Day 76 in 2020

In times of trouble...remind oneself of all there is to be thankful for. We are all home, Jon can continue working from here, and modern technology allows him to continue all aspects of his job, including teaching, from here, where we are safe and where we are helping others be safe, for the foreseeable future.

That being said...We. Are. All. Home. Eek.

Health professionals recommend maintaining some semblance of routine in the face of hardship, and we struggled a little to do that today. Sleeping in was too enticing, and without external time pressures, everything we did seemed to get later and later in the day compared to our usual. I've actually made out a schedule to see if we can get back on track tomorrow, but there is at least one thing we did right today. We enjoyed ourselves. That extra time we took for everything was enjoyed. And I got back something I've been missing for years—our full at-home homeschool day. 

Something else we did right today? We discovered our community. It wasn't long after the schools closed that neighbors invited us to join a facebook group aimed at connecting those with needs with those who could help. And even beyond needs, the group has risen to the challenge of connecting people while maintaining careful social distance, from community chats, to puzzle and game exchanges in boxes at the end of people's driveways, to happy birthday messages sent to kids now isolated at home, it is truly warming to see how we help each other, both physically and emotionally.

And that kind of assistance isn't limited to local community, either. Our homeschooling community has reached out with resources, suggestions, and support for parents who are newly finding themselves in shoes we've filled for years. And so many organizations once dependent on crowds are now turning to social media to fill the hole left by closed classrooms. Today Calvin and I tuned into an art lesson provided via facebook live, where we learned not only how to draw faces, but also how to learn along with thousands of people all across the country, not to mention some of our own friends right here in town. 

Distance learning, distance friendship, these are the key words (and lessons) of 2020 so far.

Day 75 in 2020

We are spinning a little from the rapidity with which the situation keeps changing. A week ago I was questioning my decision to stock food and supplies, just a few days ago I was grappling with decisions about one-on-one contact like Calvin's bassoon lesson, or the piano lessons Jon teaches. The news this morning, and the continued urging to completely isolate, made the decision that much easier today. You know what else makes it easy? Modern technology. Skype and FaceTime are our friends! Actually, that's almost literally true these days, as they are the only way we will be communing with friends for the foreseeable future. 

Let me just say, although video chat isn't the ideal way to have a music lesson, it sure beats the alternative of no lesson. 

Day 74, in 2020

Family only (minus our parents, whom we urged into isolation a week ago), and just good old farm chores and fun, far away from the contagions of life. We hope.

Day 73 in 2020

Probably the last Friday beer evening we'll spend out on the town—and we spent this one staying two table-lengths away from any other revelers, I'll tell you.

Day 72 in 2020

How quickly things change. Last night when I returned from my shopping trip there was a message waiting from our schools telling us to be prepared for an important announcement the following morning. This morning we received the message that all extra-curricular activities had been cancelled for at least the next three weeks. This was disappointing to Calvin, who was looking forward to an upcoming band concert, but in the same message they assured us that school would remain open for the time-being as remote school was too challenging an option for our rural areas. 

This evening, not twelve hours later, we received the message that school would be entirely closed for the next three weeks. On the heals of that message Calvin's other events cancelled one by one, first his dance competition, then his choir concerts, then choir itself, then dance itself. It is a sobering moment when you realize that the situation is making history, that you are part of making that history whether you want to be or not. 

There are bright spots in the storm. Not an hour after the school closing message came in, as we were all feeling shaken and unsteady, the neighbors texted to invite us over for drinks, dinner, and shennanigans. We are so very fortunate to live where we do, amongst the people that we do, and spending the evening with this cohort set us a little more at ease, even if it's the last time we are able to congregate, as I fear it will be for some time. Still, we are all in it together.