The Benedik’s + COVID19 + Social Isolation Day 7…

Day 7 – hard to believe we have been in our home together, all five of us, for SEVEN days already.   It seems like we have a good number of days ahead of us, with our limitations increasing by the hour, and I am hopeful we can all keep our wits about us as the days go by.  The statistics are frightening, and very close to home.

While having my first cup of coffee this morning and checking all my social media pages, I came across a video on Twitter that brought an instant smile (& also a tear!) to my face.  Andrew Lloyd Weber playing “All I Ask of You” on his piano in his apartment during self isolation.  It was so beautiful, and he even apologized for not being able to play it in a certain key due to his arthritis in his hands, yet you would never know.  It was just so special.  There are many musicians sharing on social media, and it is definitely worth taking time to listen.   A welcome change from the news. https://twitter.com/OfficialALW/status/1240670207930249216?s=20

Last night our family had a successful game night – we played “Smart Ass” twice, and we laughed and had genuine fun.  There was no fighting, and no one cried – which I thought was a home run.   To support a local business in town, Tons of Toys, I sent the owner an email this morning to see if they could deliver some new board games to our home.   Within a few hours, our requested games arrived – I paid over the phone, and they dropped the bag off.  No human to human contact, and we have a nice pile to choose from for tonight & moving forward.   Thank you Ken, for offering this service to our community!  I can imagine the stress the local businesses are feeling as they are being forced to close to the public during this pandemic.

Another small business that was forced to close, and who is just KILLING IT with support and options, is our gym, JNA Fitness.  They are offering virtual workouts, online workouts, workout regimens being sent via text/facetime/facebook, cooking demonstrations, games & challenges, and tonight there was a happy hour for members using ZOOM.  I can’t tell you the amount of time Joe, Alina, Tara, Kristen & Alex are putting into this.  They are going above and beyond, and still holding their members accountable during this time.  Joe asked me what equipment I had at home, I sent him a list, and I got a workout customized to me and Brian.  Although, when it came time to exercise, Brian was asleep (see picture #2 above!), so I went at it alone on the deck.  It was a beautiful day, and despite my internal conflict of not WANTING to work out, I did, and it felt great.  Our gym community really relies on one another for daily support and encouragement, and we are all good friends.  It was nice to see everyones face tonight on the virtual happy hour – and my ice cold Stella tasted so good.   So thank you to our team at JNA…  If you are looking for a unique gym, give them a try – http://www.jnafitness.com.

My kitchen project for the day was baking bread from scratch – it took about five hours with time allotted for rising, but it was SO worth it.  The house smelled like a bakery, and I have two loafs of fresh bread just waiting to be consumed.   It’s actually quite simple, and I will defiantly explore this avenue of baking some more. (My sister Heidi and I grew up watching ‘Little House on the Prairie’, and I swear all I remember Mrs. Ingalls kneading bread!!!)   I have NO idea what I will make tomorrow, but it is a huge stress reliever for me to be in the kitchen.   With everyone home, there are plenty of willing taste testers, and there hasn’t been a leftover since Tyler arrived home from Fordham.   It really is a joy to have them all home, just not under these circumstances.

To cap off day 7, our Kody turned 5 – our beautiful girl celebrated her fifth birthday with a deli turkey cake & a number ‘5’ candle.   We love her to pieces….

Stay safe, and lets see what tomorrow brings…It is what it is…

xo KB