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.