pandemic journal

so, how is it going out there for you? this lockdown, stay at home, shelter in place is pretty tough. here in boulder, we are going into our 7th week and although our new routine and days are feeling normal, there is also a constant hovering of uncertainty, stress, accommodation, patience, coping, etc. etc. i hope you are easing into life as it is at the moment and not expecting too much from yourself or those with you. e-v-e-r-y-o-n-e is dealing with a-l-o-t. 

But, y’ know, i'm going to say it, i feel like there is a hint of a glimmer of light at the end of this dark, confusing tunnel. are you feeling it too?

i have been keeping a weekly diary of sorts during this pandemic. why? i'm not quite sure, maybe to answer future questions of my future grandchildren like, "grandma, why do you put the grocery sacks on the floor and then wipe down everything you buy?" or "why do you take so long washing your hands?" or possibly, "grandma, why do you always walk so far away from me when we go somewhere?" you know, something to help explain weird stuff like that. 

i have entitled each week of the diary the name of the flower bunch i bought on our face-masked weekly shopping trip. fresh flowers have always been a pick-me-up and source of joy for me so i make sure we have them during this heavy need for a pick-me-up time in our life. i will share some highlights from my journal here:

pink lily week:

-pulling straight into myself and my family, can't see past my peeps

-set up whatsapp groups for quick, easily accessible communication with children, parents and siblings 

-china and now italy have highest number of COVID-19 cases and deaths

-fridge and pantry basics well-stocked, encouraging parents and children to do the same

-paul has had a terrible cough, nerve-racking  could it be corona?

-nationwide stop to group meetings of 50+ then later in the week reduced to 10+

-movie theaters are limiting number of people in each theater room

-NBA, NCAA have canceled all games

-toilet paper store shelves empty

-brother and sister-in-law have arrived in utah but have turned around and headed back to portugal

-czech republic has closed its borders except for 11 fully monitored border crossings, ben and kensey are hunkering down

-church cancelled, will create and send a sunday school lesson to each of my kids in my four year old class to keep connected, i will miss them 

-paul rode his bike to sprouts in boulder to buy tea tree essential oil to put in our diffuser, feels right

-byu has shut down and holding classes online, gabi is staying in utah for now as her work and gym are still open 

-what a year this week has been

-wash hands for 20 seconds, don't touch face

orange tulips week:

-boulder issues "stay at home" order

-only essential stores to remain open, social distancing of 6 feet, no group meetings

-restaurants are closed, but will serve take away and phone in food orders to your car

-schools have closed, starting to set up online zoom classes

-focusing on being in the moment and deliberate especially with routine things, quality of life

-feel so lucky to have our garden and access from home to walking and biking paths

-filled sprayer with a homemade mixture of 1:5 bleach to water, take it with us when we leave the house, bring it with us when we get back to the house

-national parks have closed

-california beaches have closed

-dolphins seen in canals in venice, cities are deserted

-so much down time, finished my cross stitch project i began a year or so ago

-movie theaters closed

-finding time to plan and make best food ever!

-hiking and biking from our house

-people rising to the challenge selling courses online: music, exercise, cooking, art, social media, etc.

-tik tok and other social media is on fire entertaining kids, teenagers, adults too

-health care workers are the heroes of these times

-committed to some sort of exercise every day

-protect your castle, think carefully before lowering your drawbridge

-new normal beginning to feel normal 

sunflowers week:

-at the beginning of the week, gabi drove 8 hours to get home after her work and gym closed

-nicole & brandon, margo & andrew, ben & kensey, sab & maddi are all still working

-practicing 14 days quarantine and social distancing in the house with gabi until we know that paul and i aren't infected nor gabi is infected - super strange times

-netflix each night

-150 sit-ups, 1 minute plank each morning 

-gabi staying in guest room at south end of house for now

-paul moved his office to living room

-usa leading world in COVID-19 cases and deaths

-gabi setting up her work/exercise space in studio

-roxy is definitely slowing down, sleeping most of the day, are her days coming to an end?

-gabi leading cross-fit exercises for me and paul outside

-new york is struggling with large number of cases and deaths

-new order to wear a mask when in public

-paul made homemade biltong!

-shops are limiting number of people inside and marking 6 ft. spaces for people waiting to get inside

-gabi and i are able to go up to the small gym at paul's office, wiping down everything before we touch it

yellow tulips week:

-end of 14 days and none of us have shown sign of corona - no more family quarantine - hurray!!

-gabi has organized to lead a daily 1/2 hour workout session with her instagram friends on zoom

-gabi working hard on byu courses to finish up the semester

-constant cloud of worry, concern and awareness when out in public spaces, can't read people when faces are covered with facemasks

-posted my first instagram story - 1st photos as a couple challenge

-opened instagram account for my golden days nursery school

-working hard on completing content for golden days curriculum

-difficult to remember what day of the week it is

-working hard to set apart the weekend from the week

-worked in garden ALL saturday

-wearing a dress on sundays

-only 2 people allowed into costco on one membership card, gabi went to target instead

-colored easter eggs with gabi

-woke to a huge snow easter morning! not in the mood, do you really have to kick me while i'm down? easy to find dyed easter eggs during our easter egg hunt in the snow! 

-more snow expected - i am guessing its going to be a tough week

-better be the greenest spring ever

-mountain lions are wandering through empty boulder

hydrangea week:

-for easter, paul bought me beautiful hydrangeas - if i were a color, they are the color i would be

-gabi has moved her things from the guest quarters to her bedroom near us, so happy

-all our family is well

-looking at web developers to build my golden days website

-paul working hard but also working on our rental house down the road that has just been vacated by our renter of 8+ years, not a good time! loads of renovating to bring back to acceptable, bleh!

-saturday was the toughest day for me during the pandemic, not sure why, exhausted of the stress i think as well as this 6 month long winter

-high school friends message group has been a plus during all this

-store shelves still missing items: antiseptic wipes, lysol, bleach...  

-rice, water and other essentials people panic-bought are non-returnable

-weekend's snow nearly melted then.....

-20 inches of snow fell thursday and friday bringing our snowfall total to 152 inches for the year, breaking previous 1909 record of 142 inches and setting the all time highest snowfall measurement in a season

-food is game changer - so good

-gabi missing her boyfriend oscar, this is tough for them

-ben suggested all of us make the same recipe and share the results on whatsapp - nytimes cooking springtime spaghetti carbonara - awesome!

-paul's siblings set up zoom meeting for all of them to connect from around the world

-i miss katie, my hairstylist

chamomile week:

here we go.........

hang in there all. i wish you peace, hope, strength, comfort and send you loads of love.