Snow Recess

March brought us a wonderful Spring storm. This, of course, is the time of year when the snow melts super fast. So we had to act quickly if we were going to play in it. We grabbed our gear and headed up to 8,000 ft. The kids are still home-schooling and this was going to be a grand recess!
Ironically, Ava has had these face masks long before the coronavirus. Looks like the will come in handy!

Isaac brought his skiis and planted them in the deep snow. It was also great to get some use out of our new sleds.....

Willow found the best seat in the forest and didn't hesitate shoveling piles of snowflakes into her mouth. What a beautiful day. It warmed up enough to shed some layers of clothes.

Woodland snow friend:

This was the most fun we had all week. Just the activity we needed.
Anyone getting tired of the social distancing yet? 

Coping

How are you doing under the circumstances?

I was trying to think of ways we are coping with the coronavirus. Foremost, we are trying to have a routine as much as we can, especially with the kids. During the week home school keeps us busy much of the day. I don't want to be over-scheduled either and encourage mental fatigue. We also try not to beat ourselves up if the day doesn't go like planned or things don't go perfectly. It's not the end of the world if the kids don't finish something or maybe they watch too much Netflix of on a particular day. This virus experience has encouraged me to choose my battles and try to reflect on the important things. We need to give ourselves some slack during these stressful times. Try not to beat ourselves up. The world is already doing that for us. 

Boredom could breed creativity. I think there is an explosion around the globe with this. People are feeling inspired to make works of art, play music, build, mold, and make things. Everyone has their creative side. Ava has been hand-stitching and sewing lots of cool things. She even let Isaac run her sewing machine and helped him make a stuffed animal cat. It's nice to see empathetic, helpful collaborations happen with kids when they aren't fighting! Haha
The kids REALLY miss going to their friends house and having their friends over here. They need to have projects and fun things that they can focus on.

Ava made furniture, backpacks, and books for Willow's barbie's who apparently are being home-schooled too....

Ava's hand-stitched ponies. I love these!

I picked out some fabric and Ava made me a couple of pillows for my new office. She has really taken off with these sewing projects.

We decided we literally had time to watch our gardens grow. Willow started her own project from seeds. We set up our mini-green house. The weather is the typical warm, cold, warm, cold whiplash routine.

We've always tried to make our food mostly from scratch. But, lately we are inspired to bake and cook even more things. We are trying to minimize trips to stores. Bryan makes the best breads, pizzas, and naan. Isaac still bakes his desserts! The challenge is not spending time in the kitchen cooking. It's trying to find ingredients like flour in the stores!

We've been de-cluttering the house. I feel that we've always had donation boxes going for years. But, now it's like Spring cleaning on heroine haha. There is still much to do in my mind when it comes to home projects. Willow and Isaac have their own rooms now. Isaac is thrilled to have some personal space. We have officially socially distanced our rooms! Ha!

Landscaping projects have gone from the back burner to making progress. I've had these railroad ties meant for a new garden bed and I've got it laid out how I want. Still a lot of work to go on this.

Willow and I made BBQ pit benches from cinder blocks. Looking forward to weekend family time around a fire....

Rest and rejuvenate. We are practicing more of the "Art of non-doing."
I don't feel guilty about this at all.

We are trying to maintain a regular exercise program for our physical and mental health. Some days are more productive than others. But, I consider this as one of the most important activities in our day. The dogs are aware of the current energy of the world and they have nervous energy to expel. They are good at walking us regularly :)

We are checking in with loved ones. Staying connected (even through a screen or a call) is imperative. Being social every once in a while, or for extroverts all the time, is one of our basic psychological needs for our wellness. Our communication is mostly in the form of calls and texting. But, I find it refreshing to be able to talk to friends from a safe-distance (6 feet) around town.
The town is mostly eerily empty which is good because people are at home. But, it's nice to get face time with someone without the Face-Time App if you know what I mean. This can be accomplished mindfully and safely. 

A subfusc day can end with a beautiful sunset. You are always reminded that tomorrow is another day. Practicing gratitude, meditating, and taking long meaningful breathes help maintain mental health during this lockdown.

