The Washington State Department of Health announced the first cases of COVID-19 in Spokane County on March 14, 2020. Since then, our day-to-day life has been very different and there doesn’t seem to be an end to this anytime soon.

We all know that we need to wash our hands, social distance, (maintain 6 feet distance between ourselves and others not in our household), avoid going to crowded places, avoid touching our faces, wear a mask when we aren’t able to social distance, clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily and use hand sanitizer when we aren’t able to wash. Now we are learning that some of the hand sanitizers in our homes aren’t safe to use because they contain dangerous and potentially fatal levels of wood alcohol, (also known as ethyl alcohol or methanol, so we need to get rid of that and find one with at least 60% ethanol. Oh well–not a big deal in the scheme of things.

Though some things seem to be getting a little more complicated, here are some great ideas to help you navigate these times with a little more ease, style and fun. I will be adding to this list so be sure to check back from time to time.

Who would have known a few months ago that a simple trip to the grocery store would become a highly anticipated outing, kin to an old fashioned treasure hunt?

My Self-Isolation Quarantine Diary

Day 1 – I Can Do This!! Got enough food and wine to last a month!
Day 2 – Opening my 8th bottle of Wine. I fear wine supplies might not last
Day 3 – Strawberries: Some have 210 seeds, some have 235 seeds. Who Knew??
Day 4 – 8:00pm. Removed my Day Pajamas and put on my Night Pajamas.
Day 5 – Today, I tried to make Hand Sanitizer. It came out as Jello Shots!!
Day 6 – I get to take the Garbage out. I’m So excited, I can’t decide what to wear.
Day 7 – Laughing way too much at my own jokes!!
Day 8 – Went to a new restaurant called “The Kitchen”. You have to gather all the ingredients and make your own meal. I have No clue how this place is still in business.
Day 9 – I put liquor bottles in every room. Tonight, I’m getting all dressed up and going Bar hopping.
Day 10 – Struck up a conversation with a Spider today. Seems nice. He’s a Web Designer.
Day 11 – Isolation is hard. I swear my fridge just said, “What the hell do you want now?”
Day 12 – I realized why dogs get so excited about something moving outside, going for walks or car rides. I think I just barked at a squirrel.
Day 13 – If you keep a glass of wine in each hand, you can’t accidentally touch your face.
Day 14 – Watched the birds fight over a worm. The Cardinals led the Blue Jays 3–1.
Day 15 – Anybody else feel like they’ve cooked dinner about 395 times this month?
–Anonymous

Stay Connected

Technology is truly our friend these days! Text Messages, Email, FaceTime, and ZOOM are few tools to help you reach out to those who are important to you.
We are enjoying a once a week virtual happy 3/4 hour with our friends on ZOOM. It is a chance for us to report in and hear what everyone else is up to.

Self-Care

Take care of yourself and take advantage of this opportunity to explore and learn a few things. Tina is a treasure and offers so many great ideas and exercises to destress and enjoy this new normal of ours.

Shift gears

I haven’t had my hair done since the end of February so something had to give. Though I was REALLY worried I would make a mess of things, I purchased a hair color kit on line and I am happy to report that all went well. Though I am so looking forward to the day when I can surrender my fragile and fine hair back to a professional, this will do for now.

Make a mask

You can opt to sew, but if you prefer an eaiser way, try making a mask with just a bandana and a couple of hair bands.

Get Everyone Cooking

This is a perfect time to EAT and develop those culinary talents, but don’t hog all the fun.

David broke out his smoker and made a most wonderfully delicious smoked turkey.
(I helped a little with some trimmings).

Join or Start your own food group

My sister-in-law joined a food group on FaceBook and found that “what began as a Lincoln, Nebraska group of foodies has turned into a thousands-of-subscribers venue for recipe inspiration from across the globe.” You can learn more about this fun idea by clicking the button below.