When we had children at home, this scenario was my dream. I used to wish a disaster (but not too bad of one) would happen and my husband would have to stay home from work and my daughters would stay home from school, and we would all be cozy and warm and happy at home together. We would play games and put together puzzles and cook and just relax together. And now millions of people are living the dream. The dream plus anxiety. That part isn't so great. If you just didn't have the anxiety!
We are isolating from everyone. Really, pretty much everyone. We had previously scheduled meetings with all of our children and grandchildren during this time. All were canceled. Other than Ken going on his daily morning walks and twice a week bike rides, we have no face to face contact with anyone. And he keeps very socially distant from others while doing his exercise. There have been a few exceptions to our social distancing:
We had an Internet technician in our home most of one afternoon trying to get us hooked up in March.(that's the worst one) It had been scheduled for about a month and we went ahead with it.
Our sprinklers needed repairing, so Ken had to go to Lowe's to get a new part.
He also had to go buy a new router for our computer., but Best Buy was set up so that there was no human contact.
A few weeks ago, he did the early morning seniors shopping at Smiths and then Costco. We are not doing that again. Way too many people.
We have done two Walmart pick up orders, but the person never came within six feet of us, just put the groceries in the trunk, and we sanitized all of the bags and groceries. We also washed each fruit and vegetable.
It has been well over the two-week gestation period since we got within six feet of anyone.
My motto is: Zero contact= zero possibility of infection.
And so we hunker down and go on about our lives, hoping this will pass quickly. Mostly so I will remember, I wanted to record a "normal" day during the quarantine:
Ken gets up early in the morning and goes through his morning routine: wash, shave, prayer, exercises, reads emails. Then he goes on 1 1/2 hour walk. He tries to stay 6 feet from anyone else and is successful. Since the golf courses are closed, he's found walking on the one near us provides easy social distancing most of the time. Or he hikes Webb Hill behind us. He finds his beloved trails along the Virgin River have just too many people on them. (St. George has a wonderful maze of trails that take you all over.)
I get my exercise mostly in the house. My goal is 5,000 steps a day. I have a specific route I walk through our home, a circle that is about 100 steps. I only have to do that 50 times! It is a bit grueling. I have a route outside, too that yields about 300 steps. Either way, the steps are much harder to get than my usual in-the-pool stepping. I listen to audible books and conference talks while I walk. It eases the pain.
We each have projects we work on during the day. Ken has been doing lots of yard work, putting in our garden, mowing, etc. He also is digitizing his missionary journal with Dragon speak. So, he goes downstairs part of most days to work on that. He also works on finances, budget, all the usual stuff. He also has been repairing and repainting all of the outside door frames on the house. I saw a funny picture on Facebook of a man up on his roof, vacuuming it. That will be Ken if this quarantine doesn't end soon. He has to be doing something.
I continue to work on family history, blogging, indexing, reading, preparing my next gospel doctrine lesson (I have the April 19th one ready, but it looks like no church will be held on that day. So I'm starting on June 7th-my next one) and practicing the piano. I have set some goals for piano and am really enjoying practicing. It brings peace.
We work together on cooking, cleaning, and household chores. Ken has tried his hand at cooking a few things on his own, and is always willing to be a great sous chef.
Most evenings, after studying scriptures together, we go downstairs and watch a movie or episode. We have Netflix dvds come, and in between their arrival, we usually watch an episode of a show. Lately, we have been watching, "Call the Midwife."
We had scheduled visits and activities with all of our family during this time. All of that was canceled. It was difficult when Kristen and Jared drove right through here and couldn't stop to see us. But we are so blessed to have technology that keeps us close and lets us view into their homes and be part of their activities. We text on a group app. and everyone texts almost every day. This Friday, we will have family game night (adults only) via Zoom. I have noticed that they all call a lot more lately, too. Even the grandkids. We have had some great chats with some of our grandkids. We LOVE when they call. Is there a better sound than, "Hi Grandma!?"
We had our temple recommend interviews via Google chat this morning with one of the bishopric counselors, as ours expire this month. Ken does his priesthood interviews all on the phone. We text with those we minister frequently- some daily. Our neighborhood has done some cute things for the kids: bear hunt (everyone put out stuffed bears and the kids and parents would drive by on a bear hunt) Easter egg hunt (same idea), etc. We chat with neighbors across the way (it's more like shouting.)
On fast Sunday this month, those who wished recorded their testimonies and posted videos or written testimonies on our ward Facebook page. It was almost like having a fast and testimony meeting at church. We enjoy our weekly sacrament meetings in our home. They are sacred and special.
We were so uplifted, as I'm sure you were, by general conference. And the worldwide fast was an experience to remember forever! I joined a Facebook group started by a missionary inviting all the world to fast. People from literally everywhere, of every religion (Buddhist, Muslim, Jewish, Antagonists, Athiests, and some I've never heard of, and, of course Christian) joined the group and fasted. Their posts deeply touched my heart-- so many humbly asking to be part of it, and asking how to fast. Many, many who have stopped their church activity in our church joined and felt the spirit again in a new, powerful way and were reminded of their testimonies.
It
helped me see maybe one of the purposes of this affliction- to bring people
together in unity and to God. It was most likely, in all the history of the world, the single day with the most people fasting ever.
This is our new normal. We hope and pray with you and all the world that those who are working on a cure will find it quickly, those that are working on a vaccination will find it quickly, health care professionals will be protected, buoyed up and strengthened, those that have the virus will be blessed and healed, and that all of us will be wise and stay home if we can.
On this beautiful Easter Day, we declare our gratitude for Jesus Christ and for His infinite atonement. May God bless you and keep you. Amen.
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce
