Covid 19 Continues

Wednesday, April 1, 2020

Well, I’m still here;-)

Still feeling a little punk, but no temp, no cough.  May it stay that way.

Slowly cleaning and decluttering.  Yesterday I did two kitchen drawers and an upstairs closet. No need to hurry as we will be on lockdown for at least another month.  Now the end date is April 30th, but of course it may be extended.

Saturday, April 4, 2020

Today I’d like to provide you with a flavor of what is life is like during the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic:

+     Stay at home order in effect for 90% of the country

+      Social distancing in effect
 staying at least seven feet away from one another when out of the house

+     Face masks recommended when out of the house 
        > Face masks difficult to get
         > I’ve ordered supplies to start making my own which I will distribute to family and friends

+     Non-essential stores and businesses closed
         > Happily liquor stores are considered “essential”

+    Working from home is the norm
         > Mark, Ev, Bart, Justin and Bujee are all working remotely. Thank God as that means they are still getting paid.

+  Unemployment at record high 

+    Entire Sports seasons cancelled

+      Concerts, tours, and entertainment events cancelled

+     Weddings, family celebrations, holiday gatherings and funerals cancelled or postponed
         > Joe likely will not have an in-person graduation ceremony
         > Mark, Justin and Bujee already had birthday celebrations that had to be cancelled. 
         > Chloe’s 1st birthday celebration is very likely to be postponed. 
         > We are hoping to be out and able to celebrate Michael and Joe’s birthdays.
         > No Easter dinner with family

+     All schools closed and most offering remote learning
         > Lyons Township has online classes for Joe and Michael
         > Regis has online classes for Bart
         > Cherry Creek has online classes for Maddie, Izzie and Alex
         > Mae and David being homeschooled by David and Claire

+  No masses, churches closed

+ No gatherings of 10 or more

+   Parks, trails and entire cities shut down

+     Stores limiting number of people in at one time
         > Therefore long lines form outside 
         > Tape on the floor of grocery stores to help distance from one another

+   Panic buying has resulted in bare shelves
         > Especially for sanitizers, TP, even some popular cereals and mac and cheese

+     Shortage of masks gowns, gloves for our front-line workers such as doctors, nurses, and emergency responders. i.e. firemen, police, etc.
         > This shortage puts them at a very high risk of contracting CoVid19

+  Shortage of ventilators for the critically ill

+  Medical workers afraid to go home to their families
         > Governor and Mayor has selected hotels open for front line workers to stay between shifts

+   Roads are empty

+   Gas stations empty

+      Manufactures retrofitting factories to produce much needs items, such as:
         > Hand sanitizers, face masks, personal protective equipment and, especially, ventilators

+   New terms not previously well known have become part of our everyday language
         > Social distancing
         > PPE – personal protective equipment

+     Daily press conferences from:
         > Governor Pritzker – who is doing an excellent job of obtaining and managing scarce resources and keeping the public informed
         >Mayor Lightfoot – who is demonstrating strong leadership
         > Trump – who demonstrates daily how totality self-centered, ignorant and inept he – and those who work for him – are

One day, God willing, this  all will be behind us.  But how it will change our lives is yet to be seen.  

My hope is that once this is over, we look back on it and realize what we missed during our isolation. 

^  I hope we put an even greater value on the connections we share with others. .  . to our family, to our friends and to our neighbors.   
^ I hope we learn how precious these connections are to us. 
^  I hope we never again lose sight of the love and commitment we have for our families; the deep friendships we share with those we know best and the interconnectedness we have with our neighbors and others around us.

And I pray for a new president. One who will bring civility, intelligence, acceptance, and, yes, love, back to our country.  A president of ALL the people.  One who will lead us in the belief that although we may come from many different backgrounds and have differences of opinion, we are one.

And that hatred and prejudice has no place in the United States of America.

Getting our exercise while practicing “social distancing” @ the Mortan Arboretum.