Isolation Boogie

Yesterday on the CBS Sunday Morning television broadcast, Peter Turnley's photos of NYC in the time of COVID-19 were shown. This is the man I did a week long workshop with in Cuba in 2015. Over his long career he has been at nearly every conflict zone and war around the world. These photographs are simply beautiful.



The show yesterday also highlighted some of the people we've lost to COVID-19. I began to cry, and no wonder.

It snowed yesterday on Easter, and I had my breakfast with my family via Facetime. We ordered from the same restaurant, and my daughter and I howled out loud when we discovered we ordered the same eggs benedict dish -- lox, pickled red onion, capers on top of potato latkes! And we both thought the same thing when selecting from the menu: I'll cover both Passover and Easter is one tasty dish! The grand kids were being their usual selves -- grand son playing with a plastic puzzle toy while picking at his French toast, and grand daughter smothering her blueberry pancakes with too much syrup and then putting her sticky hands all over her mama. The meal ended with mom and dad announcing it was time for a mimosa (a strong one, said dad) and to settle down on the couch with the crew to watch a Star Wars movie. It's been a thing they do during quarantine -- watching them all, in order.

Last year at this time, Steve and I were near Strasbourgh, France, enjoying Easter vacation with our friends in the village of La Petite Pierre. Family came over, I was in charge of hiding the eggs in the garden, and Alice and Philippe made a gourmet dinner with all things French. It was a lovely, lovely time. We had gone to a nearby goat farm the day before to pick up cheese, and it was the most delicious goat cheese I've ever had -- much of it coated with fresh herbs from the area. So many great and good memories of our time there.

How much has changed in a year.

I lazily contemplate, from my isolation, what the next year might bring. We are all wondering that now. I'm going on 2 months of isolation and probably looking at another month in the best case scenario. I'm acutely aware that my circumstances are much better than many others: I have a steady pension and health insurance from my university job, so I am not going to experience any financial changes. Most folks can't say that. So I thank my lucky stars, and attend to the things that I can do around the house. There's always cooking and cleaning the kitchen. With music playing, usually. Laundry is a must. Clean, fresh clothes and sheets lift my spirit these days.
I am inspired by the stories from people on how they are living through this time. Especially folks with children -- it's a real extra bit of anxiety and complexity keeping children entertained, focused, and working on their schoolwork from home. My hat's off to them all. My grand children can run around their large backyard, but I wonder what kids in apartments are doing? Hopefully going outside where it's not too dangerous. You cannot be a child and not go outside.

Hope you are doing as well as can be expected. Keep on doing the things that make you happy and feel whole.