Hi everyone! I know it’s been a while since we posted anything new, but we are all fine. I figured I should give you an update so you wouldn’t worry. Sheila and Bridget are looking over my shoulder and said hi!
Sheila had three gel injections in her knee since surgery didn’t quite do the job and it’s now improving enough so that she can work in the garden for half an hour on sunny days. That makes us both happy. I’ve hated seeing her struggle with the crutch to get up and down the stairs, and now she doesn’t have to. This week she even swatted my hand away when I reached to help her up the front steps – crutch free. Every day, she does a few strength building exercises at home and rides our standing bike as well. Her limp is nearly gone and her stride is almost smooth again. She is determined to get all the way back to normal. That gal has grit. 🙂
My sister from Texas came to visit us and after the entire world became a hotbed of germs, we invited her to stay for the duration. What seemed at first like a crazy flu that occasionally sweeps the globe, has turned out to be much more aggressive and deadly than anything we’ve seen in our lifetimes. It seemed smarter to have sis bunk with us, rather than travel back home 1200 miles away, not knowing what services would be available on the road.
All these restrictions at first seemed like they were wild government overreach, but we started following the world news and saw what was happening in other countries. Facts and figures about the new cases and deaths jump every day now. The worldwide stats are staggering. Any numbers I post here will be out of date before I press the key on the keyboard.
This is what I have heard most often to be true:
Distancing works. Staying home except for food and essential services runs is better for everyone in helping slow (and maybe even stop) the Covid19 progression in this country. Store deliveries are not available in many areas of the USA, so for those that must shop in person, being careful about the six-foot rule is smart.
Washing hands and cleaning surfaces in the house helps keep you and other family members from getting sick. Check out this video about why 20 seconds of hand washing several times a day will do the trick:
Wearing gloves when exchanging money or handling products in the store is also a good lifestyle choice right now.
Normal routines are out the window while the kids do distance learning and parents work from home. Sheila’s sick leave ended just before Covid19 became a big deal and now she’s all set up to conduct classes online. The school system did a couple of trial runs and everyone officially starts Monday. Our neighbors have set up schedules that have become the new practices, accommodating the fact that adults and children are all in the house together all day long. Chores still need to be done, and now everyone is pitching in. One of the guys down the street told me (from six feet away) that he’s teaching his son to cook on the grill. A family that cooks together has a lot more fun, IMO.
The families in the neighborhood that seem happiest about this disruption spend time with each other in the evenings, playing board games or video games together, or actually using those basketball hoops in the driveways. Family exercise – whether walking or riding bikes or jogging or soccer on the lawn – is great. I’ve been practicing chipping and putting into a large box in the backyard. I’ll be soooooo ready for the golf course when it opens again.
We’re staying busy, and with all three of us healthy, we’re coping fairly well during this pandemic. Yes, there are shortages, but patience and careful planning will get us through.
We really are all in this together.
We’re going to the store for groceries wearing gloves and masks we already had. We throw away gloves at home and wash hands/arms really good. We go as seldom as possible.
Lots of home projects getting done!
Nancy West
Sounds like an excellent plan! 🙂