The Virus is on Everybody's Minds

In just a few days it will be officially spring.  For me, spring has always meant family outings to see bluebonnets with a stop in Brenham at the Blue Bell Creamery, it's meant azaleas and redbuds, March Madness with its One Shining Moment, Passover seders, springing forward and switching out winter clothes,  But this year a black cloud is hanging over us and it seems winter will never end.  The bluebonnets are blooming but we won't be driving out to see them.  In fact, being in the vulnerable age group, we're pretty much discouraged from going anywhere. The rodeo was shut down, the Rockets basketball games are cancelled, theaters and even churches are closed.  It's grim out   The virus is uppermost in our minds.  It's all we see on TV, all we talk about at dinner.

Here at Brazos Towers, the senior apartment where I live, we are taking extra precautions.  Although the majority of the apartments here are for independent seniors, we also have an assisted living floor, a memory care floor and a health center.  New rules have been established.  No visitors except immediate family (sons and daughters and their spouses--no grandchildren even if they're grown, no friends).  Anyone who enters must have their temperature taken, fill out a questionnaire about recent travel and any health issues and use hand sanitizer before visiting. Entertainers, lecturers, clergy will not be allowed in.  Our newspapers delivery guy will no longer leave papers in front of our doors.  Even though he arrives well before dawn when nobody is in the hallways, he will leave the Houston Chronicle, New York Times and Wall Street Journal at the front desk and we can pick them up (which means--oh no, if I want to browse through the papers while I eat breakfast, I'll have to get dressed as soon as I get up,  I guess it would be tacky to go downstairs in my robe).)  Buffet meals will no longer be available.  We will no longer be asked to sign receipts for our meals; they don't want people sharing pens! Bus trips to the Museum of Fine arts, to restaurants, the symphony and other events are cancelled, If anyone tests positive for the virus, the entire building will be quarantined; we'll all have to stay in our individual apartments.

But in the meantime, we're lucky because we have each other.  We still share meals in the dining room (and worry together about the virus).  Last night the Bingo Bunch played our usual eleven games of Bingo.  I won once and got $4.50--we're big stakes players.  We can use our gym and pool and engage in activities that are just for residents.

Since I'm not going anywhere, I have started Hillary Mantel's latest book, The Mirror and the Light, which is about 700 pages and which doesn't have a happy ending--Thomas Cromwell is beheaded, just like he was in real life.  I also decided this is the appropriate time to read The Decameron, Botticelli's book about ten people who flee to the country to escape the plague and amuse themselves by telling stories.  Hopefully, we will all come through out modern-day plague unscathed.

Take care,