What are you doing now?
During the first six months of COVID, I wrote a research-informed journal-style book about it as it was unfolding. I was in Florida with my mother (now 96) during that time. At first I was there to help her, then we were both there until we felt it was safer for her to get home to Chicago and avoid hurricane season. Since January, I’ve been a volunteer with the Virginia Beach Medical Reserves Corps actually giving vaccines at the Convention Center. I spend part of my time there with the pharmacy teams preparing the vaccines for administration, which helps make the lines move faster.
After coming home from being with my mom, my older daughter and her family from urban New Jersey moved in for about a month so their kids could play outdoors and so I could help with their preschooler while their older son started first grade—online, of course. It was a very busy and fun late August/September/October. Then, I flew to Chicago to share in my mom’s 96th birthday, and got to visit my sister and cousins.
Now I’m in two Melton classes, one with Rabbi Panitz, the other with Amy Milligan.
In addition to being on Ohef Sholom Temple’s board, I was secretary of our neighborhood homeowners’ association until I was elected president in November.
Oh, and I was nurturing a Monarch Butterfly….
It has been a productive, busy year. I really haven’t had time to be depressed about COVID. Rather, I’ve been impressed with all the science that has progressed at a tremendous pace, and all the thousands of people who have devoted their careers to the effort.
When COVID-19 restrictions lift, what do you want to do?
Visit my kids and grandkids as soon as their parents will let me. Other than that, my top three are a trip to explore Patagonia, the Chilean Fjords, the Straits of Magellan and Antartica, aiming for part of Jan–March 2022 (anyone interested in joining me?). The other trip I want to make is to the National Parks nearest Las Vegas, by renting a camper. Then, Alaska.