I use one weird trick to avoid having family members get COVID: I don't have any family members (at least not immediate ones).

I have friends who are in medical fields whose work world has been dramatically affected (so far, they haven't gotten the disease). I have other friends with auto-immune diseases who were unable to get their essential prescriptions for Hydrocholorquine, a drug they'd been routinely taking for a long time, because of people grabbing the supply on speculation due to COVID. I guess those are effects on people I know personally.

I do know a few people (family members of friends) who've actually had COVID. So far, none have died, or been intubated, though some have been very, very ill.

I've been sheltering at home solo since March 13, and doing fine. Been out a handful of times for groceries, had maybe half a dozen conversations with friends/neighbors in person during that time (from a long safe distance, and outdoors), and that's about it.

I feel sort of weird (maybe even guilty) about the whole thing, hearing media reports of seniors suffering extremes of loneliness locked up at home, or seeing friends on social media struggling with isolation or stress-eating, or whatever . . . wondering if I'm in denial, or broken in some way.

I guess I'm grateful to be an introvert, with a significant backlog of craft supplies, plenty of food/clothing/shelter for comfort, no major lockdown-related financial stress so far, and so far no disease.

The only bump in my personal road is that I'm not yet rowing on water. Only one person at a time is allowed to be in the boathouse (which is in a public park). The only boat I can carry by myself is my racing single (26' long, 12" wide at the waterline, about 31 pounds), and the river water here is still a little bit cold for me to feel comfortable being out on the river in it all by myself, with my Winter-rusted technical skills. That time will come, though.

I hope everyone else here is getting along fine, and staying healthy!

BBee5064 wrote: »

Sadly On a personal note . We lost a beloved family member to covid 19 yesterday. It’s my brother in laws mum. She was a delightful lady 88 years old. The saddest part is you can’t go & see them. By dear brother in law had to say his goodbyes to his mum over the phone. Heartbreaking!

I'm so sorry to hear that BBee. That seems like one of the cruelest facts about this disease, that we can't be with those who are passing. So Sad!

Sympathies to your family!

I should post an updated picture of my maple. I treated it to a new pot which is now the largest bonsai pot I have. I like to keep them small, but when I went out to buy some soil, I perused their pots and some of their bonsai. They had some similar sized bonsai in larger pots; I decided to give mine a gift of more root space.

I originally picked up a dark blue pot, then I thought about the red color around the edges of the leaves of this plant; I opted for burgundy. I think I like it.