Social distancing is suddenly becoming less voluntary and more and more directed by state and local authorities.
Preventative actions to slow the spread of COVID-19 are ramping up across the U.S. These actions affect nearly everyone–from parents now home caring for out-of-school children, to waiters and waitresses no longer working, to cruise ships and crews sitting idle, and even to my 91-year-old parents.
My mom and dad, who thankfully are in good health, have been planning their 70th wedding anniversary celebration for months. Rightfully so, it’s a big deal. Their party is scheduled for early April, with invitations sent out to dozens of family and friends. Postponing this event is not an easy decision, but in this case, it’s the only prudent one. While they would like nothing more than to spend the day with their grand and great-grandchildren, it’s too big a risk to them and others. It would be better scheduled when hugs could be shared with all. Now is not that time.

Claudia and I continue to hunker down in the mountains with our dog, Milo. We read, write, hike the mountain trails, do jigsaw puzzles, binge-watch Amazon Prime movies, and fret over our shrinking IRAs.
We made our weekly grocery run yesterday, using the Walmart pickup service, only to find many items out of stock. Everything from coffee to toilet paper was backordered. Still, we purchased what we needed for another week, and then headed back up the mountain to our peaceful solitude. We wonder when, or if, our spring-time neighbors will return this year. The next few months are uncertain, but for now, we’re grateful to be healthy.
We encourage everyone to please be safe, and stay vigilant.