Making it Work
With the addition of two adult children to our household, week three of Covid social distancing required a few tweaks to the plan for Filling Time Between Coffee and Wine. The division of space continues to evolve, as does keeping the pantry and refrigerator stocked. We haven’t hit any major stumbling blocks and attitudes remain cooperative!!
As I wrote in a previous post, we had resigned to do our food shopping on-line as it becomes increasingly dangerous to visit the market. That idea stalled, due to a shortage of ‘personal shoppers’ in our local market and Malcolm is once again our designated procurement officer. We haven’t abandoned the idea completely and will revisit that option as the dust settles.
It has been at least a year since I last used my sewing machine, but providing Malcolm with a face mask was reason enough to dust it off. A search through my considerable stash of fabric remnants produced an acceptable color for my fashion conscious husband. 🙂 Wipes and hand sanitizer complete the outfit. Covering him up and restricting frequency is the safest adjustment we can make for now.
There are numerous patterns on Pinterest that can be used to make this mask, but honestly, just measure from cheek to cheek, cut a rectangle and add 2 or three pleats that will allow it to open up and cover from nose to chin. I attached elastic from side to side, rather than just over the ears, for extra comfort.
Day to Day Happenings
Finding space for alone time has become a new challenge, but as good weather permits, I am spending a lot of time floating in the pool, or lounging on the patio when I need quiet time.
The pool floats are courtesy of UPS delivery, ordered on Amazon, of course.
In the photo on the left I am setting up for a FaceTime chat with friends who live in our neighborhood. It is the first time I have applied makeup in over a month. My girlfriend commented that I looked ‘dressed’ for the occasion. If that means wearing something other than a big tee shirt and baggy gym shorts, I guess she’s right.
The cell phone Tripod that I wrote about here continues to pay dividends as I use it to make FT calls more tolerable. I don’t know about you, but holding the phone while trying to find a vantage point that doesn’t highlight my saggy neck is challenging.
The tripod takes all the guess work out of positioning and is the perfect vanity tool. We had a full on happy hour with our friends that was almost as nice as seeing them in person and I didn’t think about my neck once.
Exercise
Our neighborhood park is still open, but closely monitored for group activities which are not allowed, so I continue to enjoy my daily back board workout there.
Sharing time in our home gym has happened effortlessly and without the need of a schedule. Malcolm still takes his daily walks through the neighborhood and occasionally to the park. I am planning to incorporate water aerobics into our daily activities next week; water temperature permitting.
Watching and Reading
I just finished reading The Woman In Cabin Ten, by Ruth Ware. It is the tale of a travel journalist on assignment aboard a luxury yacht. As in Woman in the Window and Girl on a Train, the main character is painted as an unreliable witness by the author, which keeps us guessing as to what is real or imagined. Good thrill read for those of you who like a solid mystery.
Five episodes of Little Fires Everywhere are now available on Hulu. I read the book last year and loved it. Reese Witherspoon and Carri Washington are perfect in the main roles and I highly recommend this series.
For those of you with a warped sense of humor, you might like the Tiger King series, on Netflix. It is somewhat akin to watching a train wreck in slow motion, but weirdly entertaining. I blame this one on the kids. It was their turn to pick.
Inspirational
A friend sent this YouTube video to me on Palm Sunday and I thought it would be appropriate to share with you today. Without a doubt, music soothes the soul and we could all use a bit of that right now.
For the past month, I have not posted anything new to my Instagram feed. The photographs I share there are generally taken at our local beach, which is now closed. Of course it is killing me, but what’s a gal to do. Last week I scrolled though some older photos, made a few new edits and posted them.
The response was overwhelming and indicative of just how much we need peaceful images and serenity right now. Two of my pictures were re-posted (with credit) on local sites this week and have been very well received. It is gratifying to know that pictures I take are being used to soothe frayed nerves.
Adapting my favorite hobby to our current conditions has been challenging, but editing old photographs satisfies my creative needs at the moment.
