What is your new normal?

We’ve had a couple weeks to change from what we were used to doing to our new normal, which in most cases isn’t close to what we want to be doing. What is your new normal?  What are you doing to keep sane?

For us, these are some positives happening in our new normal:

1. Spending more time walking outside. The dogs are very happy. 

2. Checking in with friends and family more. Taking the time to listen to them. 

3. Time to garden

4.  Opportunities to give back globally by making masks

5. Time to make healthy food and meals

6. Necessity is the mother of invention - new ways to communicate. My exercise group is using Zoom to stay healthy. This is actually working out quite well 

7. Time to enjoy the all the blooming spring flowers and trees

8. Continue to quilt with Linda Zubler virtually. It was a good day. 

Linda is on my phone talking while we quilt. Still need to quilt it but that will be our next time we get together!

The need to wear mask may not be a positive but it’s great that more and more people are wearing them when going to the grocery store. 

Even though we aren’t able to be on the road camping, we have our motor home set up and can sit outside (when the weather cooperates) at the fire pit. 

This is how we are surviving. Hope you all are doing as well as you can in this strange, hard to believe, scary times. 

Blogging through Covid-19

Even though we aren’t on our way to California like we expected, I decided to keep blogging so I’d have a record of how we are spending our time and to tell friends and family how we are doing. 

We have the motor home parked in her carport, but she’s facing the fire pit. As the days get nicer, we’re  “camped out” there!

Hope you all are walking some. We try to get in a 3-6 mile hike a day. We’ve mostly gone in the State Game Lands which is just about 2 miles from home. Yesterday Bill decided to dig out his bike to get in a little more cardio since he can’t go to the gym. Lenny was funny. He doesn’t like when we aren’t together. He tried to keep up to Bill but his little legs just couldn’t make it, so he resigned himself to walking with me. But he kept watching for Bill. 

Since we aren’t usually around our house this time of year, we don’t see the spring flowers. They are certainly a bright spot!

As soon as the weeping cherry tree blooms, I’ll get a picture of that and my dogwood tree Drew got me for Mother’s Day many years ago. 

Before we left on our shortened trip, we had bought an Instant Omni Plus appliance to take the place of our toaster oven. We use our toaster oven much more than the big oven since we are only cooking for 2!  When it stopped working, I decided to upgrade a little to the Instant Omni. It can air fry, toast, bake, roast, and rotisserie. The only thing it doesn’t do is microwave!  We’ve been using it quite a lot. 

Bill made a rotisserie chicken in it that was very juicy and tasty. 

He’s baked bread in it too. It even proofs the bread. 

I’ve been making masks to send out to the hospital where Shannon and Carl work, plus some for friends. 

Guess it’s a good thing that I have a stash of fabric!  The elastic is the hard part to find but I’ve had friends send me some. Tamara Downsbrough dropped off a tin that she had from her mother-in-law, Cathy Hostetler sent some and Kerry Richards brought some headbands that can be cut and used. Necessity is the mother of invention. I’ve probably made at least 100 so far. 

Since Kya (grandkid) and her friend Kiana are living in our downstairs apartment while going to college, I’ve moved my sewing room upstairs. From time to time, I’ve texted her to bring up more fabric for the masks!  Linda Zubler and I can’t wait till we can get out to the fabric stores to buy more fabric  to keep our stash going!  

Desperate times call for desperate measures - my exercise group is exercising via Zoom. We had so much fun catching up and exercising, of course. I was so happy that 7 of the ladies were able to download Zoom and log on. You just never know where your blessings will come!

I’m still working for the National Pesticide Safety Education Center (NPSEC) helping them deliver educational courses online to support extension pesticide programs across the US. We meet at least once a week via Zoom. Keeps my brain from atrophy!  

Since there aren’t any new sporting events to watch on TV, yesterday ESPNU showed the Wrestling Nationals from 2010 (when PSU hiredCael Sanderson) - 2019. It was fun reminiscing those times. 

Well that’s it for Palm Sunday. Hope you all are safe and slogging through social distancing. If you need anything, let me know.