Cal left for Bloomington - Yes, I Cried

Cal told us over the weekend that he wanted to spend the rest of quaratine in his house in Bloomington.  I wasn't surprised by the news.  We had all really enjoyed having him home these past two weeks and he had handled our strict rules on keeping our home safe very well.  Once President Trump announced that social distancing would stay in effect until April 30th, however, I realized that thirty more days in our house was going to be hard for him.  Doug asked him to think it over and not rush to leave.

This morning Cal told me that he was planning on heading back to Bloomington.  I asked him to wait until he talked to Dad.  Doug felt the safest place for Cal was with us, but also realized that it might be pretty challenging for him to be cooped up here.  Thus, they talked instead about Cal's plans for getting food and supplies, staying safe in Bloomington and what he would do if he or his roommates got sick while he was there.  When they hung up the phone I knew that it was inevitable that Cal would leave this week.  I just didn't realize that he would pack up and be on the road by 2 p.m. today.

I gave Cal a thermometer, Clorox wipes and hand sanitizer.  I offered him some non-perishable food, but he said that he was stocked at his house.  He stopped at HM's and his grandparents before he left to say goodbye.  I got a text around 2:30 from him that said, "Boomerang was still the best part of being home!"  I read it and just started sobbing.  I was scared for him and knew that I would really miss him.  We had agreed to set Memorial Day as a target for getting together again.  That seemed so long away.

Thankfully, Brett, Meg and Doug were able to help stop me from spending the rest of the day crying.  Doug said that it was ok to be sad and scared as this was an unprecedented time in our lives.  Brett reviewed the percentages with me for he and Cal's age groups and their low risk of serious complications of the virus.  He also reminded me that this way Cal would be in Bloomington if he needed him and he would be there for Cal if he was needed.  Meg told me to "suck it up and stop crying."  I did stop crying after all of these conversations and only teared up once more when I received the following text when Cal made it back to Bloomington.

Stimulus Relief??

When news of self quaratining first broke and restaurants, theaters and other social gathering places were closed, reports of a stimulus bill coming from Congress arose.  Most were skeptical when it was originally mentioned but as it passed through the Senate and went to Congress, it actually seemed as thought it would provide relief especially to businesses most impacted by the closures or reduction of force due to social distancing.  

Stimulus checks to indiviudals and families were also part of the bill.  The rules and requirements were argued between the Democrats and Republicans, but when it finally passed through both houses of Congress we were hopeful that Brett, Cal and Meg would receive the $1200 promised to each indiviudal.  Brett was in line to receive a new job at Macy's that was put on hold due to the pandemic and we were doubtful that either Meg or Cal would be able to easily find a summer job once the quaratine was lifted in April or May due to the amout of older adults re-entering the job market because of the layoffs.  Thus, the money would be very helpful to each of them.

Therefore, I was extremely disappinted today when I read several articles about the parameters of the stimlus checks.  Besides the "wealthy" - those making $75,000 as individuals and $150,000 as a couple, the other group not getting a relief check was anyone claimed as a dependent on another person's tax return.  That would include all college age students 18-24 that had been claimed by their parents.  I was sick when I read the news as it would exclude both Meg and Cal from receiving any government help.  We also would not receive any extra money for them as the only dependents covered under the bill were those seventeen and under.  

I couldn't believe it when I first read the information.  Our children were asked to forgo their time on campus, give up Spring Break travel, stay away from their elderly family members and now they would receive no help in paying college bills or for loss of rent.  The money would have really helped Meg and Cal, but they will be fine in the end even if they don't find a summer position.  It will definitely cut into their discretionary spending, but they will survive.  The real frustration is for students working to pay for college or whose family's are struggling to get buy while helping their college students to pay rent on a closed campus.  This group will also be disproportionately affected by coronavirus layoffs since nearly half work in service-sector jobs.  Thankfully, Brett should benefit from the help.  That will make a difference to him this summer and help him from dipping into his savings.  

Movies Galore

Quaratining at the Heinisch Home has brought a lot of time to watch some of our favorite movies.  I have been impressed with the variety that have been chosen by Meg, Cal and Cameron.  From Disney princess stories to dramas to musicals to horror flicks, we have watched it all.  It has been a lot of fun and I have enjoyed listening to Cal and Cam rattle off the beginning of the top one hundred movie list in hopes of matching the one Doug made over twenty years ago.  Although I would never agree that Braveheart was better than Gladiator, I did decided this weekend that there was some movies that I would stay away from until the Cornoavirus pandemic supsided.  Everyting right now has a tendency to bring me to tears.  I cried at the end of Philadelphia which was to be expected, but when I found myself tearing up during Beauty and the Beast I thought that it would be best to stay away from certain genres.  I just don't think my emotions could take watching these right now.

Top Ten Movies to Avoid During a Pandemic

10.    Steel Magnolias 

9.     The Notebook 

8.      Legends of the Fall 

7.     Terms of Endearment  

6.      Fault in Our Stars

5.      Bridge to Terabithia 

4.      Less Than Zero

3.      Love Story

2.      Monsters Ball

1.      Amistad

Meg's Turn

When I first talked to Meg at the beginning of March about cancelling our Spring Break trip to Walt Disney World because of the Coronavirus, she thought that I was overreacting.  As the news continued to grow and IU decided to extend Spring Break to two weeks, she accepted that it was best for us to stay home.  Although Meg expected it, she was still devistated when she found out that she would not be returning to Bloomington at all for the remainder of her freshmen year.  She had made so many new friends through St. Paul's Catholic Church and she wasn't ready to say goodbye to them for five months.  She also enjoyed going class and didn't want to give that up.  It took her a few days, but she has accepted the change in plan and has given us a new perspective on being quarantined.

