Current Log
I’m sitting outside and it’s almost six pm. The birds are singing. I did not do any exercises or run on the treadmill, but did polish off five loads of laundry, changed the sheets on two kids’ beds, cleaned the kitchen floor and did yard work. I did recruit my son to help with the floor and laundry, while my daughter is cooking the main course for the six of us for dinner tonight.
Normally on Sundays, I call my sister or a friend, but I didn’t feel up to calling anyone today. I had odd dreams about work, and woke up at least twice during the night feeling either too hot or too cold. My friend Shannon is sick late last week and worried she has COVID-19. Her symptoms are so similar to an illness D and I had nearly three weeks ago: body temperature fluctuations, low-grade fever, sore throat and fatigue.
Jessica, the neighbor who once lived across the street, came over to check on her plants. When she moved a couple months back, I offered to keep many of the plants that she could not take with her to her apartment, and we also set aside part of our front yard as a garden area she could use. One of her succulents has a spectacular large pink bloom, and she took photos of it. She texted before arriving so we could stay indoors.
Both my mother and father-in-law, who live with us, wanted to say “hi” to Jessica, and did. Miriam, my mother-in-law, remembering the conflict we had had with our next door neighbors Beth and Lawrence over one of Jessica’s visits, insisted that it was “unreasonable” for them to expect to control who we see and talk to.
I won’t go into the conflict too deeply, but it was at the very beginning of the pandemic. The mayor had just issued the order to close restaurants, bars and schools. Some businesses were still open.
Jessica came to our front yard that day to check on her plants and get in a bit of gardening. I went outside with her. I was trying to keep my distance, but it’s possible I forgot or wasn’t paying close enough attention. We were gardening and chatting away. Beth, the neighbor, yelled from the window to Jessica that she was endangering our family and should leave. She also yelled at me for “enabling” Jessica.
Jessica, upset, left. I texted with Beth’s husband Lawrence several times over the incident. Honestly, in retrospect, I believe they were concerned about all of our well-being. At the time, it felt like an over-reaction, but given all the fear that people had and still have regarding this virus, I can’t say I still view that behavior as out of line now. Yes, I did not like it, since I and another good friend were targets. Lawrence and Beth are also old friends; they were afraid for our well-being and theirs.
Miriam is tired of hearing from all of us how she needs to limit her contact with others. Her sudden anger, directed at our neighbor, reveals her frustration at how limited we all are during this pandemic. She and her husband, due to their age and health concerns, are more limited than the rest of us. They and the kids have really felt the loss of their social circles and activities outside the home.
Under normal circumstances, D doesn’t get out a lot except for errands, appointments and chores. For me, it’s similar: I have to work, run errands or volunteer for some function. D and I are actually enjoying being at home more. We and the kids are less sleep-deprived. The kids and grandparents feel more limited, while D and I feel freed from our usual obligations.
