My Ultimate Concierge, America and I flew back to California from my beautiful Chicago last Sunday. That evening we had dinner with a group of friends. We said our goodnights laughing without a care. The next morning we listened to the news and were struck by the seriousness of the Coronavirus. I wondered how I would be able to continue to smell the roses.
How To Continue To Smell The Roses
Stay calm and carry on.
I learned early Monday morning I had spent an entire afternoon the week prior with two girls who were exposed to the Coronavirus and hospitalized. One did have the Coronavirus and the other had symptoms and was awaiting testing. My reaction was one of great concern for my girlfriends. I was not overly worried about my wellbeing because of the timelapse and I felt fine. But I knew to relieve my apprehension I had to act proactively.
Be Proactive
I called our doctor and discussed what we could do to protect ourselves. My husband has been quite sick the week we were home and though almost fully recovered he was compromised. The doctor told me we should take 10,000 units of Vitamin D3, drink plenty of water, stay home and watch for the following symptoms: a dry cough, fatigue, a temperature, and shortness of breath. I hung up the phone and recall feeling positive.
And, I did my homework; I was proactive. I then picked up the phone to tell my friends about the discussion I had with our doctor. Again, I felt good that I passed on important info made personal to friends because I am not a phone conversationalist. These little acts closed a window of gloom and opened up a window of hope. The quote: “Stop and smell the roses” went through my mind and at that moment I decided, I was going to think and act rationally and be grateful for all the good in my life. Period!
These Are Scary Times – What I Did For Starters
My next big decision was to stay home because my husband was compromised and I had been exposed. We have been in the house for six days with the exception of going to the market (one time.)
I read up on what to eat, how to stock our home with necessities for two weeks, we ordered and found out where our medications are made (my husband’s medications arrive from India), necessary cleaning supplies to have on hand, medical supplies, books to read and I emailed friends for suggested movies to watch on Netflix and Amazon Prime.
I know we are all in uncharted territory and it is scary.
How I Am Smelling The Roses
My Ultimate Concierge and I have each other and America, my family is safe, my ability to communicate is full steam ahead and… I continue to educate myself and stay in touch with family and friends. I have done everything in my power thus far and it gives me relief. Staying connected is very important for every human being; sharing is caring so I am sharing my decisions with you.
Sharing My Decisions With You
- CALM: This is the routine in our home. I know stress lowers our immune systems. Therefore, we turn on the news for an early am update report. Otherwise, we listen to music or watch movies or read, etc… Nature is very calming so we take walks with America or together. Exercise is a great stress reliever. And, I have read over and over that happy people are grateful, so do count your blessings.
- FOODS: Obviously we have to resort to shelf foods. So darlings, lots of water, beans (I love bean soup!), pasta, sauces, cereal, canned soup, tuna, sardines, canned vegetables (I don’t like but…) Matzah, nuts, and don’t forget pooch food! Stock your freezer to your liking. You can freeze cheese and many other foods. Just google.
- MEDICINES: Call the pharmacist to find out where your meds come from. Stock up on a 90 day supply. Also, a thermometer, cold and flu medications, alcohol, bandaids, peroxide, etc.
- EXERCISE: If you have a membership at a gym and prefer to stay away, order a bike or treadmill. It is a great investment for your health now and in the future. Invest your money in your health. We have no idea of how long we are going to be asked to stay out of crowds. Without our health, we are lost souls.
- CLEANING SUPPLIES: White distilled vinegar, laundry detergent, dish and hand soap, and all paper products. It is difficult to find hand sanitizer toilettes so wash your hands often.
Entertainment
- BOOKS: If you have a library card you can install Overdrive’s Libby app or Bibliotheca Cloud Library app on your phone or tablet. Enter your library card number and voila, you can check out books with a few clicks. How wonderful is that!
- MOVIES & DOCUMENTARIES: Here is my personal list of movies & documentaries that my Ultimate Concierge and I recommend.
- Outlander is a must-see. Netflix. The 5 seasons will keep you glued for hours!,
- Hunters with Al Pacino. Amazon Prime. Fascinating.
- Anne with an E has a 97% rating. Netflix. Three seasons. Don’t miss. Men love it too.
- The Two Popes is on Netflix. It was up for an Academy Award. My ultimate concierge and I rank it as a don’t miss.
- Parasite: Netflix. It won best picture of the year, best screenwriting and best director. I was mesmerized.
- Judy: Netflix with Academy Award winner Renee Zellweger. Her acting was exceptional.
- Ford and Ferrari: Netflix. I loved it and every man adored it.
- Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and the Joker: I recommend them. My Ultimate Concierge did not care for either of them. I give them both a 10
- Iris Apel: Netflix. I watched her documentary twice!
