#23 - Don't Like Quarantine Blues

Those Alone

I'm of course the most sad, for those who are dealing with illness. But I also worry about the mental health of all. Especially those who are quarantining alone.

My dad has been isolated in his assisted living space, for weeks. We talk on his landline daily. I can't see him, but he sounds well. We talk about the simple happenings in our worlds. I always bring up some happy memory from the past. But what effects will all this isolation have on him? 

Dad's facility put photos on FaceBook. Dad thought the sign thing was sort of silly. I told him he needs to come up with a good joke or an impressive poem, for the next time!

Isolating With Good People

Don and I watched this movie the other night and it was the healthiest escape ever. The old poster claims, "You'll Love Them All for giving you the swellest time you've ever had!"  I did have a swell time! I love the nutty family and all their housemates! As I watched I chuckled to myself, "Now this is a my kind of Dream Quarantine Home!"
I would love to be in a giant old house, filled with dancing, music, fireworks, feasting, banister-riding...!

I will always associate this movie with our own Covid Quarantine. The movie made me laugh. It was fun imagining myself trapped at home with kooky characters. But it also made me stop and think about all the less fun or ideal quarantine situations, out there. How many divorces will result?  How many couples or families were already dealing with huge stresses and tension, before quarantine and illness worries. I think about the Women's Shelter where I volunteer. How many more calls are they getting now!

​My Quarantine Buddy
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I've been thinking a lot about how fortunate I am to have Don as my Quarantine Buddy. When we married 40 years ago, my sibs gave us a canoe. We laughed that if we could handle canoeing together, we would be fine.

Quarantining is a much longer test than  a canoe trip.

But I can't complain. In our Team Don & Beth, I am getting the better end of the deal. Don may not be a Team Rubicon member (just a fan and supporter) but he was a lifeguard in his young years and he's taken numerous wilderness first aid classes in recent years. He can play Nurse Don if he has to.

On the other hand, if Don gets sick I can entertain him, with about 3 songs on the ukulele. That's a horrible thought. We better just stay well.