Life in the Time of Coronavirus, 3/27/20

I Pray for the World

#PrayForTheWorld
Day 15 of our self-quarantine. We are still doing well. Both of us are taking our vitamins, exercising, and staying clear of others, except our five dogs, who are even more delighted that we are home 24/7. I still feel like this is a dream that I must awaken from.  It is so horrific and it is getting so much worse exponentially every day, especially for the USA, because we were not properly prepared, and our government has let us down, BIG time.

Our New Daily Routine
We normally get up mid-morning, watch, "Good Morning America", then, "Kelly and Ryan", and then, "The View".  I'm really glad that the daily shows and news are keeping us up with the times, even though it is challenging having the hosts working from home. There's something different and refreshing about it that makes them real, like us.

Thank You for Keeping It Real

I'm having a blast with recipes for all of our meals. We used to skip breakfast a lot, but now we look forward to it every day. I'm trying low carb and keto recipes for our meals, and they are super delicious. Our doggies eat any leftovers, so nothing goes to waste.

Before or after breakfast, we usually do some house cleaning.  I've also been catching up on more sewing and mending, which is shocking to my husband.  I've started a needlepoint project, which I've had for several years, but never took the time to start.

Long Postponed Needle Point Project Has Begun

Around 1 p.m., we begin our exercise, which for me is working out on our elliptical machine and then yoga. It feels so good to work out, and it brings so many good things to us. We are fortunate to have a lovely room to escape from our normal routine and do our workouts. So peaceful. Soon, we'll be able to use our swimming pool, and we also have our hot tub to relax in.

We feed the dogs at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. each day. Their tummy alarms go off about an hour before each meal and they get really rowdy. They are spoiled, and we wouldn't have it any other way.

It's Good to be an Easter Doggie

We have Happy Hour sometimes around 3-5 p.m., and just had a fun Facebook Messenger Happy Hour with two of our local friends. It was great catching up with them and sharing experiences, as we haven't seen them for over two weeks. We continue to keep in touch with our family and friends via phone, Facebook or chat.

We continue to watch lots of TV, movies and keep up via the Internet, especially Facebook.

We like to sit out in the sun, in our beautiful backyard, and to get our vitamin D.  We enjoy all of the Spring fling beauty, as it unfolds, with flowers and plants blooming, bees doing their work, and birds singing their songs.

Our Artichokes are Almost Ready

Grateful for Those Who Are On the Front Lines
Last week, we had groceries delivered from Sprouts and Costco, via InstaCart. Today, we had dog food from Chewy delivered via FedEx.  We should not and cannot go out, yet these folks risk their health every day to deliver essential supplies to us.  Thank you so much to the workers who continue to work every day to provide us with food, medical supplies, mail, deliveries, home services of all kinds.

Thank You for Delivering to Our Homes!

Every day, we watch as things become more dire for our healthcare workers and their patients. How do they do what they do and not give up? They are becoming overwhelmed with the sick and dying, yet they go on, even at the risk of getting sick and dying, and/or spreading to their loved ones.  I have watched so many sad videos and read so many articles and posts that tell me that we truly face a tsunami from this virus, the likes of which has never been seen. It will take thousands of lives in this Country.  Blessings to those who are trying to help.

Our Heroes Try to Take Care of Us

We Had An Outing

The Flower Fields at Carlsbad, CA

Last Saturday, we took a short, nearby trip to the Carlsbad Flower Fields. Everything was closed, but we were able to go to a road above the Fields, near LegoLand, to see them and take some photos,  It was a perfectly beautiful day. There were a lot of people there, but everyone kept a safe social distance. After that, we drove up the Coast, back to Carlsbad Village, and then home. It was shocking to see that the beaches were packed..  People were out in droves, and not keeping social distance whatsoever. The Village was busier than on a normal day. One would think that nothing was wrong, which is so wrong.