Ten Things I Have Learned From Being "Quarantined" with Meg

10.    Playing Just Dance counts as exercising.

9.      Belle is the best Disney princess (and most like Meg.)

8.      Cameron needs to shave.

7.     Telling people off on social media that aren't following social distancing rules feels good.

6.     Deleting social media apps to avoid all of the COVID-19 posts feels better.

5.     Cal dominates the living room television and doesn't want to watch Gossip Girl, Dance Moms,
        Hair Spray or Saved By the Bell.

4.     Taking classes online stinks.

3.     Biggest benefit of being home - the washers and dryers here work unlike those in the dorm.

2.     The wii is the best gaming system of all time.

1.     Watching "I Still Believe" during the pandemic is an awesome reminder that God
         has a plan for all of us.

Happy Birthday Grandpa Cutes!

Today was my Dad's 77th birthday.  I was incredibly glad that we had decided to take him to the Rock 'N Roll Hall of Fame the first weekend of March to celebrate since we couldn't be together today.  I know that we all really enjoyed that day.  To continue the fun from our visit my parents have been enjoying a lot of the old Dick Clark shows on YouTube this week.  Meg, Cam and I did make it down to leave a sign in their yard this afternoon and mailed a card to him earlier to wish him a wonderful day.   All of the Heinisch children texted him birthday wishes as well.  Hopefully, we will be able to invite my parents up for a cookout soon to honor his day.

Today was also Granny's birthday.  As a child I always thought that was neat that they were born on the same day.  In honor of the day my parents decided that it was a good reason to drive to Bremen and visit the cemetery.  They were able to leave Easter decorations on Bunk's, Aunt Peggy's, Grandma Guard's, and Uncle Bob's graves while they were visiting Granny.  The crosses looked very colorful which was perfect for the cloudy day upon us.  They were also able to catch the blooming crocus' at my brother's grave that my Grandma and I planted so many years ago.  It was almost as those Granny was sending them a thank you for thinking of them all.  The drive to the cemetery gave my parents a great excuse to get out of the house, but I know that their real motive was to spend time honoring their loved ones.  It's wonderful that they chose to do so and have kept the graves looking nice over the years.

Social Media - The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

I don't spend a lot of time on social media, but had been in the past few months to get the news on  the spread of the Coronavirus in the United States.  I also used it to keep up-to-date on our friend Wade's progress with his daily fight to recover from Legionella Disease.  After today, however, I will be taking a break from all news sources and social media posts.  Too many articles with titles such as "Choosing which Patient Gets a Ventilator" or "NY Nurse Dies Because of Lack of Medical Supplies"  along with false stories reporting facts about the deadly virus have made me incredibly anxious.

Thus, I have decided to do as Meg had already done earlier in the week - stay off of social media.  I haven't quite gone as far as she has in the deleting the apps, but then again she could no longer watch people her age getting together and posting, "Coronavirus Don't Scare Me!"  She even went as far as to dm these individuals to let them know that they were adding to the problem.  I was proud of her for doing so, but since I couldn't do that with  everyone that was bothering me, I thought it would be best just to put my phone down and stick to watching old episodes of Cold Case.  There's no better way to help me forget the troubles going on in the world today than "solving murders" from the past.

A Gorgeous Day

With the cold weather and our self imposed quaratine this past week I had almost forgotten that we could actually go outside.  Today was a beautiful one and we all took advantage of it.  Cal went on a two hour walk.  Meg and I ran into him when we took our walk as well.  There weren't as many people out on our usual path as I expected, but Cal said that he saw a few more ealier.

When we returned home Meg and Cam headed outside to work on crafts in the sunshine.  Cam started a paiting and Meg made friendship bracelets.  I was finally able to feed the birds and squirrles without wearing gloves.  Doug got home at six as usual.  It was still cold when he left for work this morning.  Therefore he was pleasantly surprised with the change in temperature.  He started dinner and then headed outside to play basketball with Cam.  They got in three games before it was time to eat.  I was happy to be their lone spectator on our front porch.

Today was a wonderful reminder of the beautiful days ahead of us as we transfer into Spring.  I pray that we all stay healthy so that we can take advantage of more days like this one.  Our quarantine will not seem so bad if we are able to get out of the house even if it is just to take a walk or shoot hoops in the driveway.  

Ten Things I Have Learned From Being "Quarantined" with Cal

Seven days ago we returned from Bloomington with Meg's college possessions and shortly afterward welcomed Cal home as well.  Since that time period only Doug has left the house making trips to work and to the grocery store.  Although we weren't told to quarantine, we thought reducing our exposure to others was the best way to combact the Coronavirus.  Cal and Cameron both have asthma and I have had multiple boughts with pleurisy, so we didn't really want to take any unneccessary chances.  We do not know what the future will bring or how long we will live in isolation, but for now I have been impressed with how well Cal, Cameron and Meg have handled the situation.  Needless to say I have learned a lot from each of them over the past few days, especially Cal.

Ten Things I Have Learned From Being "Quarantined" with Cal

10.   Never take a job as a counselor at Camp Crystal Lake.

9.     As soon as the Coronavirus is mentioned, one instantly feels symptoms of the disease.

8.     Being quaratined is not as bad as the trial and tribulations of the characters in a Steinbeck novel,
        "At least we don't have to eat fried dough."

