Spring arrived in Atlanta last week exactly on time, which means about 10 days before the calendar says so. I don’t remember which day it was, but somewhere in there between the craziness of the full moon, Mercury going direct and Friday the 13th. It brought with it the copious amounts of pollen that will cover everything for the next few weeks, giant bumble bees and the specter of coronavirus.
Yep, last week was the beginning of what kind of feels like the end of the world, as school announced they would close for at least two weeks (or until further notice) and Spy and I were both told to start working from home. Life changed in an instant and we’re only at the very beginning of what I believe is going to be a long road.
We’d spent the first half of last week bouncing between hotels (Clorox wipes in tow) while the house was being painted (thank god that was finished before we all were told to stay home!) and Spy had attended a conference that has since reported at least one attendee with the virus. So while we’ve been hunkered down this week, I’ve been somewhat nervously counting days until we get through the 14-day window from when we’d have been most likely to be exposed (we’re on day 10). And all that pollen that suddenly arrived on the scene has me suffering from a low-grade sinus headache and slight cough, so at any given time I’m wondering is it allergies or the covids?
“Homeschooling” hasn’t been all that bad. We’ve allowed Miss Girl to play (outside only) with a small group of girls that live nearby in the neighborhood after she does a few hours of school work in the mornings. I think everyone would be completely insane if we didn’t allow it. The dogs love everyone being home and long walks in this beautiful weather. And the neighborhood feels as if it’s in perpetual snow day mode with everyone home all the time and no rules around when cocktail hour can begin.
So for Week 1, I think we’re doing pretty okay. And I thought I’d get back into the habit of sharing five favorite things from each week now that time feels a little more fluid. This week, while people have lost their damn minds (I literally had someone tell someone else to “go eat your dog!” on a Facebook thread about whether calling it the Chinese Virus was racist), there’s also been a lot of good out there. Keep it up, y’all and stay safe!
1. People are funny.
I don’t think I’m alone when I admit to have spent much more time on social media this week. Amid lots of bad news, there has also been a ton of sheer hilarity. Case in point. And yeah, at least 80% of these comments have crossed my lips this week!
2. People are creative.
Thanks, Atlanta, for giving us this take on Gmac Cash’s Coronavirus. I died.
3. People are resourceful.
Last week, we had to make the tough decision to cancel the school auction, which was set to take place tomorrow night. I am incredibly bummed that the party is cancelled, but totally impressed with the board members who rallied to ramp up promotion of the online auction to make sure people still get excited (even though things are so scary right now) and raise some money for Miss Girl’s school. And I’ve had fun doing all the Instagram posts! Wish us luck!
4. People are supportive.
I’ve been blown away by the way people in my neighborhood are trying to support our local restaurants and breweries by picking up takeout orders and posting menus and status daily. We have food trucks coming through our neighborhood and making stops like the ice cream truck and we’re keeping them busy! I also love that The Giving Kitchen has set up a fund to help restaurant workers who have already lost their jobs.
5. I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather be quarantined with.
Spy and I have laughed so much this week. We genuinely have fun together and though I’ve jokingly complained that he’s not out traveling the world like he usually does this time of year, I really enjoy getting to spend all this time with him. ❤️