Dearest Joanie,

    Today is August 4, 2020, a hot day in the mountains above Colorado, but cool in my little studio that used to be our garage.

    Here is what my typical day looks like when we are experiencing COVID-19. In other words, this is what I've done so far today:

• At 7:30am, Shelby Poodle and I left for doggy day care. I wrap my face mask around my wrist, so I'll be sure to remember it. When I pull up at day care, Shelby barks, I put my mask on, and Shannon, with her mask on, comes out the open door to take Shelby. Shannon and I wave to one another. I do not go in the facility, nor do I touch the door. Shelby dashes in with doggy joy.

• At 8am I pull up in the Target parking lot. From 8am to 9am, Target allows only older and at-risk people to shop. There is a person stationed by the door to turn away those young whippersnappers who try to get in. We are required to wear face masks in Target as we are in all Boulder stores. At the entrance is a disinfectant spray, and a worker is spraying all the carts. Although I feel safe enough,  I keep disinfectant in my car as well and use it when I'm through shopping.
  

• I return home by 9am, in time for my dance class. Of course, it is not an in-person class. I run to my studio and connect to my class through Zoom on my computer. There are 30 people in the class, from all over the world. So, I dance alone in my studio, but also with 29 other people.  I have been a dancer all my life, so I'm happy that I can continue it. I just don't know when I'll be able to join others in a real dance studio in person.
  

• After dance, I make myself some coffee and toast and sit outside. My flower garden is loaded with cosmos and Flanders Field poppies. I find doing this is refreshing.
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• Then, I do the chores of the day, work in the studio, do my paint by numbers beach chairs. Your great grandfather Doug will pick up Shelby, and when they return, I'll make dinner. We'll eat outside, and Shelby will hunt chipmunks on the hill above our house. We'll watch something on TV at night.

    Between you and me, I'm really tired of fixing dinner every night and having to come up with ideas. I would LOVE to go to a restaurant and eat a meal out. But we dare not do that. It's seemingly safe enough; waiters and all staff wear masks, and tables are placed 6 feet apart, which, we are told, is a safe distance (no closer), but we still don't have this virus under control, and there is no vaccine in the near future.

    On the political scene, we are waiting to hear who Joe Biden's pick for Vice-President will be.  Your great-grandfather and I are life-long Democrats. We do have a presidential election coming in  November, and if the current president wins that election, I may be writing to you from another country, preferably Canada. I'm serious.

    Here is a brief note about my sister, your great great Aunt Patsy. Patsy died a month before you were born. I'm so sorry that you won't get to know her. She was my older sister. She taught me to read; she sewed all my clothes, she wrote letters to me practically every week, and her heart was filled with kindness. The saddest part of living during COVID-19 is that we could not travel to see her before she died, nor could we attend her service. We could only watch a video of it. I don't know when I'll ever be able to visit her grave. 

Your Great-Aunt Patsy and Charles

    Traveling now is very risky, and there are many countries that won't allow US citizens into their country because our infection rate is so high, and we do not seem to have the virus under control. Frankly, it's really shameful. There are people who refuse to wear masks because they say doing so is an invasion of their personal freedom. I'm so embarrassed about the willful ignorance that so many people embody.

    I'll sign off for now and update you soon on how we're living now. I'll also introduce you to some of your relatives past and present.

                With much love,

                    G. Katie