Let’s have a look back at May, a month that brought truly unexpected change into our lives.

What did I learn? 
I learned a lot of things I never expected to learn . . . like how to give my husband a shot in the belly, how to push for information from hospital staff, and how to navigate a traumatic experience. I also learned that I have a wonderful group of friends who support me, a community that is behind us and beside us, and that life is very very fragile and unpredictable.

What was my greatest accomplishment? 
Did I mention I learned to give my husband a shot? Ummm. Yeah. And maybe also the great ear I got on that loaf of sourdough bread.

Where did I go? 
Practically nowhere but we did expand our bubble and the kids are now coming to our house again. And I ventured to the nursery a few times for plants.

Who did I spend time with? And what did we do? 
Aside from Dale, which was pretty much constant other than the 6 days he spent in the hospital, I finally (!!!!) got to spend time with Jackie again. And also Jessica and Hannah and Patrick. It was really just them coming here but that was wonderful and welcome. And my relationship with Jackie picked right up where it left off and we are fast friends once again.

What brought me joy? 
My husband got hit by a car and survived. ‘Nuff said.

What do I want to remember? 
For the first time ever I have to say that there are a couple of things I’d like to forget . . . seeing Dale lying in the road, or when I called the hospital on the morning after his accident to get an update and they told me there was no patient by that name and I’d have to come in and speak to a doctor . . . those were not good moments. But the things I want to remember are plentiful . . . the look on Jackie’s face when he saw me in person for the first time in 2 months, the car parade to welcome Dale home, the gifts of food and booze, snacks and chocolate, flowers and cards and well wishes, and the love. Always the love.

Let’s hope June is a month of things I want to remember and nothing I want to forget!

Time to take a look back at the month of April, our first (and maybe hopefully pretty please) last full month of complete social distancing.

What did I learn? How to sew face masks. Certainly something I never thought I’d be doing but I’m grateful for sewing skills and lots of fun fabric from my quilting days and the ability to provide these for my family and close friends. Masks become mandatory in Massachusetts tomorrow.

What was my greatest accomplishment?  I don’t know that I accomplished all that much but I managed to set up a successful work-at-home routine. And I didn’t cry every day. I’m tempted to just say that my greatest accomplishment was survival.

Where did I go? I went to work where I was pretty much by myself. I went to the grocery store twice. And Dale and I went for drives every Sunday.

Who did I spend time with? And what did we do? Dale, Dale, and more Dale. We try to give each other space during the day but I’d be lying if I didn’t say I miss my alone time. We have established a pretty good routine, though, and I look forward to the moment when we gather each day and have a cocktail and chat about all sorts of things.

What brought me joy? That daily martini. Hahaha! But also improving my sourdough bread baking skills and FaceTiming with Jackie. Also all those flowers!

What do I want to remember? All of it. The tears of sadness and frustration and loneliness. The happiness I felt when we listened to music and played games. The car picnics. The friends who help us avoid the grocery store by dropping off milk and other things we occasionally need. The meetings on Zoom. The disappointment I felt as event after event, gathering after gathering, got rescheduled or cancelled. The resilience of my spirit. The feeling of connection when I reach out and remember we’re all in this together.

It wasn’t an easy month but we made it.