04/07/2020, Tuesday

I am finding that sunshine and being outside is raising my spirits, BUT we have discovered that the deer ticks are as thick as thieves this year. I have a call in to Orkin to request that their monthly visit include spraying for ticks. We started the service when we discovered carpenter ants in our dining room wall when removing a window and adding sliding doors, and just kept it going. We will NOT be letting Orkin into the house this time. I am absolutely LOVING putting together care packages, smiling as I think of you as individuals. Be gentle with yourselves and please continue to be present here. This beloved Tremendous Tribe comforts and sustains me. Love you all !!

Love to you Diane! Keep getting the sun and some exercise outside if possible.

Weight 125, WW Bluepoints 7. Weight is up in payment a bit because of my overindulgence on Sunday. I hate how long it takes to get off the last few pounds.

Yesterday was a weird weather day - dry but mostly cloudy so we didn't go for a drive. Washed a few things like light covers, wall mirrors and glass tabletops. Next week is time for a thorough house cleaning.

Today we have an AC technician coming to do maintenance. I haven't had anything done since I bought the place more than 3 years ago and I really should schedule it annually from now on.

I was mulling about how we would care for each other if either SIL or I got the virus. It occurred to me that if one of us gets it the other likely will at the same time because we are in such close proximity.

Last comment: I have been sleeping well but having weird dreams. Last night I dreamed that I was at Ann's home with a bunch of other people (TT?). It was an old converted brick building on a river with huge windows which Ann and her husband had put in looking out to the water. So Ann, I loved your "place" - it was beautiful (good party too)!

Stay home, stay safe, stay healthy!

Sharing Covid 19 between people living together is a real concern. I know you are being very careful, and I assume your sil has chosen the small risk of exposure from say, a grocery store trip vs. quarantining by herself. What about you? Should she get sick, are you planning on taking care of her?

We've talked about this at our house. The 3 of us agree there is a good chance DH will bring it home since he still goes to work. He changes clothes, and washes as soon as he comes in, but, one day he may get the virus, no matter how careful he is. He deals with too many people. Since he will likely be asymptomatic at first, we'll probably be exposed before he knows he's sick. Maybe daughter won't get it, but, we sleep in the same bed every night so... that's the choice I've made.

How the virus affects us will depend on how each of our bodies react to it. We've also agreed that if the outcome is bad, no one can blame themselves, for example, if I get very sick, my husband agrees he will not blame himself and vice versa.

These are tough decisions.

SIL is not going to stores - I am doing the shopping (with precautions). So I will bring it home if one of us does. But we eat together and share the same kitchen so if it is as contagious as they say SIL will likely have contracted it from me before we even know I have it. I am not going to quarantine within the house as if I have it unless I feel sick. If we were going to do that I would send her home (she doesn't want to in the house either).

I am at lower risk for getting really ill because I am very healthy - only my age is against me but I think I am more healthy than most 65 year olds. SIL is 70, has stage 4 lung cancer (currently in remission but it is not gone just not growing). She also has asthma, blood clotting and BP issues. So definitely higher risk.

I would be taking care of her if she got it here - if we were both at home probably the same. There is more COVID-19 at home but we could stay apart more. Pros and cons of both. But for now we are staying put.

Right? You assess the risk, and make your choices. There is no perfect quarantine in a home. Not in a health care facility either ...

I know! I think about the long-term care facility my DH was in (and friend's people are still in). If one of the personal aides comes in with COVID-19 the odds are that essentially everyone will end up with it and many won't survive. Very sobering for my friends who can't even visit their people.

Weight: 162

Diane O I also find being outside helps. Feels more like this is a vacation and not what it is.

Our weather will be beautiful the next couple days. I think I will take DD's great suggestion and put a plastic bag down underneath a towel or something in the stroller and take the girls out. It's supposed to be 88 today and 90 tomorrow. Almost too warm. And of course to turn much colder by Easter.

I am really really itching to go buy some plants. I probably don't have time anyway. Nothing would thrill me quite as much as patio pots and a heated pool. Maybe a margarita.

My Walmart delivery order was pretty successful. I got 90% of what I ordered and the few substitutions weren't weird. Unfortunately I did not get milk or chicken nuggets, both of which are necessities. So I'm trying to decide whether to put in a delivery order now (while things aren't as severe) and stay far away for the next couple weeks, or wait until we need it and try again then. Chicken nuggets are a big necessity in my house.

I am trying to get pumped about Easter. We need something cheerful. I ordered things for the girls' Easter baskets yesterday. I momentarily considered not doing it because they aren't quite to an age where they know or expect it. But it's Charlotte's first Easter. And they already won't get to do Easter bunny pictures or church egg hunt. So we'll do a small living room or outdoor egg hunt on Saturday, dye eggs, Easter baskets Sunday morning.

Trying to plan food for Easter. We've already broken quarantine with my parents and sister so I expect we'll do that again for Easter. We're all trying to limit exposure but we just need family and tradition right now. I think I'll go ahead and get gussied up, try to figure out my camera tripod and remote so we can take a big family picture. I am a bit sad that nobody will see the girls' Easter dresses but that's what posting insanely cute facebook photos is for! I need to look into buying a ham from honeybaked ham today. I have stuff to make cheese grits or macaroni and cheese. Glazed carrots. Pea salad. Lemon cake. Or I might let someone else bring stuff. Ritual and food is super important to me so I will keep doing it.

Our church has live streaming service and I found out that I can play it from my phone onto the tv so that's the plan. Different but still traditional. Maybe my sister can help me set an Easter table.

Today the plan is to use the leftover brisket to make enchiladas for dinner and I cooked up (but did not "dress") extra beans for baked beans so I'll turn those into refried beans or charro beans.

Do you all think that things will reopen in May. Not saying that they "should" but I kinda think public sentiment might be to reopen. Guess we'll see.

As we see from maps describing COVID disease and death progressions, it's taking a while for the pandemic to reach the Midwest in numbers large enough to get people's attention. But come, it will.

That means our disease and death peaks (and concurrent stresses on our hospitals and caregivers) will occur much later than in the big cities. Therefore, social distancing should continue later.

Of course, that doesn't mean all political leaders will continue to encourage social distancing, given how some governors with little political courage are still failing to lead. Thank goodness for those city council members cut from brighter, tougher cloth!

It will be interesting (and other adjectives) to see who's left standing.

Glad to see that your whole state is finally on lockdown! 'Bout time!

No ****! Finally! But he gets no credit, since he waited so effing long.