Pandemic Blues

Today is Thursday, April 30, 2020

- We are at 48 days of social isolation.

- The dollar is worth $ 5.32, the euro $ 5.77 and the pound $ 6.54.

- Gas is $2.60 on average near us 

- Schools have been closed since mid-March and are teaching remotely on-line. This will continue for the rest of the school year.

- There are lines/tapes inside the stores to keep people 6 feet apart.

- Bars and restaurants only for home delivery & pick-up.

- Parks, beaches, and walk-in places are not accessible to the public.

- All sports competitions have been canceled.

- All festivals and entertainment events have been banned.

- Weddings, family celebrations, and birthdays have been canceled. Funerals are limited to 10 people.

- People are doing drive-by parades to celebrate birthdays!

- Young kids can’t understand why they can only see grandparents & other extended family and friends on a screen or thru a window if someone visits in person. 

- Hugs and kisses are not given.

- All church meetings are canceled and the temple is closed.

- We have to stay at least one meter or more away from each other.

- There is a shortage of masks and gloves in hospitals.

- There are fewer ventilators than there should be.

- People are wearing masks in public, some places even REQUIRE that you wear them to enter! 

- Toilet paper, hand sanitizer, antibacterial wipes, and anything Lysol or Clorox is in short supply and limited per person... IF you can even find them!

- Stores are closing early to disinfect everything. (24-hour stores are even closing by 9pm)

- Store checkouts, pharmacies, and even fast food drive-thru windows have added plexiglass between employee and customer. Have to reach around or under to pay!

- You can't find isopropyl alcohol, toilet paper, or hand sanitizer easily. .. supply per person is limited.

- Australia, USA, and Europe have closed their borders.

- Western Australia has been divided into 9 territories & an instant $1,500 fine issued for crossing the border without a valid reason. (Transport workers, Essential services, etc)

- No one is traveling for leisure. Airports are empty. Tourism has the worst crisis in history.

The above is just a snapshot of the effects of COVID-19 on the world. As for me, I'm seriously starting to go nuts. I am normally a very optimistic and productive person. But the last few days, I literally have ZERO motivation to do anything productive. I feel like I just wander around the house half the day, looking for something to do! Steve is working from home, the boys have classes most of the day every day, Olivia is taking two online classes and working full time as a nurse's aide at a local convalescent home. But all my post-graduation plans of substitute teaching came to a screeching halt when this all hit and I'm really struggling to find my purpose and spend my days in meaningful ways. 

I decided this morning that I needed to start making a list of a few "real" things to get done each day. So today, I organized my cookbook shelf. 

Here's the "Before"

And the "After"!

I sewed the binding on a couple of baby quilts I made over the last few months. 

Also on my list for the day... "sit outside in the sun and read for an hour", which I did!

I'm fed up with politicians and the feeling of our civil liberties being stripped away. Today it was announced that all California beaches and state parks are closing indefinitely. I just don't get it. It feels very political in many ways and I am trying really hard to not get sucked into that black hole of anxiety and frustration.

One bright spot has been all the hilarious memes floating around regarding the Coronavirus. Here's just a couple from the last couple of days that gave me a chuckle!