Well, a lot happened while we were gone. When we floated into Charleston, that was the last vacation for a while. All cruise ships are docked for at least 30 days, the airlines have stopped international service, and leisure travel has come to a halt. I have to say that I was impressed with the cleanliness on the ship...Carnival took great care in keeping passengers safe and healthy. Before we could board we had a medical form and our temps taken, the buffets were served by gloved staff members only, and you couldn't get drink refills without a fresh cup each time. Handwashing and germex stations were everywhere. Still, we were mandated to quarantine for 14 days. Good thing we were prepared.
The quarantine was made easier by a declared national emergency. All employees are encouraged to work from home. Schools and universities moved to electronic learning for the rest of the semester. All field trips and sporting events were cancelled. A new term "social distancing" is mandated which means you have to keep a 6 ft length of space around you. Gatherings can be no more than 10 people.
The first 24 hours of managing our home bandwith was the most difficult. Each of us was trying to pull the needed data to access web portals and messaging boards as well as conducting virtual meetings. It didn't help that during breaks, these two would play Call of Duty.
We gradually adjusted to a "new normal" with many services closed. I gave Eric & the kids hair cuts (or those who were willing to let me).
We attended a virtual Mass, courtesy of You Tube. One nice thing is that we could start church at an odd time like 10:48am or when everyone was ready, even if we're in sweats or PJs. We could also pick a different priest each week depending on who gave a great sermon. Our own diocese was having technical difficulties, so our favorite has been the Bishop of Raleigh, NC.
To help us stay active, we'd go on walks, bike rides, and do push ups or sit ups. Our son had a hard time finding a gym open to lift weights, so he started lifting us on his shoulders and doing squats. My favorite comment: "Wow, mom, you don't weigh as much as I thought." Yes, I'll take that compliment!
Oddly enough, this came in the mail today..our 10-year Census, the constitutionally mandated count of the US population. We are not supposed to count students who are living outside their home base, but we are allowed to count those who are planning to be regularly in the home on April 1st. With the pandemic crisis and schools shutdown, we'll be 100% accounted for at home. 😁
We have more family time too, which is great. The restaurants are take-out or delivery only, so we're eating at home a lot more. And with this beautiful weather in the 70's, we're taking advantage of the time to fix up our yard, plant the gardens, and enjoy the deck. Of course, it's still allergy season, so I have to be careful when I sneeze or rub my eyes.
Since our oldest child wasn't on the cruise, she goes to the store for us. We might have spaghetti and salad on the list for dinner, but because of the scarce availability in the stores, she comes home with salmon and califlower. We're just grateful for whatever we can find that's fresh and nutritious. Even toilet paper is scarce. There were signs everywhere limiting purchases to just 2 can of beans, 1 loaf of bread, or 1 jar of peanut butter.
The youngest decided to make homemade muffins. They were delicious buttermilk spice with toasted walnuts. Yum! Fortunately, we had all the ingredients at home.
As we walk the neighborhood each day, we're staring to notice some really good chalk art. This one is our favorite.
COVID-19, or coronavirus, you might win temporarily, but we will come back stronger as a community, as a nation, and as a global synergy. Until then, my friends, heed the message from our president below. Take care.
