On minus side, Mike went to do the weekly grocery shop and reported that the store is still totally cleaned out of many necessary items. There was no chicken, no ground beef, practically no meat of any kind, just an empty case with a sign of the times.
He had trouble finding bread, sausage, frozen foods, pretty much anything that would have an expiration date far enough out to keep us stocked for a couple weeks. We're okay for now because we have some things in reserve in the freezer, but as my sister Bethany said today, I probably should never again laugh at them for having separate freezers full of beef, chicken, and pork. They are much better prepared to weather this than we are.
On the plus side, we got to see (virtually and in person) many of our relatives for the first time in a couple weeks. We have really missed them! Bright and early this morning, the boys and I headed out to Fletcher Cemetery in Hamlet, where my mom is the sexton, for the annual cemetery cleanup day. This is usually a 4-H volunteer project, but the 4-H clubs are all restricted from meeting, so we volunteered to come add to the crew. It turned out to be a great morning. We were out in the fresh air, doing something good for the community, AND we got to see my parents and sisters (and Jack!) in person but still keep a safe distance so we don't put them at risk, or vice versa. Our crew ended up filling the back of a trailer completely with flowers and flags that didn't survive the winter intact.
My cousin Elly turned 9 today, and Laura was planning to have a party for her but ended up canceling it out of concern for everyone's safety. We dropped off a card for her, but Laura ended up coming up with a brilliant plan for a birthday in the time of coronavirus. First, we got a video of the family singing "Happy Birthday" to Elly and "blowing" out her candles by waving a magazine over them (so no droplet spread). Then, Laura sent a text to all the would-be attendees asking if they wanted some cake delivered. They portioned individual pieces and dropped them off on everyone's porches all over town. So we got to have our cake AND see Elly (via video) too!
And the night had one last surprise in store for us. Around 9:30, Bethany called and asked if we were still awake. When I said yes, she said "Good. I'm 10 minutes from your house, and I have a surprise for you."
I immediately sought clarification. "It's not a puppy, is it?"
Bethany laughed at me and assured me that it was not. A few minutes later, Henry and I went out to the driveway, and Bethany, Klaudia, and her boyfriend Jason delivered us a bag of Dilly Bars from Dairy Queen. She just handed them through the window, and off they went. It was a really sweet way to end another day in quarantine.
National cases: 26,898. Deaths: 346
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