A New Life! Retirement at its Best 2020-18

Self-isolation

Our Executive Director is really taking no chances for the virus to attack any of us. Anyone who leaves the campus, no matter if it is for a doctor’s visit, a trip to the grocery store or to go to a relative’s home, has to go into self-isolation in his or her apartment for ten days. People coming in, even after having taken a walk on the premises, all have to go through the front door past the front desk where they have to be checked. But there are loopholes! And there are people who don’t take this seriously!

Several first-floor apartments have an exit door and a patio in the back, through which they can get out without passing the front desk, virtually unseen. They can take their car and leave at any time, or have someone drop off groceries or visit on the patio. Sigh. I wish people would take this more seriously. When I walked around on the first floor inside the Club this morning, because it was raining, I noticed a large sign on one of the apartment doors saying: Isolation! Do Not Enter! But how can you enforce rules on this “open” campus with two unguarded entrances? How can this work if there are people who go to the store early in the morning and then go on to playing bridge at the Club, without wearing masks, “after they have taken a shower”? I guess, in a situation like this, we get to know our neighbors.

It’s a Party!

So when good neighbors seemed hard to find, we made an effort to get closer to a wonderful couple in one of the cottages. They had birthdays two days apart around Easter. Because the weather was really nice, I called and asked if they would like to celebrate both their birthdays with a little party in the gazebo next to the pond. They loved the idea. Sadly, the weather had turned the day of the party. It was windy, overcast and only 53 degrees. But we all donned warm jackets and we went! They brought Chardonnay for Betty and two glasses, plus potato chips and little pink plates. We brought a bottle of Burgundy for the other three of us and two glasses, plus four tea-towels to put on the chair cushions so the pollen would not yellow our pants. With a sponge soaked in diluted Clorox and wipes, all in a ziplock bag, I sanitized everything. Chairs around the table 6′ apart, wine in the glasses, chips on the plates, a few at a time so they would not all blow away….and the party could start! Ben was wearing thick winter gloves, but he could not pick up his wine glass with them. He took one of them off to make a toast, and actually, I noticed that he did not put it back on because he liked the wine and I poured him another glass soon thereafter. We partied for an hour, until it was time for our dinners to arrive, and decided we’d do that again when it would get warmer. It was so nice to get to know another couple more in-depth. We hope we will be friends for many years.

One World Together at Home

We watched a great concert on April 19, organized by Lady Gaga to pay tribute to healthcare workers who are on the frontlines battling COVID-19: One World Together at Home. Many celebrities,  Michelle Obama, Laura Bush, Oprah Winfrey and others spoke messages of thanks and many musicians performed wonderful music. Stevie Wonder was one of the stars taking part in the One World concert, as were Celine Dion, Tailor Swift, Andrea Bocelli, The Rolling Stones and others. These incredible moments of unity raised $128 million in commitments, which will go to supporting the World Health’s Organization’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, as well as local organizations globally that are supporting vulnerable communities.  The concert was concluded by Celine Dion, Andrea Bocelli, Lady Gaga, LangLang, and John Legend singing  The Prayer 

Lani

Our little dog, who will be two years old in August, got a new toy last Friday. An orange squeaky toy. I put it in her food bowl. She looked at it, sniffed it, but she did not know what to do with it! When she finally took it out of the bowl and into her mouth and walked around with it for a while, she came to give it to me. I threw it away with a little squeak and she ran after it and picked it up again. For the past week she has been carrying it around, a prized possession, but only once in a while, as if by accident, we heard a little squeak. We showed her how to make it squeak but it has been like teaching a toddler how to use a toy. After a week, she is still delighted with it, but it does not give a beep! It’s just as well with us 🙂

It’s a Wonderful Life!

Until next time.,

Ronny