I managed to stay off my computer for the first hour of the day -- making art and listening to an audio book. That's a newer stress-reduction action for me, but it really gets me day off to a better start. So, I'm going to keep pushing myself on that.

My friend's dad is going to be released to hospice care at her house, so that's working out as well as can be expected. I think I'll make a pot of vegan chili today or tomorrow to take over there.

Exercise: +25, 475/1300 minutes for March

Good morning!

Eating has been off and weight is still in the unhappy range, but I'm weighing and tracking every day. Today I will have a low cal day.

We now have three teenagers in the family after a birthday celebration yesterday. The 13th birthday tradition is to head to the bank and open their first checking account. He's excited to get his debit card, and I'm excited to no longer be his virtual banker.

Oregon schools have all closed and I'm wondering how it might effect my older boys' start of spring term on the 30th. No word from the community college about closures yet.

Maryann, I hope your mama is home and well. I need to start the oatmeal and orange diet now. lol

Curly, lol at your daughter staying home and disturbing your peace. I hope it doesn't come to that.

Bill, credit for finishing up the estate planning, and skipping the chocolate.

Joy, that sounds tough for your friend to have had to make the decision based on the coronavirus. Hopefully it doesn't prove to be too much for her. Good idea to take food.

Karen, it does seem bad timing to travel. Hopefully they decide to postpone.

Good morning coaches,

Food was a little off plan and rich too, so weight is up this morning. It's been rainy here, but supposed to be good on the weekend and I have hikes planned for both days. Tomorrow will just be me, but the next day will be Flatiron with my backpacking buddy. It is about 6 miles, but very strenuous with some climbing. I am so sore today from some things at the gym and I'm not sure what else. I just hope it's better by Sunday. It is my upper back between my shoulder blades. I knew I shouldn't do that upper body stuff (or maybe the truth is I should be doing it much more often). Yesterday I did a ton of housework and this morning I cleaned the inside of my car and took Otis for a walk. I'm am trying to be productive and do some things that make me feel as if I have some control of my life. Of course I do, but some things not so much. Our relatives will not be coming and I have to say I am very glad. They took a 4 hour road trip and the baby was not good, so they don't want to drive this far. That makes me a little more comfortable doing things that I felt I couldn't do if he were coming. We are going out with friends for happy hour today. It will be good to get out and I'm kind of thinking it won't be as crowded as it usually is this time of year.

Penny Wow 3 teenagers. Good for you!
GardenerJoy I hope the situation for your friend and her Dad turns out to be as good as possible. Hospice can be such a help, but end of life is not an easy time.
Maryann Enjoy the weekend without having to eat out. I always do better at home.
Bill Good job passing on the rare and unusual chocolate especially when under stress. I'll have to look at our trust. We only have one heir and I don't know what we said to do if he dies before we do. I'm feeling really old with all this coronavirus stuff and being extra careful because I'm over 60. I don't usually feel this way, but right now I do.
Waving to Curlyjax.

Diet Coaches/Buddies - Having the experience, in person, of confronting empty supermarket shelves just blew my mind. The canned tomato sauce shelves were empty. The cases of Ramen noodles were almost gone. Flour and sugar were in short supply. I was boggled, as I walked about pushing my cart with its freshly sanitized handle, the little sanitizing wipe drying in my hands. Didn't even go down the toilet paper aisle because I could hear shoppers complaining that it was empty. I couldn't get strawberries, Apricot preserves, or an English Cucumber - none of which seem related to the virus. Just getting into the parking lot had been a challenge; finding a space had been a challenge; then, in the store, there were no carts! I waited as a man combined his two carts into one and then gave me the empty one. Surreal it was.

Eating was on plan, CREDIT moi, since I went nowhere. Everything in my life has been cancelled. I did stop at the library on the way home to pick up two reserved books, both of about Washington, D.C. right now, so I'll have some depressing reading to go with nowhere to go. I told the head librarian our tale of, big mistake, reading a Babar book to the DGD who loved it. She just shook her head. I asked if she was allowed to remove it, "No, but if it gets worn, I don't have to replace it." She grimaced about the "savages and cannibals." The assistant said that it was the first beloved childhood book that she reread as an adult and was aghast. "I just liked elephants as a little girl. What's not to like about an elephant who gets a pretty new dress?"



