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During quarantine, a lot of my friends have discovered bird nests around their homes. Nestled in wreaths, plants and trees, these nests have received more attention than ever because we finally have the time to notice them. I don’t think that’s a coincidence; I think it’s Mother Nature doing what she does best — making a point. 

            There’s nothing more hopeful than new life, and right now we need hope more than ever. Once I realized my friends were posting daily pictures of their respective nests, I found myself looking for updates. How were the birds? Had they hatched? Was their mother feeding them properly? (Of course she was.) Had they begun flirting with flying yet? Did they all make it?  

            As the first week of North Carolina’s phase 1 reopening comes to a close, I feel like a baby bird. I’m comfortable in my nest, yet eager to go out and see the world. I love having food delivered, but realize I need to cook for myself. I think I know how to fly, but I’m not sure if I can do it. I thought I would feel better once some of the restrictions were lifted, but I feel more insecure than ever. 

            When I go out, I wear my mask and wipe my hands down like crazy with sanitizer, wondering if this is how I’ll have to go out into the world from now on. (Remember when we didn’t have to take our shoes off before flying?) I just want to go back to my nest. 

            When I start dreaming about having a real schedule that involves other people, I receive an e-mail that yet another event or camp has been cancelled. Back to my nest I go. 

            When I think that people might be able to go to work and salvage their jobs, I hear of layoffs and furloughs. The nest is where I want to be. 

            It’s easy to want to stay where you’re safe and secure. My nest is filled with the people (and cats) that I love and plenty of food. A part of me would love to stay here forever, but we’re approaching the point where we need to be brave if we’re going to rebuild our world. We need to be brave and smart, and it wouldn’t hurt if we threw in a dash of understanding. 

            Last night while running an errand, I was driving slower than usual because I haven’t been driving much lately, and I’m terrified of having an accident. Suddenly, an SUV revved its engine as it passed me in an angry, borderline dangerous manner. I didn’t know the driver. I just know that he or she was impatient. I understand that we’re all impatient these days, but the growl of that engine infuriated me. In that moment, I almost let the hope that I have for our new normal go, but I held onto it because I realized that our normals don’t have to be the same. 

            That driver can be angry and mad that the world isn’t the way they want it to be. They can let their frustration out and speed on in front of me, but I refuse to do that. I’m not going to throw away the chance of building a better and simpler life. Mother Nature would be so disappointed in me if I did that, and I can’t let her down. 

            So yes, I blew my horn at the SUV driver and I think I also yelled some expletives, but then I continued to drive slowly because I wasn’t in a hurry. I was finally getting the hang of flying, and knowing that my nest was waiting for me gave me the courage to keep going. 

I hit my mental wall this week, folks. I think I’ve just been trying a little too hard to hold things together, and once I realized that our state was going into phase 1 of reopening, I had to let it out. 

            It’s like when you get near the end of a workout. You push yourself really hard because you know it’s almost over. You leave it all on the gym floor because there are only a few more minutes left. Everything I’ve been holding in during the quarantine came out this week. I cried. I yelled, and now I feel better. 

            I have no idea if this is almost over, and no one else does either — this includes people who think they’re epidemiologists just because they went to Harris Teeter without a mask and didn’t catch COVID-19. We are all individuals. We all have opinions, and our opinions are informed from different experiences and character traits. The sooner we realize that and belt out a verse of Let it Be, the better off we’ll all be. 

            One thing that put me in a good mood today is the fact that it is Friday. Regardless of the coronavirus, I still get a kick out of Fridays. I still want to hear Loverboy’s Working for the Weekend and Wet Willie’s Weekend when the clock ticks closer to 5 p.m. (You know you love those songs.)

            That said, it’s time for Weekly Winks. Every Friday I share the Winks of Goodness I experienced throughout the week because I’ve found that writing down and formally acknowledging these suckers gives them more power. I encourage you to share your own Weekly Winks on my site or on social media. Look around and write it down — share the goodness.   

