300 Days of Sunshine

We're more than five months in and realizing that coronavirus is here to stay, despite varying levels of acceptance.  This is our new normal, at least for a while.  I don't think we can even fathom the long term effects that the pandemic will have on our mental health and our relationships, but while we may struggle to find meaningful ways to grieve and to support our friends and family members through life changes and unexpected events, I think what keeps us going is celebrating the good things that are continuing to happen, despite the virus.  Artists are creating beautiful "virtual" pieces (like this incredibly moving virtual choir singing  Eric Whitacre's "Sing Gently" ).  Groups of people are connecting on Zoom.  Weddings are happening (although often not as the couple envisioned).  My former students are graduating from their Doctorate of Physical Therapy programs, despite the current uncertainty of the healthcare industry.  And in acute car...

Celebrating birthdays during the pandemic is very strange.  All my normal birthday traditions like gathering with friends, going out to dinner, or attending a yoga class just aren't happening anytime soon.  There also seems to be a distorted sense of time this year.  Time is passing very quickly (where did July go?!), but at the same time the experience of the pandemic seems very drawn out.  Maybe we should all just cancel our birthdays this year and stay young! Quarantine has been really hard on people's mental health.  I think we're all realizing that we need a balance of social time and alone time to feel healthy and grounded, and the pandemic has taken away the freedom to choose when to interact with others and when to be alone.  Some individuals who live alone and are working from home indefinitely are struggling with the forced isolation, coping with a new level of loneliness that humans just aren't prepared for.  Simultaneously, those of us stil...

Way better than store-bought! I think it's safe to say that our first summer as a family of four is NOTHING like we envisioned, but we're making the best of it and enjoying our time together.  We might not have festivals or outdoor music or vacations, but we're enjoying the outdoors and finding fun projects to do on days when we're stuck at home.   We started intr oducing solid food to Meredith when she hit the 6-month milestone, and just like the rest of her family, she's a great eater.  She seems really enthusiastic about the new flavors and textures, and enjoys the social aspect of sitting at the dinner table with us.  She devoured some homemade cinnamon pear puree and mashed sweet potatoes, and like a true Santa Fean, she's all about the avocado.  Ady loves to feed her baby sister I know the guac is extra. Big sister likes being a helper in the kitchen and we had fun making these homemade pop tarts.  I think most healthy people have a weakness when...