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SOCIAL DISTANCE DIARY: WEEK 2

Drove to the Dollar Store for a few things, simply because I’m getting cabin fever.  Only three or four  customers–unsmiling, looking tired and worried. Had the feeling the cash register clerk couldn’t wait to get me out the door. But it sure felt good to be out in the real world again.  Social distance diary: Week 2

My grandpa's outhouse was often out of toilet paper. They used Sears catalog, instead
When my grandpa ran out of toilet paper on the farm, they used Sears Catalog. Social Distance Diary: Week 2

Of course, they were out of toilet paper at the Dollar Store. We have plenty, but I was going to pick up some extra. It got me wondering about what people did without tp. There are alternatives. My grandfathers farm lacked modern plumbing.  Sometimes, there was a Sears  catalog next to the wooden seat in the outhouse.  As a child, I took it in stride, even though we had modern plumbing and toilet paper in our city home.

Found an old Tai Chi CD. Now, I practice with it every day. It’s not the same without my wonderful teacher and fellow classmates, but at least I’m not getting rusty, and it’s helping to calm me down. And, it does give me a bit of exercise.

Finally located a cousin who lives in LA. She’s like a sister to my husband, and he was really upset. She wasn’t answering her phone, and her mailbox was full. We were afraid she had contracted covid-19, and maybe even died. But yesterday we got a call from Mount Cedar, Sinai hospital. She’s recovering from pneumonia—not corona. We’re feeling much relieved, and moods have improved.

Talked to all of my children this weekend. Yes, actual conversations, not texting. Their lives in this modern world are much more complicated than when I was parenting. Living in big cities, they’re always on the run, juggling jobs, driving kids here and there. They have very little time to spend on the telephone. But this weekend, they had nothing urgent, and it was nice having a relaxing conversation.  So far, they’re healthy and safe.  Hope no one gets sick.

No mass shootings this week. Empty malls, churches, schools and restaurants mean that  evil people have no targets. I hope they can’t buy more guns during the crisis.

Sunday brunch at home, since all the restaurants are closed. Tried frozen waffles for the first time. They’re amazingly easy and good. Especially combined with sausage patties. And,  sugar free syrup is only 10 calories per serving.

I’m beginning to adjust to the slower pace. The introverted part of me enjoys the solitude.  At least for a little while.

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SOCIAL DISTANCING DIARY: WEEK 1

Sunday was probably the end of normalcy in our house.  Some of our kids stopped by for brunch, but we probably won’t be seeing them in person again for awhile. Everyone’s in lockdown.  Here’s my staying home/ social distancing diary: Week 1.

Tuesday,  shopped for groceries at the new supermarket. It’s an enormous place, and the few shoppers looked grim.  No one smiled,  as we maintained our social distance. The store was  out of meat, eggs, paper goods,  water, and soft drinks.   Strangely , there was plenty of fresh produce and fruit available.  I thought people were supposed to start eating more healthy foods.

Today, I’m wearing the same clothes I wore yesterday.   Usually, I’m involved in so many activities  like card games, tai chi, swimming, walking, etc. that I often change clothes twice a day. But now, I’ve worn the same jeans and t shirt for 2 days. Why? Because , I’m not leaving the house for anything more than taking out the trash, getting the mail, and running to the store for necessities.   I’ll probably put on a clean outfit tomorrow.

Feeling lethargic.  At first, I thought I would start my spring cleaning, or initiate a new project.  But the wet, gloomy  weather and  coronavirus crisis  is sapping my energy.

Cheering up my husband, and trying to fix foods that won’t upset him.  The VA messed up  his stomach medicine, and he’s been without for over two weeks. Worry about the virus is making it worse. Called today and they said the prescription was  mailed Tuesday.  It finally arrived Thurs.  Hope it helps.

Obsessing about new cases, checking the internet.  Indiana Cases doubled in two days. Strangely, each county only reports one or two cases.  There must be more who haven’t been tested.  First case reported in my county last night.

Neighbors walking in the rain alone. Social distancing diary: Week 1
Some people are walking in the rain alone:   Social distancing diary: Week 1

Watching neighbors walking in the rain with umbrellas.  They’re probably going stir crazy.  I’d like to join them, but I might catch a cold.  Then, I’d think I had the virus.  And I probably couldn’t get tested.

Libraries closed.  Reading a Kindle book that isn’t very good but it’s something to do.  Instead of skimming our two newspapers in the morning, we’re reading every single story in great detail.

Playing bridge online.  I can only do this for about an hour before I get bored.

Trying to avoid nervous eating, afraid to step on the scale.  It would just depress me.  I’ll listen to my meditation app, instead.

It’s been a gloomy week.  But when the sun comes out, I’ll take a walk in the park.  By myself.

And thank heaven for the internet!

