One day morphs into the next. No point in straightening my hair, putting on makeup, even wearing a bra! I have no idea what day of the week it is. The highlight of my week is going to the grocery store, decked out like a wild-west bandit with my bandana over my nose and mouth. (Alan said he needed a six-shooter to complete the look…) Forget ordering anything online at Walmart, as they are out of stock on all of the stuff I used to order before the craziness hit. Amazon takes forever to deliver anything. Admittedly, I am spoiled in terms of my expectations on the conveniences of life in the 2020’s…
What’s Next?
What should we believe about where to go from here? Can we all hide indefinitely? At some point, don’t we have to risk exposure? If quarantine was designed to flatten the curve, have we done that to the extent that we won’t overwhelm the health care system if we start to mingle just a little? I’m not necessarily advocating that we do, I’m just asking the question… Surely, as we reopen the economy, we can’t just go back to “life as normal” immediately?
My local station has aired stories about several mom-and-pop restaurants that have closed for good. Sadly, they simply couldn’t survive the shut-down. Alan and I want to go out to eat so badly! We have brought food home, but it is not the same. How sad for so many small businesses and long-established favorite spots in our communities.
Unsolicited Opinions
Two weeks ago, Alan and I hauled yet another load of household stuff to our place in Colorado. Other than getting gas, we encountered no one. We stayed at our own place. No one else came or went. At gas stations, we Cloroxed everything we touched and washed our hands like crazy. Alan wore gloves to pump gas. We could not have been more cautious or careful. Nevertheless, I was severely chastised by a Colorado acquaintance for traveling. She said, “Yes, I am scolding you! You are an intelligent person and you should know better!” Really? I wasn’t traveling to anyplace in Colorado that was a hotspot. Even if I was, I wasn’t within 6 feet of anyone at any public place. We can’t all just crawl under a rock…
Recently, I dropped my truck off at the Ford dealer for service. I drove my Honda, while Alan took the truck into the service bay. I entered the building through the sales section of the dealership. As I walked back to the service department to find Alan, I passed several salesmen, and several folks waiting on their vehicles. It seemed so normal while at the same time it felt so abnormal!
It seems to me that we all need to keep the greater good in mind when it comes to how to proceed in the next few months. Not everyone will be on the same page. The media is constantly reminding us that we are all in this together. Maybe my Colorado acquaintance truly believed I was going to blow up the number of cases in her state because I traded one house prison for another. Nevertheless, in my opinion, her highly critical response was over-the-top. I am considering the greater good and I will be mindful of what I do.
The Impact on the Horse Industry
I have an awesome young trainer, Erin Paulsen Kratz. I recently asked her how COVID-19 was impacting her life and her business. She has a gaggle of young girls she teaches and takes to shows. She had this to say:
I have a 2 person limit and you get 2 hours once each week. You have to schedule it in advance. It’s only allowed if you own a horse on my property. The kids are bored and sad, but understanding. All of my lesson kids and ones who borrow horses to show aren’t going to be ready for show season if and when it does start up. I doubt shows start before June, probably closer to July. I’m riding everything that’s in training, but the 3 lesson horses aren’t being worked. I have personally enjoyed the quiet time to get caught up after being gone for 2 months (she recently had a son), but it’s having a hefty financial impact at this point.
Virtual Horse Shows?
Kansas City is the home of the world-famous American Royal Horse Show. In this bizarre world in which we currently live, the new thing is virtual horse shows. Even the American Royal is getting in on the action. Here is a link to their virtual show. AQHA Professional Horseman Charlie Cole of Pilot Point, Texas, is also hosting a virtual show. His show runs through a private Facebook group, and has entries from all over the world! Here is yet another option, with information on how to enter. If we can’t gather together, I suppose this is an option. But isn’t it kind of like kissing through a screen? It doesn’t have quite the same feel to it…
At-Home Horse Activities for Kids
With schools closed, parents are now tasked with teaching their kids “the 3 R’s” (and maybe a little history too?) Maybe we can also teach them more about horses? Here are several links to educational online activities about horses that are free.
A Pinterest site with coloring book pages, among other things.
Practice the times tables using My Smart Horse! Ingenious!
Wedding woes
My wedding plans have been dramatically impacted by COVID-19. I ran across this photo posted by a similarly affected couple. They had 125 kazoos with their wedding date on them… which didn’t happen. I have several hundred glasses with our names and May 2, 2020, engraved on them. However, since we have decided to legally get married on our original wedding date, we are going to use our glasses. Our “party” ceremony is currently scheduled for August 22nd, and our guests will take home glasses dated for May. It is what it is.
How are you all holding up? How is your mental health? Are you able to get some fresh air by playing with your horse(s)? These are truly tough times… Hang in there!
