Life in the Time of Coronavirus, 11/24/20

Eight Months and COVID-19 Lockdown Burnout Sets In

I haven't updated my blog in a while because of COVID-19 lockdown burnout. 

There was a funny skit on Saturday Night Live a couple of weeks ago, where they created a parody commercial that showed the burnout. The cast was selling all of the exercise and hobby equipment on eBay that they had bought during the pandemic.  Truth!  While I have accomplished many good things over the past eight months, many things are sitting there waiting for me to finish, such as a very difficult jigsaw puzzle and an embroidery project.  I have lost interest in some things, and have frankly become somewhat lazy.

Our activities are pretty much the same. We are mostly at home, with an occasional trip to Costco or Smart and Final, and sparse visits to local outdoor restaurants and pubs here and there.  But the virus is so bad now, we are 99% locked down.  We are now hopeful, as three vaccines are very near approval.  The way things look, it could be Spring or Summer will be the soonest that we can get one, so we continue our lockdown ultra-marathon.  

Notable Events - Some Bad, Some Good

- Two weeks ago, we had to say, "Goodbye" to one of our Spanish Galgos, Sara.  We've had her for 7 1/2 years, and we miss her so much.  We still grieve for our girlie.  Her story is here.

- We owned a house in Michigan, which was my Grandparents 1910 Craftsman home, where my Brother, Bill, has lived for over 16 years. He's had health problems, and wasn't able to return to the house. He's in a care facility now and being well taken care of.  We sold the house to a friend of my Cousin, Dave, who will fix it up and sell it to another family. That house took care of a lot of our family over the years. It is a relief to have closure and to have someone make it pretty again.  

- The election is finally over! Thank God we don't have to watch any more of those political slur ads and listen to the propaganda.  I know how divided this Country has become, and it is very sad.  Perhaps we need to change our name from the, "United States of America" because we are not.  What I don't understand is the hatred, anger and disrespect for others. How did we become our worst nightmare? If we don't get our shit together, we are on a path that only continues to take us on a downward spiral to who knows what?  We needed a healer, not a divider, and thank God, we got one. Let's build back better and stop hating each other. It truly serves no purpose but to destroy us.

I Remain Hopeful

I am grateful and thankful for every blessing that I have in this life. I am hopeful that things will get better in the coming year for all of us.  Let's continue to listen to the experts and stay safe. This still isn't over for a good while.  Until next time, I wish you good health and peace.  #stayhome #staysafe #holdfast #keepthefaith #thingswillgetbetter 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Life in the Time of Coronavirus, 9/20/20

Celebrations

On 9/15/20, we celebrated our two year anniversary of living in Carlsbad. We sold our home in San Jose and bought our present lovely home in Carlsbad two years ago. Time flies when you love where you live!

On 9/13/20, we celebrated one year Gotcha for our Scooby Podenco, Levi.  Michelle at SAGE (Save A Galgo Espanol) had a flight patron who brought him to LAX so that we could pick him up and bring him to his forever home. We love our Levi!

Rekindling Relationships

We've had some very special visits with dear family and friends, as well as rekindling relationships with old friends from the past.

My Sister, Mary, and Brother-in-law, Dan, came down from the SF Bay Area to escape the fires and smoke.  Then, we had a surprise, as we received a call from my cousin, Scott, and his wife, Shelly. They attended a wedding in NorCal and drove back to Tucson via the California Coast. They stayed one night with us, while Dan and Mary were here, so we had a house full of family. It was great!

The following weekend, our niece from Chicago, Anna, and her friend, Megan, who lives in Pasadena, came to visit us. They stayed one night, and we had such a special quality time visit with them.

On another note, one of my marathon friends, from 2001, Saskia, sent out an email that her address was changing. I wrote her about catching up.  We had an almost three hour call to catch up on life. We haven't seen each other for around 13 years, and it was as though no time had passed.  We also got to visit with our husbands for a bit. It was very special, and we'll do it again soon.

It was so wonderful to see everyone and catch up!

