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.