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10 FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | MAY 2020 One of my biggest personal takeaways from this experience is the value of personal contact! I never realized just how much a person's smile or a friend's hug could be missed! While it is important to be healthy and cautious and practice all of the safe measures we have been made aware of, I still love a good hug. ~ Sue Trostle Can anything be good about the "shelter in place" idea? 1. We are getting to know each other much better — 24/7. (This could also be a bad thing.) 2. We are saving lots of money. (Don't think about the value of your portfolio.) No nail salon mani-pedi, $50; no hair stylist including color, cut and style, $100; no waxings or eyelashes or tattooing, $100; no slot machine play each week, $50 to ?; no dinners out, $50-?; no trips to Home Goods for more stuff, $50 ?; no preparation of special desserts for club gatherings, $40; and the list goes on depending on your lifestyle. 3. People out running or dog walking are more friendly. Just to see another face, even 10 feet away, fills us with joy. Even those driving by get a smiling wave. 4. We finally have time to examine those boxes in the garage that we haven't touched since we moved in. 5. We can read some of the books stacked up by our beds. 6. We can sort those old pre-digital photos in the shoebox. 7. We can even alphabetize our spices if we run out of things to do. 8. And, each of us has a personal list of things that we've intended to do but never got the time because we live in Four Seasons with sports, movies, a library, a Bistro, clubs for every hobby and interest group, two gyms, walking trails, tennis and bocce courts, and even committees for the community minded. So, maybe some downtime isn't so bad for some of us, if we remember to follow the guidelines and stay healthy. ~ Andi Henderson What have I been doing during this period of self-isolation? Living alone brings different challenges, but it has been workable. I recently acquired a slow-moving vehicle, golf cart size, so I go out each day and travel around our community to get some fresh air. Was in the process of making my usual 100 quilted greeting cards for our Spring Boutique when the virus hit; have now lost card count. Answered the call for sewers to make masks for residents at Four Seasons. Every drawer/cabinet in my home has been reorganized and when weather permitted, gardened in my backyard. Thank you to The Bistro/Copper Kettle for providing eggs/bread and occasional meals. ~ Barbara Miller I was ABSOLUTELY SURE that I would never be able to drink all of the alcohol we had on hand (two cases of wine and champagne, three bottles of gin, two bottles of vodka, two bottles of rye whiskey and a 30 pack of beer). Boy, was I wrong, that was gone in two weeks. Total Wine here we come. Apparently, eating three meals a day and snacking in between, I CAN gain more weight. Thank God for sweatpants. Always, always have at least a four-month supply of toilet paper in your garage. ~ Tom and Diane DePaola Began the huge project of scanning old family photos. Some were in photo albums, others in boxes. The oldest photos were of my great grandparents. This is a project I have wanted to do for over 30 years. ~ Linda Stratton A group of ladies who sew have been making masks for local medical facilities' staff that have so unselfishly served our communities during this difficult time. A local fabric and sewing store (Cherry Berry) supplied us with kits as well while the ladies supplied their own fabrics… it's a wonderful feeling to give back to the medical workers and first responders who have given so much to us. ~ Sue Trostle The quarantine has given me the opportunity to be connected with my family through Zoom technology. My family is scattered, one in Sacramento and the larger group in Portland, Oregon. I go to church via Zoom in Portland, we have family chats which is amazing to me. This technology is wonderful. Along with FaceTime, Facebook, and Instagram, we are living in a time of wonder. I have started a Paint by Numbers project, which is challenging. On nice days I sit on my patio among my potted plants. I have transplanted and moved the plants around. It is wonderful to watch all the new growth everywhere. Spring is here. ~ Roxanna Morrow We have caught up on the DVR with our recordings - we had over 1,000 hours. I finally know the true color of our floor grout - the wife has been cleaning. What used to take one hour to get to work, now taking about 45 minutes. The drive home is even better - 50 minutes vs. 1:15 to 2 hours. Gas mileage was 33-35MPG, now 36.79 MPG at $2.50 a gallon. Of course, I'm driving at 100 MPH. Social distancing – no longer having any physical contact with my wife. Now when she approaches to kiss or hug me, I yell out, "social distancing." We just wave to each other and speak through a face mask. I'm no longer forced to interact with my neighbors. I see them coming and I run into the house. ~ Tom and Diane DePaola More phone chit chat with other Four Seasons residents. ~ Mike Saperstein lessons learned silver linings