We are Learning How to Live with Coronavirus and COVID-19

Our San Diego County has done pretty well with the virus and contagion, but there is a good chance that we will have to dial back this week because the numbers are going up again. It is sad, but it is reality, and we have to deal with it. We know what we have to do because we have already been through it. It is no longer the unknown.  People can kick and scream and act like angry, bratty children, but we have to do what is right to protect ourselves and others. We have to live with this blasted virus until there is a SAFE vaccine, which could be more likely around Summer 2021.

2020 Ba Bye

Although we have so many blessings to be thankful for, I will be very happy to see the year 2020 end. I am hopeful that 2021 will be a much better year -- a year of healing, in so many ways. God knows that we need it.

I wish you peace, love, good health and happiness, as we continue to endure one of the most difficult years of our lives. 

Life in the Time of Coronavirus, 9/2/20

Can You Believe That It's Already September?

This has truly been the strangest year of my life. The Coronavirus and COVID-19 have changed our World forever, in so many ways, both big and small.

A Shame
We're heading for seven months of quarantine, trying to avoid this virus, and we still don't have adequate testing and no vaccine is in sight.  It is such a sad state of affairs for such an advanced Country, with so many resources. I've pretty much resigned myself to know that it's up to us, individually, to keep ourselves as safe as we can be.  If we get the disease, we get it and must deal with it. The Federal Government and powers that be are doing nothing to help us. We have to go it alone. God help us to survive it, as there is no help whatsoever, just denial that it exists and snake oil cures that are touted by the current regime.  I think that the herd immunity is the de facto approach in the USA. Thousands have died, and those who could help are willing to let thousands more die, before this has passed. It is shameful and disgusting. It makes me so sad to see that our Country has come to this -- not caring about anyone or anything, except greed and selfishness. Shame on us.

On a Brighter Note, We've had Visitors
My Sister, Mary, and Brother-in-law, Dan, escaped the fire zone in the San Francisco Bay Area and stayed here with us for ten days. We took a day trip to San Juan Capistrano and San Clemente. It was wonderful to see them and to spend quality time together.  We had the chance to catch up, after many months apart.  

We also had a visit from my cousins, Scott and Shelly, from Tucson. They came from a wedding in NorCal and drove down to spend the night with us. We had a delicious dinner from our favorite local Greek restaurant and talked into the midnight hours.  It was so special to have four loved ones staying here with us overnight.  Everyone left early for home and arrived safely, for which we are thankful.

Soon, we will have a visit from our niece, Anna, from Chicago, and her friend, Megan, from Pasadena.  We are so excited to see them, as it has been several years since our last visit.

Daily Life Continues
We celebrated our 39th wedding anniversary on August 29th. It seems like yesterday. We had dinner outside, by the pool at the Carlsbad Four Seasons Hotel. It was delicious and special because we were with Mary and Dan. Next year, we will either rent a house at Lake Tahoe or travel to Europe, depending on the virus.

We stay at home most of the time. We eat out once or twice each week. Sometimes, we meet up with local friends.  We enjoy each other, our dogs, our home, pool and hot tub.  We are always thankful for our lives and where we live.  It is so beautiful here. We feel blessed.

Peace
I wish you peace of mind and soul during these trying times.  Please keep the faith. Hold on and hold fast. 
Complete your Census and Vote!

#holdfast #itwillgetbetter #buildbackbetter #staystrong

Life in the Time of Coronavirus, 8/22/20

Days Become Weeks, Weeks Become Months

It has been over six months since we locked down our lives. We are used to it. We know how to be safe, to be out socially, to shop, to eat out(side), to limit visits with family and friends. It’s really not difficult, but those darned masks are so doggone hot. We will persevere because they help all of us.

The Dentist 

We both had our six month dental appointments this month. They did an excellent job. They took our temps, had us gargle with hydrogen peroxide for one minute, wore double face masks and gloves. Safety to the Nth degree.

Not Much New To Report

We’re pretty boring. I stay up late, as I always have, watching late night talk shows, sleep in, do some chores, work out, then pool and hot tub time.

The dogs keep us honest regarding feeding times twice each day. They are the most interesting and entertaining beings in our home.

Surprise! We have Visitors!