Saturday — A yellow butterfly flew beside me for a few seconds during my run. I know it was mom helping me get through the week leading up to my first Mother’s Day without her. 

Sunday — While I was running, a sweet man let me cross in front of him while he was waiting at a stop sign. He yelled, “Go ahead, don’t mess up your pace.” I love nice people. 

Monday — My soul sister brought me a pink butterfly for my first Mother’s Day without mom. Beyond thankful for my soul sister for more reasons than I can count! I clipped the butterfly on the lampshade beside my bed so that it’s the first thing I see in the morning. 

Tuesday — Today was Easton’s day, and I’m so grateful that people responded to my blog post about her (Mothers and Daughters Connected Forever— May 5, 2020) because it keeps her with us. Love you forever, sweet Easton. 

Wednesday — My neighbor’s son brought his turtle, aptly named Turtle, over to meet me. I adore turtles, and I love that he just brought him over out of the blue. It made my whole day. 

Thursday — Today we rode in parades by the homes of Graydon’s teacher and his teacher assistant. It was so wonderful to see everyone, but it was also sad because we couldn’t hug and hang out. One day….

Friday — During my morning run, I saw children playing on the swing set at a local childcare center. Watching them run around and hearing their giggles gave me a tiny glimpse of normal. We will get there. 

            As we crack the door open to our new world, remember that we are all in this together. And also remember that Sunday is Mother’s Day. Here’s to all those folks out there who have lost their moms, and here’s to all of those women out there desperately trying to become mothers. I see you, and I love you. 

            Happy Mother’s Day! Stay well!

            Today is a special day, and I so wish it weren’t. Three years ago May 5 ceased being Cinco de Mayo or even my friend Tim’s birthday. For the rest of my life May 5 will be the day a beautiful little girl left us too soon. At just two-and-a-half years old, my sweet little friend, Easton Elizabeth Mills, died suddenly and unexpectedly from a brain tumor. 

            I’ve written about Easton before (Where the Winks Come From, February 20, 2019 and Magic Cookie Week, December 3, 2019) because her spirit inspired me to create this blog. When I began seeing the Winks she sent her family and friends, I started noticing other Winks around me. After a while, I realized how powerful these Winks were, and I wanted to focus on them more. Anyone who knows me knows that writing is how I think things through, so here we are. 

            This year the anniversary of Easton’s passing is a little different for me because of the recent loss of my mother. During the past eight months, I’ve had a lot of time to think about the relationships between mothers and daughters. Those relationships aren’t always pretty, but I was lucky in that the one I had with my mother was. Sure, we had our fights and now that she’s gone there are about five million things I’d love to apologize for, but the beauty of our connection overrides that. She’s with me every day, helping me navigate my relationship with my children. 

            Now that The Tots are tweens, I need her help more than ever. I frequently find myself digging through my memory for any article of wisdom from her that can help me deal with the challenges of the day. As I search for answers to a particular question, I always come across another memory that makes me either laugh or cry. It’s like digging for Christmas decorations in the attic. While you’re trying to find your tree topper, a box of old toys gives you a detour you didn’t know you needed, and you realize that answers are often in places you’d never think to look. 

            The best way I’ve found to communicate with mom is through writing — big surprise. Most evenings before bed I write letters to her in a journal. I let her know how dad is doing, and I fill her in on what The Tots and I are up to. If I’m mad at someone, she gets to hear all about that, too. Even though it’s just ink on paper, I know she sees it, and I know that she is with me. 

            The same is true for Easton and her mother, Liz. Though Easton isn’t physically here, Liz feels her presence every moment of the day. Their relationship continues, and it always will. In the meantime, Liz has transformed her heartache into help so that others can also feel Easton’s presence.

            Since Easton’s passing, Liz and an army of volunteers have sold untold amounts of cookies to raise funds for Cookies for Kids’ Cancer. Months after Easton died, Liz came up with the idea for the Easton Challenge, a functional training workout at the Lake Norman YMCA that raises funds for disadvantaged kids to go to summer camp. We were all set to hold the third Easton Challenge on April 25, but the coronavirus had other plans.             

