April 2020: A Day in the Life

Thank you to all the essential workers out there doing their part! *Virtual hugs* and a big THANK YOU for all that you do! 

 

It's another beautiful day outside. It's 75 degrees and sunny. The kids are outside playing. Chants, laughs, and squeals reverb off the houses and can be heard across the pond. You would never imagine we're in the midst of a worldwide pandemic. For the past four weeks, we've been quarantined to our home with the exception of absolutely necessary grocery store runs and work. My sister, Viviene, and I decided to take advantage of the beautiful day and go for a much-needed walk. We were in need of a couple of items so we decided to walk to the nearest store, while grabbing lunch and dessert on the way too. 

Life outside resembles that of a ghost town. At this moment in time, a total of 688,019 cases of COVID-19 have been recorded in the United States. 56, 437 Americans have reported a full-recovery, while 35,907 Americans have lost their battle to COVID-19. 

It's a sad time in for the world, as we mourn the loss of so many loved ones. It hurts my heart to see so many in pain and suffering. If you haven't been directly affected by Covid-19, many of us have felt the indirect effects due to this pandemic such as job loss or furloughs. Our primary source of income was severed last week due to the pandemic and while it's scary and unknown, we're taking things one week at a time and grateful that we have a little something to fall back on during hard times. I know others may not be as fortunate right now and my heart goes out to them! 

Reminder, if you or someone you know is struggling to provide food to their family, remind them to research their local cooperative ministry. Our local county co-op ministry had cars lined up for hours to accept food and household item donations. If you're interested in donating, co-op's will accept non-perishable's such as canned vegetables, canned fruits, canned beans, canned meat, peanut butter, oatmeal, grits, cereal, rice, pasta, baking mix, soups, boxed sides, canned pasta meals. They'll accept personal care items such as shampoo/conditioner, soap, dental care, deodorant, razors, feminine products, diapers and pull-ups, and adult incontinent products. They'll also accept household items such as: dish detergent, laundry detergent, paper towels, napkins, and toilet paper. 

While I wish I could help everyone suffering right now, we're doing our part to support our local businesses as much as possible. Some of our favorite places, like brunch spots and wineries, have posted about the struggle to keep their families afloat during this time so we've been supporting those places by purchasing gift cards where we can. 

I work in an assisted living facility and I'm so grateful to report we've had zero cases of covid-19. When you hear about the outbreaks hitting nursing homes across the nation, my thoughts and prayers go out to the staff and residents being affected. This has been an anxious and scary time as we all fear for the safety of ourselves and our loved ones. 

My thoughts and prayers are with everyone on the frontlines and all the essential workers who work behind the scenes or hands-on to keep essential businesses, in business! 

Stay safe,