My Sister, Mary, and Brother-in-Law, Dan  live in the San Francisco Bay Area, where the fires and smoke are happening. They needed to get out, so we encouraged them to come here. They drove down and arrived this evening. It is so great to have them here, as we’ve not seen them for several months.  It is a special time in so many ways.

Appreciating the Little and Big Things

Honey bees, hummingbirds, flowers, trees, fruit, palm trees, the Pacific, great weather, beautiful views, great family and friends, fantastic place to live, financial stability, good health, best pets in the world, faith and hope. 

There are better and brighter days ahead. We will continue to stay strong in the face of the unknown. We will vote to raise up a stronger, more caring and competent government. We will stop fighting with each other and hating our differences and immigrants. We will tear down walls and build alliances that will build our amazing society that allows everyone to strive and achieve their very best. 

Vote!

Everyone deserves a chance at a better life. Their contributions are what makes America great.  We need every single soul to do this work. Put your prejudice aside and vote with your heart and soul.

Until next time, I wish you love and peace. 

#holdfast #itwillgetbetter #staystrong #buildbackbetter

Life in the Time of Coronavirus, 8/5/20

Five months of quarantine, and we are thankful to be safe and well.  We have been staying at home, enjoying everything to the fullest.  We have such gorgeous days of sun, and sometimes we have cooler marine layer days, which keep us comfy. We enjoy our lovely home, yard, views, and mostly each other and our dogs. 

 

Shiny Things

We just bought a new 65" Samsung TV to replace our Sony that died all too soon at 4 years. It is awesome, and was so easy to set up. We're hooked on Amazon Prime, and got a great deal on it, with excellent free delivery.  We're also enjoying cool movies via Prime, which expands our horizons and choices. We are watching new movies and documentaries every night.

Shopping

We shopped at Costco in Vista last week, and spent a bundle, but on so many good things.  Darrell had a cart and I had another. We split up and agreed upon which items we would purchase.  He mainly gets the dog items, water, household cleaning items, beer and wine, and deli, and I scour each lane for the little things that we need for completely great meals.  It all works together, whether it's Costco, or our local Smart and Final. Along the way, we stopped at our favorite Vietnamese Pho restaurant, "Pho Guys" for take-away. Love their food!

Entertainment

I've gotten used to having most of the talk and cooking shows being recorded from home. In fact, I love the real and sincere nature of these shows more than ever.  I feel as though I know the stars as people. This dimension has given them a soul.

Home Sweet Home

We continue to enjoy our pool and hot tub.  Our pool service tech takes care of both every week, adding whatever chemicals are needed, and keeping things perfect.  Our yard groomers visit once per week to do their magic, and make our property look like a park.  

Our passion fruit are just starting to become ripe.  We had the first two today, and they were delicious.  Meanwhile, our lemons are growing and tangerines are ripening. We have a lot of bees, so I bought a couple of bee watering stations. They aren't using them yet, so if you have advice, please let me know.

So Much Turmoil

There is still so much to worry about.  It becomes overwhelming.  The virus is still out there. People are sick and dying. We are all limited in what we can do. We are still stuck, waiting for help.  We need tests and vaccines asap, but even in such a great Country, we don't have easy access to testing, and vaccines are still farther out on the horizon.  I feel sad for us. We believed that we were so much better and stronger than we really are. And we're not even through the first wave of this horrific virus.  It is a shame.

Then there are the race issues.  As the protests continue, I hope, but wonder if anything really will change?  It is difficult to change a culture. Can we? I sure hope so. It begins with each of us.

Peace

Friends, if you've read this through, I thank you for hearing me out.  I wish you good health and peace. Until next time. Peace. Love. Hold fast.  Find your calm in the chaos.  #peace #love #holdfast

Life in the Time of Coronavirus, 7/27/20

Five Months of Quarantine
There is a philosophy that says that if you can stick with anything for 90 days, you can change your life.  We're way past that, and we have truy formed our routine.  We mostly stay at home, enjoying everything about this lovely place where we live. We clean, cook, exercise, relax, love our dogs, play games, talk and reminisce about all of the wonderful things that we have experienced in our lives. We talk about our parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, and those who have passed. We have so many blessings to be thankful for. Our lives have been richly blessed, and we are thankful each and every day for this.

