Tri-Valley Makes The Best Of Coronavirus Quarantine
TRI-VALLEY, CA — California households are spending a lot more quality time together thanks to the new coronavirus outbreak and statewide stay-at-home order. In the Bay Area, most residents have been sheltering in place since March 16.
Soon after the order was issued, Patch asked Tri-Valley readers how they're trying to keep busy and make the best of their time at home. From acts of kindness to spring cleaning that you no longer have an excuse to put off, here's how your neighbors have been coping.
Staying Disciplined, Active And Productive
Keeping a routine can help improve mental health, experts say.
That's exactly what Renuka Krishnaswamy's family has tried to do.
The boys study for three hours, get two hours of physical activity and spend two hours with technology, she said. They've pitched in with chores, and learned to roll Roti flatbread and type faster.
They make time for family bonding too, Krishnaswamy said. Her boys write notes to cousins and grandparents, and they play family board games.
Cheri Newkirk has found solace in attending to some "long-neglected watercolor painting," sharing a laugh with a friend and watching people walk past her home to get exercise with their pets.
Bernadette Homen's family takes a mid-day break by playing with an indoor bocce ball set. The kit, purchased online, comes with small plastic balls — perfect for quarantine fun.
Author Elaine Drew has taken the opportunity to stop procrastinating on her novel-in-progress "Nun of This, Nun of That," a mystery based on characters in her romantic comedy "Courting Trouble."
Drew invites her neighbors to give her feedback on her first chapter by sending her an email.
Making Memories With Loved Ones
Family time is big in Donna Browne's house too. Her dad, 78, has been sitting in on San Jose State University online lectures with her son, 18, and loving it.
Don Wilson, a school crossing guard for 13 years, said he is missing the parents and students whom he helps to cross the street every day. Wilson lives in a Pleasanton complex for seniors, where some of his neighbors are crossing guards as well.
Wilson, a great-grandfather of two, said he is quarantining with his "two children, who happen to be cats."
"Life is good as we will all handle this crisis together," he said.
Katy Fraser has daily calls with her best friend in Maryland and sister in Arizona dubbed "The Tell Me Something Good Call." They share family updates, concerns and uplifting stories.
It's the "State of Our Union Address," she said.
While Fran Scott jams out to music, she enjoys mailing letters to older family members, gathering together things to donate, crafting and binge watching TV.
Julie Lewis of Pleasanton said she had a blast making memories with her loved ones by solving puzzles and playing family games.
Many in the Tri-Valley have found solace in family movie nights, like Natalie Owens.
"Crazy times but I’m grateful for my family," she said.
In Denise Reyes's Pleasanton home, her family has been watching Disney movies from the years her kids were born. "The Incredibles" was dedicated to her daughter born in 2004, and she paid tribute to her twins born in 2007 with screenings of "Ratatouille" and "Meet the Robinsons."
"It's fun to hear them talk about how these movies were made so long ago and yet they still love watching them over and over," Reyes wrote.
Looking Out For Neighbors
These unusual times have prompted some to look outside of themselves and go above and beyond for their neighbors.
At Lawrence Elementary School in Livermore, the parent teacher association sent pizzas to teachers and staff working on the first day of the shelter-in-place order.
A client of The FIT Potato Gym in Dublin shared that the company was kind enough to offer free workout equipment, workout videos and toilet paper for those who needed it.
Taqueria Azteca make 25 boxed burrito lunches for the Dublin Fire Department and volunteers from across Tri-Valley have come together to help neighbors who are in need of supplies and help on Facebook group Tri-Valley Community Help During Shelter In Place.
Tri-Valley may be stuck inside, but residents sure are keeping busy!
What are you or your household doing during the shelter-in-place order? Comment below!
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This article originally appeared on the Livermore Patch
