Life in the Time of Coronavirus, 1/16/21

Navigating Life in Such Uncertain Times

Welcome to the year 2021, a year of new hope for the beginning of the end of the virus, with vaccines and other measures, and for a new, more caring government that will help right so many wrongs that have been done over the past four years.  

Happy New Year?

But wait...  we are already off to a very rocky start. Thousands of people are still dying every day and the vaccine distribution system is in chaos.  The transition of leadership in our government has been a complete nightmare, with a bully who refuses to accept his defeat.  In addition, last week, we had a group of our own citizens attempt to attack and overthrow our government.  Not only that, but we have had to protect all of our capitols with military forces because of the threats of violence to come January 17-20.  I'm certain that there will be scuffles, but I pray they will be settled peacefully and quickly.

As in many other places, we have to lock down in our homes in SoCal because the virus numbers are so high, the new strains are horribly contagious, and our hospitals are overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients in the ICU's. Being at home is a comfort, but every day still feels like Groundhog day.  It feels as though we are existing, but not really living our lives as we would love to do.  We've only been out for a few Vet visits, grocery shopping trips, picking up food from local restaurants and taking an occasional drive to the Oceanside Harbor and then along the beaches.  

We observe that many in our area still do not wear masks, many restaurants are defying State guidance by still serving outside, and if you didn't know that there has been a deadly virus for over a year now, you'd never know it here because it looks to be business as usual all around us.

I don't know how you all feel about this, but frankly, it frightens me that everyone is still taking it so lightly. 

Wondering When We Will Get the Vaccine

I hope that we will get the vaccine in April or May, if this supply and logistics mess can be sorted out, but if it's later than that, we'll wait. We've waited this long, we can certainly wait a little longer.  I think that I will probably cry when I get it because I will be so relieved.

Markers

When I think about it, I haven't:

• driven our cars in four months (Darrell always drives us)
• had my hair done since July
• worn makeup or jewelry but two times in the past four months
• curled my hair to look presentable twice in the past two months
• worn shoes but maybe seven times in the past two months
• worked out -- I twisted and strained my knee seven weeks ago and am icing and bracing it

Sometimes, I feel as though I'm becoming a shut-in. Thank God for Darrell and our doggies to keep me company. Can't imagine being alone.

Sad News

Our first Spanish Galga, Bless, whom we've had for almost ten years, fell ill on Christmas Eve.  We've since learned that she has several tumors, the worst of which is one on her spleen.  She is on four medications to keep her strong and comfortable.  We aren't certain how long we have, but we'll take every day that we're given.  She is doing well so far. Still eating good, happy and pretty active.  We know that the days draw short with our precious, gentle girl. She has been such a great dog, and we love her so much. 

My Wishes for 2021

• That everyone in every country has access to and is able to give the vaccines to its citizens as soon as possible.
• That COVID-19 becomes nothing but a horrible memory to us.
• That the citizens of the U.S.A. will stop hating and fighting against each other and begin working together.
• That we'll be able to be together with our families and friends once again, to hug and kiss once again.
• That we'll be able to go out to movie theatres, shops, concerts, public gatherings, restaurants, pubs, wineries, etc, and enjoy our social lives.
• That we'll be able to travel again. Whether it's across town or across the World, I yearn to be able to safely travel, to experience other places and people. This is something I now dream about and am so glad that I've done everything that I have thus far in life.

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

#holdfast #itwillgetbetter #buildbackbetter #staystrong

 

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