So today before you gobble tacos and quesadillas, do a quick workout for Easton. If you don’t work out, clap your hands, smile or wear a bow. (Easton could rock a bow like no one else.) Then afterwards, eat a cookie for a beautiful little girl who taught me to look for Winks of Goodness every day.

Life never stops surprising me. Take the month of May for example. Any mom of school-aged kids knows that this is the busiest month of the year. There are tests, end-of-year parties, recitals, playoffs, spring musicals, banquets, teacher gifts, graduations and more. Then there’s this year. Who would have thought?

            Instead of scurrying around town while cursing Sign Up Genius, I’m walking up and down the stairs of my house delivering laundry, making sure the bird feeders are full and trying to find a good recipe for strawberries. It’s not all bad — just different. 

            As our state prepares to reopen slowly, I’m going to focus on those differences and try to build a new schedule that fulfills my expectations and my family’s, not everyone else’s. There goodness in intention, and I intend to find it. There’s the Wink! 

            That said, it’s time for Weekly Winks. Every Friday I share the Winks of Goodness I experienced throughout the week because I’ve found that writing down and formally acknowledging these suckers gives them more power. I encourage you to share your own Weekly Winks on my site or on social media. Look around and write it down — share the goodness.   

Saturday — Today my darling husband, John, turned 50! Friends drove by and honked, and The Tots and I simply enjoyed celebrating what a wonderful person he is. It was the best day!

Sunday— I saw the old lady booking it down Catawba Avenue (read Take a Good Look Around — June 29, 2019). I hadn’t seen her in forever, so it was wonderful to know that’s she’s okay, crossbody and all, and still making her way around town. COVID-19 has nothing on this chick. 

Monday — I ran past Mr. Green Jeans’ house during my run. No, that’s not his real name, and I have no idea what his real name is, but I do know that he can grow absolutely anything. Today a waft of honeysuckle greeted me as I ran by. Heaven!

Tuesday— I walked with my soul sister in Jetton Park. (Yes, we followed the social distance rules.) It was so nice to talk under the trees and just breathe. 

Wednesday— The Tots and I took a “science field trip” to Carrigan Farms to pick strawberries. (Again, we followed the social distance rules.) Being out in the strawberry field was pure magic. 

Thursday — Margot discovered a new honeysuckle bush in her grandparents’ yard down the street. She’s starting a honeysuckle scent business, so she was super excited. 

Friday— Hamilton, one of our tabby cats, snuggled with me before I got up this morning. This was especially sweet since he was in the hospital exactly a year ago today, and we weren’t sure he was going to make it. 

            Remember that we are all in this together. Think about how you want your life to be different (in a good way) when the world reopens and make it so. Stay well!

            I’ve always liked the number seven, but as we’re halfway through our seventh week of quarantine, seven is losing its luster. Folks, I’m sorry, but it’s time for a rant. Maybe getting all of this out of my system is today’s Wink because it’s no secret that this is getting old. 

            Before anyone points out how important it is to quarantine, know that I am with you. We have to do this, we need to do this and we are doing it. Our healthcare workers and educators are superheroes in my book, and my heart goes out to anyone suffering from the virus, anyone who has lost a loved one to the virus and/or anyone who has lost employment because of this virus. 

            As discussed in earlier posts, there is so much for which to be grateful. My family is lucky in this pandemic in that we’re not sick, and we’ve been able to stay employed. We also have a hammock, which is essential during a pandemic. 

            In addition, I like spending unstructured time with my family, being outside, reading and working on embroidery projects, but even though all of these things bring joy, I am slowly but surely going nuts. 

            Begin Julia Sugarbaker rant here:

             I’m tired of logging into five million sites a day to accomplish tiny tasks that I never used to think about. (Passwords are from the devil and so are screens.) 

             I’m tired of being my children’s secretary. (On top of that, last week was Secretary’s Day, and they didn’t even bring me flowers!) 

