Life Lately

Good morning friends! I hope that you are well, did you have a nice weekend? It was a quite weekend here, and the weather was fabulous. Lately the weather has been at least 10-15 degrees cooler than normal, little or no humidity, in other words perfect summer weather. I have been spending every minute of the weekends outside on long walks, or sitting on the front porch with piles of books, magazines and the pups watching the world go by and chatting with the neighbors. 

I don’t know about you but I am feeling all over the place lately. The last few weeks there seems to be an overwhelming amount of negativity, and hatred on social media. It is as if there is a “free for all” to attack people on all social media channels, not just about current events, but everything from their kids, to decor, how they live their life, where they shop, what they read, cook, their religion, and more. I realize that we have all been sheltering in place for 3 months, many have lost friends, families, jobs, their livelihoods, marriages and more, but I am not sure how unleashing your frustrations and anger at people about what they write on their blogs is the answer. 

I feel restless and lonely, I want to see my family and friends. I want to go “home.”I want to make plans to travel to visit them but when, and how is a challenge. Should I fly? Should I drive? When will it be “safe?” Is September too early, should we just skip any and all travel until next year? If we travel is it dangerous to see my 80 year old dad or my 92 year old mother in law? Do we wait for a vaccination? 

I had a conversation with a friend last week about the same thing, she is from Paris, her mother is 92 and suffers from dementia. She cancelled her trip there in March over fear she would be stranded there, now she is afraid to make plans to travel there in August because she isn’t sure it will be safe to fly. She is also excited and afraid because her daughter is having her fist child in October, in NY when the ” second wave” is supposed to hit the US. My friend is 70 and is in the high risk group, her concerns are not only for herself but for her family, will she be bringing the virus to them, will they give it to her? 

Somedays I wake up and watch the news and feel as if I am living on a different planet, does anyone else feel like that? Some places in the country are back to business as usual, they are on the beach, having parties, at the gym and in living their best life. 

Here things are s-l-o-w-l-y opening, but to do anything seems like a huge undertaking. Haircut? 6 week wait for an appointment, if you do get an appointment you have to wear a mask and gloves, you cannot have a haircut and get your hair dyed the same day, you must text from the car and they come to get you to escort you into the building. Vet appointment? Car side vaccinations, examinations only if there is an emergency and if you have two pets as I do, you cannot bring them at the same time or the same day. Gym? Just opened, but you cannot use any “shared equipment”, no weights, no treadmill, no bikes, no machines, what is left? I am not complaining at all, merely commenting about the differences in how things are where I life compared to other parts of the country. 

I am afraid, things are spiraling out of control, now people want to take down the stained glass windows in churches of Mary and the baby Jesus????? I can completely understand the Confederate statues, but I cannot understand Mary and Jesus! 

For the most part I am happy as a lark. I am enjoying the slowed pace of summer, the bbq’s and time soaking up the sun. 

I have no idea what the “new normal” is going to look like or when we are going to approach anything like it, so I am just going to continue to “live my best life”, as Oprah says and stay safe. 

Tell me, how are you feeling? Is your state or your life feeling “back to normal?” Have you traveled? Any plans to travel? What are you doing to stay safe?

Have a great day and if today is voting day in your state please get out and vote! It is a privilege to be able to vote and something that many do not exercise.