On The Road to Still at Home

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It’s been almost one month since Governor JB Pritzker put the Stay at Home order in effect in Illinois, and we’ve still got a couple weeks to go. The general consensus, depending on who you talk to, is that the Stay at Home order will be extended beyond April 30th. Although nothing has been made official yet, there are other signs - what’s left of the in-class school year 2019/2020 has been canceled, with remaining classes to be done at home through e-learning, and more stringent rules have been put in place regarding wearing masks, both for the public and for essential workers. My thought is I’ll be broadcasting from my “kitchen studio” a little longer than suspected.

It’s been a newsworthy week aside from Covid-19 - starting with the weather. We went from spring, to winter, to spring, to winter and back to spring again in a matter of days, two of which produced several inches of snow and a nearly 50 vehicle crash on the Kennedy Expressway!

What I’ve discovered during this Stay at Home/Work from Home order, I am in a much better place when I have a structured day - not jam-packed with back to back events, but enough to keep me busy. Once I get off the air at 9:00 am I have incorporated several events/projects into my day to give it that even balanced structure. In addition to my Monday/Wednesday/Friday workouts, I try to watch the Governor’s updates each afternoon at 2:30; most of the family does, including the “fur” family!

Speaking of my “Fur Family,” I have been able to observe their behaviors more, since I’m home more.

These observations lead to my next topic on “Fabulous Fur Babies - Healthy at Home.”

Since we were back in spring weather by the weekend, I decided to get some construction video at Montrose and the Kennedy Expressway to use on the air this coming week (in a most safe way of course). There was a bit more traffic than I expected, but I did not encounter any people on the sidewalks - wore my mask anyway, just in case.

By evening I was ready to relax in front of the TV. I was curious about the well publicized special “One World Together at home - LIVE.'“ I was pleasantly surprised and inspired by this interesting group of performers, musicians, and late-night hosts interweaved with clips of first responders, from doctors and nurses to essential workers. it left me feeling uplifted and hopeful.

That feeling of hope was the perfect segue into Sunday. Our choir from Oak Park Temple had its first rehearsal (courtesy of Zoom!) since the pandemic began. Different, to be sure, but an amazing and fulfilling experience of interactions.

Ending my week on a very high note (no pun intended) I decided to visit my Mom from a distance. My daughter Sara joined me. I made my Mom’s fried chicken recipe (more than she could eat in a month!) and brought some other goodies to her house. Thankfully it was a nice day and we were able to visit from the front door of her home, following social distancing and safely protocol.

The smile on her face meant the world to me. It also showed me that with determination, creativity and the power of love, I am confident we can get through this. Until next week, remember we are #InThisTogether.