It has been two weeks that we've been under the Bell County shelter-in-place order, although Dan and I have actually been self-isolating, now, for 22 days. On April 3, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a recommendation for all Americans to wear cloth masks when in public. Life as usual has been put on hold, and we are gradually becoming accustomed to a "new normal."
This new normal, which has upended our lives, looks like this for Dan and me:
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The week begins, as always, with the Lord's day, but we "gather together" virtually, through YouTube, Facebook, Zoom or some other internet service.
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Other than Sunday, there is no need to set an alarm, since there is nowhere to go. My watch continuously reminds me that there are "no more events" on my calendar.
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Grocery shopping has become a little complicated. We place our order, online, and request a day and time for the store employees to bring it to our car at the curbside. The problem is that once we have created our shopping list, through the store's online site, the first available day/time for picking up those groceries is two weeks away. It makes it difficult to know just what we'll need that far in advance. There are always substitutions, and some items that are simply not available at all.
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And speaking of groceries ... we are eating every meal at home. I haven't done this much meal prep since our kids were still at home with us. Our "old normal" included several meals out every week. Now we fix our meals at home, other than once a week, when we go to a drive-through and get some take-out food to bring home.
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A sad result of this pandemic is that many businesses are in dire straits. Restaurants are trying their best to stay afloat, by serving their food through a drive-through window or bringing it to customers waiting in their cars. But the volume of business has decreased drastically. One new restaurant, that we were so excited to see open up, has announced that they may have to close down permanently.
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With no meetings or appointments on our calendars, we have a lot of free time on our hands. That means time for more TV (thank goodness for Netflix and Amazon Prime Video!); time for crafts (I've gotten back to making greeting cards with my Cricut machine); time for some spring housecleaning (I spent a couple days hosing down the patio and patio furniture, to get rid of the winter grime, and washing windows); time to read, although I've found that I can't concentrate on complicated plots - my mind is very distracted; time for baking; and time to blog. I'm also hoping to take this opportunity to better learn how to edit photos using Affinity Photo, since I'm trying to wean myself away from Photoshop products.
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We've all become a little OCD about hand-washing and sanitizing. And we are warned continuously not to touch our faces.
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Although we are keeping on top of cleanliness, we are becoming a bit shaggy in our appearance. Both Dan and I need haircuts, a luxury that could be weeks away! I only wash and moisturize my face - no make-up.
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I had gone to YouTube to learn how to make face masks out of bandanas, since I had several of them. It worked, but the masks were a bit awkward to wear. But on Sunday afternoon our friends George and Twilla brought a bag to our front door, rang the doorbell, and scurried away to the shelter of their car before I opened the door. Inside were four hand-sewn masks (AND, by the way, some homemade strawberry cream pie - thank you Twilla). Now we have "stylish" and effective masks to wear when we go out to pick up our groceries or to get our take-out from a drive-through window.
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The biggest change in this new normal is not being able to be with people. My friend, Kay, and I are used to having lunch together once a week or so. Our Tuesday ladies' Bible class always culminates in brunch together at McCain's Cafe. I also miss gathering with my First Monday Book Club and my genealogy buddies. Most of all, I miss seeing my grandkids! We did a Skype call one afternoon, but that's just not the same as seeing them in person and sharing warm hugs.
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