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DAFFODILS BRING HOPE TO DARK DAYS

The world came to a stop this week. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, many  people lost their jobs.  Almost everything that makes life interesting is closed.  Restaurants, libraries, theaters and concerts, to name a few.  The streets are deserted. The only  way to  socialize with other humans in the outside world is at the grocery store or pharmacy.  We try to keep our spirits up, but the uncertainty is nerve wracking. When will it all end? And yet, today, I looked out the window and my heart soared at  the first signs of spring.  Blooming daffodils bring hope to these dark days of quarantine.

In these dark times of the coronavirus epidemic, blooming daffodils are a sign of hope
In this frightening time of the coronavirus outbreak, blooming daffodils bring hope to dark days.

Daffodils are a special gift from nature.  Just when we’ve tired of winter’s barren landscape,  the friendly little flowers appear on a warm, sunny day in March.  Yes, it may get cold again. It may even snow again. But the daffodils will tough it out and remind us that better days are coming.

I Wandered Lonely As A Cloud, was written in 1804 by William Wordsworth:

I wandered lonely as a Cloud
That floats on high o’er Vales and Hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host of golden Daffodils;
Beside the Lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the Milky Way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced, but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:—
A Poet could not but be gay
In such a jocund company:
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
What wealth the shew to me had brought:

For oft when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude,
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the Daffodils.

Daffodils are a sign of hope and rebirth.  Like the dark days of winter, the coronavirus epidemic won’t last forever.  This great nation will endure and prosper.

 

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IS AGE SIXTY-FIVE THE NEW EIGHTY?

After listening to the Democratic presidential debate last night, my mind was in a muddle. I couldn’t really tell what message  Biden and Sanders were trying to convey.  It  sounded like a couple of angry old guys in a shouting contest.  But just before we went to bed, I heard on the news that someone said all people over age sixty five should stay home during this coronavirus outbreak.   I’ll find out today who said that, but it has me wondering: Is  age sixty five the new eighty?

Should healthy people stay isolated just because their over sixty five?
Should healthy seniors be told to stay at home during the crisis? Is age sixty-five the new eighty?

Most sixty-five year olds I know are pretty healthy.  Thanks to modern healthcare, the fitness movement, and plant based diets,  these newly retired folks are In much better shape than our parents were. It seems like a bit of overkill to me.   Retirees are the ones people fall back on to help out in a crisis—whether it’s babysitting,emergency housing , or other calamities that befall working people.

The recommendation is mostly based on the fact that seniors are most apt to die if they get sick with the coronavirus.  But there’s a slight flaw in that statistic.  It’s mostly the elderly who live in crowded nursing homes  who have died.  They don’t get out at all.  They’re stuck in stuffy, stinky, crowded places where staffers are too busy to wash their hands as often as they should. And the air doesn’t move very fast in those little rooms.

Naturally, anyone who’s at risk should stay at home during the coronavirus outbreak.   But not everyone over age sixty-five has heart disease,  kidney failure, diabetes, or other serious health problems.

So what’s a healthy senior to do?  Should we wear hats to disguise gray hair, and sunglasses to hide our wrinkles. Shall we be arrested for going to the grocery store for a bottle of milk? Is sixty five really the new eighty?

And by the way.  What were those two old politicians doing out in public last night?  Both Biden and Sanders are over sixty five.

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8 SURPRISING BENEFITS OF OUTBREAK

So far, the Coronavirus scare has brought about some positive changes for Americans.   Good things sometimes happen in bad times. If you’re a senior on a fixed income, or someone with a steady job, these are 8 surprising benefits of the coronavirus outbreak. 

  1.  Low gas prices. If you’re still driving to work or running errands, the cost of filling your gas tank is going to come as a nice surprise.

2. Teleworking from home.   What a luxury.  Wearing pajamas all day.  Relaxing, using your own clean  bathroom, saving lunch money.  No commuting time means  much less stress.  It’s almost like a vacation.

One good thing about staying home during the crisis: more family meals together
One of the 8 surprising benefits of the outbreak is that families will eat more meals together at home,

3. Saving a pile of money if you social distance, and stay away from restaurants.   Have you ever figured out how much you spend on meals away from home?  The entrée  price may be low, but then,  there’s  the sneaky way  beverages add to the total bill.  A couple glasses of wine may cost more than the meal itself.  And the added taxes and the obligatory tip may increase your tab by 30%.   Now, you don’t have to feel like a cheapskate if you stop taking the family out to dinner.

4. Get reacquainted with family members.  Play scrabble or gin rummy.   You might even have meals  together.

5. Better health habits.  You’ll probably wash your hands more often, even when the crisis is over. Which means you will be less apt to get colds, flu, and other infectious diseases in the future..

6. Buy a new house.  Low interest rates means more people can afford a mortgage.

7. Cut down on  wasteful spending.  You don’t need a closet stuffed with clothes, a houseful of computers and TVs, and  a garage filled with extra  cars, boats and  motorcycles.

