Friday, April 3, 2020

Update during Coronavirus lockdown



One month ago we stayed at a B&B near Santa Cruz- our last big outing

Happy to report the LaMonts are well. Aging in place during the pandemic.

The weather is a California Spring delight. The tulips have already peaked, and the redbud is just beginning. My major chore of the day was to refill the bird feeders and hummingbird feeders, and then sit and watch the little critters fly back and start eating.

We have been in semi-lockdown mode for almost two weeks, and do not expect it to end for another few weeks. Our county has been lucky so far, only three know cases and no fatalities, but we know how it can explode if folks get careless.
Everyone is nervous, or should be.

Pretty much everything we normally do is shut down. No music. No poker. No travels. Even routine trips to the grocery store are off for a while as our daughter insist on shopping for us. She is the queen of disinfectants, and gets very upset if we do much more than take a walk.  Our days have a routine which is pleasant: we get up slowly, eat late, take a walk or do Tai Chi, and then find a chore or a task before lunch. Lots of time spent on the phone or computers. The afternoons are similar, but usually include a nap. We signed up for Netflix so at night we watch TV shows we have never seen before or read. So far that includes Crown, The Derry Girls, and lots of NCIS.

Chores recently included making the birds happy, cleaning out a closet, unpacking boxes of 50 year old photographs, moving furniture around (that is Pat's favorite thing) and short walks to the post office and paying bills. Probably sounds familiar.
I find I am spending about 20 or more hours each week working remotely with the non-profit at the state park, trying to keep things intact and staying in close touch with the state folks about what we need to do to support them.
Pat is closely engaged in looking out for other people by phone and computer. She is part of our parish care ministry which normally helps with rides and food and comfort. These days it is making sure no one is isolated and their needs are being met.
Our church is providing services via Zoom, and we stay in close touch with neighbors and friends by phone or yelling from the front yard. It is a major advantage to have good weather and a front porch to sit on.

We get along well so obviously, this is not a hardship on us.

Our son Zack is in Spokane, and was laid off his job, but he manages.
Daughter Ruth closed her toy store, and the town is shut down, but she keeps busy at home. Her son came home from college to finish his sophomore year on his computer. Her husband telecommutes, and has been very busy because his job is to help corporations set up ways for people to work from home en masse, as in call centers in India.
Granddaughter Delaney lives with her fiance in the Bay Area. She works from home at her job doing genetics research for Lawrence Livermore and her fiance is working at an emergency room helping screen patients.
We worry about them, though we know they are very careful.
They have a rigorous drill about disinfecting and both are okay. They may be headed for the Boston area next Fall for graduate school. 
Zack's daughter Katie is living near him in Washington state with our great-granddaughter Jamie and all are staying healthy. 

The largest impact so far on our family is that Delaney's wedding, which was to be next week, has been postponed, but everyone is taking it well.

The weather is good. The family is good. And our friends all are good so far. 
(The only bad/sad news is that our long time friends Ed and Hellen Willhide's son died this week, not related to the virus, and they are heart broken as we all would be. Keep them in your prayers.)

Life and death are with us all now and at all times.
Our lives continue in a quiet path.
Can't ask for much more good news for us personally.
Love to you and yours

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