7.    Velma is an important member of the Scooby Doo gang.

6.     William Wallace was one tough leader.

5.     Taking online classes at home as a senior in college is easier than sitting in a lecture hall.

4.     The best Flintsone character is Barney without a doubt.

3.    Without sports everyone on social media has become an expert on politics.

2.     The Boomerang TV app is the best $5 we have ever spent.

1.     If Cal can cut his spring break trip short, give up his senior year in Bloomington, forgo walking
        at graduation, hang out with his family 24/7 without complaining, then so can I.

Boomerang and Puzzles

With the Cornoavirus quarantine in effect and the fear that the economy would fall apart from it, we decided that it would be best in the Heinisch family to reduce our discretionary spending.  It wouldn't be too hard for us right now as everyone but Doug had been staying safe and sound in our home and purchasing had been at a minimal this past week.  We did decide to splurge this weekend, however, using part of our weekly budget to purchase several activities to keep us occupied during our hiatus from the real world.

Our first splurge was one that promised to keep us busy for quite some time.  We picked out five puzzles from White Mountain including ones picturing the state of Florida and California and a mosiac of the city of Chicago.  We also chose a thousand piece one of our favorite paintings at the Art Institute, A Sunday on La Grande Jatte 1884 by Georges Seurat, hoping that it wouldn't be quite as hard as the one picturing Reniot's two sisters that we completed several years ago.  The puzzle that we were probably the most excited about was one that Meg found, the Neuschwanstein Castle, which we had "flown" over time and time again while riding Soarin' at EPCOT.

The second purchase on our spending spree involved a streaming app.  Cal and I had been watching a lot of television since he had arrived home which led to discussions about all of our favorite shows form years past.  He had downloaded a few streaming apps on the Roku that we had not tried before and were pleased with the programing offered.  One show, however, that was nowhere to be found was The Scooby-Doo mysteries.  After some exploring we found that Boomerang TV not only offered all of the series based on our favorite crime fighting gang, but also had the Flintstones, Looney Toones, Tom & Jerry, Yogi Bear and one of the best shows available on Saturday morning cartoons during  the 1970s, Scooby Doo's All Star Laff-A-Lympics.  We called Brett to let him know that it was up and running.  He was thrilled to hear that as he had wanted to purchase the app for quite some time.  As we started watching it, I felt like we were unlocking a treasure chest from my childhood and we spent all day today catching up on our favorites and trying some new shows as well.   As Cal stated tonight before I went to bed, "Mom, this is the best $5 we have ever spent."  I couldn't argue with that.

Happy 19th Birthday Meg!

It wasn't the birthday celebration that she had planned, but Meg still enjoyed her day with online shopping, Super Mario on the wii, a Disney puzzle and one of her favorite movies - The Princess and the Frog.  We enjoyed sharing all of these activities with her.  Doug made steaks for dinner and Cameron helped with the birthday cake.  Her IU friends set up a birthday FaceTime call tonight and she also spent time chatting with Jackie and Nick.  She was surprised by all of the texts and messages that she received on social media.  In the end she said that the only part that really felt out of place was the fact that Brett wasn't here to celebrate with us.  She did open his gift, however, which included a beautiful new rosary.  She also received a new Bible from Godmother Jeannette and some birthday money from Grandpa Heinisch.  She planned on opening the rest of her gifts later once the Coronavirus threat had passed.  We promised her a bigger celebration then.

Meg talked today about other memorable birthdays.  Some were unique, such as the celebration on her 17th birthday in Raleigh during Interterm or the one just last year with her friends on her senior trip in Chicago.  She also reminisced about her eighth birthday when she was sick with the flu or the time on her tenth birthday when she was able to get Cosmoeven though I was sick with pleurisy.  The one I remembered best was one that she could not recall, her acutal birth day.  That day too did not go according to plans with an emergency c-section, but we weathered that storm as well and to bought home a beautiful baby girl that has added so much love and joy to our family over the past nineteen years.  I know that this day will soon be a memory as well and what a story she will have to share about the time she was quarantined on her nineteenth birthday.

I'm Getting Mad

By the end of what Cam had labeled as Day 8 of our self imposed quarantine I was mad.  It wasn't because of having to spend our time social distancing or because we could no longer go out to dinner.    In fact I have enjoyed hanging out with Cam, Meg, Cal and Doug.  We have had fun watching movies, working on puzzles, playing games and trying Doug's new dishes.  Since I had been following the Coronavirus news long before this past week, I knew to plan and not panic.  I had bought enough supplies to last us for two weeks in case any of us had gotten sick and I had thorougly cleaned the house.  I had listened to Governor Cumo, the President, the Vice-President and leaders in the healthcare system speak.  I believed that they knew what was best for our country.  I did not second guess their decision, but followed the rules and prayed that it would all come to an end soon.  Thus, I wasn't angry to be in this situation as I had prepared for these days several weeks ago.

What I am mad about is that others are not following the recommeded protocal to keep the virus from spreading as quickly as it had in Italy.  They aren't following the rules and therefore putting more people in danger.  We have been told to go outside and get fresh air.  I thought that was a great idea until I realized that others were using this excuse to hang out with their friends and ignore the social distancing recommendations.  While I was feeding the birds today I noticed that our neighbors had four separate individuals stop by to see them, hugging with every greeting.  Children from several different families were all out together, running through the neighborhood.  Meg and Cam showed me pictures of their friends on social media hanging out with others without any regard to the three feet separation suggestion.  Even my own father and his friends had ignored the recommendation by playing golf together, even though they were in the group at the highest risk.

