Introduction
I’m sure that all Bard LLIers were as disappointed as I was to hear that the spring semester was canceled. While it was the right decision, I knew I was going to miss being on campus and getting together with my new LLI friends.
At first, the idea of staying indoors and having lots of free time appealed to me. As an avid reader, being able to stay at home and read for hours on end without guilt sounded like a great idea to me. However, after three days, I found myself missing my children, my grandchildren, and my friends. What to do?
Walking, Biking, and Cleaning
I had offered to watch my grandchildren up here (they live in Brooklyn), but as my son pointed out, they were worried about exposing us to COVID-19, so they were going to stay in the city. With no little ones to distract us, my husband, Al, and I knew we had to come up with a plan or we would go a little stir crazy. We discovered the Ashokan Rail Trail, right off Route 28. With plentiful parking, the rail trail is not crowded, is flat, and perfect for doing a walk around the Ashokan Reservoir. We also walked the trails in Minnewaska State Park, which is free for seniors on Mondays through Fridays. North South Lake also has wonderful trails, which are not too strenuous and offer fantastic views. We also like biking — it’s a great way to get exercise without getting close to anyone.
It's a good time to Purge
I do like a clean house, but I will admit that I’m not obsessive about it. However, I did start deep cleaning rooms that had been neglected for a while, like my master bathroom, which had a lot of old medications, cosmetics, lotions and potions that were several years old. Purging and cleaning that room left me feeling a lot less stressed (I guess it’s all about having control). I also cleaned my dishwasher (I never thought that was something I should do, but I’ve seen the light!), and cleaned out my closet (see the before and after).
PretenD You're a Kid on Summer Break
I also reached out to some fellow LLI members to see what they were doing while self-isolating. Tom Grabeel loaded up on books before the library closed, then ordered more directly from Oblong Books (they were closed but he wants to keep them in business). Cooking comfort foods like massive meatloaves and enjoying nice meals and cocktails with his husband, Al, are ways he is passing the time, along with doing yard work. Since the gym has closed, Tom and Al have also been walking the rail trail and driving through the beautiful area we live in. Tom’s suggestion is to pretend you’re a kid on summer break!
My friend Cathy Reinis had a meeting with her book club on Zoom. The LLI Council is having meetings via Google Meet, as is the Technology team that is working on ProClass. Google Meet is a great way to connect with friends and family, and it’s easy to use. You can get an lli.bard.edu email and access to G Suite and Google Meet by contacting Al Gersbeck at [email protected]. It will enable you to stay in touch while in self-isolation.
Discover What's at the Bottom of Your Freezer!
Prior to the spring semester cancellation, I was working closely with Carol Goss and Maddy Watterson, and really enjoyed that they both have a great sense of humor. Carol’s ideas for keeping busy were impressive: She’s reading a book about the plague entitled Years of Wonder by Geraldine Brooks. Times have been hard before. She finds that cleaning out and discarding old clothes is helpful. Carol is walking the trails in the woods and noticing moss, fallen logs, fungus, and tons of acorns while thinking of her mom and dad who survived the Spanish Flu of 1918. In addition to shredding lots of old documents, she’s baking cookies and bread and discovering what’s at the bottom of her freezer. While picking up all the acorns on her lawn one by one, Carol is wondering how in the world we got to this point.
Driving, Cleaning, and Catching up on TV Shows
Maddy Watterson finds that her house has never been so clean. While Maddy has difficulty with long walks right now, she is enjoying short rides around the area with her husband, John, seeking new sights other than their immediate neighborhood. She is also getting all their tax paperwork collected and faxed to their CPA. The afternoon is dedicated to catching up on their TV shows.
Enjoying Opera
I heard from two members, Nanci Kryzak and Susan Christofferson, who are streaming the Metropolitan Opera, where a new opera is broadcast daily. Opera lovers can stream a “new” opera right from your browser, each available from 7:30 pm EDT to 3:30 pm the following day; also, you can visit STAATSOPER.TV for opera, ballet, and concerts from around the world.
Enjoying Art
LLI member Barb Renfro was a docent at art museums for several years. One of her favorite artists is surrealist Remedios Varo. Barb suggests searching out Varo’s artwork on Google or on wikiart.com and looking at her paintings. A few Barb suggests looking at are:
- Armonia (Harmony): Ask yourself: What’s on the floor? What else do you see? What do you think? What is represented?
- Creacion de las Aves (Creation of the Birds)
- Mujer Saliendo del Psychoanalist (Woman leaving the Psychoanalyst)
Art lovers can also tour over 500 museums and art galleries online.
What Experts Recommend
Experts recommend that to keep from panicking, limit reading about COVID-19 to one or two trusted sources, and only check it once or twice a day. For people who live alone, it is crucial that they reach out to others to stay in touch by telephone or FaceTime or other apps like Skype. If you know people who live alone, please take time to reach out to them to see how they are doing. Cooking and sharing meals with immediate family is a wonderful way to pass time and reconnect. Playing board games, doing puzzles and playing online games is another good way to pass the time and connect with people. Hopefully, this will all be over soon and we will be stronger for it.
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