Weekly, we take a drive to check in on our local society, before we visit the grocery store.  We see the beaches packed. Only about 50% of those walking around are wearing masks. It gives a false sense of security from the unseen virus.

Resurgence
We are having a huge resurgence of the virus in California, despite having great experts doing their best to protect and guide us.  I believe this is because of a number of factors: people not abiding by safe social distance and masks, visitors coming from other places and not abiding by safe practices, many let their guard down and acting like these are pre-virus days, and then there is simple complacency, because many people still do not believe that there is a virus.  Some even think that losing small percentages of our population is acceptable, which I do not agree with.

Our Governor is all over this, every day, and it makes me angry that people blame him for both failing to support us and criticize him for, "making them wear masks and be outdoors". It is his responsibility to invoke measures that help to save lives, in spite of the freedoms that we think that we deserve.

It is my firm belief that most of the States, including California, will have to lock down every 1-2 months until there is a vaccine that works and is safe, which is looking like Spring or Summer 2021, to vaccinate all who will be willing to do so.

Things that I Think About and Questions That I Have
There are so many questions and things that we ponder, when it comes to this virus and disease and how it is changing the World. It scares me to think about it, as we already have had so many issues.

Here are some of my questions:

• When we have vaccine candidates, how will we be able to tell which one is the best one for us?
• Will there be enough of the vaccine? Will people be fighting for it or shunning it?
• Who will be prioritized and how for the vaccine? 
• What will the residual effects of this virus be? Will they be genetic?
• How will we be allowed into other states and countries?  Will there be a stamp on our Passports to show that we have been vaccinated?
• How will children go back to school?  I think that distance learning is an answer for many, but that means that someone has to be home with their children, and many have to work.  I think rotating the students through in smaller groups, safely distanced and sanitized between classes may be worth a try.  All would have to have masks and maybe shortened class times. But then we have to have a solution for the parents who are working.  It's complex.
• We are generating tons and tons of additional garbage with disposable masks, PPE, gowns, rubber gloves, plastic silverware, plastic and styrofoam containers, other plastic and disposable paper products. How are we dealing with this? Where is all of this extra waste going?
• Once things open up again, I think it will be difficult to trust that things are okay.  There will always be the fear that another outbreak will happen.  Can we ever truly be safe again?
• The World is no longer our Oyster.  We are World travelers, and love to explore everything.  Now we discuss the future, and how we may not be able to travel anywhere for the foreseeable future, which makes me extremely sad.

So Tired of this Virus

I'm so tired of it, as I know you are too.  I pray every day that it is over and we are done with it, but I know we still have months to endure. We have to stay strong, keep helping each other, keeping the faith and holding fast. Until next time, I wish you good health and peace. Here is a sunset for you.

#staystrong, #itwillgetbetter, #holdfast

Life in the Time of Coronavirus, 7/17/20

Our Backyard

It has been over four months of quarantine... and it's very sad.
While life is still good here for us, I know that so many are suffering illness and loss, and it makes me so sad.  These are truly the craziest days we've lived through, and it's probably going to get crazier as things become more dire.

It has been over four months of quarantine... and we are in a resurgence.
We're right back where we started, and seem to be headed for worse.  In my previous blog entries, I wrote about things that I thought might happen and here we are, as feared, with resurgence throughout most of our States.  Our healthcare workers grow weary. Our economy continues to waiver.  Our federal government continues to fail us miserably.  People continue to act as though nothing is wrong. They won't wear masks or abide by safe measures.  They fight with those who try to enforce safe measures, at what cost?  Who are we?  What have we become?

Today, our Governor, Gavin Newsom, announced the criteria for opening or closing schools and districts.  It doesn't seem right to put the students, teachers and administration at risk. I know that it's complex, but distance learning seems to be the best answer until we have better solutions.

The riots seem to have died down, and protests are peaceful.  I do hope that positive change will come from all of this.  But we seem to forget important things very quickly.  We need to wake up and change things for the better. This is our chance at greatness instead of mediocraty. Let's respect each other. God loves us equally. We should too.