8,  Stop relying on paper goods. Cloth diapers and dishtowels could make a comeback. Anyone remember cloth napkins? We washed them once a week, and fastened them with clothespins bearing our names.

The good thing about being over 80 is that we learned  how to “make do” in hard times.  I hope you won’t come down with the coronavirus.  But whether  you do or don’t, you may find some comfort with these 8 surprising benefits.

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FEAR ITSELF IS ONLY THING TO FEAR

In the depths of the Great Depression, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt said in his induction speech: “This great Nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper…. The only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror….”

In the depth of the depression, Franklin Roosevelt assured the nation, we have nothing to fear but fear, itself
At the depth of the depression, FDR said, “the only thing to fear is fear, itself.”

Initial fears about the spread of COVID-19 were justified.  When you suddenly have thousands of people dying from a new virus with no known vaccine, it’s natural to panic.  Therefore,  the  alarm system  galvanized us into action here in the USA.  We’ve identified the coronavirus,  and the CDC is  doing everything possible to  stop it from spreading here.

But the media has done everything in its power to politicize the virus, and stir up unwarranted panic. There are  about 38,000 deaths per year from automobile accidents.   Does that mean we should stop buying cars?  If we gave in to that type of panic, it would turn the world as we know it upside down.  Goods and services wouldn’t be delivered. Millions of people would lose their jobs in the auto related industries.  No one could  drive to work.

Heart disease and stroke are  leading causes of death.  Why aren’t we worried about obesity,  and the over consumption of red meats  as a  risk factor ? Shall we shut down McDonalds, Steak N Shake and all the restaurants that serve unhealthy meals loaded with saturated fat?  If not, why?  Because it doesn’t make sense.  We know we may or may not get these diseases, so we put that fear out of our minds and go on..

 

If we let panic rule our lives, most of us would become agoraphobics.  We wouldn’t step out our door for fear of air pollution, getting  a contagious disease, having a car accident and all of the other tragedies that result from  every day interactions with our fellow human beings.

My children are more worried about me than I am.  They point out that I’m in the vulnerable age group—over 65—most apt to die from covid-19.  They don’t realize how many adversities I’ve faced–managed to survive- over the years.   Yes, I might get the coronavirus.  I could also have a  heart attack, or be diagnosed with cancer.  While we’re taking common sense  precautions—avoiding crowds, hand washing, etc.–my husband and I won’t give in to panic.   The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.

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HELP! CAT HANGING OUT ON DOORSTEP

To begin with, we are a no-pet household.  I’m allergic to cats.  The two of us are doing well just taking care of each other, and staying in our own home.  However, since we grew up on or near a farm, both of us love animals.  Which posed a real crisis when a stray cat suddenly appeared on our property.  And didn’t want to leave.   Soon we were issuing an alert:  Help! There’s a cat hanging  out on our doorstep.

What do you do when a stray cat hangs out on your doorstep?
Help! Cat Hanging Out on Doorstep.  But then, feline rescue came to our aid.

The cat was full grown and appeared to be well fed.  That first day, it simply napped in the sunlight on our doorstep.  Not the front door, but the side door leading to our  warm, wood deck. We thought at first it belonged to our neighbor. But when it stood on its back legs and meowed at the window, we saw it lacked a white tummy, and was a stranger. It was gone by the next morning, much to our relief.  But that night, it came back and watched us eat dinner at the dining room table. By now it was hungry. Clawing at the window and crying to be fed. We lost our appetite, turned out the lights, and went upstairs to watch the news.

The next morning, the cat was still there, hungrier than ever.    And now we faced a dilemma.  Should we feed the cat or call the humane society?   We opted for the latter, but were told the shelter was full and there was no more room for cats.  Our only recourse was to call the  Animal Control arm of the police department.  This was a Saturday, and we would have to wait until they opened on Monday.

Needing help for our decision, we called our son who owns two cats, and asked his advice. He rushed over and took a picture of the cat with his iphone.  Next, he vetoed the call to Animal Control.  “They’ll just kill it,” he said. Therefore, he volunteered to either take the cat to another city or find it a new owner.  This was around 3 o’clock in the afternoon.

Cat lovers apparently have a network at his workplace.  He issued a call for feline rescue, and within minutes, one of his co workers said she wanted the cat, but we would have to wait until she got off work at 4.  Tensely, we counted the minutes until she arrived.  Would she change her mind?  Would the cat attack her?  Finally, a pretty young girl arrived.  When she stepped onto the deck, the cat jumped into her arms.  She carried it  to her car, wrapped it in her coat, and drove away.  Mission accomplished in a little over an hour.

Was it simply a stray cat, or had some irresponsible human  purposely dumped it  onto our property? That’s one thing we’ll never know.  But we are grateful to a couple of  Feline Rescue’s first responders.