lockdown – Grandma Bloggers

The past two months have been life altering. In fact, it has changed everything! Besides aging me ten years, I have never cried so much or for so long of a time. Our prophet warned us and still I was unprepared for the changes Corona would make in my life. Suddenly, I could no longer lovingly hug my grandchildren. I could not freely go to church, shop, watch movies, or just walk around the neighborhood without keeping a distance. What???

The 1918 H1N1 flu virus caused the deadliest pandemic of the 20th century. Today (2020) we have a “global” pandemic that has shut down society as we know it. How could we have not known this was coming?

*Brighter days in Hawaii at Diamond Head Peak*

Why were we not prepared for this? Over a century of medical enlightenment should have taught us something, right??? It seems that as a world we have gone backwards in time. How did we get here? What went wrong? Who can we blame? Everyone seems to have an opinion on that, but no one is fessing up to this mess.

Luckily, our family has been able to continue working and studying throughout this catastrophe. Many people are without jobs and what our President, Donald Trump bragged about building up all came tumbling down. I won’t talk politics here because my husband and I don’t see eye to eye. The stock market is in territory it has not seen in years. The U.S. government tried to bail everyone out including many businesses (who is going to pay for that)?

*Dad and the boys performing circa 1992?*

There is no end to the madness in sight unless some genius comes up with an effective vaccine so we can all become immune to COVID-19. Who is the winner here? I know – stupidity!! Where are all the world-renowned scientists right now? Where are the Avengers when you need them? Oh, right – they are in the movies and they are probably in quarantine, too!

Our world went into lockdown. Whole

countries closed down. Drones took haunting images of famous cities devoid of mortals. No one roamed the streets except wild animals wondering where the humans went. It was like one big fictional novel coming to life. Will it ever return to what it was? That is probably not a good idea. We were dumb! The world had lost its’ luster. People were too busy having fun and making money to notice a tiny little virus that had the power to annihilate any power or wealth we thought we had.

we have been blessed beyond what we deserve. Pandemics suck. That is the truth!

So, the next time I write a post for my blog, I hope this experience will be a distant memory. I pray we have learned our lessons. Only God can get us through this.

Tell that to all the people rioting against social distancing. They also refuse to have the vaccine even if it would help others. Meantime, we will be practicing

social distancing. Who knew that was even a thing until now?

It has been almost two weeks since the lockdown due to the corona virus visitng us here in Utah. Social distancing has been used several times to remind us that we should not get close to another person for our own and their safety. Many people have suffered from the sneaky tiny virus that is lethal. People have either shown their worst or best side during this pandemic. It has been a difficult time for all of us (the whole world)!

Personally, the viral breakout together with a medium-sized earthquake a week ago literally rocked my world. Having a predictable schedule is now a thing of the past. Last month my husband had a car accident which resulted in him being let off work. I was just getting used to him being home almost every day before the corona virus came to America. He still worked in the temple two days a week until the temple was closed for his work there. We have discussed having couple counseling since we are not used to being together 24/7!

The hardest thing for me through all of this is not being able to hug my grandchildren. We now do feet or elbow bumps! We also have drive-by visits. Luckily we have the app Marco Polo to check in with our children every day and also utilize Facebook and Zoom. We can hold a family home evening where everyone of our children and grandchildren participates. Two of our grandchildren were at university and now they are home with their family. Our new normal is difficult to get my mind around some days.

I worry about my daughter since she is on the frontline of this battle against the enemy. She goes everyday to help sick people. As for my work, I can still write articles online but my reseller job has gone stale. Evidently, the virus can stay on cardboard for several hours so it is not feasible to send packages out every day. Now I feel like getting rid of all of the items in my Poshmark closet but there is no where open to take them. So many people are out of work and suffering much more than I am.

A few days into the lockdown, I felt like I was suffocating and had to get out of the house. I drove up and down Redwood and was shocked by the lack of traffic, closed businesses and vacant schools. I tried to come to grips with the current situation. I grieved for lost opportunities and my lack of freedom. With loss comes the need to check priorities.

I have kept up on my scripture reading and anticipate our conference that is coming up soon. Our prophet warned us to “take our vitamins” and be prepared for a memorable conference this spring. All of the temples have been closed, missionaries sent home, and church services now take place in our living room. A lot has changed since the last conference. My prayers have been more often and sincere lately. That’s a good thing!

Funny how much things can change in a couple of weeks time. Comedians have been my “go to” when I am feeling low. Many have posted new poems, songs, affirmative thoughts, and inspirational quotes. I appreciate them! There is still so much good in the world. This is a wakeup call for all of humanity!

One thing I have been doing to use my time is artwork. I have never had this much time to do the things I enjoy. I share the art with my

granddaughters and it inspires them to be creative. I hope you enjoy them, too! These are all watercolors and I also paint with acrylics and oil.

Stay safe and carry on!

Tag: lockdown

Pandemic 101