I don't understand the decisions that people are making.  The Heinisch children have had their lives thrown upside down by a virus that probably wouldn't cause much of an issue if they were diagnosed with it.  Cal left his spring break trip early to come home before travel bans were imposed.  He and Meg found out that their school year at IU had come to an abrupt end.  Meg wouldn't have the birthday celebration that she wanted.  Cam had played his last round of golf on Tuesday knowing that it was best for him to stay home to help flatten the curve.  Brett had been taking his temperature daily for the past two weeks to ensure that he did not bring the disease to those that he cared about at his work.  Doug had had multiple teleconferences this week to better understand the effect of the Coronavirus on business industries.  He was also the only in the our house going to the grocery as to help reduce our exposure.  If we can do all of this and give up our social life outside of the Heinisch home, then everyone else can as well.  Flattening the curve doesn't really work if only a handful of us follow the rules.

Unpacked

Meg spent the majority of the afternoon unpacking all that she brought home from IU.  I helped with some of it, but for the most part she was able to get it done by herself.  While she was putting everything away, she also sorted through the clothes that she had left at home this year.  I was impressed with how much she boxed up for the garage sale.

Cam had his second day of elearning and said that it went well.  He had study hall for his first period, so he got to sleep in this time.  He was able to get all of his work done with the breaks in between the classes.  Cal used his first full day home to catch up on movie watching.  He started with East of Eden which I was happy to watch with him even though I saw it last week.  He really liked it even though it was different from the book.

Doug stopped at Martin's on the way home and then made spaghetti for dinner as Meg does not eat meat on Fridays.  After we ate we watched Lifeboat and Rope while working on the Coke puzzle.  Cal found an app that not only had some of our Hitchcock favorites, but many others as well including Fort Apache and The Searchers.  Doug was excited about that.

IU Students are Home for Good

Meg, Doug and I spent a good part of the morning packing and cleaning Meg's dorm room.  It didn't take as long as any of us expected it to since we had brought a lot of her possessions home last Thursday.  We decided to do it in two shifts today, first packing all items that would be stored at Brett's.  We ended up filling the Pilot with that load.  I was thankful that Brett and I organized his closet last week as there was plenty of room for all that Meg wanted to leave in Bloomington.  We greatly appreciated his willingness to help out.

I stayed back on the second trip to organize the closet and cut Brett's hair.  He was thankful for that as he wasn't sure when he would get to the barber.  Doug and Meg were able to finish packing her room and clean it in about an hour.  The Pilot wasn't quite as full after the second load, but Cam and Meg would have to sit one behind the other on the way home so that Doug could put down both sets of seats in the car.  Once they got back to Brett's, we ordered Chick-Fil-A for lunch.  While we had all been busy packing, Cam stayed focused on his e-learning assignments.  I was impressed with how interactive and structured it was.  Bethany kept him engaged with school work until 3 p.m. and he enjoyed seeing his classmates via videochat.  Doug was also able to dial in on several meetings at work as well.

We left Brett's at 3 p.m.  He was planning on spending the night reading and watching Disney+.  We heard form Cal on the way home.  He had returned from Bloomington and was debating about coming home.  We decided that it would be best if he left tonight.  That would limit his exposure to others and get him out of the house before everyone else returned.  We beat him home by several hours giving us time to unload the Pilot, eat dinner and watch Law & Order.  Cal and Meg were both disappointed about the end of their school year at IU, but were glad to be home safe and sound.

An Unexpected Trip

Last night we got an email from IU letting us know that we could move Meg out of the dorm anytime between now and Monday at noon.  After that date we would have to make an appointment to get into Read with only limited times available.  IU stated that they would store Meg's possessions for as long as we needed, but we thought it would make more sense to get everything taken care as soon as possible.  Therefore, we made plans to take a trip to Bloomington on Friday, pack on Saturday and then head home that evening.

This morning when I woke up and realized that the United States had closed the border to Canada, that Marion County had issued a travel advisory and that several cities were on shelter in place orders, I called Doug and asked him if we should move up our travel plans and head to Bloomington tonight.  He was completely on board with that idea and soon we were all packing to get ready to leave at 4 p.m. when he got home.  Cam would have to do his e-learning at Brett's apartment and Doug would need to work there for a little while as well, but we would still have plenty of time to pack Meg's dorm room and clean it by the time we needed to head back home.  

Brett had to work today, but was home before we arrived.  As we couldn't go out for dinner, we ordered Mother Bear's.  After we unpacked and ate dinner, we quickly broke out The Ticket to Ride game.  I was glad that we got to play as I wasn't sure when we would be back to Bloomington.  Meg joined us for the next game, Pass the Pigs.  I forgot home much fun we used to have playing it.  We ended the evening watching Law and Order.  It was strange not to go out while we were at Brett's or watch a game together, but we all enjoyed our time together even with the change in routine.  

St. Patrick's Day Traditions

St. Patrick's Day has always been one of my favorite holidays as it celebrates the life of a saint who started as a slave and ended as a savior of a nation.  I love that Ireland has such a rich history of tradition and a deep devotion to the Catholic faith.  Both of these along with the pubs, the castles, the friendliness of its people and the rolling green hills have only added to my desire to visit the Emerald Isle one day.  I know that Doug and the Heinisch children share my feelings as we have all talked about traveling to Ireland one day.

