Never in my wildest imagination did I ever think we would be part of a pandemic. That is only for other places or people; Ebola, or H1N1, or HIV but here we are in the middle of a serious health concern that spread throughout the world and now touches us at home. At one time, I would have been chomping on the bit to get a “good” Covid-19 test on the market especially with the amazing infectious disease scientists I knew and worked with but those days are over for me so what do I do now?

We are so fortunate to live in a beautiful place with flowers blooming since they don’t know there is a pandemic. My orchids are blooming because they don’t know there is a pandemic either.

We can sit in our lanai and have dinner outside every night because we aren’t crowded in an urban environment. We can enjoy our hot tub whenever we wish. We can have a drink and enjoy the sunset. Our weather is beautiful, it is warm and sunny most of the time. We can get out and see our neighbors as they walk, jog, or bike by. We aren’t forced to stay in without access to outdoors. It could be so much worse for us. I can even play golf albeit in our own carts, riding alone unless you are with your significant other, that are sanitized before use.

We can go to the grocery store with our masks and the store employees clean the shopping carts before we use it. We are so fortunate and yet some people in our neighborhood still complain that their rights are being taken away. So far, I am counting our blessings that only a couple of people in  our family are in harm’s way (she and her significant other are paramedics.)

What I really miss is getting my hair colored and cut (I haven’t ever gone this long without color), getting a mani and pedi (I haven’t done my own nails in way too many years. I barely own an emery board), and finally, I want to go out to a restaurant (not order in) and be served. The truth is those a first world problems so in the scheme of things, they aren’t important at all.

So, what else am I doing during this time? Well, I am organizing areas in the house that just have been waiting for something like this to happen. Second bedroom closet? Check. Mike’s mom’s desk? Check. All of the stuff behind the Japanese screen? Check. The pantry? Check. Wow, this is great for me. It is pretty cathartic to get rid of clothes and stuff we don’t need or want anymore, after all, we don’t have winter here. Also, getting rid of new, perfectly good sandals that my feet can’t use. That was hard but I won’t ever be able to wear these so out they go to someone who can use them. Towels? Well, gave them to an animal shelter. Sheets? Gave them to someone who is sewing scrubs to support our medical staffs everywhere. All in all, it felt good to be able to give items I can’t use for repurposing.

The other thing I do is cook wonderfully healthy meals. Our friend, Chef John, owner of   Rocco’s Pandemic Kitchen and Bakery has been posting his awesome meals and amazing baked goods on Facebook.

I wish we could go over and enjoy some of his delicious efforts but all we can do is look at the pictures and know it tastes as good as it looks. My baking efforts don’t come close. I have been focused on fish, chicken, veggies, and more chicken.

Good thing Mike eats just about everything. It makes it easier to cook.

Hopefully, we will come out of this dread disease on the other side of it with purposeful weight loss, an incredibly organized home, and grateful for living in a beautiful place that gives us peace.