Mr Eliza and I are almost getting a dress rehearsal for his upcoming retirement; he is WFH with breaks for walks, so we are appreciating a simpler life. We have our porch all cleaned for the upcoming warmer days and look forward to more time to read outside. I am cooking a lot and taking more time to experiment. I have called friends to check in and we are finding ways to keep connected. There is much to be grateful for and my eyes are open for ways to help those who have lost their income.

When I asked a friend who grew up in Oakland how his family is doing, he said they are trying to survive & not get hit by a stray bullet, same as always. Talk about putting things in perspective!

Roxanna - I have used those exact words when encouraging one of my sons to use this time to start the type of app-delivered exercise plan I follow, and have been suggesting to him for quite a while now. He agrees! Someone to tell you what to do, something to do, and the satisfaction of checking something off the list that you controlled. Personally, I'm having a terrible time with the loss of control part of the current situation.

Spring is happening all around us here in the DC area, and it's weird how I am only sporadically noticing how absolutely beautiful it is - as it always has been, and as it will be again when all of this is over. Holding on to that, and planning to notice everything more.

Thanks to COVID, my eldest son is home from college and the university is going online for the rest of the semester. He's been home for a week, but today we officially moved him out of his dorm.

Unfortunately, this afternoon his girlfriend (first love) of 1.5 years also broke up with him. He's devastated.

Silver lining? We're here for him as a family in a way we couldn't be if COVID hadn't reared its ugly head. I'm grateful for the proximity and the ability to be here when he needs us.