            I’m tired of wearing workout clothes every day. If I ever have to dress up again, I’m going to need Garanimals because I have no clue as to how to put an outfit together anymore.

            I’m tired of loading and unloading my dishwasher multiple times a day. (Now I totally get why people put two dishwashers in their kitchens. Brilliant!) 

             I’m tired of feeling like I’m in a science fiction movie when I go to the grocery store. I’ve wasted so much time standing in the aisle weighing the pros and cons of reading labels. (What if that can of diced tomatoes is the one someone with COVID-19 touched? Is it really worth risking my life to know the salt content?) These are actual conversations that take place in my head. Oh and fun fact, the n95 masks that are all the rage this spring leave lines on your face for hours after you take them off — hours. 

            Speaking of face lines, aka wrinkles, we now have Zoom to magnify every single negative aspect of a middle-aged woman’s skin. So not only am I stuck in my house, but I’ve now discovered at least four (big) wrinkles on my face that I didn’t know about when I simply texted people. Sure, I’m glad it’s a way for my children to continue their education and for my husband and I to continue working, and I’ll also give it props for fulfilling my dream of being on Hollywood Squares (I always wanted the top middle square on the show, and I scored it the other day during a Zoom meeting!), but I want people. 

            People, no matter how flawed they are and boy, there are some doozies out there, are the best. I want to hug people, shake hands with people, joke with people, shop with people and sit close to people. I need to move to and from places to see said people. I need to walk with people. I need to have dinner with people. Heck, I even need to disagree with people from time to time. I need people!

            End Julia Sugarbaker rant here.

            Y’all this is a hard situation any way you look at it. Maybe we’re getting close to the end of it, who knows? That’s the hardest part for me, the not knowing part. I’m deadline driven, and there’s not an exact moment when we can say that this is going to be over. The light at the end of the tunnel keeps flickering on and off, and I struggle to keep it in sight.      

Nevertheless, I’m looking for goodness, and I see it through neighbors delivering meals to homeless folks, churches collecting canned food, classmates driving by a friend’s home to wave “Happy Birthday”, a friend starting a nonprofit to refurbish old computers for disadvantaged youth (message me for details) and community leaders creating foundations to help our essential nonprofits survive (check out the Davidson Community Foundation – www.fftc.org/Davidson). Sure, I might pitch hissy fits along the way, but I’m human. We all are, and we’re all dealing with this the best way we can. That’s all we can do.  

            Thanks for letting me rant. I feel better and am ready to jump back into quarantine, wrinkles and all. Stay well!

            It’s Friday! Even though the days feel so similar right now, I still get excited about Fridays. This Friday is especially exciting because my dear husband turns 50 tomorrow. That’s right, I’ll be married to a 50-year-old in less than 24 hours!

            You can’t really get crazy with a birthday celebration while under a stay-at-home order, but in a way it makes it more fun because you have to be creative. That’s the truth about anything these days. We all have to be creative to make things work in our new world. While it’s frustrating at times, it’s also exciting. So that’s the Wink I’m concentrating on right now — the creativity being unveiled during this crisis. If you look at things through that lens, you might be surprised at how much better things appear.  

            So since this is Friday, it’s time for Weekly Winks. Every Friday I share the Winks of Goodness I experienced throughout the week because I’ve found that writing down and formally acknowledging these suckers gives them more power. I encourage you to share your own Weekly Winks on my site or on social media. Look around and write it down — share the goodness.   

Saturday — On Saturday afternoon, I finished a great book — Why We Can’t Sleep by Ada Calhoun. If you are a female member of Generation X, this is the book you have been waiting for. Read it!

Sunday— We had a social distance picnic in my dad’s carport on Sunday afternoon. It was nice to be together. 

Monday — A girl in Graydon’s class had an accident and had to stay in the hospital for a few nights. Everyone in the class sent in pictures and videos so Graydon’s teacher could create a “Get Well” video for her. I cried when I watched it because it was so beautiful. Kindness is the best gift we can give each other, injured or not. 