We weren't able to take any trips out of the country today, but we were able to celebrate St. Patrick's Day together first with a corned beef dinner and then enjoying the views and traditions of Ireland by watching the movie, The Quiet Man.  It has long been my favorite John Wayne movie since I first watched it with Doug almost thirty years ago.  I love the scenery, the romance between Sean Thornton and Mary Kate Danaher, and all of the supporting Irish characters included in the story.  Doug said that he has always liked the movie as well, but it has actually grown on him even more over the years.  I asked him if that was because Maureen O'Hara's character reminded him of me.  All he could do was laugh and admit that there were some similarities.  I couldn't argue as I do actually   identify with the crazy, irrational behavior of the female lead.  Thankfully, however, it is no longer appropriate to drag your wife five miles across the land with the town encouraging you to "beat the lovely lady" with a stick.

Another Day, Another Round of Closures

Today the governor announced that all restaurants and bars would be closed in Indiana until the end of March.  I wasn't surprised when I heard the news as Michigan and Ohio had announced the same message earlier this morning.  The thought was to keep large groups of individual away from one another in order to slow the spread of the Coronavirus.  The President later encouraged all gatherings to be limited to an amount of ten or fewer people.

 After hearing the news of the day I strongly encouraged Brett and Meg to go see "I Still Believe" in the movie theaters today as I was sure that cinemas would be closed soon.  Meg and Nick decided to see the movie tonight and also "eat out" as they weren't sure how much they would be doing together in the next couple of weeks.  Eating out consisted of ordering Chick-Fil-A through the drive-thru and enjoying it in the car.  The movie theater only had six other individuals in it, so they didn't have to worry about breaking Trump's social gathering rules.

Brett ate out as well, picking up Dragon Express for dinner after work.  He also made it to the movie tonight.  He was the only one in theater, so he wasn't concerned about contracting the virus either.  Meg liked the movie a lot more than Brett did which made sense due to the topic.  Cal called several times from Florida to talk about politics.  He was missing March Madness and was tired of reading everyone's posts on Twitter about Trump's handling of the current illness.  Miami and Fort Lauderdale had closed their beaches to spring break travelers.  He was happy that Lido Key was still open for business although he was sure that tomorrow would be its last day.

Cam also made it outside of the house this afternoon to play golf as we weren't sure when the state would close all public places.  He was happy with his 79 off of the senior teams and the fact that the he beat Grandpa and all of his friends.  My parents made it up to play Oh Hell tonight.  It was their 57th anniversary and we wanted to give them their card.  Since we had already taken them to the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame, we forgo gifts this year.  They appreciated the thought just the same.

I was glad that everyone was able to go out today.  Every day brings more and more closures and we just haven't been sure what will be next.  Our goal has been to make it through the health crisis without getting sick, to keep both Doug and Brett employed, and support Cal, Meg and Cam as they transfer to online learning.  Praying that all of this ends soon.

Bad News for Our IU Students

Cal texted me several times during the day to let me know how much fun he was having in Lido Key.  I was glad to hear that as I wanted his senior Spring Break with his friends to be a good one.  The last text he sent, however, was a disappointing one.  IU had decided to cancel in person class for the rest of the semester as well as all social activities due to the spread of the coronavirus in the US.   For Cal that meant no senior week and no last Little 500 with his friends.  IU wasn't even sure that they would be hosting a graduation for the class of 2020 this spring.  It softened the blow for him since he was on vacation, but it was still extremely disappointing.

Meg felt the sting of not returning to Bloomington for the rest of the year as well.  She had made several close friends while on campus this year and was sad to find out that she wouldn't be able to hang out with them for quite some time.  She also had to worry about how she was going to get everything out of her dorm room.  We had brought quite a bit of her belongings home already, but there was still a lot left in her room including the jewelry chest, her refrigerator, the floor rug and a closet full of clothes.  Thankfully, Brett's apartment will be available for storage once we do get down there to pack it up.  It has been an interesting four days with all of the postponements and cancellations, but this one has definitely hit home the hardest.

Day 1 at Home

Today was the first day of the Coronavirus vacation for all of us.  Doug and I spent it at home working on the Texas puzzle, watching a John Wayne movie, exercising on the elliptical and cleaning out the toy room.  I found our old Aggravation board game and talked Cam and Doug into playing it with me.  Cameron also read some of his book for English, played NBA 2K and called Grandma and Grandpa up for a round of Oh Hell.  

Meg hung out with Jackie all day.  They started at our house, then did some shopping and ate dinner at Portillo's.  They stopped at Jackie's for awhile and then spent the rest of the evening here.  Brett had to work today and then met his friend, Lane, for ice cream at Jiffy Treat.  Cal texted to let me know that Wendy's had the best breakfast sandwich that he had ever tried.  He and his friends made it to their home at Lido Key for the week.  I know that they will have a great time in Florida. 

Last One Standing

Cam texted both Meg and I yesterday pointing out the disappointments of the day.  First, the NBA season was postponed.  Then the Big Ten tournament was cancelled.  Finally we heard from him that March Madness would not be played due to the Coronavirus pandemic.  With the sporting world shutting down and all extracurricular events at Bethany cancelled, Cam texted, "If they are cancelling all of this stuff, then why am I still in school?"  I told him to be patient as I was sure that he would be out soon.  He found out today at chapel that I was right.  As Governor Holcomb changed the school day requirement to 160, Bethany will take some days off from learning over the next three weeks and use e-learning the rest of the time.  Cam was happy with the plan when I picked him up after school.  He celebrated by playing tennis with Jackie and Meg.

While everyone was busy I decided to run to Walmart.  There were a few items that we needed such as lunches for Meg that I wanted to pickup.  I couldn't believe all of the people shopping and how empty the shelves were.  I had done our Coronavirus preparedness shopping earlier in the week and assumed that everyone else did as well.  I was wrong as the store was a madhouse.  Thankfully, we did not need toilet paper as there wasn't a roll in the store.  In fact almost all of the paper products were out of stock.  I did get the last gallon of 1% milk and the last bottle of All detergent.  I was thankful for that.