It has been over four months of quarantine... and we strive for normalcy.
We stick with our routine. We grocery and hardware shop. We go for local car trips to see how things are going.  Have had a few friends over for socially safe visits. Have visited a couple of safe outdoor restaurants and pubs for a bit of social time.  Most days, we stay in and enjoy our home and our dogs.  We add little things to our home to enjoy our stay-vacation.  Amazon Prime, Wayfair, Overstock and others must be booming with our orders these days. I am so thankful for all that do the work to fulfill and deliver our orders.

It has been over four months of quarantine... and no end in sight.
We yearn for normalcy, but there is no end in sight.  Still praying for a vaccine. At the rate things are going, I repeat what I posted in my last blog entry.  I believe all of us will be infected with Coronavirus and/or COVID-19, it's just a matter of time and whether or not we will survive it.  And it will be part of our lives for the rest of our lives, hopefully, a nit over the decades. I worry most for our healthcare workers.  How much more can they endure, as they face waves and waves of pandemic sickness and death?  I pray for their strength.

It has been over four months of quarantine... and I know that things will get better.
We know that this too shall pass, but we don't know when. As things just start to look more promising, we step backward.  This virus is something we never expected, and there is still so much unknown about it.  We have the most brilliant minds in the World working to race for a vaccine and they are getting closer every day.

I continue to be hopeful.  We are all so tired of this virus and can't wait to be done with it.  It will run its course in its own time, and we will learn to deal with it, just as we have so many other horrific things that we've faced.  Let's stand together and continue to live peacefully, help each other, stay strong, hold fast and keep the faith.

Until next time, I wish you peace and good health.

#staystrong, #itwillgetbetter, #holdfast

Life in the Time of Coronavirus, 7/8/20

Looking Back
It has been four months since we started our quarantine at home, with limited trips to the grocery store, a couple of local restaurants and outdoor pubs. We ran into local friends whom we had not seen for months. It was good to see that they are safe and doing well.

Whenever we go out publicly now, wearing our masks and keeping socially distanced, I still feel ill at ease; almost as though I am doing something wrong. There are so many people who don't wear masks, don't social distance and probably don't believe that the virus is real. When we're around them, we are tempted to let our guard down.  But we can't.

It's the Real Deal
We don't want anyone to tell us what to do or how to feel. But we have to go by what we think is right for us and others around us. So, if staying a safe distance, wearing a mask and washing our hands makes us and others safer, why shouldn't we? These are very simple steps that can help save lives.

I think that the obstacle here is disbelief that the virus is out there and that it can kill us.  Since we can't see, smell, taste or touch it, so many aren't believing that the news reports we hear and see are true. But there are so many reports from so many credible global sources. If you look at the data and information and think about it, I hope you believe it.  It's real folks.

The other day, I had a thought, which sadly may become reality.  That is that we will all be infected with Coronavirus at some point, in the coming months. The question is:  will we survive it?  Will we be asymptomatic carriers?  Will we get sick?  Will we die? It is difficult to contemplate.

I pray that we will have a vaccine by the end of 2020.  In the meantime, our lives are on hold. Four months later, we're still stuck in place.

It's a Mad World (Pardon My Rant)

I am so tired of this virus.  With all of the technology, science and sophistication that we have, how could this happen? How could we let so many people die? How could we be so ill prepared? 

So many sad things happening, all at the same time: Coronavirus, COVID-19, sickness, death, crashed economies, rampant unemployment, divisive and corrupt government, innocent people killed in the streets, protests and riots, anger, despair, desperation.  I understand the passion that goes with all of this.  We are tired and angry, and we are showing it.  I just hope that everyone can keep it together and hang on until things get better, which they will. We just don't know when.

Being at Home with Our Dogs Brings Comfort

Our Safe Haven
We are so grateful that we have our safe place -- our home.  We have each other, our dogs, our friends and neighbors, which makes us feel peaceful during this time of uncertainty and unrest.

We had a poolside 4th of July weekend. The weather has been perfect. We've had a couple of friends here for a visit (safely). Gives us hope and helps us feel normal.  We did a road trip yesterday to Oceanside Harbor and Beach, the Strand, and our Carlsbad Village. After that, we stopped for a few groceries.