Tuesday— My best friend from home had a terrible car accident (see The Survival of Friendship entry from April 22, 2020). Though she was injured and had to stay in the hospital overnight, she is going to be okay. Beyond thankful!

Wednesday— The Tots got new bikes this evening, and they are so excited about them! I love that they love being outside and being active!

Thursday — Rainy days are always harder for me during quarantine, but I found a great yoga workout on YouTube that made me feel a lot better. Just keep moving!

Friday— On my morning phone call with dad, he talked about how lonely he was and how much he missed mom. After he talked about his loneliness, he immediately began talking about his 90-year-old friend in a nursing home and how he was worried about him because he can’t have any visitors. That quick shift from self to someone else was so sweet. We’re all dealing with things in this crisis, but when we look beyond ourselves to others, we can make this situation so much better for everyone. 

            On another note, my Christmas Cactus finally bloomed, so I’m taking that as a sign that things are going to get better. 

            Remember that we are all in this together. Look at the world through the lens of creativity and see how beautiful things really are. Stay well!

First of all, Happy Earth Day! If this virus has taught us anything, it’s how powerful nature can be in lifting our spirits. Therefore, I’m sending a huge shout out to the moon and the sun, the flowers and the birds, and my beloved breeze. Nature makes quarantining bearable (even enjoyable), and I am beyond grateful for it. Thank you!

            In other news, I had planned to write about the power of acquaintances today, but as I was plotting that out, my best friend from home, Katrina, had a horrific car accident. The driver of a truck overcorrected after going off the road and hit Katrina head on. The good news is that Kat survived, and although she is braving a broken sternum and a variety of bruises, she is going to be okay. 

            As I write about this, I want to make certain that this is about her and how she has inspired me since we met in fourth grade. Yes, her accident shook me up. We had just had a serious conversation about sunscreen 15 minutes before she crashed, so you can imagine the switching of gears that took place in my head. The first thing I thought was, “Thank God that’s not the last time I spoke with her.”

            Her accident was made more frightening by the COVID-19 crisis. The hospital is the last place anyone wants to go during a global pandemic, but when you have an accident as bad as hers, that’s the first place they take you. Kat had to spend one night in the hospital, and because of the coronavirus, her husband, Ryan, and her two sons weren’t allowed to visit. My heart broke as I thought of her in the hospital all by herself during such a scary time on so many levels. She managed to text us a few times, and then she finally got some sleep. 

            The next morning, she and I were texting about all of her medical stuff, and then she sent the following text to me, “Lori…I am so lucky and blessed.” I just stared at my phone, completely struck by her grace. Not only had she been in a terrible accident, but Kat also had to temporarily close her business (she’s an aesthetician, hence the sunscreen conversation) because of COVID-19. Her stress level was already at capacity, and then this happened. I was mad that she had to endure another traumatic event, and here she was gleaning the goodness. I don’t think I’ve ever been more proud of a friend. 

            Kat and I’s friendship has had more ups and downs than a yo-yo, but we love each other to the core. Growing up we were Kate & Allie— remember that show? Kat taught me about cool music (The Cult and The Cure) and even cooler clothes (Concord peeps, remember Brooke’s?). She played a large part in making me the person I am, and I’ll be forever grateful to her for that. Later on I visited her when she lived in Los Angeles (we spied on a men’s water polo team practice at Pepperdine), and years after that, we were in each other’s weddings. 

            Last summer when mom got sick, I went straight to Katrina. She was there through all of the hard conversations and tears. She held me when I was shaking with fear and anger. When we had to put mom in a nursing home temporarily, Kat and I did a drive-by of the facility. It was similar to the days in high school when we’d drive by a cute boy’s house — similar but very different. When mom was in said nursing home, Kat stopped by to file her nails. 