Carlsbad Beach was More Crowded than Usual

Everything is Much More Locked Down
Since we don't seem to be able to police ourselves, the State and local governments have resorted to closing all beaches, parks, trails, and even the water for surfers and swimmers. Anyone who does not comply could face a $1,000 fine and/or time in jail.  As if the police don't have enough to do.

California Beaches Locked Down

We Haven't Even Seen the Worse Yet
California is an epicenter, but we are still probably 2-3 weeks behind New York. This will be devastating to all of us. We sit helplessly and watch as the tsunami heads straight at us. We do what we can, giving to organizations who desperately need our help and try to cope to keep normalcy in a time that is absolutely crazy.  We have plenty to get us by for a couple of months, and have even bartered with our neighbors for paper towels for TP.  Everything is tightening up and locking down, which is good and scary, at the same time. All the while, we sit in our safe bubble at home. So bizarre!

Tsunami is Coming to the USA

The Market
We had a call with our Fidelity Financial Advisor on Monday. We discussed our concerns and strategies for the days ahead. Basically, we've concluded that since the virus is disrupting everything in such strange ways, it is an anomaly. We've decided to stay the course. As the virus decreases, the market will come back to normal, because it will be strong, and there will be pent-up demand. Just have to suck it up for now.

Stay the Course

#StayHome #StaySafe
Please stay home and safe. Self quarantine and pretend what you would do if you had the virus. This protects you from others and others from any exposure you may have had. We have weeks to go, so hold on and be patient.

#HoldFast
Hold fast. Keep the faith, and know that this too shall pass. It will take time and patience, as we've never had to endure anything like this before.

Bless you all. Peace and health to You and Yours.

Life in the Time of Coronavirus, 3/20/20

#StayHome
We're on day eight of our voluntary quarantine at home, which is now a statewide order in California. Gavin Newsom, our Governor, has been giving regular updates and announcements. Yesterday, he locked us down. We are to stay home, however, we can still venture out for essential errands, go for walks, be outside, but are to keep a six foot social distance from others, and are not to be in groups of more than ten people.

Governor Gavin Newsom Locks Down California

We see a few cars driving by our house, but traffic is sparse. Occasionally, we see service and delivery trucks pass by. I wonder how it must feel to still be working, going to people's homes and sometimes into homes to provide services. It must be scary for these workers.  Our pool and lawn service staff both came yesterday, at different times, and did their weekly maintenance. I would think that working outside is a good thing for those who can.  Likely, safer from the virus.

Every few minutes, my iPhone is buzzing with news updates, and most everything on the news is frightening. At times, I leave it in another room and try not to check it for hours, so that I don't have to process yet more bad news.  Despite what some would tell us, we seem so ill prepared for this catastrophe. I think the scariest thing is that our healthcare system is not ready for the coming storm, and I fear for the workers. It is sad that we had been warned and watched this virus make its way to the USA, but did not ramp up on medical supplies and Personal Protective Equipment in advance, and are now scrambling for solutions.  It's a very sad state of affairs, considering that we are one of the richest nations in the World.

Hearts Full of Thanks for Our Brave Healthcare Workers

While we watch several news updates and press conferences each day, we tune out for the rest of the day to do other things, watch shows on HGTV, the Food Network, HBO, Showtime, and anything that takes our minds off of current events. It's surreal watching the talk shows and hosts, as they have gone from studio audiences, to no studio audiences, to broadcasting sitting six feet apart, to broadcasting from home, and now to reruns of shows that were filmed just a few weeks ago, which seem strange, considering how optimistic we were and how quickly life has changed.

Forming Good Habits
While our life savings are being lost daily because of the volatile stock market, we are saving money by not going anyplace and not eating out. This is teaching us some good things about how much you can save making your own meals, as we did enjoy frequenting our local restaurants. As a result, we'll likely make an effort for a better balance when it's safe to go out again.

