Safe at Home

Easter Bouquet

The social-distancing effort to flatten-the-curve seems to be effective. Slowly but surely, the cases of Covid19 are decreasing across the country. Luckily, the Marco cases have remained low throughout the month of April. We currently have 12 reported cases of coronavirus and zero deaths in Marco.

Pool Zoom

Despite the tedium of isolation, time has been flying by. We enjoyed a sleepover with young Will for Easter. The bunny was good to all of us. My Easter bouquet stayed fresh for nearly two weeks. Will continues to work on the frontlines at UPS with loads heavier than usual for this time of year. We're all so happy to be in the warm climes of SWFL. It is still pretty cold up north, making for a tough quarantine indoors all the time.

Bill has been doing weekly Zoom calls with his partners. They really get a kick out of their poolside gatherings.

Lobster& fennel salad with Merry Edwards Sauvignon Blanc

We have been enjoying an array of meals, treats and sweets coming out of our kitchen. Bill has a sour dough bread starter cooking on the counter. We experiment with new cuisines and so look forward to weekend cocktail concoctions. Our bike rides continue to offer escape and exercise. The golf course is still packed with snow birds delaying their trips up north.

Lipstick and jewelry for wine dinner

We've been supporters of ICCs wine dinners throughout the year. This month, due to circumstances, was a carryout with virtual discussions of the wine and food pairings. It was super fun. We picked up a big box with a three course meal served on china, along with three wines. Our hosts online provided commentary as we enjoyed the pairings. Bill and I dressed up for the occasion and I wore my diamond penguin from Antarctica in honor of National Penguin Day Saturday. And could this be the last lockdown Sunday? May 1st seems to be the date for starting up the economy. Let's hope!

My Nightstand Update

Reading time used to be mostly a bedtime activity, but now, with coronavirus isolation and social distancing rules, reading time is anytime. I just breezed through "American Dirt" without even a blog mention under On My Nightstand. It was a heavy and heart-wrenching read, but a real page-turner. At times, I even dreaded to pick it up because of the violent visuals. Any book I finish is a good book. There are some that never make it to My Nightstand updates.

Covid19 vs. Seasonal Flu

Measures to curtail the spread of coronavirus have placed the global economy into something like a medically induced coma. Stories of joblessness and business failures continue to grow as a result of the global shutdown. The irony is that the Wuhan flu pandemic appears to be far less fatal than the average global flu. Here's a good article on where we stand as of April 10.

H/T Powerline Blog (click to enlarge)

As the World Turns

Frozen in time

Pool noodle to stop ball in hole

It's been a wild ride. Back from Africa on March 7th, and in less than a week, our life turned upside down. Covid19, or the Chinese Flu as Trump likes to say, has taken hold of 180-plus countries and global leaders have shut down the world. It took nearly a week into April before I realized my kitchen calendar needed a flip. No need for a day planner. Every event has been cancelled. Every event.

Social distancing has become the mandate for most of the world attempting to curtail the contagious nature of coronavirus. Governments have dictated what is essential and what is not. WFH (working from home) is the hottest acronym and home schoolers and parent teachers are losing their minds. The one bit of normalcy is the golf course. Yes, the only game in town really. Beaches and restaurants have been closed since mid-March, but golf is still an option. There have been plenty of modifications to the rules of play, but it's better than not playing at all. If you can get a tee time.

We have all downloaded the Zoom app by now.

Zoom with the six chicks

Most of us didn't really know what Zoom was until a Google search provided clues to the popular video conferencing tool. With nothing really to do, yeast and other baking ingredients have disappeared from store shelves. People are hoarding all sorts of items, but most comical: toilet paper. Go figure.

The weather has been beautiful. Between the bike rides and walks, daily exercise is keeping us sane. Easter was so uplifting (no fun intended). Will joined us for dinner in Marco and we video conferenced with the rest of the family. It was the next best thing to being together. Gratitude takes on new meaning during these challenging times.

Chalk art at the park Easter weekend