Sunday Salon/Coronavirus Diaries, April 19th

Photos taken at the 2018 Tulip Festival in Mt. Vernon, Washington. Photo credit: D. Bennett

Weather: Partially sunny. I worked in the yard for a short time and then Don and I went for a drive in his convertible. It wasn't very warm but good for April.

Staying at home: We venture out to the store to buy groceries and this week we went to a nursery and purchased a few azaleas to replace dead ones or to fill in spots that need some more color in the yard. Otherwise we are here. Don works from home and I piddle around. This week I cleaned off the kitchen desk which I use as a spot to pile up stuff. I  also created a new bulletin board display above the desk. I put new felt pieces on the legs of the kitchen chairs, a chore that should have been attended to months ago. Today we planted some seeds in a little "greenhouse" thingy in hopes to give the seeds a nice start before it is warm enough to reliably put them out. It has been so dry this April we actually turned on the sprinkler one day this past week. Otherwise you will find me doing puzzles (I'm on my 8th right now) or reading.

Good things about the Stay-at-home order:

1. We are using almost all the vegetables and fruits that we buy instead of wasting half of them to rot because we neglected them for too long.
2. Likewise, meats and foods in the freezer are coming in handy and allow us to not have to shop as often.
3. Our yard is way ahead of where it usually is by this date in other years in terms of spring prep.
4. We are both calling friends and family more often, staying in touch and catching up after months/years of neglect.
5. The dog loves it. He gets walks almost every day.
6. Don fired up his sports car, got it tuned up, replacing the battery and alternator so we can now take little jaunts and get some wind in our hair. Our first trip was to deliver a few things to our daughter and so we got to see our grandson, wearing masks, of course.
7. We "attended" two church services on Easter, both of them remotely, one of them in our pajamas.

Bad things about the stay-at-home order:

1. I'm pretty distracted finding it hard to do anything for a long period or stretch. This makes reading slow going. My progress on Lonesome Dove could be described as plodding. I'm over 80% done but I've been reading it for 6 weeks.
2. My hair. Need I say more?
3. I'm sitting around a lot. 
4. Favorite things like the Tulip Festival are canceled.
5. Toilet paper worries.

Coronavirus news is so depressing and overwhelming. It is time for a few funny items about what is going on:

1. Staying at home in levels

2. That's funny. I don't care who you are. That is funny.

3.  Whine. Whine.

4. Vaccine delays

5. Easter 2020

6. New skills

7. Where are you? I think I can hear you, but can't see you.

Fred below. George above. Photo credit: C. Bennett

Stay healthy. Stay home!

Anne