Generally, we end up poolside around 3-5 p.m., listening to our local radio station that plays 1970-1990 hits.  We talk and reminisce about so many things. We have so much time to think about the past, while we ponder our future and what lies ahead.

It's Like A Marathon
Over a decade ago, I did multiple marathon events with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training organization. They taught us how to incrementally increase our training efforts to eventually run a 26.2 mile marathon.  That training has helped me through numerous life events, from marathons, to losing loved ones, to these COVID-19 days.  It definitely made me tougher.

Me in the Lake Tahoe Marathon, 2009

We are all doing this marathon together, and we are stronger than we think.  Keep on keeping on.  Until next time, I wish you all well.  #staystrong #itwillgetbetter #holdfast

Sharing a Beautiful Full Moon

Life in the Time of Coronavirus, 6/27/20

Happy Birthday to Us!

It's My Birthday! 
Today is my 61st birthday. It feels somewhat uneventful this year. Normally, Darrell (birthday is June 24) and I travel to some exotice place, or our regular fall back, which is Lake Tahoe. We've spent so many birthdays in so many special places, and I am so thankful that we did everything that we did when we did it. I miss being free to do whatever, whenever.

Because of COVID-19, we celebrate from home with brief visits to local Carlsbad Village locales that practice safety measures. We have been to local restaurants and bars that are doing a great job of keeping things safe.

Today, we had lunch at my favorite, "Pho Brothers" restaurant in Vista, had a visit to a local pub to play Keno, and later, visited our local, "Islands" restaurant to have a couple of martinis and a decadent birthday dessert.  It was a very excellent, low key birthday.

Let Us Eat Cake

Darrell Easter's Surprise Birthday

Surprise Zoom Birthday

My husband's (Darrell Easter) birthday was June 24th. I arranged a surprise Zoom party with his two sisters, Debby and Darcy and brother-in-law, Dennis, and brother, Don, sister-in-law, Becky, and Mary, my sister, and Dan, our brother-in-law. We wished him a happy birthday, told him funny stories, sang him the birthday song, caught up on life, and laughed so much about Don's antics, as well as Mary and Dan's Zoom backgrounds. Don, Becky and Debby Zoomed in from Sebring, FL, Darcy and Dennis from North Carolina, Mary and Dan from Milpitas, CA.  It was about an hour long party, and it was a blast! I recommend it for everyone.

Will Life Ever Be The Same?
I think not. We quarantine. But we still do little things, such as grocery shop, visit a safe restaurant or pub, and even with great care, we risk being exposed. It's so strange to be in what seem to be normal circumstances, yet knowing that this invisible virus may be hiding in any breath.  What a horrible curse this is that we cannot be close to and love one another in the ways that we want to, to hug, to kiss, to be close. It is so sad and it fills me with despair at times.

Strange Days

What We're Doing
I finally was able to get my hair done by my hairdresser, who moved to a new salon in Solana Beach.  She's moved to a little boutique salon, that has a nice vibe.  We arrived a bit early, walked around, texted her and she was ready to take me.  Upon entry, we had our masks on.  She took my temperature and then the overdue four month magic happened.  She colored, highlighted and cut my hair. I am now set for another several weeks, or longer, if we get locked down again. It felt so good to have my hair done once again.

Solana Beach is so awesome. We spent time afterward walking to the beach and had lunch at a very nice little socially safe pub. I'm looking forward to spending more time in the area.

Solana Beach

We continue to keep busy working on home projects, cooking, baking, drawing, playing games and working puzzles, reading, catching up on good movies and series, catching up with family and friends, and trying to stay positive through some of the darkest times of our lives.  Every day, it seems as though yet another challenge faces humanity, and I'm amazed that we are so resilient. I hope that we can endure.  As I write this, we are seeing a resurgence in the virus that threatens all of the progress that we've made. I continue to stay positive and to pray for us. Bless you!

#StayStrong #HoldFast #ItWillGetBetter

Life in the Time of Coronavirus, 6/9/20

Summer Skies

At a Loss for Words
Over 10 weeks of self quarantine and the flood gates have opened upon new and unexpected events.  Another African American man, George Floyd, died at the hands of the police. This travesty piles layer upon layer of so many injustices and deaths that have happened for decades. Sadly, these crimes against minorities continue to go on and on for generations.