            There are so many times when I could have been a better friend, but Kat loves me as I am, and over the years I’ve learned to do the same. I admire her so much for how hard she works, how smart she is and how tough she is. And now I admire her for her perspective. Though she told me how lucky she was from her hospital bed, she needs to know that we’re the lucky ones because she’s still with us. 

I think it’s Friday. To be honest, I’m not sure. The days seem to melt together when you’re doing everything and nothing all at once. This week started off pretty well, but yesterday was hard. Aside from the pandemic (and a zit on my lip that looks like a bad Botox job), there was no particular reason for it to be hard, it just was. From what I hear, a lot of you are experiencing the same thing. Some days are good and you don’t think much about what’s going on, while others seem unbearable when all you can think about is what’s going on.  

            I try to wear my positive hat as much as I can, but there are days when I want to throw it on the ground and stomp on it. Then I take a deep breath, come to my senses and look for goodness. There’s so much of it around us every day — even now. 

            Earlier this week I was on a Zoom call, and someone said that they hear the birds a lot more now. I do, too. I watch them flutter by me without a care in the world, and I try to steal some of that freedom for myself. We’ll all have our freedom back at some point, but when we do, I hope that we still pay attention to the birds. That would be a nice memento to take into the future.  

            So if this is indeed Friday, it’s time for Weekly Winks. Every Friday I share the Winks of Goodness I experienced throughout the week because I’ve found that writing down and formally acknowledging these suckers gives them more power. I encourage you to share your own Weekly Winks on my site or on social media. Look around and write it down — share the goodness.   

Saturday — We visited my father. (Before you freak out, we followed the rules.) We sat in the driveway the appropriate distance apart and enjoyed Easter dinner from What-A-Burger #13 — the best What-Burger there is! Later, The Tots were playing in the yard and suddenly called me to come see something. They had put dogwoods and a huge purple clematis in mom’s iron butterfly. It was the perfect Wink of Goodness, and I know my mom loved it. It made my Easter. 

Sunday— Easter Sunday was hard. It was our first Easter without mom, and it rained – a lot. After the skies finally cleared, I went outside and sat on our front stoop. I started hearing this loud chirping, and when I looked up, I saw a beautiful red cardinal sitting atop our maypole. It was a magic moment, and I so needed it. 

Monday — Y’all know I love a good breeze (see The Breeze— August 14, 2019 entry), and Monday the breeze was pretty strong, so I went for a run. As I ran down the street, I felt like the breeze was giving me a good (and badly needed) baptism. It helped clear the sadness from Easter without mom. 

Tuesday— During my workout, I listened to songs by Guns N’ Roses (Welcome to the Jungle) and Debbie Gibson (Only in My Dreams), both have places in my eclectic heart. 

Wednesday— One of my very best friends celebrated her 20^th wedding anniversary today. She and her husband live within walking distance of the park where they got married, so they renewed their wedding vows there with their four children and sweet dog. It’s just the coolest thing! So happy for them!

Thursday — Today was really hard for my son and I, so the Wink is that we got through it. 

Friday— I scored some alone time in my home office (a rarity these days because of distance learning). It felt like a vacation!

Remember that we are all in this together. Peace, love and wellness to all of you. There is so much goodness out there. Please take the time to notice. 

            This morning while doing a workout on my front sidewalk, which has suddenly become normal in our brave new world, I heard a neighbor’s kid practicing the trumpet. Then I saw a family ride by on bicycles and another neighbor walk her dog. For a moment, I felt like I was in Whoville.

            Remember in How the Grinch Stole Christmas when everyone in Whoville wakes up on Christmas morning, realizes all their holiday loot is gone and celebrates anyway? This is what’s happening in our hood, and I must say that I’m pretty proud. Yes, we’re all stressed, stir crazy and scared as we quarantine (what week are we on?), but that’s not stopping us from enjoying a bright and sunny spring day. Take that, coronavirus!

            During the past few weeks, I’ve realized the power of sunny days so I squeeze all the goodness out of them for days that aren’t so sunny either due to rain — or the news. That’s a trick I plan to take with me into the new normal, whenever that begins. 

