We have fresh snow this morning! Probably not enough to ski on, but it should brighten up the ground. It will also cover up the tennis courts a little, though, which will frustrate dh. He spotted people outside playing tennis yesterday, and was keen to get out there soon. I've completed my daily push-ups and physio strength/stretch exercises. I'll get outside for a couple walks later on. March break is over, so we'll be doing some school work again.

That's very similar to what it was like here this last weekend. Lots of families and dog walkers. When I say 'lots,' I don't mean crowded with people. When I would normally pass 2 or 3 people, now I pass 6 or 7 small groups. It's actually really nice to see people enjoying the wooded trails that they wouldn't normally make time to explore.

Thanks for sharing the photos! Looks similar to here, as far as no leaves, though more green and no snow. I went for a dog walk on the pathways in my neighbourhood. Someone had written a bunch of fun messages in chalk on the sidewalk. Stuff like, "Stay strong," "This storm will pass," and "Listen to the birds." The birds were certainly our there singing it up this afternoon, too! I passed a lot of people going for walks. Many more than would normally be out and about.

My brother went to see them and deliver a wheelchair and other helpful items. Glad you had a lovely hike in the highlands! Did you bring your dog along?

Newest update is that my parents symptoms are mild enough that they don't require swabbing. Yay! That relieves a lot of stress for everyone. Now we play the waiting game.

Yes, I can understand this when the 'normal' behaviour is to walk in close proximity to other. My 'normal' is to seek out isolated wooded areas, so I haven't had to alter my behaviour at all. 🙄

I got in a nice walk with the dog this morning. That's the good news. Less good news is that mom wasn't taken to the hospital by the paramedics that dad phoned because both mom and dad have all the symptoms of the flu. So they are both at home in isolation now. They are looking into getting swabbed for testing, but I'm not sure this is the best for their mental and physical health. There's nothing different that they would be doing at home, except majorly stressing out. Anyway, prayers would be appreciated while we wait this out and hope they are strong enough to fight off whatever bug they may have.

Yes, the prep and tidy up is never the fun part. I like dh doing the painting as he's good at making it look professional. He worked as a painter back in his college days. I do the grunt work and hope this counts as "doing my bit." 😄

Interesting. Do you have a sense of why that is?

I'm in a city in Canada, and I've been outside hiking on local trails and pathways daily. As our temps slowly rise, there are more small groups of families out walking trying to get fresh air. I've not noticed playground activity, but this isn't surprising as there is still snow everywhere and it's below freezing. We can't exactly open up all the windows just yet, or we'll freeze, so getting out side and staying warm means we've got to move. It would be a disaster if our government suddenly stopped us from being able to walk outdoors.

Thanks for the support, ladies! Apparently the fainting could simply be a normal blood pressure fluctuation stemming from mom's hypertension. Hopefully that's all it is, and she'll be back to normal soon. She has been sleeping or really drowsy so I haven't had a chance to speak with her on the phone yet. My sister is heading to m&d for a couple days, and she's bringing a wheelchair so mom can get around without the fear of falls. I fell asleep at 7:30 pm last night and slept until 8:30 am. Combination of a long hike and perhaps a little stress thrown in. I'll do a couple shorter walks today, as well as some painting prep. Dh and I have divided up the painting tasks; I'm preparation, trim and clean up, he's cutting and rolling. This is working out very well, especially in small rooms. 😉

I have and still do experience several of the same symptoms, and have done for probably nearly 10 years (I'm almost 53). Over the years I've had various things checked (e.g., thyroid, vitamin levels, etc.). The only thing I've added to my daily/nightly routine is Vit B12, and layers of blankets on my bed (to avoid being cold and then suddenly sweating out in bed) and layers of clothing for the same reason. My 40+ friends who have had children are the same with clothing. The vit B12 is really helpful with my energy levels. Staying physically active is supposed to help keep the symptoms minimal. I limit my coffee intake to a certain amount in the morning as sometimes the caffeine makes it impossible to sleep. The brain fog seemed to go away on its own. Perhaps figuring out how to promote sleep helped with that. I still haven't officially hit menopause according to a blood test, though I've not had a proper period in ages.

@soror Enjoy your painting! It's a good activity right now, when there isn't a lot to do outside the home. I walked the dog, did my push-ups and other exercises/stretches, and then went for a nice, long hike in the woods to the beaver pond. It was sunny and cool (-4C), and for once I didn't over-heat. In fact, it took ages to warm my body up again when I got home. I ended up having a hot bath, which did the trick! During my hike I got a text from my sister that mom had fallen. I called my dad, and apparently she has fainted a couple times and fallen. No broken bones, but they don't know what's causing the fainting. They live across the country, and flying there is out of the question. I may be doing a 4-day drive out there at some point. Praying she recovers quickly. She is 80 and my dad is 85, both independent and doing alright health-wise. Obviously not a great time to need health care, though.

