The Sandcastle

It’s Easter Sunday.

In Minnesota.

It’s snowing.

Dave says he remembers that happening once before–at least 60+ years ago.

In other news:

On April 11th management here sent out their regular newsletter saying we had no COVID-19 in our complex.

On April 12th they sent an update. We have two confirmed cases: one in the independent living apartments and one in the care center. I wonder if the one in independent living is the one paramedics took past our door down our hallway on Wednesday. Suspected but not yet confirmed, maybe?

How quickly things change around here.

TTYL,

Linda

I saw this today and think it needs to be shared as widely as possible:

https://nypost.com/2020/04/03/how-to-make-a-diy-no-sew-face-mask-with-fabric-and-hair-elastics/

This won’t work for my Dave because he has a beard so the lower part of the mask can’t seal to his skin. For him, he’s better off to tie the bandana like a bank robber then tuck the lower end into his shirt.

I hope you all are doing everything you can to stay safe.

TTYL,

Linda

This COVID-19 thing has people scrambling everywhere for masks.

Because we live in a complex for seniors all the residents here are at risk.

So, staff has been asked to wear masks whenever they are working here.

But there is a shortage of masks available.

Unless you start thinking outside the box.

This picture is of some of the staff here last Friday.

 

(Click to enlarge)

TTYL,

Linda

ps. In case you are wondering, yes, those are good guys. Even the one wearing a black hat. Notice how they are all standing about 6-feet apart?

The word mindset means you have set your mind on something.

I play solitaire on my phone. I have guidelines I use to determine which cards to play when. That way I can mindlessly click through the game without having to think. A couple of days ago I changed my mind about how I would play. Instead of mindlessly following my old guidelines I would pay attention to what choices were available then choose my moves deliberately. Since then I have been winning a lot more games.

What’s your mindset about sheltering in place? Are you resenting the limitations put on you? Or are you seeing the opportunities?

Is this a good time for you to finally…

…deep clean your home?

…sort that collection of photographs?

…read that pile of books you’ve been meaning to get to?

…research something on line that has been puzzling you?

…make all those phone calls you been postponing?

…finish that project you started ages ago then abandoned?

…start that new healthy behavior you’ve been considering?

Is there anything on your mind you suddenly have the time to do?

TTYL,

Linda

 

As my readers know, we live in a community of seniors. In fact, we are among the youngest people living here. So COVID-19 is a real concern.

This community has a cafe, a pub, and a restaurant. Our monthly rent includes a credit amount for food purchased from those sites. But, there’s this social distancing thing being recommended right now so eating in those facilities is not really a good thing to do. So, management had decided all meals will henceforth be delivered to our individual units.

Between 7:30 and 8:30 am a whole fruit and a pastry will be delivered for each resident to each apartment free of charge. Lunch can be ordered from the cafe for delivery. And dinner can be ordered from a limited menu from the restaurant. Both of those will be at standard prices.

Now, you all know I am firmly asleep between 7:30 and 8:30 am while Dave prefers to eat cereal and juice for breakfast. So, he will simply bring the fruit and pastries inside.

At normal people’s lunch time, I will eat a pastry and some bacon. Dave will either eat both fruits or order his standard BLT with pickle spear, potato chips, and cookie from the cafe.

At dinner time, for delivery between 5:00 and 5:15, I will order a meal of which I mostly just eat the meat, fish, or chicken. Dave will either eat the fruit he didn’t eat at lunch time or order a dinner depending on which he chose for lunch. I normally order a cup of fresh fruit with my dinner which Dave eats then or the next day but that’s not going to be an option with this new system so having fresh fruit delivered each morning will replace that.

Mid evening we watch a movie or other program and eat potato chips. I get one ounce for 160 calories which takes care of my salty/crunchy/fatty cravings. Dave also eats dark chocolate then but he’s pretty good about keeping it hidden from me so I don’t start craving it.

Late evening I vary what I eat depending on what’s on hand and how many calories I already ate that day. That usually means some sort of meat or cheese with or without bread. Maybe some olives. Maybe some grape tomatoes. Lately it has often been a ham sandwich on raisin bread. Now, if there’s still a pastry left from the morning, odds are I will eat that with my meat or cheese.

It took some doing to figure out how we will cope with this new meal system but I think we have it down now. We’ll know how we did by this time tomorrow.

TTYL,

Linda