It depends on who you talk to: some of us say, no, nothing has changed. Others say, time to go out to eat!

I’m sometimes struck by how different my life apparently is than others, because one of the first comments on a Facebook news article was about what a wonderful job Cracker Barrel had done with dining in and I thought, you went to Cracker Barrel right away? Hey, if you love Cracker Barrel, don’t let me get you down, I do like those dumplings and the fun table games, and Louie and I eat there while traveling sometimes…but really, after two months of quarantine that’s what you craved? That’s what you just couldn’t wait to get out of the house for? Here I am, missing eating at various locally owned and operated, often family run restaurants with reasonably low prices and great food very different than what I cook at home…and others are like, yay, Cracker Barrel is back! I suppose I am a snob, but based on the number of small, locally owned and operated, often family run restaurants within a ten minute drive of my house, I’m not the only “snob” who is preferring to go to those restaurants rather than some national chain.

It’s grocery shopping day, so I’ll be doing that soon. We are out of milk, for starters, and I have a meal plan for the next two weeks. This is how I operate now…I spend days coming up with a meal plan, making sure everything I want to make is on the list, because I don’t want to go back. I don’t see how that has changed recently…I’ve talked with some of my students and every family has different comfort levels. Some have returned to church already. For others, they are visiting with a small group of friends and family. Others are staying at home and only going out for necessities as before. It feels quite a bit like early March to me, before the government said or did anything, but we all saw the writing on the wall…so far my family has been lucky enough to weather this storm and I hope we continue to.

I had a fun live performance of solo Bach on Monday. I am taking this coming Monday off from live concerts, ostensibly because of Memorial Day, although it’s not like there is anything different about Memorial Day. Holidays seem somewhat meaningless. Back in March it seemed unfathomable that I’d celebrate my birthday (June 7) at home, but it’s looking highly likely. Things are changing a bit…I have a doctor’s appointment in June (annual checkup) and I need to make a few more appointments like that. I suppose it’s time? What are other people doing about this sort of thing? Why does absolutely everything in my mind come back to the quarantine, no topic untouched or life subject unchanged by it?

I had a short conversation yesterday with a student who wondered if he would be allowed to visit his family in other countries any time soon? He hypothesized it might be up to 5 years from now. I found that more upsetting than not getting a haircut, though I know some would beg to differ.

I had a zoom recital for my private students on Sunday. It went really well, and was actually really quite fun. I am always impressed by my students at recital time. I think it’s because in their lessons I am always focused on how they can improve, and in the recital I just sit back and listen. It often feels like my studio is a bunch of lovable misfits who do their best but don’t have the discipline and drive that my colleagues’ students seem to have, but I wonder if that’s actually true, or if I’m just more laidback about things. I’m not actually a very laidback person, but I am laidback with my students. (I suppose some might argue, especially the one who got mad at me for making her put her music on the left side of her phone last week so I could see her playing and then lectured her on how yes, she really should own a music stand). But it was great to see everybody in one place, to see them perform, and to have a bunch of grandparents and other people watching. I guess it likely won’t even be the only zoom recital we have…though one can hope.

I don’t have pictures to share today. I haven’t been taking as many lately because nothing changes. The cats remain cute but often just sit on top of the tower which is the same picture I’ve taken before. Otherwise they race around the house in a blur. I make food. I make pickled vegetables. I make jam. I teach violin. I read. I watch tv. I work out. That’s what I do. I remember there were days I left the house to play concerts, to attend events, to go out to eat with friends…and truthfully, it doesn’t help that the weather has been gloomy and it rained a ton last weekend. We are actually thinking of doing a longer hike this weekend, weather permitting. I think that will help my mental mood!

Anyway, time to get dressed up (ha) and hit the grocery store. Planning to get lots of good things. And yes, I’ll be wearing a mask.