- Finding Vivian Maier: Netflix. The documentary is the story of an amateur photographer who was a nanny and lived an obscure life only to become world-famous after her death. After watching this documentary I bought one of her photographs that hangs in my den in Chicago. Please watch and educate yourselves. You will not be sorry.
AND MY DARLINGS FOR A GOOD LAUGH, BEFORE YOU TURN OFF THE LIGHTS, WATCH THE RERUNS OF SEINFELD I LOVE GEORGE!
Time Alone is Healthy
Time alone is a good time for reflections. We live in an age of such speed it is oftentimes hard to think. I like to tread slowly so the fast pace is very difficult for me. And I like to luxuriate in stillness. I write about this often.
I recommend you ‘just be.’ Sit still. Think about the you in you. Go nowhere but into your private world and examine your thoughts, your dreams, your challenges, and your hopes.
Be in the now. This is your life, and you and only you have power over it. You have choices. This is a good time to reexamine yours.
There is a Reason For Everything
Remember, there is a reason for everything. I am wondering what the Coronavirus is going to teach us. What are the reasons it is attacking the world?
At this time I know this: I have made wise choices for my Ultimate Concierge and me. There is nothing more at this time that I can do except share my thoughts with my family and you. I am smiling.
Thank you Honey for sharing your thoughtful and positive message. I love the way you put an uplifting way on life.
I will share a quote someone sent me today.
“When you know better you do better”
Be well, be wise , be kind.❤️
Thank you so much. I agree with everything you stated. Marx’s on our list too. You made me feel calmer🙏
Excellent advise and so interesting to see how this has affected you and how you have reacted – it is a lesson to all of us. Thank you for the movie recommendations – I will be checking all of them out. But, mostly, thank you for the calm you gift us. Prayers for our nation and our world. Stay well!
I have little patience for those that bemoan our current situation aside from the very real threat of this virus and it’s consequences. I think about people who have lost loved ones as well as their homes and all they own in recent storms. We are lucky, we have electric, running water, a roof over our heads and uncontaminated food to eat. We have multiple forms of entertainment, able to access an infinite number of books and games not to mention a connectedness through social media at the tip of our fingers. Nevertheless, there are people running around grabbing everything they can get their hands on let alone outrageous supplies of toilet paper of all things.
If there is a reason for this, maybe it’s that here, we take our freedom for granted. We don’t realize that our current situation is how other people live on a regular basis, being told when you can go out, curfews in place, the freedom to gather curtailed and shortages on food, medical supplies and basic necessities. It’s giving everyone a taste of what life could be like without the liberty we enjoy each and every day living here.
Thank you for your recommendations and positive outlook. I would also suggest some of the shows on PBS such as Poldark which have multiple seasons to watch.
Thank you, Honey, for your positivity and calmness in this troubled time! You are a light in the current dark mood of most of media.
Thank you, Honey, for sharing your wisdom, thoughts, and recommendations! Stay safe, stay healthy, and stay positive. God has a plan and it is good.
Your thoughts and ideas were so reassuring! I,too, feel more calm when I am being proactive. Stocking up on canned goods, planning on my husband and I staying out of the public spaces for a week, coming up with some house projects or exploring creative ideas like getting some of my Scrapbook pages done. I love the Netflix suggestions. This challenging time can be used productively. And I love the suggestion of “just be.” This coming week, I have nowhere to go, so I am allowing myself the freedom to immerse myself in whatever tickles my fancy. Thanks for sharing. It feels reassuring that so many of us are going through the same thing.
Sometimes, I feel guilty for sitting in my home, comfortable for the moment while others are on the front lines of this emergency. My husband, a doctor, is still working and I am worried about his safety along with the others on the front lines of this pandemic. I am also a retired nurse and social worker and find myself practicing my skills at home with my family and on social media with friends. Even reading positive messages here makes me uneasy…I guess I wonder why are so many suffering and we are somewhat safe sheltering in place so far. I realize these thoughts are not healthy and each day I actively try to engage in things that are positive and help me to anticipate a future free of this pandemic. I talk with friends and encourage them to do the shelter in place as much as possible and do their part to flatten the curve of this infection. I am thankful that you shared your frightening experience with this virus and the positive things you are doing. When you plan for the future it is hopeful, it actively says “this too shall pass”. Stay well Honey and take care of your precious husband and America. xo
So simply and beautifully expressed! Many thanks for continued calm positivity and god sensible advice. thankyou for sharimg Honey!
Honey, thank you for your uplifting message! I would like to recommend the documentary Sid and Judy. It spans Judy Garland’s career and life from the time she started in show business at the age of 4! Sid Luft was her third husband and it is narrated by him using actual recordings and Jon Hamm impersonating his voice. Very entertaining!