Joy (gardenerjoy) - A pot of vegan chili is a good gift to help lift the spirits. Glad that your friend found a way forward for her father that allows contact.

maryann - Such differences in the different school systems. As if it's news that some homes don't have computers or fast internet connection. Kudos for accepting credit for the major part of your day.

Karen (karenrn) - Kudos for being productive in the extra time imposed in your life. I'm jealous of the clean car bit.

Penny. - Congrats for making it to the "three teenagers" stage of your life. Waiting to hear about closures is just the pits.

Readers -

After a good start yesterday, I managed to step up some of my other stress-reduction activities later in the day -- a bunch of journaling about my emotions and a good amount of exercise (including yoga).

I read this: 7 science-based strategies to cope with coronavirus anxiety

I gave myself permission to make decisions in the next couple of weeks that are imperfect, illogical, and inconsistent. What feels prudent today may seem overly cautious tomorrow, and vice versa. This is the nature of uncertainty (Item 1 of 7 on the above list).

Today, I'm going to think through more of the ways that I can tackle the paradox of anxiety (Item 2).

Exercise: +55, 530/1300 minutes for March

Personally I am feeling very panicky when I go into stores and there is very little food. People keep saying "the stores will be stocked again" but if all America is panic buying, at a certain point we are going to be getting fewer and fewer food items on the truck deliveries. I just want to buy some chicken for this week and it's all gone, and I can't go in the middle of the day because i'm working! And i'm not thrilled about the idea of getting up at the crack of dawn to be in a huge crowd with others fighting for chicken.
Ok, rant over. DD is now home for the rest of the semester, and DS is out of HS until the end of this month. I wish I had a healthy DH here to help me mentally as well as with everything else. But i'm glad i don't have a sick DH, I really feel for people undergoing chemo treatment etc.
And on top of all this DS car isn't starting, sigh, that is on my list for today.
I need to start counting my blessings. Like the weather is good, there is no snow!!
Wave to all.

Good morning!

Yesterday was lower cal and I got the food I meant to cook days ago finally cooked.

We finally got the email from the college that spring quarter will start online until mid April. It will be interesting to see how that works.

Bill, I guess Babar was a French colonist. Time to bring her up to speed on the horrors of colonialism and our history of enslaving people to obtain wealth? Not yet probably.

Curly, I haven't seen the store shelves empty yet. That is wild! I'll be heading back when I run out of flour and avocados soon. Maybe I had just missed it Thursday.

Joy, thanks for sharing the list. I'll be checking that out.

Karen, that's good the company is staying home. My mom has pneumonia and I asked her jokingly if she's sure it's not cv and she said, "at my age, if I had that I'd be dead!" I picked up her Rx for her and hoping she stays in.

Maryann, I hope all is well with your mom.

Good Afternoon,

I woke up counting my blessings today.
1. Some of my physical problems are making huge gains towards health.
2. My mom is strong and at home with lots of family signed up to stay with her over the next month which means I can save some sick days for emergencies with her.
3. Yoga class was not cancelled.
4. A whole day to just do nothing if I want.
5. Two weeks worth of food in the house. I naturally do this so I don't have to go into the crowds. I have a 25 pound bucket of wheat berries (which my husband grew )and a mill to grind it. I also keep a big thing of oil and yeast. I have been too lazy to make the homemade bread but that can change. I also have frozen persimmons from the harvest I can use for protein smoothies. Plus plenty of rice and beans from the coop. This is a great opportunity to start eating down our stores.
6. DS was admitted to UC San Diego. He still favors Michigan bought it was nice he was accepted.

Today's goal is to not let myself spiral with food in the evenings. This has happened the last couple of nights. I continue to track and weigh.