Pearls of Corona Wisdom and other Unsolicited Advice
This week looked a little different from last week and that is a good thing. The world is making progress. My advise is to carry on. Adjust your life to ‘what is’ and make the best of your situation. Connect with people you love, take care of your self, maintain some sense normalcy in your daily routine, develop new interests and dust off old ones. Putting your life on hold and waiting this thing out will likely contribute to sadness and even depression and who needs that?
I don’t know about you, but I am beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I watched some YouTube travel videos with my daughter a few nights ago and actually got excited about where to go next. Wishing you the very best this Easter Sunday. Stay healthy.
Picture Retirement 
Happy Easter to you too! And, for some unknown reason, I don’t have a beautiful pool available here. I can’t figure it out. 🙂
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Judy, You could always use it for ice skating in the winter!
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Happy Easter! I too am missing the beach! Thanks for taking me there with your beautiful photos. I also miss my water aerobics class! Now I take walks through my neighborhood instead.
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Happy Easter Beth, walks through the neighborhood are good. Just being outside feels very satisfying right now. Take care and have a good week.
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Wonderful, Suzanne. I am about to write a blog post about my own “turning of the corner” and I am experiencing a lot of the same feelings and thoughts as you wrote so eloquently about. I hope more of us are coming out of limbo and getting on with the new normal.
Stay safe and healthy!
Deb
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Deb, I am hoping my optimism will be supported by facts this week, but in the meanwhile, I will continue to make little adjustments and try to stay positive. Glad to hear you are turning the corner as well. Take care.
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Hi Suzanne, Glad to hear you and your loved ones are doing well. Your pool looks super inviting and your beach photos are gorgeous as usual. The tripod use for FT is an excellent idea although I haven’t had to FT anyone in my circle yet. Some time in March when the Mayor of my city announced cancellations of all big cultural events and festivals until end of June, I knew we’re in this situation for a long haul. My approach has been similar to your advice. Make adjustments and carry on. So far so good. Have a nice Sunday!
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Natalie, it seems childish to whine over little inconveniences when so many people have real problems, doesn’t it? I am grateful that ‘making adjustments’ is the biggest change we have had to make throughout this thing. Glad you are doing well and moving forward with your life. Take care and stay healthy.
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HAPPY EASTER SUZANNE AND FAMILY !!
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Happy Easter Chuck.
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Wow, you have a beautiful place in which to isolate! You look lovely. I’m afraid not even makeup could help me now.
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Thank you, it is comfortable here and the weather is great. No complaints. Thank you for the compliment.I am generally attracted to people for what is on the inside and from the way you write, I’d say your inside is plenty beautiful! Stay healthy.
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Happy Easter, Suzanne –
Thank you for this thoughtful post. Your photography continues to inspire, as did the Father-Daughter Duet.
Stay safe!
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Thanks Donna, It has been a pretty good week. I hope all is well in your world.
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I’ve had a few Zoom sessions with friends and family and find that they are very uplifting… they make me feel normal again (if only for a little while). I’m slowly figuring out not to look like a zombie while video conferencing… thank goodness for YouTube tutorials. I may even break out the makeup 🙂 Malcolm is a trouper… I would think the younger members of the household would take over (although they wouldn’t be able to take advantage of the senior hours, I guess). Stay safe and enjoy your pool float!
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Janis, I installed ZOOM and watched some tutorials to learn it, but have yet to use it. Did you upgrade beyond the ‘free’ package? It seems necessary to have full use and not worry about time running out. Having the kids shop seems logical, but they don’t know our market, the brands we use, etc. which put them in jeopardy for much too long a time. Besides, they really do work M-F from 9 to 6 and even later on some days. Malcolm makes quick work of it. In/out/home and takes pride in his ‘system’. We did find a reliable shopper a few days ago, so now, no one should be going out. Loving that pool float. I put on music, pour a glass of wine and float away…..almost like sunset at the beach.
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Your pool float sounds heavenly! The larger Zoom groups I’ve been in have been hosted by someone who has a premium membership. For the smaller groups, I think Zoom has taken off the time limit for three participants or fewer. It sounds like you have your shopping down to a science… good for you!
