What I am doing since I can't travel

Awesome! The last 2 days have been unbelievably sunny and springy here in North Idaho so it was nice to get outside but today is iffy and rainy off and on so probably will stay in. On FB I noted that today is Oatmeal Cookie Day so yes...going to make oatmeal cookies.

It looks like you are a JA fan so you may be aware of these resources but if not, there is a Regency Author called Louise Allen who has a very nice book of DIY walking tours in London. She takes you by various establishments and locations that figured in Regency and Georgian London. Quite fun! Last time I was there on my own I worked out my own walking tours a time or two based on Rick's tours, tours I found online and included some of the stops in this book if I was in the area. She also has a blog called JaneAustensLondon that has some interesting information.

If you are centering in Bath for a few nights, be aware there is a Jane Austen Festival that usually starts around the 2nd weekend of September. It lasts for a week or so but the first Saturday of the festival they have a costume parade thru town that was great fun to watch! No charge to watch but they charge the participants to walk it in their costumes. Very cool. They have a number of activities - dancing lessons, lectures (I went to one on what Regency ladies carried in their reticules), a vendor area, performances, specialty walking tours that go to sites Jane mentioned in her books. I found it great fun to see everyone wandering around Bath in their Regency dress.

From Bath you can also do a MadMax tour that includes Lacock and usually includes Castle Combe along with Stonehenge and Avebury for a full day. I did it a number of years ago and it was quite good....unless Lacock is included on your literary tour!

Have fun dreaming!

Pre dawn hikes in Griffith Park. Remain positive about my December visit to the U.K. so still researching places to see and things to do.

Listening to jazz, getting ready to watch Season 2 of The Crown, cleaning, reading, sorting clothes for Goodwill.

Finished taxes yesterday.

Staying in touch via WhatsApp, phone calls.

Adapting.

Thanks, Claudia. My taxes were already filed and I just finished the last season of The Crown.

Pam, I love Bath and had been trying to figure out how I would get to Lacock village. Thanks for letting me know about the Mad Max tour. I always love an excuse to visit Bath. Yes, I am a big fan of Jane Austen. We had a reading list to prepare for the literary tour that got cancelled, so I have been re-reading her books and rewatching BBC versions.

I have one more day at work, Thursday, then we are closed till April 20. Husband is already laid off, Hilton Hotel is closing Friday for a month or two. We are scheduled to retire in June, definitely taking it day by day. Keeping busy will be easy but not as much fun as that big retirement trip we were going to plan. Praying the virus does come under control and soon.

Schools are out for 3 weeks--or longer. Some students don't expect to return this school year. Teachers are emailing assignments to our kids.
We're getting ready to go to our RV in the Blue Ridge Mountains for a week. Other than the bears that come through our campsite every night, we don't have to come in contact with very many people at all. Thankfully we have the internet and a good WIFI system to keep the family entertained--along with cable television.
Just because we're camping doesn't mean we're roughing it.

I've been sewing a bit, then Netflixed today for about 5 hours. Trying not to eat/drink everything in the house. School has been closed for 10 days and I'm stir crazy! I just got the directive to assign 3rd quarter grades, so tomorrow I'll head to campus to do that and to get personal stuff from my classroom. TBH, I can do the grades from home, but I really want to see if the stacks of T.P. are still in the staff bathrooms ;)

I've been visiting the Portland Ikea store and assembling desks. Monday both my husband and my eldest daughter found out they would be working from home for at least a few weeks. The daughter is moving out in three weeks but both still needed workspace. My youngest daughter found out Sunday that her college was going on line. She had three days to get tickets, pack and come home. She too needs workspace. Fortunately, everyone has a room with a window and a door that shuts to put their new desks in.

Tomorrow, my life returns to something like normal. I already work part time from home.

The nice thing is that instead of coffee breaks my husband is taking 15 minute walks with me. Also since none of has a commute anymore, we are having long family evenings.

I suppose I should do the taxes, but I don't really want to.

We are thinking about driving to the coast on the weekend. On the beach we will be at least 100 feet from anyone else.

Well, as head of a small community choral non-profit, I am nearly finished cancelling all the details of our music season for the rest of this season (through May), including a tour to England and Scotland. I will probably next finish unraveling my personal 5 week trip that was to follow. It was pretty great, if I do say so myself. Ha! However, I DO love the planning process so it was fun doing that the first time and will be fun again when I reschedule.

On the positive, side, I am hopeful for Prague in November and have found a 2 and a half hour “walk through Prague” that I am watching while walking on the treadmill. A bit like being there! Otherwise, I am sorting through closets, drawers, and shelves (it was great to have our tornado closet cleaned out and available last night!), doing more reading, wasting some time, considering a garden this summer, talking to my 92 year old mom who is quarantined in the next state in her assisted living (Facebook Messenger video calls are great).

Except for hand sanitizer, there are no shortages in my town - and no confirmed cases of COVID-19, but we have a leadership making all the right decisions (if people will take it seriously) because they know it’s probably already here and just not confirmed.

Home with the kids who are out of school for 2 wks. I am working on my latest photo digital scrapbook. I have several to do, so it will keep me busy for a while. And, not as much fun, but there is always some cleaning and organizing to do. Long walks with the dogs, reading and netflix. I am used to going to the gym everyday ( it’s now closed) so trying to figure out what to do so I don’t gain a bunch of weight!

diveloonie....I also miss going to the Y for classes and exercise, especially my water aerobics. AND find that the library being closed has hit me hard. I went to the Y and library a couple times each week. Luckily the sun just came out in San Diego, so maybe I can sneak in a solo walk around my neighborhood.

My husband and I are grandpa and grandma to 4 boys, and the 2 younger ones (10 and 6) are spending a few days a week with us as their parents TRY to work from home. At the moment we are conducting schoolwork, which comes naturally to us since we are retired teachers. I feel for all the working parents who are trying to work from home AND supervise their kid's schooling. On days we don't have the boys, we still engage in our own interests. I am learning to play the piano, and my husband is a runner. Our May trip to the national parks in Utah will have to be cancelled, but we will get there. This too shall pass.