“If the plan doesn’t work, change the plan – but never the goal.” ~ Unknown

So the plans for Spring Break included renting a house at the beach (done) and spending some time on the sand and in the surf, enjoying family time and bonding together as we rebuild and adjust to our new lives. Enter COVID-19 from stage left . . .

Social distancing now requires restaurants to switch to online and to-go-orders with curbside service, closing their dining rooms. Other social venues are closed, save grocery stores, pharmacies and hospitals. Even the national parks have closed and now . . the beaches as well.

Change the plan, not the goal.

The change of scenery and setting will still give us a refreshing break. The sewing machine is traveling with us so Sam can practice and work on increasing his sewing skills. Jojo is bringing her paints and canvases. MacBooks and computers are riding along. We have a large yard with a fire pit available to us and I have ideas about securing swim sites – it just requires thinking outside the box (and staying away from the beach).

And of course . . . there will be books:

• Natural Born Heroes: Mastering the Lost Secrets of Strength and Endurance by Christopher McDougall. Part history, part science – this is one of my all time favorite books! When you can intertwine two of my favorite subjects into a cohesive subject that is intriguing and holds my interest, I’m sold.
• A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin. The second book in the “Game of Thrones” series – yes, I am slow to start on this one and I know they’ve been out for years, but in my defense I was pursuing two degrees which monopolized my reading time.
• 5 Days at Memorial: Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital by Sheri Fink. With COVID-19 hitting hard and depleting medical resources, this is a re-read for me. Italy recently announced a proposal to limit ICU beds and ventilator resources to patients under the age of 80 years. When I teach mass casualty triage to nursing students, I start with the ethics of hard decisions that must be made quickly and sometimes on-the-fly. This Pulitzer Prize winning novel records the decisions made by medical staff at New Orleans’ Memorial Hospital for the five days following Hurricane Katrina. With limited staff, limited resources including food, water and medications, it fell to the staff to make those hard decisions and the legal battles that followed.
• Shelter In Place by Nora Roberts. This is an audible selection that I may listen to while driving or just enjoying some quiet time. Starting with an active shooter event at a mall, the author explores the effects years later on some of those who survived and the methods they used to cope. Yes, it’s fiction and romance, but even I need a little “fluff” every once in awhile.

In addition to all these things, I believe there will be some cheese-stuffed jalapenos and chocolate chip cookies in the works. Impromptu sing-alongs with Disney songs are not unheard of and (if we can find a new kazoo) the ever popular “Name That Tune” on the kazoo!!

Everyone stay safe, stay 6-feet apart, stay home and . . . WASH YOUR HANDS!