            I’ve been thinking a lot about the lessons and realizations that have surfaced during my coronacation (not my term, but I’m using it), so I’m starting to make a list. The first part of my list involves things I miss: my friends, being able to eat at a restaurant, the Y, church and the library. The second part includes things I don’t miss: being strapped for time, traffic and not getting to enjoy the outdoors as much as I’d like. The third part is about changes. How am I going to incorporate changes based on the first two parts of my list into my post-coronavirus life? I realize what a luxury it is to have time to think about this, and I’m thankful for it.  

            For years after 9/11, I interviewed folks about all sorts of things. More than once I heard people say that what happened on that day inspired them to make huge life changes. One family moved from Manhattan to a farm in Pennsylvania. One woman left her high-powered corporate job to work for a nonprofit, while another woman hung up her marketing hat to go after her life-long dream of being a chef. 

            Events like 9/11 and now the coronavirus serve as unexpected magnifying glasses. They ignite a response that forces us to examine our priorities, our values and even our dreams. One minute you’re living your life; the next minute you’re conducting a life audit that wasn’t on your schedule. 

            Last night, John and I sat on our new front patio. (We bought some pebbles, sat two chairs and a table on them that we already had and created what is now considered our date night space.) We try to get out there every night to chat about whatever we need or want to chat about. (Note that we never would have had time to create, let alone enjoy this space prior to COVID-19.) 

            As we talked under the stars, I asked him what he thought would change when all of this is said and done. Sure, there are people who have had to make drastic changes because they’ve lost loved ones or their job and/or business, but for those of us who are luckily coasting day by day through this pandemic hoping we’ll be okay, how will we change our lives? 

            For so long our society has heralded the art of being (or at least appearing to be) busy. Now that most of us (teachers, healthcare workers, truckers and grocery store clerks excluded), aren’t so crazy busy, look at what’s happened. We’re having real conversations with family members, we’re taking long walks and noticing flowers, we’re calling old friends, and instead of taking a restaurant meal for granted, we’re grateful that our favorite eateries figured out a way to serve us. Those are all good things that we should take with us into the future, pandemic or not.  

            I haven’t fleshed my plan out yet, but I know that more free time will part of my new normal, as well as my children’s. And I also know that they’ll be more starry nights on our patio.      

            Yesterday, I told John that I feel like a dog on vacation at the beach. It’s as if the world has a retractable leash on me that will allow me to see the fun things but not interact with them. Sorry folks, that’s all I’ve got for this week because it’s been a rough one.

            That said, here this week’s Weekly Winks. I know there is much for which to be grateful, so that’s what I’m going to focus on this Easter weekend, and I encourage you to do the same. We’re going to get through this. It’s just going to take some time. 

            Please share your Winks on my site or on my social media pages. We can’t hear about goodness enough during these challenging times. Enjoy your weekend, breathe in the sunshine, call a friend and stay well. 

Saturday — The Tots’ Sunday school teacher sent them some activities to do, and she wrote that she missed them. 

Sunday— I pressure washed our back stoop. It’s ridiculous how much pleasure I get out of this activity. 

Monday — The azaleas are blooming at my parents’ house, and they are always a sight to see. So many times we’ve taken Easter pictures with these hot pink blossoms serving as the background. Mom loved our azaleas, so dad picked some and placed them on her memorial. I think that’s the sweetest thing even though it breaks my heart to pieces. Happy Easter, mom!

Tuesday— I got a kick out of listening to The Tots sing with their Spanish lesson. I can’t say enough good things about how well their teachers are handling this crisis. Thank you! 

Wednesday— We found five rolls of paper towels behind a pile of laundry. This is our new reality, folks. 

Thursday — I had a great morning run. Thank goodness we’re still allowed to run!

Friday— My husband worked out with me in the yard today because I’m so tired of doing workouts alone. I miss my tribe at the Y so much I could cry (and have). 

Remember that we are all in this together. Peace, love and wellness to all of you. 

Happy Easter!