We are shocked and saddened, and we are angry; so angry for all of the travesties that have been going on for the history of humans, especially for people of color.  We can be such a mean, self righteous and judgmental society, as we hypocritically claim to be holy, peaceful and accepting.  I think this is America's shame.

Time for Change
There are many marches and protests every day. People are expressing their grief, concern, anger and passion about how much they want things to change. I understand how they feel and sincerely hope that we can bring everyone together for the better. We are WAY overdue for change.

Compare and Contrast
When you think about other difficult situations in history, our current issues may seem minor by comparison.  For us, it's been just over 10 weeks of turmoil from COVID-19.  By contrast, the Civil War and residual fallout lasted for over 4 years.  World War II lasted for almost 6 years. The Vietnam War lasted for almost 19 years. I'm not trivializing things, but in the scope of life, what we are experiencing now does not compare to these historical events. We must endure. We haven't ever experienced so much tragedy, in such a short time, in our lives. We are inexperienced, intolerant and impatient.  We are so used to the status quo that we had, which we will probably never see again in our lifetimes.  We needed to wake up and care about what is truly important.  We're getting a huge dose of reality, and it's painful.

Buckle your seat belts for a turbulent ride. It's not over folks. I feel that there is much more to come.

Safe at Home with Selective Outings
We still stay at home 99% of the time, and are blessed to have a great place to retreat.  We've had a couple of errands to pick up online orders, grocery shop and to take three of our dogs to the vet for essential check-ups.

The vet visit was interesting. I was able to get appointments for Sara, Brody and Bones, all the same day that I called. Prior to this, could only get in for sick or emergency. We were to stay in our cars, call and the Vet and Tech came out to us.  They took the dogs inside for their check-ups and came out to relay all information. It was like a drive-in vet visit, but it went very well and we are all set now, which is a relief after waiting 3+ months to see our vet.

Today, we went to Carlsbad Village to check how things are going.  There was a lock down over the past few days because of protestors and potential violence. Most of the shops boarded up their windows, and some are still that way today.  The protests here have been peaceful and soulful. Lots of police cars patrolling, but all peace. There are lots of tourists here to enjoy the perfect weather, ocean and beach. I can't blame them for wanting to get away from the extreme heat of the inland deserts.

Carlsbad Village Boarded Up

For the first time in over three months, we decided to have late lunch/early dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, "Barrio".  Their staff is always friendly and welcoming, and the food there is great. We love their soups!  We spent a couple of hours there, enjoying chips and salsa, chicken soup, pablano soup and drinks. They are operating at 50% and following all of the State rules for social distancing and safety. It felt so good to be out again, amongst other people who felt the same way.

First Meal Out in 3 Months at Barrio

Everyday Life Continues

Our Poolside

We are living, "Groundhog Day" every day. When I wake up, I have to remind myself about what day it is. They are all melting together, and much the same.  However, we insert new things to mix it up and challenge our brains.  I work out, do puzzles, take ukulele lessons, draw, sew, garden, cook new recipes, including my first bread from scratch, spoil the dogs and enjoy being online.  Darrell always does the heavy duty housecleaning, extra yard work, home maintenance, laundry and so many other things for us.

My First Loaf of Sourdough Bread Made from Scratch

Time Flies

It is most interesting to watch the reruns of the various talk shows to see how much has happened and changed from month to month. While they are on vacation breaks, the reruns reveal how dire and how ridiculous so many things have been. In a nutshell, our Federal government has failed us in so many ways. Thankfully, our local and state governments have been strong and consistent.

The Future
With all of the close proximity protests, I feel that the virus will peak again soon.  The numbers may even ramp up to where they were a month or two ago.  I know that we are more prepared now with PPE, ventilators and other essentials, but what about our healthcare workers? Can they endure multiple rounds of deathly ill patients and death, yet again?

Exhausted Healthcare Workers

The Hope
Last week, I spoke with my Aunt, who just celebrated a significant birthday.  She has gotten through some health issues and is feeling much better. Her message is that while we are here, we all have work to do. As long as we are alive, we all have work to do.  So keep on doing your good work. #HoldFast #StaySrong. #StaySafe. And know that *ItWillGetBetter

Until next time, I wish you peace.