I try to be optimistic and look at the sunny side. It's challenging when you feel the weighted, worry energy of the world. We have to take it day by day. If you think about life in February and how different it was. Now our lives are turned upside down. Things happen that you don't expect. The painful part is that you can't see the road ahead. The uncertainty is painful. I count my blessings. I cry for others really struggling in the world. There is a lot of trauma and suffering. This will forever change the status quo. This pandemic will be another huge chapter in the history books. The prediction models say that 1 million people could die. It could be 2 million if people don't follow the official procedure. What's even more sad is that there will be no "gatherings" for the funerals. We are in the "thick" of it now. Hoping that everyone will play their part as much a possible to help soften the blow. It's strange to see the busiest streets in the county empty.
My heart goes out to those who are in the front lines. Doctors, nurses, and people in the service industry that are essential. We gripe about staying home and that’s where they would prefer to be for their own safety. They are risking their lives everyday. Forget Hollywood. These are the hero’s and rockstars! Anytime I feel sorry for myself, they are the ones I think about.

Do you ever get an itch in your throat? Your nose starts to run? You automatically panic and think Coronavirus? That's me. It's similar to knowing someone next to you has lice and suddenly your scalp starts to itch. I saw a meme that said "Your allergies are going to put you on the Salem Witch Trials." LOL.
Even in this serious situation we need to laugh. Even if you don't think it's appropriate. Do you have those times where you feel shameful about laughing during times like these?
I remind myself that laughter is medicine and it reduces stress. Art and humor right now is one of the most comforting things especially in these times. It helps "normalize" the situation we're in without really ignoring the concern.

I'm relieved to have my family to isolate with. The kids forget the world's problems when we play. I know we can get on each other's nerves. But at least I have someone to snuggle with and ((hug)).

Going out in nature is a huge source of meditation for me personally. I'm grateful I can walk out my door, walk barefoot around my grass, or access a trail knowing there is freedom to roam without a crowd. But, if you can't, the next best thing is to bring nature to you. 

Inspired by my love for nature and music, I created this video of my photography and paired it with a song by Bonnie Raitt. Pictures are all taken less than 70 miles from our house, except the planet shots of course. I call it "Eco-therapy from the Couch."
You can watch it from my YouTube channel  (HERE).

Baby steps, we still have to weather this storm together for a while.

Sending you all love and good vibes as we continue to self - isolate.

March Madness: Covid - 19 Disease

March took a disturbing, dark turn:  *insert the Coronavirus.*
This is the most memorable March Madness that I've witnessed.

A disease (Covid -19) is spreading across the world and our country. This is a new virus that causes an outbreak of atypical pneumonia, referred to as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).
It is airborne and spreads fast  via viral droplets (cough or sneeze) person to person. It became crucial to watch our actions and drastically change our behavior.
The result is a "Social Distancing, Self - Isolating/ Quaratine Movement."

First, group events or occasions that would draw a crowd of more than 30 people were to be avoided. Then it was down to 10. As things progressed for the worse, with more coronavirus cases and deaths reported by the day. People were ordered to stay home. So, this is where we are now. A place of fear, anxiety, shopping panic, and uncertainty. We wait and watch from our home as it unfolds. The world vibe is tense and stagnant. You can feel the energy in turmoil. People in fear can't help but hoard. Perhaps it's human nature. Survival of the fittest, since the cavemen. Through the selfishness and judgement, however, there are stories of compassion and and altruism. The professionals on the front lines risking their lives for others. People helping others in communities, especially the elderly and and those who have pre-existing health conditions and are vulnerable. The people who are actually practicing social distancing and staying at home because even though they are healthy, they want to "flatten the curve" which is critical for slowing the process of the spread of infection. We all play a part and for it to work we have to be a team.

Just as a quick side note ~ because of the pause in our human behaviors (less traffic, etc), I will also point out that the earth is healing. Air pollution and CO2 levels fell rapidly as this virus spread. The coronavirus shutdowns have unintended climate benefits. Cleaner air, clearer water. A huge revelation showing that human actions change the environment. I wish it wasn't a virus that initiated this eye-opening experiment though. Our lungs are literally being invaded and our earth's lungs are breathing more freely.

