I’m roasting a turkey breast for Thanksgiving even though I’m not expecting guests. Much as I will miss sharing the holiday with friends and family, I refuse to give up turkey leftovers.
There’s a lot to be thankful for because I’ve been relatively unaffected by the pandemic. I’m retired and have not had to risk going to work or keeping a business from failing. My kids have been able to continue working, I have no grandchildren struggling with school closures, and so far everyone I know has remained healthy.
Just as the pandemic was emerging I embarked on a major lifestyle change: moving from a sprawling home in Albuquerque to a smaller, newly constructed house in an over-55 community half an hour away. Part of my motivation was to expand my circle of friends in a close-knit neighborhood with a wide array of amenities and social activities.
That has not yet happened, of course, because my new community is in semi-quarantine. The neighbors I have met so far are friendly and welcoming, and I hope I will recognize them when the masks come off. I’ve attended a couple of homeowners’ association meetings via Zoom and watched members learn to locate their mute buttons.
Settling into a new house has kept me busy and venturing into the outside world has been generally manageable despite the ever-changing state restrictions and lockdowns. The people I encounter in stores have grown accustomed to social distancing, and I felt safe voting in person.
One positive sign is that people have quickly adopted new hygiene habits that may remain after the pandemic. If people can get accustomed to washing their hands, perhaps there’s hope that we can get them to use turn signals.
One habit I expect to contnue is doing more shopping online. When New Mexico went into renewed lockdown recently I ordered groceries online from Walmart and immediately became addicted. I particularly enjoyed driving up to the pickup area to have my groceries loaded into my car while in-person shoppers lined up halfway around the building. I hope stores and restaurants continue pickup service when the pandemic is over.
I’ve especially missed attending the Santa Fe Opera and New Mexico Philharmonic concerts with friends. Virtual performing arts make up some of the cultural deficit. The Metropolitan Opera streams a different performance every night (for free!) and last weekend I streamed a local chamber music recital. I’ve been getting together with a few friends for socially distanced restaurant dinners.
Things are getting better, despite the panicky news media coverage and arbitrary government edicts, because a vaccine is around the corner. And those annoying campaign commercials are gone until 2022 (unless you live in Georgia). I will miss seeing my kids in person during the holidays but expect to make up for it next year.
In the meantime, I’m looking up recipes for turkey pot pie and green chile turkey stew.