Our first order from Sprouts via InstaCart arrived today, Costco order will be later today.  It was all produce from Sprouts, which we washed thoroughly. The woman who shopped for and delivered our order did a good job of substituting for items that were out of stock. She wore a bandana and gloves when she came to the house, and kept a distance. They are now saying that we will likely have a produce shortage in the coming days because of the virus, so enjoy all of the fresh stuff that you have right now.  We also increased our AutoShip order for the dogs on Chewy.com, so that we get more food delivered more frequently. Even so, all of their shipments are delayed about 5-7 business days, so prepare accordingly, if you expect regular deliveries from pretty much anyplace.

We have an extra room off of our garage that we were using for storage.  We've made it into a sun/exercise room, and have started working out every day. I'm using the elliptical machine and then doing yoga. We are also walking the dogs to get out of the house. Easier to focus on the micro things in life right now rather than on the macro. We are forming good habits instead of worrying about things we can't change and that helps a lot.

Getting Outside to Walk the Dogs Lifts Our Spirits

Vanity Goes Out the Window
I haven't been out in public in days, outside of walks on our street. Haven't put on makeup, done my hair, or dressed to go out.  It will be weird to do so again. I've been thinking about my hairdresser. My next appointment was to be in four weeks. Now I'm thinking that I'll have to do my own haircolor, which is a daunting thought. I'm going to text her for advice. I'm sure all ladies who have a hairdresser are thinking the same. Yikes!

Will My New Do Look Like Phyllis Diller's? Yikes!

Trip to Spain and Portugal Becomes Local Trip to Carlsbad Flower Fields
Last week, we cancelled our May trip to Spain, Scooby (my favorite animal shelter in Spain, where I volunteer), and Portugal. We were to meet up with three friends from the East to volunteer and travel together. Sad to have to postpone, and hope to be able to go in the Fall.

This weekend, we'll probably go out for a drive to the nearby Carlsbad Flower Fields to check them out from a distance. They only bloom for a couple of months, and it would be a shame to miss out on seeing them. Not as exciting as our European trip, but we must do what we must do.

Planning to Drive Up and Take Photos of the Beautiful Carlsbad Flower Fields

Spring is Blossoming
Life goes on and Spring is in bloom in California. It is beautiful! Our trees and flowers are blossoming, and the birds are singing their lovely songs. I make sure to take time to appreciate how wonderful nature is, and that we have so many things to be thankful for. We have to hang on, stay vigilant and safe as we can be, and stay as positive as we can be. Hold fast!

Wishing You Good Health and Peace.

Life in the Time of the Coronavirus, 3/17/20

Beautiful San Diego, California
Who'd Ever Suspect that We Face Such Troubling Times

And So It Begins
Struck me this morning that it would be a good idea to keep a blog/diary of all of the happenings related to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, as things are so very strange, scary and happening so quickly. Every day now, we awake worried about what happened while we were asleep and what the new day will bring.

This is surreal, like a frightening sci-fi movie, or a bad dream that should end when we awake, but it does not. We are so uncertain about how long this will go on and what the outcomes will be.

Here's what's going on in our part of the World.

Watching the Outbreak
For me, it all started when I heard that there was a terrible virus outbreak in Wuhan China in December, 2019. It seemed so far away, yet still menacing. Every day, the news became more grim with so many hundreds, and then thousands of people being infected very quickly and many dying a few days later. I had read a, "National Geographic" magazine article many years ago about the, "Virus Hunters", who are doctors from the CDC who travel around the World, looking for the most deadly virus candidates that threaten global health. These are then factored into the formulas for our annual flu shots.  I realized that this virus in Wuhan was the epicenter of a horrible outbreak Few saw it coming.

Over the past few months, we all watched it march its way around the World to soon reach us. Sadly, we were warned and should have acted much sooner. This will cost many lives and more pain and suffering than necessary.  But it is what it is, and now we all must do our part, try to cope and move forward as best as we can.

