| My Summer of 2020 | 9/16/2020 Thought Archive |
| Where has the time gone-- my last diary entry was a digest of April and May! Bear with me, as I gather my thoughts from June, July and August…
While we are all still under the shadow of the Covid umbrella, I try not to get anxious or stressed. I continued practicing my yoga, walking an hour a day, getting plenty of sleep and eating healthy meals all summer. It was pretty much my regular routine…but with a mask. Not really surprised, I was sad that Covid cancelled my show with Jim Brickman this summer. But I was even more disappointed when our 30-city holiday tour, slotted to begin in November, was also cancelled. This will be my first “tour-less” holiday season in 24 years! It is going to feel so odd not to see you all, not to feed off your energy, not to contribute to the holiday mood, sigh. As for other collaborations, a couple of shows I had planned with Abe LaMarca have been cancelled too. I feel deeply for musicians and artists aeound the world whose incomes depend on their live performances, as well as for all the clubs and venues, which are also in dire straits. And like all performers, I can’t tell you how much this artist misses singing to a live audience… Here’s to a return to normalcy, the sooner the better! As you may have noted, my “artistic workout” over the past few months has consisted of recording and posting 30-second songs on social media. Like the little stories and rants that sometimes replaced my song capsules, they often reflected my feelings on social justice, peace, love…and mask-wearing. It’s been my small contribution to spreading positivity, and helped fill my need to communicate with you. Hey, June 30th marked our 36th wedding anniversary. We are so blessed!!! Another blessing arrived with the birth of our first grandchild, August 2nd: a birth date he shares with his dad! He is a healthy and beautiful baby, changing every day as infants do. Since he and his parents live on the west coast, and the stringent Covid rules dictate what we can and cannot do, we will not be able to meet him for another month or two. I’m so grateful for FaceTime, videos and photos in the meantime, but it’s so hard not being able to hold that little love close... During the nice weather, once the shutdown was lifted, we were able to enjoy some socially-distanced dinners in our back yard with family and friends, in groups of no more than five. There were even a few (careful) dinners out with family, visiting from Chicago and Los Angeles! Since our monthly Bunko sessions have been on hold, many of the gals have been getting together through a monthly Zoom call. It certainly isn’t the same, but, like many, we’ve enjoyed keeping abreast of everyone’s news via our computer screens. Not incidentally, about a week after the birth of our little grandson, I was struck again with Gastrointestinal Flu 2 (I had already experienced a two-week version back in April) that totally wiped me out. You name the symptom, I had it. This time it lasted a whole month! I question why this awful bug hit me a second time, and so soon after the first, but no one seems to know. Please may I not get it again, ever, or at least not for a century or two! I was so lucky that my hubby is such a good nurse. Thankfully, his defenses kept him healthy through both ordeals! And I feel so much better! Fall is just around the corner and schools are back in session, one way or another. My heart goes out to all the students and teachers who are challenged daily by the Coronavirus rules: masks, shields, distancing, online instruction followed at home, and in-school instruction with its own sets of rules. This feels like the right moment to express my gratitude to all the people on the front lines, once again. What would we do wthout them? Now we are up to date. Until next time, I wish you good health. Wear your masks, wash those hands regularly and stay safe, good people! |
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