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We’re fortunate in that we can still go to the beach (a short drive) to walk. I’m doing my afternoon walk around the neighbourhood. My sunrise pics by the ocean are my little way of sharing the sunshine. There have been only 70 cases in the region where I live – the Sunshine Coast in south east Queensland – but (mostly) everyone is doing their bit to keep it that way. As an aside, you look very put together for your Facetime call!
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Jo, I haven’t seen a sunset from our beach in over a month and am really missing that. I wish our officials would allow beach going, with restrictions, but I guess people would abuse the privilege. My community seems slow to ‘get it’, in some respects, but our numbers remain relatively low to communities further south, where population density is a huge factor. I did make an effort to present myself for the FT chat. Thanks for noticing.Keep posting those beautiful sunrise photos. I will enjoy your beach vicariously. Be well.
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you guys stay well too…
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Hi Suzanne, I am almost embarrassed to say we have completely social isolated for 28 days now. This includes zero shopping. It would be nice to pick up some fresh supplies. We have a great deal of general staples. I used to leave the house almost every day, with activities, shopping, friends. The longer I don’t go out (except for walks) the more reluctant I am to head to the store. Many unusual stories are surfacing. There is the ‘personal shopper’ potential option. I am planning to head out some time this coming week. I have a considerable file on my computer filled with how to’s and the outfit and what to do when you get home.
Very funny on “getting dressed” for FaceTime. For me, it is actually putting on a bra and wearing something other than black. I continue to think about you, Suzanne, on the tripod. I did not get it the week before our world changed. I don’t know whether I want to burden Amazon with a non essential. I am taking a lot of photos within a few minutes of our house.
Stunning photo! I also appreciate the peaceful images. I just played with the Painnt ap with a photo I took on my yesterday walk. On instagram if you are in the mood.
Enjoy this Easter Sunday and I greatly appreciate your Pearls of Wisdom.💕
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Erica, I am actually impressed with your 28 day isolation. If everyone would be even half as diligent, we might rid ourselves of this thing. I could not do without fresh produce. Your local market may have a system in place (ours did), to order online and have someone deliver it to you. That is working for us now and Malcolm no longer visits the market. I used the Tripod again yesterday to snap a family photo on Easter Sunday. I continue to record as much as our lives as possible to add to our annual family photo book. I call them the Covid Pages. Hopeful that there will be some happy/normal times following those pages. With my faux son-in-law in the house, the bra thing is an issue! I am jealous of everyone who can go without!! Your Paint photo is really pretty. That app is a lot of fun to play with. Also, try SnapSeed if you haven’t already. Easy to use and lots of tools. Stay well.
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I am feeling the lack of fresh produce this past week. I will make a plan of attack and head out this week. If I feel too uncomfortable, I will look at ordering online in the future. Thank you for checking out my photo. Since I am staying close to home I may mix it up on my picture taking. I made a note of SnapSeed, and I will check it out. I get it on the “bra” thing, Suzanne, when other people are in the house. 🙂 Take care 💕
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I dressed up for Easter yesterday by wearing jeans and a nice top and earrings. I have been wearing makeup every day but my clothing choices have been focused on comfort. Being home for so long is even starting to make this introvert a little restless. I feel worse for my dad who is living with us and can’t see my mom who’s in a care center right now recuperating from a head injury. It was rough before all this and now we are completely in limbo. I sure wonder where this is headed.
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I have to ask, are you applying makeup for work related conferences, or because it makes you feel better? My daughter had on pj bottoms, a nice blouse and a full face the other day, which always indicates a ‘work call’ on ZOOM is about to happen. Yesterday, I put on a decent top, makeup, and even earrings in celebration of Easter. It felt good.
Caring for your Dad must be challenging and I can only imagine how difficult it is for your mom. I am trying to hang onto hope that this will pass sooner rather than later and we can all resume some semblance of our former lives. Best of luck to you and stay well.