The world we live in was spinning fast as everyone was hustling and bustling going about in their lives. Then it came to a halt.
Now, we are all (hopefully) staying home. But then you would see on media people continuing to live their lives like everything is normal. Like college kids gathering on beaches for Spring Break. Or people gathering on holiday. Well, life is NOT normal right now. Unfortunately for many people, this kind of thing is going to have to "hit home" before people make lifestyle changes. This means a family member, or friend is going to have to get sick or die for them to take it seriously. New York is far away yes, but this virus is most likely at the door step of everyone's towns too. If not here already, since there is a shortage of tests. Personally, I don't want to take extra risks. I know that every town is going to be impacted by this pandemic. Scary times. History repeating itself again. This is the first time I've experienced anything like this in my lifetime. One day your going on in life whistling while you work ~ then the stock market crashes, people are unemployed, gathering places are no longer available to draw a crowd, and you have to stand 6 feet away from someone to have a conversation. National Parks are telling people "NOT to find their park." Most businesses are closed. The President and the Center of Disease Control has to repeatedly tell people to take this virus seriously.
Thankfully most people in our state and town are being mindful and following the protocol.
The one's that are ignoring the situation, who aren't participating in any behavior change, or continue to hoard groceries and deprive people of vital supplies ~ there is a new word for you: Covidiot.
"See that person with the 100 toilet papers, 50 baby wipes, and 10 bags of flour? What a "Covidiot." 
Yes, in March 2020, we have a toilet paper shortage. *eye roll*

Then again, what if you are following protocol and being mindful and then that one time you go shopping for groceries during the week you touch a cart and you get infected. Or you pump gas, touch a screen, pull a nob...ect. YOU TOUCHED YOUR FACE! You can see why we are paranoid. The struggle is real. We are all on edge and you can see everyone else is too. It's scary times when you are told by the White House that this virus can be spread just by talking or breathing on someone.
Wearing a mask will be the norm for a while, even running errands.

Many aspects of our lives have been cancelled. The biggest is that the kids are doing school work from home. Most of it through computer. Willow's work seems to drag on and on from one thing to the next which fills most of the day. Ava and Isaac can independently get their work done in 3 to 4 hours if they are diligent. They all get to see their teachers and peers through a screen. I am thankful that White Pine County and Millard County got this organized as fast as they did. I am also grateful they can continue on with their studies and get credit!

Bryan is pretty much working from home, which is a challenge when there are 3 other people on the computer and making noise. We can hear scheduled video chats from class permeating through the house from the chrome book. A lot going on. At times we find it necessary to "socially distance ourselves from each other from inside our house!" Hahaha

I am not working because that would keep me in close contact with people as a massage therapist. So here is the extent of my professional work during this coronavirus chaos:

This pandemic has presented our world with challenges at almost every level - societal, economic, political, scientific, and public health and we have a journey to get out of this storm. Sometimes when things hit rock bottom, it initiates changes. Trying times are a powerful motivation. Collaborative changes and there will be a shift.

In the meantime, it's our #coronavirus reality and life.......

Here is the short version protocol for "Flattening the Curve:"

* Wash Your Hands (and don't touch your face)
* Six Feet Saves Lives
* Do Not Gather (as a crowd)
* Stop Hoarding
* Stay Home

Even if people did this 80 percent of the time it would save a lot of lives. The data already shows it.

Strange times we live in. This is challenging.
Our mental health is going to be a focus besides the social distancing.
It's OK not to be Ok. Do the best you can in these circumstances.

"Social distancing as a family unit"
 ~ Lessons in nature from the wise owls

I know this is a lengthy, but temporary situation. Personally, when I see too much bad news, the thoughts ruminate like a hamster in a wheel and my anxiety gets the best of me. I think we all feel the weight of the world. It feels like an episode of the Twilight Zone. Thanks for letting me vent. Dark times calls for a dark post.
I love technology. I'm grateful for it.  But, I believe in a balance.
The news and social media bombard us with the words "We are in this together. You are not alone." 
I know, I know we are all dealing with this together. But, as we continue to do school, work, and socialize more and more through our various sizes of screens ~  we can't help but feel alone.