Penny: I am sorry DS college might be affected. You have had a time getting that started.
Gardenerjoy: Thanks for the link.
Curleyjax: I am sorry so many things are pressing in on you. I bet you do miss DH. It helps me to remember "This too shall pass."
BBE: Good for you for going into the carnival of that store. It is not that bad here. Still food on the shelves and lots of parking spaces. It is a benefit of living in a not very interesting town

Good morning coaches,

Food was on plan yesterday although the plan had to change slightly for happy hour. I had 2 beers instead of White Claws and I had a chicken salad, which had a light vinaigrette dressing. I know the beer had more calories than White Claw, but the salad was low calorie. I ended up hiking with a friend this morning and it was just beautiful. After several days of rain the skies are blue and clear. The dessert is lush and green and the flowers are blooming. If I didn't know better I would say all is right with the world.
I don't really have any plans for the rest of the day, but I think I'll go to REI after lunch since I have my rebate. I usually have 3 or 4 pairs of hiking shoes at a time and it's time for a new pair. I really want a very light long sleeved wool base layer shirt, but I can't find one that fits as well as the one I've been wearing that needs to go in the rag bag. My friend picked it up at Costco in Vancouver B C and although it isn't a top name, it has been perfect.
My neighbor sent a text this morning and her cruise has been cancelled and she is flying home. I'll pick her up since she wasn't on a ship for 2 weeks with sick people, at least I will if she lets me know when she's arriving. I did read in this mornings WSJ that 4 cruise lines were cancelling all trips and hers is one of them.

Penny I'm glad your boys can start classes on line. I bet that is interesting for a lot of people.
Curlyjax You have had a lot of trials and tribulations over the last couple of years. I am sure even though it isn't easy, you have gotten stronger than you ever hoped to be.
GardenerJoy Thank you for the article. I printed it off so I can read it and then refer back to it. I also feel my decisions will likely be inconsistent at times. Many of my friends feel there is so much over reaction to the virus, but I guess having not seen anything quite like this I feel like flattening the curve might be prudent so that our medical system can handle it. It will be interesting to look back and see.

I am having a tough time with this post. I guess that's what I get for leaving it for hours. I typed some things to Mary Ann and then it was deleted. I think I'll just send this while I can. The neighbor is arriving about 11 p.m. I wish I had told her I couldn't pick her up as I leave for a tough hike at 6:30 a.m.

Diet Coaches/Buddies - Walked, CREDIT moi, to a supermarket to see if they had strawberries. My real goal was to see just how bad the mobs were. There were no mobs; just a few Saturday afternoon shoppers. I got my strawberries and baby carrots; easily processed through the checkout. The bagger laughed at the virus threat, "I lived through the hurricane," she said in an unmistaken Haitian lilt. Helped me with my perspective.

Eating was on plan, CREDIT moi. I was just the opposite of busy. My last scheduled outing this week was just cancelled. I'd been debating with DW whether to attend. It's a group from work that I've known for years and it's a nostalgic luncheon. But it's off my list. I'm fully doing my share to flatten the curve.


Joy (gardenerjoy) - Thanks for the link to that article. I especially like the notion of limiting to 30 minutes a day of coronavirus news. Most stuff crossing my desk is redundant. Super Kudos for accepting "imperfect, illogical, and inconsistent" decisions.

maryann - Neat to remember your blessings at a time of great concerns. Congrats to your DS for the UC San Diego acceptance.

Karen (karenrn) - Good news that your friend's cruise was cancelled. I thought of her when I heard that all US port cruises were going to be cancelled - wondering if she was the last to board and sail. Enjoyed reading, "After several days of rain the skies are blue and clear. The dessert is lush and green and the flowers are blooming." A nice perspective.

curlyjax - Thanks for the reminder that all this is happening but there is no snow. Good luck with your whole brood descended full time at home. May you find peace somehow.

Penny. - LOL at the suggestion that it's time to bring the DGD up to date on colonialism. Hard to think about sticking such ugly stuff into such a beautiful little mind. I agree with you, "Not yet probably." Good news that the program still starts even though on line - a venue quite comfortable to your kids.

Readers -

I wrote up my process for emotions, including anxiety, on my blog: A Sunday Coronavirus Anxiety Reduction Brainstorm #SundaySalon ? Joy's Book Blog
And, I'm looking for suggestions!

Today, I'll think about the ways I bolster my immune system with strong self-care practices.

