The focus of this week has been preparing for the stay-at-home order to end and the recovery phase to begin. Starting this Friday, May 29th, manufacturing, offices, retail, barbershops and salons, summer programs, outdoor recreation activities, and bars and restaurants for outdoor seating can reopen in much of the state.

I had an interesting conversation with my Mom today. She said she felt like we were going back in time. “How so?” I asked. She replied “People are doing things like they did in the past, more domesticated, because right now we’re so limited in what we can do during stay-at-home.” She’s right - we are learning to adapt to the pandemic world we now live in.

Three more weeks to go (maybe sooner) until we get to the next possible phase of loosening the stay-at-home restrictions. To say that folks are getting restless in an understatement. There have been more protests to reopen businesses, but at the same time there are those who are afraid of the consequences of reopening too soon. I feel like many are no longer in this together. Me, on the other hand - I try to stay positive and work with what I’ve been given.

It’s been an interesting week leading up to May 1st and Governor Pritzker’s extended stay-at-home order, with looser restrictions. Even though more businesses have been allowed to reopen (with curbside pick-up) as well as some parks and golf courses (with restrictions) there has been this brewing debate between saving lives or livelihoods. We saw several groups of protesters this week, against the stay-at-home rules. We also saw most people out and about following the rules, wearing masks and social distancing. I still tried to stay positive, starting my week by giving a shout out on air to my sister, part of the maternity unit at Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington - definitely a hero in my book!

The big news this week wasn’t unexpected - on Thursday Governor Pritzker extended the stay-at-home order through the end of May, with some modifications, including reopening state parks and golf courses, and requiring masks be worn in places where social distancing isn’t always possible, like grocery stores. My “Kitchen Studio” is becoming the norm, rather than the exception.