Events Progress Dramatically Day by Day
Huge changes are happening every day. The last time that we were on a social outing was Wednesday, March 11. Our friends took us on a tour all around San Diego County.  Even then, crowds were sparse in areas that are normally full of people, highways were very quiet, and you could feel that something wasn't right, even though it was a perfectly beautiful day.

Our Last Outing in Public on March 11

Beginning March 12, we decided to stay at home and self-quarantine to try to avoid the virus. In this blog, I'll share what we have been doing to pass the days, stay safe, as well as insights and thoughts about life in our little part of the World. We're here in Carlsbad, California, a lovely beach village, with a tight-knit community, friendly people and good neighbors. Right now, everyone here is hunkering down, mostly staying home, trying to stock up on things to be able to make it for 2-4 weeks. Things are changing by the minute.

What Has Changed
Within days, we have gone from 'wash your hands', to 'don't hug or shake hands', to 'don't be around crowds of 250 or more', to '100 or more' to now '10 or more', and to 'stay 3-6 feet apart from one another'.  As of yesterday, anyone 65 or over is advised to stay at home because of potential health vulnerabilities.  Some communities, such as Santa Clara County, where we used to live, are now locked down to home, with only essential local travel allowed.

We are watching this unfold on the Internet and on television. Everything is going from bad to worse news, which is disheartening. Presently, it feels like we are in our house, in a safe bubble, isolated from the rest of the World, while we watch so many countries suffering through the worst of this virus. We feel helpless about what to do to help them, knowing that it is here now too.

The Economy
Not only are we threatened by this deadly virus, but we are also watching our economy and savings slip away daily. As a retired couple, we watch in fear that our life savings will slip away into the abyss, from which, we wonder whether we can ever fully recover. Although we have invested wisely, and our money is managed, we believe that it will take months, or even years, to get back to where we were even a few months ago. I don't even want to look at our balances. :-(

The Stock Market is so Crazy, We Fear Watching it :-0

Coping with Everyday Life
What are we doing to deal with the day to day? We are on a stay-cation at home with our five dogs (who love it). We are doing household chores, cleaning, and projects that we've put to the side. I've been cooking all sorts of new recipes, which we enjoy. Did some mending of clothing that I've avoided for years. We bought an old-school hockey game, and we have tournaments every day. We laugh our butts off because it's so silly, but so much fun. We watch a lot of TV specials, movies and news. We're on the Internet a lot, especially Facebook, looking at our family and friends updates. Overall, this time at home is stress-free and peaceful, outside of the external stress about what is going on in the World.

Our New Old-School Hockey Game is a Blast!

Yesterday, I ordered groceries via InstaCart.com, from Costco and Sprouts, which will be delivered on Friday. It costs about 10% more, plus a tip for the delivery person, but worth it, considering our current state of affairs.  Yesterday, my husband dared to venture out to WinCo foods grocery, nearby our home. He waited in line for 30 minutes before it opened, along with 15 people in front of him and 12 behind.him. They only let 30 in at a time. Things were picked over. Only napkins, no other paper products. He scored good produce, even bananas, and other supplies we needed, in addition to what will be delivered on Friday. He said that it was creepy being there, and also sad to see people having to decide what they could afford to purchase, considering they had little money and everything is so precious and somewhat expensive.

Darrell Waiting in Line to Enter the WinCo Foods Grocery Store in Oceanside

Strange Days, Indeed!
These are very strange days. We've never experienced anything like this in our lives.  When we get through it, I pray that we never see anything like it again. Let's stick together, stay home, stay safe and stay as positive as possible. We know that this time will pass, we just can't yet see the end. So hold fast!

Hold Fast!

Hang in There!

"Ooh child
Things are gonna be easier
Ooh child
Things'll be brighter

Some day, yeah
We'll put it together and we'll get it undone
Some day
When your head is much lighter

Some day, yeah
We'll walk in the rays of a beautiful sun
Some day
When the world is much brighter"
https://youtu.be/dguz0IsCuKU

Happy St. Patrick's Day!