Exercise: +40, 570/1300 minutes for March

BillBlueEyes: Here are some book suggestions for four-year-olds to balance Babar:

The Skin You Live In by Michael Tyler
Let's Talk about Race by Julius Lester, illustrated by Karen Barbour (there's some thoughts about how to work with kids with this one: https://www.teachingchildrenphilosop...sTalkAboutRace)
Seeds of Change: Planting a Path to Peace by Jen Johnson, illustrated by Sonia Sadler (this one's good for gardening, too! And has a bunch of resources: https://www.leeandlow.com/books/seeds-of-change)
All The Colors We Are by Katie Kissinger (this one's bilingual -- English and Spanish)

Good morning!

Yesterday was not low cal but all healthy choices, and weight is down a smidge in the right direction.

It was snowing yesterday, and today it's back to looking like spring. Maybe I'll take the dogs around the block.

Maryann, yay for your mom home and taken care of. Do you just have spring break off then, and not the additional quarantine?

Joy, I did read the article and it was good. Credit for working through the suggestions. I like your list of emotions to check in with.

Bill, what a great resource Joy is for books! Good idea to counter the unfortunate books with better ones.

Karen, I couldn't believe the cruise was still on either. Good that they are all cancelled now and hopefully people get vouchers for a later date.

Good evening coaches,

This will be short and I'll do personals tomorrow. I picked the neighbor up at the airport last night about 11 p.m. I did take a nap for 90 minutes or so before going to get her. They actually were at sea and then turned around. She said there were 250 passengers when there would normally have been 750. I couldn't help saying, "Gee Judy, I wonder what that means?" I left it at that. Anyway, home and back to bed by 11:45 and not to sleep until probably close to 2 a.m. Up at 5:30 and left the house at 6:30 to meet my friend to hike Flatiron, the toughest hike in the area. The good news, I can still do it and it was just fine, even without a good nights sleep. It isn't long, just a lot of elevation gain and rock climbing. The other good news, I don't even think about coronavirus when I'm out hiking and I've got at least 3 more this week. More tomorrow!

Hi Coaches

I've been wondering how everyone is here and I decided to chime in. Up here in Canada it's a lot like where you are. Cancellations on cancellations. Social distancing is now a common phrase. Toilet paper is the in thing. I was shocked ti discover no toilet paper at my local grocery store. No kleenex or paper towels or hand sanitizer. I was going to make my own hand sanitizer then discovered there's no rubbing alcohol either! Geez Louise. DH and I actually went to the store for some canned goods. We got fourteen days worth of kitty food and people food in can form. This extra food for storage shopping is a real trigger for me mentally. I have found it very hard to stay out of the food. My weight is not good. It's high. But coming back here is a step toward acknowledging this and accepting that eating more will not fix the problem of... eating too much!

More later.

Maryann: as I waa catching up on this month's posts I have to say it must have been so fantastic to have attended your son's concert. How wonderful. And congrats on his choice of schools. Really great!

Diet Coaches/Buddies - Read six zillion articles and emails about COVID-19, totally failing Joy's article's recommendation of limiting myself to 30 minutes. Read that England is considering asking all over 70 years old to self-quarantine for four months. Massachusetts has just taken some drastic actions. Hope all of you are finding a way forward.

On the positive front, my scale continues to reflect that I'm avoiding midday snacks, CREDIT moi. I'm so easily made happy by a pound of scale jitter. Maybe it's a distraction from the big decision facing us: do we take the DGD this Wednesday? That'd be a big blow in our lives to lose that. If we don't take her this Wednesday, when do we resume? I'm grateful that I've got my head straight about snacks since I have a lot of high quality trail mix (dark chocolate, cashews, almonds) in the pantry. That stuff is all calories.


onebyone - Smart to have two weeks of food for just-in-case. DW keeps talking about making our own hand sanitizer without know if rubbing alcohol is available. Yep, a full pantry is a challenge for those of us trying to stay our plans.

Joy (gardenerjoy) - Thanks for the book suggestions. They'll be helpful when libraries open again. Neat to actively think of ways to improve self-care practices.

maryann - Waving. Our papers say that lots of snow is headed your way. Good luck.

Karen (karenrn) - Congrats for keeping your tongue when picking up your friend from her aborted cruise. I'm impressed that the ship got even 250 of its expected 750 passengers. Yay that hiking clears the mind of all this virus stuff.

Penny. - Yay for a break in the snow so you can walk the dogs. Congrats on that smidge in the right direction.

Readers -