@soror All the kayaking, biking and hiking sounds amazing!!! I'm not a fan of fishing, either. Sitting still for that long drives me batty. 😉 All the other exercises are amazing, too, I'm sure. I just don't have a clue what they are. 😅 @IvyInFlorida So sorry about the CKD testing being cancelled and the whole situation there. I can understand your mixed feelings about your training and testing. Glad you and your ds can train at home together and keep each other motivated! Glad my "Up North" nature stories are interesting. I'll try to add some photos to my adventures. @Laura Corin I love hearing about your hikes on the beach and now the Scottish Highlands! Share photos, if you can. Enjoy your trip! @Matryoshka Great job keeping up with the variety of strength and stretches! Do you run on a treadmill or outside, or have you cut out running entirely because of knee pain? It's sunny, but quite cold this morning. The slushy trails from yesterday are going to be very hard for a few hours. I'll wait a while before going into the woods. I'm up to 20 push-ups a day now. It's much easier to do them as 2 x 10 push-ups, though. 😄

Walking the dog Driving to wooded hiking trails - there are several in the area, so I've been going to different ones for variety Driveway basketball/hockey Soon it will be warm enough and no ice, so we can get out the bikes I've seen some families letting their younger children ride bikes/scooters on the front driveway

I finished my daily hike in the woods. I went in to see my little beaver pond again. I saw the beaver lodge, but no visible beaver activity when I was there. We are getting some amazingly warm winds today which is causing a lot of fog off the snow and ice. Very cool experience. Sadly, it's forecast to drop severely in temps over the weekend. Our house renos and painting is all coming along nicely, however with all the covid-19 stuff our move may be delayed. It is still happening, but who knows exactly when.

The iliotibial muscle (IT band) is a very common muscle that can cause pain. There are specific rehab resources that specially trained chiro and physio professionals offer. My friend has been receiving this treatment on and off over a few years. She does specific stretch and strength exercises to keep it under control. She still runs 3x/wk, which is why it doesn't completely go away. 😉 You asked for recommendations for some direction. I would say to focus on your black belt test for now. Don't lose all that wonderful momentum and training you and your ds have been doing. Keep going on your current pathway. You can do this! Reassess your focus after that.

I'm well aware of my snacking habit - if I hang around the kitchen I just end up eating non-stop. 😂 I've had to move to my bedroom when I'm not outside going for a walk or painting. There are only so many hours I can walk before my legs will fall off. 😉

The ds's just started a new outdoor activity - punching our Wavemaster out on the deck! Makes a change from basketball on the driveway. 😅 Boys find a way to use up some energy, while dd is holed up in her room unless I drag her outside with me. I'll be doing my same-old same-old dog walking, hiking and painting.

Bless you, for all you are doing for your family! I get my alone time outdoors. I just bundle up and go head to the closest walking paths I have time for. Layers of clothing are perfect, because as you get walking, you overheat and then you just shed a layer. Your body will get used to the chill very quickly. The exercise and the fresh air are wonderful for physical and mental wellness.

I had a wonderful hike in my favourite woods. The highlight was seeing a beaver walking up from a little lake. He grabbed a branch and pulled it down to the water's edge. Then I couldn't see him anymore, but I did hear some munching sounds. So fun!! 😃 I tried to get a photo, but it didn't work out. I'll have to revisit this lake and try to see him again.

It's sunny and going to get above freezing today. Almost feels like spring will be coming soon! Hopefully the snow will melt quickly off the outdoor tennis courts, and I can add tennis back into my exercise routine. I'll be going for a hike today, as usual. I already got in a nice long walk with the dog. I didn't have my crampons, so walking on the icy trails in the local woods was not great, but it was still wonderful to get outside in the sunshine! I may also get my bike tuned up and test it out soon. The snow and ice is mostly off the streets, but pathways are still covered in ice. Fortunately, there is very little traffic on roads at the moment so biking should be alright.

I really don't mind about what term people use during this time of uncertainty. TBH, I think "homeschool" is kind of a lame word anyway. If having a label helps families cope in this crazy time, then use whatever term seems to relieve the stress a little.

I could see D&D being totally doable on-line.

@IvyInFlorida Oh yes, kid hygiene is not good! I'd not want to go to training, either. How are your mom and dad doing? Hope they are doing alright. It's not an easy situation for anyone, but particularly stressful for the fragile aged. Big hugs to you all. @soror Glad you are able to stay active. Are your dc able to do some TKD home straining? We used to practice our patters and kicks at home. It's not ideal, but it is something. I finally got some toilet paper!! I've been getting really low and started to get worried. I can rest easy for a while, at least with that issue. 😉 I'll be going for a walk this afternoon, and I still have to do my stretches and strength work. My shopping trip throw out my normal morning routine.