listening to his/her conscience. Thanks for sharing, furriend!
Cathy, I have to agree with Thomas. I’m from New York, and we got hit very hard when the virus first came to the US. It’s a terrible, terrible virus. I lost two family members. My boyfriend was extremely sick for three weeks in the spring of 2020 and still has lingering symptoms.
We got vaccinated as soon as we could get appointments. We don’t want to go through that again.
None of the vaccines are perfect, but they will keep you out of the hospital, off a vent, and away from the morgue.
I don’t mean to sound scary, but yes, the virus scares me. It terrifies me.
As for the vaccine … I won’t try to hide it, I had a reaction to the vaccine. I got my first dose of Pfizer on a Saturday night and slept all day Sunday. My reaction to the second dose was a bit more intense, I started feeling the effects a few hours after the shot. But again, I slept all day and I was fine.
And then there’s the practical aspect … you can’t go to a Broadway show or eat inside a NYC restaurant if you’re not vaccinated. Concert venues are insisting on it. International travel won’t happen if you’re not vaccinated. Some employers are already increasing health insurance premiums for those who are not vaccinated, the rest of the industry will probably follow suit.
You can see where this is going.
Please go get vaccinated.
Robin,
In areas that are densely populated it’s easier for more people to become exposed and infected as seen last year in NYC. I appreciate your candid openness of how the Pfizer affected you. While I understand the need for protecting myself, I’m not a 100% sold on getting vaccinated just yet. Thankfully, we’re able to isolate ourselves for the most part but we’re nearing the end of our tolerance level so we want to learn all we can should we decide to take the leap. An, yes, I do see where things are going with this. I can’t say it’s a good thing and I wonder if it’s just excuse to enforce more control. Thank you for everything, my friend!
Hi again, Cathy, and happy TMT!
I definitely encourage you and DH to get yourselves vaccinated against COVID-19 as soon as possible. It’s the sensible thing to do, and it’s the right thing to do if you want to protect your own lives, the lives of your loved ones with whom you have close contact, and the lives of your friends and neighbors. I have already received three shots of the Moderna vaccine because I am over age 65 and and fall into the immune compromised category, the group that is at high risk for catching the dreaded virus. I had no adverse side effects from any of the shots, and I have not come down with COVID. Quantities of the vaccine were scarce early in the year when I got my first two shots, but a couple of weeks go I simply went down to the corner supermarket and got my booster (shot #3). Supplies are plentiful now and it’s quick and easy. Mrs. Shady has gotten two shots so far, and will get her third next month when she reaches the 8 month mark after her second shot. As a friend who loves and cares about you, Cathy, I hope you and DH and your other family members will get yourselves protected. There’s nothing to fear. It’s safe and effective and it’s the all-American, patriotic thing to do.
It was fun watching that cartoon clip of Snoopy and Woodstock from The Peanuts gang working feverishly on the Thanksgiving feast. It’s been ages since I watched that P,T, & A movie. Are you aware that Steve Martin is currently starring in the Hulu mystery-comedy series Only Murders in the Building along with fellow comedian Martin Short and singing star Selena Gomez? It looks like a hoot.
I admire your answer to the question about what you like best about T-giving. Yessum, it surely is a time to pause, take a deep breath and give thanks for all we have. Never take anything for granted. As a child, I often heard the song “Count Your Blessings (Instead Of Sheep)” sung by Bing and other artists. The words “and I fall asleep counting my blessings” always brought tears to my eyes, and did this morning as well.
I’m in favor of another cuppa strong black coffee. Have a wonderful day, dear friend Cathy!
Tom,
Thanks for sharing your and Mrs. Shady’s vaccination experiences. You’re so sweet to voice your concerns over our well-being. For now, we’re keeping our exposure to the outside world very limited but if we were in the daily flow with the general population then it would be of greater concern. Right now, we want to know everything that we can if and when we decide what’s the best thing for us to do.
The Peanuts clip is pure sweetness and innocences. Really great stuff! The Hulu series with Martin & Short I think we have that on our watch list. I’m glad to read you like it. That’s a positive endorsement and now I can’t wait to see it! Reflecting on the blessings in my life is the focal point of Thanksgiving. There are those who forget this and just see it as a day off from work with a fancy meal. It’s so much more. I’m glad you liked my answer and I know you feel the same as I do. Thanks for dropping in this morning, my friend. Have a terrific evening!