Doug decided that he wanted to stay in this weekend, so he cooked stuffed clams and biscuits for our dinner.  Cam and I liked both of those.  Cal texted that he and his friends had made it to Alabama without incident and were enjoying a meal at The "Awful" House.  Meg ate cheese Stromboli at Nick's as he arrived from Purdue tonight.  She felt a lot better about being home and cancelling our Florida trip.  We heard late last night from Brett that Disney World would be closed starting on Monday the 16th, the day that Meg and I were to arrive at the resort.  We were both incredibly glad that we had decided to change our trip earlier this week, and that we had all been able to go in January.  It will be a long month for everyone, but fortunately we are prepared.

Leaving Bloomington

I left for Bloomington yesterday morning thankful that I could stay at Brett's rather than drive down and back on the same day when picking up Meg.  Leaving early also gave me some time to spend with Brett.  I hadn't seen him in several weeks and enjoyed catching up.  He had had some spare time recently and used it to sort through all of his tubs that had been packed in our basement since he graduated from high school.  We had moved them to his apartment last summer, but he hadn't had time to work on them.  I was impressed with all that he had accomplished.  With the majority of the job done, he and I were able to find spots for a few of the remaining items he had left out and time to reorganize the spare closet.  We both felt great when it was completely finished.  We celebrated by playing a few games of Pass the Pigs.

It wasn't all work while I was in Bloomington.  Brett and I went to see the movie Onward.  We both really enjoyed it, especially the ending.  I was also able to visit with Cal before he left on his spring break trip to Alabama and Florida with his friends.  He wasn't going to let the Coronavirus spoil his plans.

Meg had class until 2:15 this afternoon.  She felt a lot better about leaving today then she did last night.  She had the majority of her items packed for the trip home when I got there.  Two days ago she thought that she was only packing for a week, but by adding the extra two weeks, she decided to bring more home.  I talked her into adding her television and chair to the list as well.  Doug was going to put the tv in the extra bedroom and she could use the chair in her room when she was studying at home.  It took us about forty-five minutes to get everything in the Pilot.  We were thankful for the large wheeled bin that Read had available for transporting everything.  The rain began when we got on 37 and traffic was heavy around Indy, but otherwise the trip was an easy one.  I really enjoyed talking with Meg on the way home.  It was great to catch up with her.  Looking forward to having her home for a little while.  It definitely will liven up the Heinisch home.

It's Getting Real

IU announced yesterday that they would be suspending in person class for two weeks after Spring Break due to the Coronavirus outbreak in the United States.  Students were encouraged to spend the extra hiatus at home, but dorms, dining halls and libraries were open for those who needed to stay in Bloomington.  Classes would be taught online so students would stay on track for finishing the semester May 7th.

I wasn't surprised when I got the news as several other Big Ten schools had made the same choice earlier in the week.  I was disappointed, however, for Meg and Cal.  They had both adapted to college life and love the independence of it.  Neither wanted to come home for two extra weeks leaving their friends and social life behind.  Cal was extremely disappointed tonight when I took he, HM and Brett to Bub's for dinner.  He was sure that they would go ahead and cancel in person class for the rest of the school year meaning that he would miss his last Little 500, senior week and graduation.  The thought of that was sad, but overall I was impressed with how well he was handling the news.

Meg called me later that evening crying.  She had finished Bible study and hanging out with her friends afterward.  She couldn't believe that she was saying goodbye to them for what could end up being five months.  She had really made great connections at St. Paul's and didn't want the fun that she was having to end.  She also hated e-learning in high school and wasn't looking forward to an online education.  She wasn't alone in being disappointed, but she did stop feeling bad for herself once she thought of Cal.  Unlike her, he wouldn't be returning in August.  His days as a college student in Bloomington could be over forever.  Meg said that it reminded her of our vacation to Walt Disney World in January, a wonderful trip with a terrible ending.  I told her that we made it through that situation and I was sure that we would survive this one as well.  Hopefully, she and Cal will both be able to return to IU in April and continue the life that they loved.

Work Dinners

Last night Doug went to dinner with his boss and sales manager.  They picked one of my favorite places to eat in Elkhart - 523 Tap.  Doug enjoyed going out and spending time with the management team.  Tonight he took his accounting staff and those that report to him to dinner at a restaurant close to their work.  He had wanted to do so for quite some time, but couldn't come up with a date that worked for everyone.  They started at 3:45 so he got home earlier than last night.  He said that it was a positive event and he was glad to have hosted it.  We missed him at home, but were glad that he was able to spend a few nights out with those that work at Champion.  It's hard to believe that he will have worked there for two years this April.  It has been a great experience for him both professionally and personally.

The Way Back

Doug had dinner plans with his boss and Champion's sales manager tonight after work, so Cam and I decided to go see the movie, The Way Back, with our free evening.  We invited my parents to go along as the movie had gotten good reviews on Rotten Tomatoes.  I was a little worried about taking Cam at first as the movie was rated R, but after reading that it received the rating primarily for the vast amount of swearing in it I wasn't too concerned.

The movie revolved around Ben Affleck's character's struggle with alcoholism that developed after the death of his son.  At the peak of his struggle he was offered a basketball coaching position at his former high school where he was a stand out player.  The new job seemed to help him curtail his drinking, but an incident occurred that sent him spiraling once again.