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It makes me feel better. Even before all this, whether I planned to go out or not, I “put on my face”. The only time I don’t is when I’m sick. It’s just part of my routine.
The toughest part about having my dad here is keeping him occupied. He’s not a fast reader but he’s gone through all the books I can find here. It’s tough because he prefers hardbacks and larger print. I did find something on Kindle but he struggles with the iPad. He’ll watch Blue Bloods reruns but needs the volume so high that I can’t be in the same room. And my hearing isn’t even that great!! We’ll manage. We have it better than a lot of others
Stay safe.
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Thank you for answering a ‘personal’ question. I get it. That’s is why I blow dry my hair every day. It makes me feel more put together.
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Hi Suzanne, glad to read that you are all well and staying safe. Strange times for sure, but I do like to get up, get fully dressed and get a bit of make up on. My mum always taught me to ‘always put your face on for the day’. She’s 89 and still does, every day 🙂
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Wow, that’s impressive – 89 and still putting the face on. I was a tom boy growing up and didn’t wear makeup at all until well past all the other girls. I had a boss (female) who insisted on lips and cheeks at the office. She believed color brightened the mood for everyone by making us look less tired.
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I echo your sentiment that we should adjust our lives to ‘what is’ and make the best of the situation. There is no use in griping about all the activities that aren’t going to happen, it will only make us miserable.
We’re clever, creative creatures … we can figure this out!
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Exactly!
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I love it that you got dressed up and dolled up for a facetime chat. I haven’t worn makeup in almost 4 weeks but I’ll put on lipstick if I go on Zoom! ha ha Anything to perk us up. I’ve got a pool but we don’t heat it so I haven’t been able to swim, but soon I hope! Your photos were wonderful! I set my husband up on zoom so he could talk twice a week to his softball buddies! He’s having a ball. We all need our human connections and as someone wrote here, we can certainly get creative on how we handle current hardships. I always remember the story told in a college psychology class that young chimps who were denied touch of their parents or elders or other chimps, did not thrive whatsoever. Moral of the story, I hope we can get back to human touch in the not too distant future.
Susan Gracd
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Susan, I was a volunteer ‘cuddler’ in a neonatal unit many years ago. Human touch is essential to our well-being. On the flip side, I am one of those people who uses touch to convey empathy, but beyond that, I like my personal space. Strange dichotomy.
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We have had reasonably good luck with delivery services and there’s always Amazon, but we find food supplies are limited with Amazon. We used Instacart shoppers twice and both were successful, but it was usually a few days out before delivery, which wasn’t bad at all, but there are fees attached although they were reasonable. Then we lucked out and found a young woman who struck out on her own as an independent shopper and she’s been great. She just charges a flat fee and will shop pretty much any store within a neighboring range.
She’s been a huge help as we do not go out at all, other than to take walks, or pick up/drop off our grandson. We’re fortunate in that the six adults who surround our grandson, are all in isolation so we’re able to still care for him. I call it our “familial” isolation, but under separate roofs.
Stay safe and take care… and let’s hope for calmer days come November.
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Patti, the Instacart didn’t work for us in the beginning, but now we are able to get deliveries within the same day. I don’t mind the up-charge, since it keeps Malcolm out of the market. We have the same ‘familial’ isolation going with Malcolm’s Mom. Our daughter and her boyfriend are living with us, and Malcolm’s Mom lives alone. None of us have contact with anyone, so we feel comfortable about seeing her for a couple of hours once a week. Nice to hear from you. Stay safe.
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Suzanne, we had the same conversation with one of our daughters who lives on her own in Vancouver and is presently out of work because COVID has closed her industry. We invited her to come stay with us, but ultimately she decided to stay put in her apartment. We phone a lot.
Rob build me a wooden iPad stand to use for videoconferencing. It has three different angles to choose from, so I can position it to avoid the dreaded under chin angle.
Jude
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Jude, the building where our daughter lives has now developed several cases of the virus and I would be a nervous wreck if she were still there. The IPad stand sounds like a great idea. We gals need a little assist now and then!
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