{{{Steph}}} I'm sorry I don't have any suggestions, but I'm here if you need anything.

ION, ugh. I thought I was doing pretty well, but the holidays coming up, and not being able to see my family, is hitting me hard. We had Passover over Zoom, and now we'll be having Rosh Hashanah over Zoom. And maybe we'll have Thanksgiving in person, but I don't even know yet.

And I don't know what to do about food for Rosh Hashanah. I'm feeling a lot better, but still really too tired to cook. There's a vegan restaurant downtown where I thought I'd pick up some meals (they do curbside pickup) and have some nice food while seeing my family over Zoom, but I just remembered that I've got to be at home on Friday afternoon because my students have an exam, and there won't be time to drive downtown and back before the holiday starts. And somehow that was just the last straw and I started sobbing, and I haven't seen my parents or sister in person since January, and I can't even get together with other friends here who are celebrating the holiday, and I don't know if I'll ever see my aunt and uncle again because my uncle has cancer and they live in Boston, and this just all sucks and I hate it all.

And plenty of jerks on Twitter and Facebook seem to think that it's totally fine if people like me never see my family again, as long as they can go out to bars and not have to think about masks.

Oh, crap. I forgot to get wine. Wine for actual religiously needed purposes, not just because wine. But also because wine.

{{{Hil}}} I'm so sorry.

We had Passover over Zoom, and now we'll be having Rosh Hashanah over Zoom

I don't even celebrate these holidays with family normally, not really, but the weirdness of how the same they feel this year, like everything has been temporarily suspended but for so long, is hard for me to wrap my mind around. That's been a thing all along, of course, but for some reason the holidays are weirding me out even more.

The blue sky and fresh air were unimaginably delicious today. Had to go out for groceries and everyone in the parking lot was smiling at each other. I think my neighborhood is happy.

Hope we all get to breathe freely very soon.

I am not expecting very much socializing for the holidays. It will be weird and different without Dad anyway.

That's all a lot, Hil. I would have cried, too.

We have the remains of the latest Gulf hurricane rolling over us today. Mostly a lot of rain, as Louisiana, Georgia, and the Florida panhandle took the brunt of it.

Thanksgiving is going to hit me HARD. (((HIL)))

Yeah I try not to think on it much, but no one in the family has seen mac since Feb. He refuses to do FT and is not on any social media that we know of. I've only talked with him by phone 2-3 times since I left in January.

Oh that is hard, msbelle.

I'm not thinking about Thanksgiving yet. My DIL is having her baby shower Nov 14th. I'm a bit freaked about that. It will be outside, but probably 30 people. Lots of these people do not practice the level of social distancing that we do. I will speak to them frankly about it, and to the other organizers, when I get home. For the moment I am just trying not to think about it.

DH is flying back to Florida for a week Sunday. He has stuff he has to do there. He will be cautious. He has been very good about that so I don't worry about him. I think our doctors have kept him mindful because they are all very diligent.

We did a 100% virtual baby shower for one of my best friends in May and it was lovely. Can you suggest that to whoever is hosting your DIL's shower?