I really liked the movie as did Cameron and I was extremely glad to take him to it.  He has really become interested in basketball, especially the coaching side of it.  The scenes with the high school players were fantastic and I know that Cam could relate to those in his own age group.  I was also glad that it portrayed the plight of alcoholism.  Cam saw a lot of college age drinking at the IU tailgates this fall and our subsequent trips to Bloomington.  I hoped that this movie helped him to understand that drinking can be a serious issue.   

What a Gorgeous Day!

Today was absolutely gorgeous.  The sun shown all afternoon and the temperatures stayed in the upper sixties.  Doug and I spent the majority of it outside.  It was too early to do some of our regular spring projects, but we were able to clean out the bird and animal feeders, put together the new grill, take the old grill to Mom's, rake the leaves out of the side yard, and burn some sticks.  It was so nice to be out of the house that none of our projects seemed like work.  Even lifting the grill into the bed of the truck wasn't too bad on this beautiful day.

Cam took advantage of the wonderful afternoon as well by playing eighteen holes at McCormick Creek with Grandpa and his friends.  They had fifteen players due to the nice weather which made the round a little longer than usual.  Cam didn't mind as he proudly announced when he got home that he had shot an 80.  He was especially excited as he had had a 38 on the back.  I was happy for him and a little surprised.  It was pretty early in the year to have played that well and he hadn't even broken 40 at Wawasee yet.  Should make for an exciting golf season and with weather like today we will all be ready for it to start.

A Day Out on the Town

Since we had a free weekend Doug asked me if I would go with him to try a few of the breweries that  we had gone to for Valentine's Day.  I was glad to go with him as we will be busy every night next week and won't get much time together.  We waited until after the IU game to leave, but with the outcome, we probably should have left earlier.  The good part about the loss was all of the controversy on Twitter about IU making the tournament.  Archie called the bracketologists Sesame Street characters during his press conference after the game and Cam enjoyed reading all of the comments that followed his remarks.

Doug and I stopped at Lechyd Da's in Elkhart first.  Even though it was only 3:30 in the afternoon the place was packed.  We were glad to find a seat and enjoyed a drink and an appetizer.  Our next stop,  also in Elkhart, was Westwind Brewing Company.  It had just opened in November and was only available for customers on Saturday and Sunday afternoon.  We tried a drink and an appetizer there as well and enjoyed it just as much as the first restaurant.  Champion's new building was close to the breweries, so we drove by there next.  Doug was pleased with the progress and looked forward to moving in to the new space this summer.  On the way home we decided to stop at Constant Springs in Goshen once again trying a drink and an appetizer.  We had a wonderful time together and Doug was glad to have tried all of the different places.

Cam had had enjoyed his afternoon as well.  He and Grandpa played nine holes at Wawasee.  Grandma then made them a pot roast for dinner and they all played Buck Euchre until we got home.  We continued the card playing with a round of Oh Hell where Grandma was the big winner.  Doug and I finished the night watching East of Eden.  Neither of us had seen the movie since we were in our twenties.  It was as intense as we remembered and we both liked it just as well.  It was a nice way to end our day together.

East of Eden

Cal called me on Wednesday to let me know that he had finished reading East of Eden.  I had recommended the book to him this summer and he had started it, but he didn't really enjoy the Steinbeck novel at first.  Therefore he put it aside to read the Walt Disney biography instead.  Once Cal finished it, he picked up East of Eden again and couldn't put it down.  It was based on the story of Cain and Abel.  I had told him before he began reading it that we had actually named him after the main  character.  He wasn't too sure about that at the beginning as the Caleb in the story was not his favorite.  Cal Trask represented Cain in the biblical story and Cal wasn't too happy about being named after the "bad" guy.  As the story unfolded, however, he began to see that the story was more complex than good vs. evil and in the end he absolutely loved it.  I told him that if he liked the book then he would also love the movie.  James Dean's portrayal of Cal was fantastic and I knew that he would be able to identify with not only the character, but with the actor himself.

I heard from Cal this morning as well.  I was a little surprised when he called again as I don't usually hear from him twice in a week.  I thought that maybe he needed something, but instead he just wanted to let me know that he had broken up with Hannah-Marie.  He said that reading East of Eden had really made him think about the next two years and he just didn't think that it made sense to stay together through that period.  I was surprised by his message, but knew that it was my job to support him and his decision.  I was sure that he didn't come to it lightly.  We really like Hannah-Marie a lot, but both Doug and I would not be comfortable pushing our children to stay in a relationship if they felt that it was time to move on.  Instead we would strongly prefer that the Heinisch children chose mates based on their own feelings and experiences.  It worked well for us and we know that it will be the best for them as well.

End of Quarter 3

Today was the official end of quarter three for all of the students at Bethany Christian High School.  Cam still had a few projects to finish yesterday and a test today, but overall he had completed most of the quarter requirements last week.  Thus, he wasn't feeling too stressed about anything this past few days.  Instead he was thankful for the early dismissal today and the three day weekend ahead that included a lot of basketball, golf, 2K20 and downtime.

When I picked him up at 2:30, Cam proudly announced that he had an A in every class and that to celebrate he was ready to play some golf.  Fortunately, Wawasee Golf Course was open for business and he was able to get in nine holes before the rain started this afternoon.  He played a lot better than he did during his first round of the season with Doug several weeks ago scoring a 43 today.  It was fun listening to his hole by hole description.  One more quarter left and Cam will have finished his freshmen year.  With the NCAA tournament, golf season and all of the end of the year events, it will definitely be a busy one for him.

