Friday, May 1, 2020

Isolating together with our Mothers

We have been carefully social-distancing and sheltering in place for the last couple weeks. That is because we are going to a very important destination. We left our motor home parked in Edmond, Oklahoma at Denisa's sister and brother-in-law's house. We are so grateful that Denisa's sisters had been sewing quarantine masks, and she made two for us. Because masks are required for more and more places, we are very thankful to have them!

After a social-distancing visit with that sister,  we drove across Oklahoma City to Denisa's other sister's house. That's where Denisa's Mother has been spending the last three weeks of this pandemic isolation. But now it's time for her to head back to her own home in the panhandle of Oklahoma, and we're the transportation crew to get her there.

Mark's Mother is also sheltering in place by herself in her home in the panhandle of Oklahoma. So we had a great idea--we could all shelter in place together! Our Mothers live just 15 miles apart, and have been good friends for years. They've known each other since their college days, and they have quite a bit in common since two of their children have been dating each other for 40 years. We thought that our mothers and us could make a great foursome for playing card games and cooking meals together. We were hoping to take some of the loneliness out of isolation for both of them! We could still do some social-distancing visiting!

The four of us spent Easter together, listening to television and internet church services, playing cards, and sharing a big Easter dinner. But then we found out that Mark's family is dropping by for visits. We are in a rural county with only one case of Covid-19 in the entire county. But having non-isolated visitors in the house where 90-year-olds (with underlying health conditions) were staying didn't seem safe to Denisa. We didn't want Mark's Mother to miss out on the family visits she is used to getting, so Denisa and her Mother headed 15 miles down the road to isolate at the her Mother's house.

It was a sad change to our plans. After traveling across the country together in a 35-foot motor home, we are now separated by 15 miles because of this stupid virus. Mark is staying with his Mother and his social family at "the ranch," and Denisa is staying with her Mother on "the farm." It's been quite interesting!

On one interesting morning, we awoke to a covering of snow.

April is unusually late for snowfall in Oklahoma. The redbud trees are in a spectacular bloom, and now those red buds are covered with snow.

It was a beautiful morning to take pictures of Denisa's Mother's big red barn in the snow.

At the ranch where Mark is staying, the snowfall was lighter, but this was their view from the front door.

We've already had an interesting start to this planned ten-day isolation in Beaver County, Oklahoma, with our mothers--even though it isn't exactly going according to plan!

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