Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update March 18

After that shopping expedition on Monday, Dan and I talked about the situation. We had been reluctant to over-react and had attended worship service on Sunday (about half of our regular folks were there).  I had said "yes" when asked if I'd be coming to ladies' Bible class on Tuesday, and was also prepared to go to our Bell County Genealogical Society (BCGS) meeting on Tuesday evening.

However, President Trump's press conference Monday afternoon convinced us to reconsider our stance and follow his guidelines, including his advice to self-isolate. The guidelines included limiting the size of any groups to under 10 people, and maintaining a minimum of 6' distance between people. I made the decision NOT to attend ladies' class on Tuesday, nor to go to our BCGS meeting Tuesday evening. In fact, we would try, as much as possible, to avoid contact with others.

Not long after that decision, everything seemed to shut down, anyway. Ladies' class was canceled. Our BCGS meeting was canceled. Most restaurants have now closed their dining areas, but are still offering take-out meals. By Tuesday evening our elders notified us that there would be no church services or meetings until further notice. My exercise class first announced that it would be canceled this week (and since then has said the Sammons Community Center, which houses it, will be closed for the next eight weeks). I've never in my life seen such a shut-down of our society. The economy is really suffering, but hopefully, if everyone complies with the guidelines, this will come to an end soon and life can return to normal. One suggestion I read, for helping businesses with their immediate need for cash flow, is to purchase gift cards from businesses we often patronize and use them later.

There are no restrictions on going outside - for walks, for drives, for yard work - so I intend to do some of those things to keep from going stir-crazy. But I am totally avoiding any shopping or meetings.

The good news is that spring is here, and the earth is coming back to life. Our trees have new leaves and our flower bed plants are looking healthy and putting on new growth. It's heartening to walk in the yard and see and smell these signs of normalcy.