Life in the Time of Coronavirus, 5/29/20

Us!

Over Nine Weeks in Quarantine
We've been mostly at home and safe for over nine weeks.  I've lost count of how many times each day we hear the words, "Coronavirus" or "COVID-19". Some days, I have to tune out and limit my news and media exposure.  It's very stressful to not only deal with the virus, but also with the tragic and sad events of the World.  So many sick and dead, protests and riots in the streets, people out of work, families with hardly any means, no food and even locusts wreaking havoc in other countries.  So many people are angry and taking it out on others. And our Federal Government continues to pat itself on the back for doing, "Such a great job". Um, "No!" It is the saddest time that I've experienced in my life, and I do hope that it gets better.  I'll turn 61 next month, and I'm sure that life will never be the same for me as it was just a few short months ago. Maybe that's good? We took so much for granted. Didn't we?

What Happened to Us?

We claim to be the most advanced Country in the World, but we certainly haven't shown it.  At this writing, over 364,000+ people have lost their lives globally to COVID-19, and 104,000+ of those were in the USA.  We rested on our laurels as we saw that huge virus storm coming. We weren't prepared at all.  The tidal wave of Coronavirus/COVID-19 washed over our country with a fury that we never anticipated.  It took weeks (rather like days in virus time) to get ventilators, PPE, and the most simple of things, such as hand sanitizer and face masks, into the hands of our healthcare workers who needed these most, and then longer to get them to the everyday citizens.  It still grinds me that the CDC said for weeks and weeks that we did not need to wear face masks, which are now mandatory.  So many things are so wrong, and so negative. It is frustrating and disheartening. It makes no sense.

There are Bright Lights and Hope

Sorry to be such a bummer, but this is how I feel.  Now for the bright side!

There are positive things that give me hope:

• Our San Diego County and California State Governments continue to move forward with sound strategies and plans to relax restrictions. All have very specific guidelines to follow, but it is good to see things come to life once again.
• Despite all of the bad news, our Carlsbad community continues to be vibrant and kind.  People are pretty much the same as always here - laid back. I don't notice anything that makes me wary.
• While the economy is absolutely nuts, our financial managers are keeping us safe. Being retired, that is a big concern.
• We are getting closer to having home tests and a vaccine.  This monster virus is going to be on Earth, maybe forever, so we need to have ways to fight it off.  Since we don't have a vaccine yet, we need to test regularly. I'm envisioning once a month tests that are mailed to our homes, or we can pick up, and we mail in or drop our tests, get results and know that we are safe to be around others. Once the vaccine(s) arrive, we will probably get them annually.   
• No matter what virus comes in the future, we have learned and 'should' be more prepared.  We should never again let our guard down.  How could such a thing happen in 2020?  This little monster changed the entire World, as we know it.  

We Have Settled into Our Quarantine Lives

Life is good for us here. We want for nothing, which we are grateful for.  We live in such a beautiful place.  We stay home pretty much every day, enjoying our home, yards and pool.  We cook new recipes every day, play games, do projects, classes, artwork and puzzles. It's good to work other parts of our brains. 

Outings

We have been doing outings once each week to drive to the Oceanside Harbor and Beach and then through Carlsbad Village and Beach.  The restaurants are opening to sit down eating, with modifications.  We still notice that almost no one under 25 wears a mask, and only about 30% of all we pass wear masks.  The beach rentals still seem to be thriving, but many places are up for longer term lease or rent.  Our Carlsbad Farmer's Market reopened last week, and there was a 20+ person line waiting to get in on Wednesday, all social distanced and masked, thank you.

We went to our Village Smart and Final and picked up a boatload of good, fresh grocery items again.  There is a young man outside the store who retrieves the shopping carts and sanitizes them for all of us.  All of the workers have masks and most have rubber gloves. I'm so thankful for this store because it's so close and has pretty much everything you would want, even fresh flowers and plants.

Wishing You Well
Please hang in there. Be safe. Be kind. We're all in this boat together, and we will sail through this virus storm into safe waters.  Keep the faith and hold fast. Until next time. Here's a sunset for you!