Corona Virus Questions

Here are some questions to answer during coronavirus:

1. What is the date and where are you sheltering in place? Early March. We immediately traveled to TX for cousin time and stayed for 2 weeks. We then came home and quarantined.
2. What is some recent information that you can share about what is happening with the pandemic? Right now, at the end of July, the virus cases continue to rise rapidly. Many small businesses, especially restaurants are suffering. People are TIRED of all of this. There is a vaccine in the works. It looks promising but still seems to far away.
   
3. How do you feel right now? In slight shock that this is real life. I also feel grateful for our business, my family, and our house/yard. I feel happy and normal some days and a bit sad and uncertain on others.
   
4. What do you think about how it is being handled locally, nationally or internationally? Pretty poorly locally. Our town is doing a bit better than our state. Leadership seems to be confused, conflicted, and not very well at communicating. I can't really blame anyone however, who could navigate something like this and make decisions for large populations on something we know nothing about.
   
5. Has anyone you know been affected by covid-19? How so? Thankfully, no one directly. So very extended family, friends of friends. I did have one good friend catch it along with her whole family but they were lucky to have a very mild case.
   
6. What have you had to change about how you fulfill basic needs? Our store was SO hard to navigate when all this first started. Now we are well staffed and organized yet we continue to have staff needing to be tested on a regular basis which is stressful. We have to wear masks any time we go any where and we rarely take the kids out of the house. Basic items have been a bit more challenging to find at time like toilet paper, paper towels, cleaning supplies and certain foods as they are in shorter supply.
   
7. How has this affected your work or school? Work was an EXTREME challenge at first. I would love to do a separate post one day on all of that. The kids schools were shut down in March. It's now July and they have yet to give a clear answer on when they will resume. Many, including myself, feel that when they do reopen they will shut down shortly after. We have chosen to homeschool this year. Crazy.
   
8. What is something positive that has come from this experience for you? Our children have grown very close during this time. They play so well together and really love eachother. We got to go to TX and visit my brother and his family and spend additional time with them. I think this pandemic has taught me how much family means, including my grandparents. Also, our store has been SO busy and we have made so much more profit than ever before.
   
9. What are you doing to pass the time? We painted many rooms in our house, redecorated many rooms, we built and maintained a BEAUTIFUL & plentiful backyard garden, and we've re-finished the camper we bought last year. It's beautiful. We've also spend time growing business.
   
10. What do you miss most right now? I really miss traveling. I miss taking my babies places. I miss going to stores and trying things on carefree. I miss restaurants all being open and normal. I miss routine and normalcy.
    
11. What is the first thing you’d like to do when this is all over? Well...I don't feel like there will be a lightswitch end to this thing. It would be wonderful to have the virus just disappear one day BUT I want to go on a trip. I want to take the kids to fun places.
    
12. What are you most worried about? I am worried about it not ending. That sounds dramatic but when the shut down first happened they said 2 weeks. Then it turned into 6 weeks. Here we are with no end in sight. I am worried that things have changed for ever. That we can never have big group meetings again. That we will always have to wear masks. I am worried for the health of my grandparents and that they might get sick. I am worried that when this passes...what if another virus comes along. I just don't want this to happen again.
    
13. What lessons has this experience taught you? Patience, love, understandingness.
    
14. What are you thankful for? I am thankful for our business continuing to do well. I am thankful for our house and yard giving us plenty of things to keep our mind occupied. I am thankful for my family and especially Mark.
    
15. What is something that is helping you cope? Staying busy, saying how crazy this all is, growing the business, and bettering our house and yard. Also, God is in control and I fully trust him and his plan even though I might not like it.