Signs of Spring

I pointed out to Cam that there was a finch on our feeder in the front yard when we arrived after school yesterday.  We hadn't seen one in several months.  I also told him that I heard a chipmunk scurry up the drainpipe on Monday.  Those two events combined with the warmth and sunshine of today sure made us hopeful that spring was arriving early.

Whether the season was officially upon us or not Cam took advantage of the warmup today by chipping and putting at Black Squirrel.  It was nice to see him back on the course even if it was just practicing his short game.  With two weeks left until high school practice started I knew that Cam would take advantage of each and every warm day to play before Bethany hit the links March 16th.  Definitely looking forward to a fun golf season this year where Cam's score will finally count toward his team total.

Never Easy

It is never easy to leave a job, but sometimes it is the best thing to do.  Not all positions are made for all people.  Teachers are never really ever fired unless they commit an illegal or moral act.  Instead they are moved around or given alternate duties.  With the current teacher shortage the fear of being pink slipped has almost become non-existence.  Thus, most educators leave the profession by their own choice.  

Doug has had a different experience in the business world as he has had to let employees go due to downsizing, discipline issues and a vast host of other reasons.  Although not a favorite part of his responsibilities at work, he has gained quite a bit of experience at it.  He has not adopted the "Norm from Cheers approach" where he takes the termination more to heart than the employee, but he has learned to be tactful and respectful to those he has to inform of the bad news.

I thought a lot about our experiences in the working world today as Brett called to say that he had made a career move.  I felt bad that it didn't quite end the way he wanted, but could relate as I left my first full time teaching position after it was announced to parents that I was not returning even though I hadn't been informed of that decision.  I thought it was comical that the person they hired to replace me decided not to take the position, and I definitely didn't renew my contract when they couldn't find anyone else.  That situation left a bad taste in my mouth, but I was glad to be done with the school.  It wasn't a positive place to work.  That coupled with a deceptive administration helped make the decision to leave a good one.  It took me some time to realize that and I know it will for Brett as well, but with his position at Bell Trace now a full time one, he will have a place to go that appreciates his work.  As he has told me many times over the past year, "I am so happy that I took that position.  I love working with the residents and my boss has been awesome."  Couldn't ask for anything better than that.  

Coronavirus

It seems that every couple of years a new virus emerges that causes panic throughout the world.  Thus, this year when the Coronavirus was first announced to have impacted the lives of those in mainland China, I didn't give it much thought.  We had already survived Eubola, Sars, and the Swine Flu during my time as a parents.  One more strange named Asian flu didn't seem that scary to me.

My feelings on the subject have changed in the past few days, however, as the virus has infiltrated more than just California in the United States.  Over the weekend there were deaths reported  at a nursing home in Washington state.  Even though the patients were elderly with compromised immune systems, the thought that it was now spreading among those that had not traveled outside of the country greatly raised my concern.

Since there are now three cases diagnosed in the Sarasota/Tampa Bay area I let Meg know that I might want to cancel our Spring Break trip to Florida.  With all of the tourists in and out of the Orlando area I have become extremely worried about the virus.  The state of Florida has also announced that they will  quarantine all travelers that demonstrate signs of the Coronavirus including those with a fever or cough.  The idea of being stuck in isolation out of state for two weeks has made me even more nervous.

Meg was extremely upset after I talked to her today.  She had been looking forward to our trip since we first discussed it last fall.  Even more disappointing for her was the fact that Cal wasn't going to have to change his plans.   He was driving and wasn't traveling with a 51 year old woman, thus his risk was greatly reduced than those of us who were flying through an international airport.  He and Meg were both in the lowest risk group with only 1% of Coronavirus patients being in the 15-25 year old age group, but I wasn't.  Thankfully, Meg and I don't have to decided today.  After talking it over with Doug, the three of us have agreed to wait until next week to make the decision.  That would give the state of Florida time to gather more information.  Either way I decided to jump on the bandwagon and stock up on recommended travel supplies just in case.   Pretty sure that all of the Heinisch children thought that I was crazy before, but my current shopping trip only added to their assumptions.

So Many Wonderful Memories

I think about my Grandparents almost daily.  They meant the world to me.  They provided support and strength to me throughout my childhood especially after my brother died.  Their home was a safe haven to relax and put my worries away for awhile. They always had something to show me or a skill to teach me.  My Grandma's specialties revolved around baking, sewing and bargain shopping.  I loved sitting at the horseshoe bar in the kitchen that "CrapPa" had made.  I would watch her bake, help her grind cranberries or just listen to her talk.  Many of her stories were about my mother and her siblings, but most revolved around my favorite topic in the house - her love for my grandfather.  She'd tell me about how they had met at work and what they would do on their dates.  He was her knight in shining armor after her divorce.  Even as a preschooler I could remember being impressed that CrapPa had chosen a bride that made him an instant father of four and worked four jobs to support them.  Just watching them, I learned the true meaning of unconditional love.

I never asked my Grandma much about my mother's biological father.  He didn't mean anything to my mom and I knew that he could never be half the man that my grandfather was.  I spent the majority of my youth following CrapPa around learning how to fix anything and everything.  The stories he told while we were in his garage finishing a project were always fascinating to me.  His youth and adventures in World War II were a constant topic and I could never get enough of them.

My grandfather taught me much more about life than just how to fix items.  He taught me to be patient and kind.  From him I learned that doing a job meant doing it correctly.  He stressed that understanding was imperative in all situations and hard work was a must.  These lessons have served me well in life.  The values he taught me helped me choose a husband and to raise the Heinisch children.  My grandpa's blood may have never run through my veins, but his love was ever in my heart and as long as I am alive his memories will be shared for many years to come.