The Governor of Maryland just extended school closures (k-12) through April 26th. I’m pretty impressed with his handling of this pandemic in my state so far. He is proactive, calm, helpful, level-headed, and doesn’t get sucked into political drama and the blame game. It’s interesting that we have a Republican Governor in a historically democratic state. My college is closed this week for spring break, and as far as I know I will continue to work from home starting Monday.

On Monday I went to the grocery store. It was raining, and I went very early right after stores opened hoping for no crowds. It was a good strategy, with only a handful of shoppers and only one person in line in front of me at check out. I was happy to see a good selection of fresh fruit and veggies which I was completely out of. While there, I stocked up on chicken, ground meat, milk and eggs (there was a 2 per item limit on each of these) and other items. I’m good for at least a month, and I could easily stretch it out much farther if I need to. My goal is to stay home and out of the stores. I only need to go out to walk, get my mail, and take out the trash.

Each day this week I have tackled a particular chore. Monday was grocery shopping and I cleaned out and organized my fridge, freezer and pantry. Yesterday, I stripped the bed, turned the mattress, washed the mattress pad, blankets, sheets and pillow cases. Today I am deep cleaning the master bathroom. Tomorrow I will deep clean the guest bathroom, and Friday I plan to start on the living room. I like to keep busy as I do much better with a structured routine.

I miss getting together with my friends and family, but we call and text frequently. Everyone is trying to do their part by staying home as much as possible.
Please take good care of yourselves, and don’t forget to check on elderly and/or disabled family, friends, and neighbors if you are able.