by Karen

Walking in the Winterthur garden in March was a great stress reliever– the blue carpet of flowers on the March Bank, daffodils, and the wide open space was very restorative. Winterthur, however, had to close the garden a few days after my last walk because of the Governor’s orders regarding the closure of essential businesses. Staff was required to monitor guests and Winterthur is not an essential business. A few days later, however, I took a walk in Josephine Gardens in the city and it was spectacular. The sun was bright, the air warm, and there were a dozen or more weeping cherry trees with delicate pink blossoms decorating the park like a scene from a fairyland. The fountain had just been returned from restoration and the water sprouting from it shimmered in the sunlight.

Afterward, I drove to Sweet Somethings bakery on North Union Street and bought cupcakes and cookies. Only one patron at a time was permitted in the store and they were open for fewer hours than usual. Only the owner was working. We had a nice chat about how much I love their cupcakes! It’s my patriotic duty to eat Sweet Somethings’ cupcakes to help keep them in business during the quarantine! My daughter Nina (21) wanted to make challah, but there was no yeast available in Giant, or on Amazon. So, I emailed all of our relatives in Wilmington and two of them had yeast, so on my way home I stopped by their houses and picked up the “no contact” with each other yeast, which they had left in bags by their front doors.

On my drive, I passed Immaculate Heart of Mary Church on Shipley Road and noticed their sign reading, “No Sunday or Daily Mass until further notice” which was rather eye opening. I pulled into their driveway and took a photo of the sign because it is a perfect example of the quarantine. Catholic Mass is never cancelled, and in reality it is not. The priests continue to say Mass, there are simply no congregants present.