Spring

West Seattle is beautiful on a sunny spring day, but nothing feels remotely normal. You see people walking with dogs and children, but very few cars on the streets. I took a long walk yesterday to the other side of the hill, and looked down at the empty West Seattle freeway and bridge.  Usually jammed with bumper-to-bumper traffic, it was a surreal sight.

The latest news from DOT says four weeks just to assess the damage.  After that, the structure needs to be shored up before repairs can safely begin. (The dang thing must be ready to fall down.) If there's a bright side, for most people, there's simply no place to go right now. 

Anyway, as I walked on, I thought about the homeowners with the foresight to plant these ornamental cherry trees so many carefree years ago. Namaste.

I baked bread yesterday.  Most of this batch goes in the freezer and should last a while. I'm fussy about bread, and usually put my nose up at white sandwich bread. But homemade bread makes good grilled cheese sandwiches and toast.

If someone had told me a month ago we would be basically under house arrest, I wouldn't have believed it. It's amazing what you can get used to. The hours are long, but we're surprisingly content most days with our new routine. Our family and friends are still well, and that's the only important thing right now.

I wonder sometimes how other people fill the long hours? There's always something to do if you make the effort. I used to tell my daughter that "only boring people get bored."  One of those annoying momisms that probably isn't true.

Today is Thursday so we're headed to Metropolitan Market early to stock up again on fresh food. Who would have dreamed that going to the grocery store could be such an exciting event? Our outing for the week. And another week has passed by, just like that.