APRIL FOOLS! Wishing this were all a bad joke...

I don’t know about you, but I really wished as I put my head on my pillow last night that I’d wake up this morning to all media avenues announcing APRIL FOOLS!  You can return to your life - COVID-19 is nothing more than a bad April Fools joke!  Unfortunately, the opposite was true. I awoke to learn no such luck, and actually, today, stores like Home Depot are only allowing one person in at a time.  Still no toilet paper to be found, still getting price gouged on Amazon, where my favorite brand is $26. Are you kidding me?  Maybe I should consider the washcloth method my granny used. Nah...my kids wouldn't go for that either.  Evidence of price gouging below.  This stuff best be made of silver like the lining I'm trying to find here. 

​How quickly things are changing and evolving  – can't even keep up as we, the human race are forced to adapt to this new life of social distancing and self-imposed quarantine.  Most non-essential businesses have been forced to close and essential businesses are faced with mandating how many people can shop at a time and closing off isles that they deem not essential (are you kidding me?) in an effort to prevent the proverbial “shut-in-itis” (as my granny used to call it), shoppers from making trips to combat boredom instead of the “only when you must go out” recommendation from our extremely popular Governor Andy Beshear.

​Gov. Beshear’s daily COVID-19 news conferences (shown above) have become a regular on-line get-together as people across the commonwealth (like myself) and our fellow Kentuckians that are currently residing outside of the state, plug in to social media (Facebook) each afternoon at 5pm to hear daily updates, get encouragement and post comments and questions as well as offer encouragement for one another, including the Governor.  You can watch by visiting the Governor’s Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/GovAndyBeshear.  From what I gather as told to me by my friends outside of the state, Kentucky is getting a great reputation for our efforts and  collaboration to “flatten the curve” of this horrible disease.  I don’t know about you, but I’ve never in my life seen such overwhelming support for our Governor – he’s become a bit of a celebrity and rightly so.  You can even buy Kentucky COVID-19 shout out gear where they promise that all profits will be donated to the #TeamKentucky fund.  I ordered one for myself and you can pick up one for yourself and loved ones here: https://kentucky-covid-fundraiser.teespring.com/.  I ordered the "We're Gonna Get Through This." even though I really wanted a "We Can't Be Doing That" - I just think that's funny stuff, maybe next time.

​Every few days I'll be sharing my #healthyathome Pamela’s Positivity Ponderings or 3Ps, just a few thoughts and insights as to how things look from my (now) home office window - with a silver lining perspective.  I’d love to hear from you on what you are doing to stay sane, spread joy and what I call #loveforward living (from a distance, since “We can’t be doing that”). Send me photos, recipes, ramblings and just really good stuff. 

In honor of National Walking Day (April 1, 2020) - here's a little inspiration to keep the little ones busy, or in my case, finding creative outlets for myself to show the world that I am thinking of them – from a safe social distance of course, and maybe even my college kids, furloughed at home, and my high school senior who is missing certain rights of passage (another #healthyathome 3Ps subject), will join in the fun. Maybe all of our windows and doors will wake up Monday morning with a story to tell of #kyadventuresfromhome and #teamkentucky lifestyle.  

Kentucky Home Art has become a thing.  This surely makes my daily walks so much more enjoyable.  From sidewalk chalk art full of rainbows and friendly teddy bears in windows to decorated windows and doors full of love and encouragement, this just completely warms my heart! From left to right above - my friend Tracey Weber-Dominck's kids have been busy. Check out all the cool things they are doing here: https://www.facebook.com/tracey.weberdominick.  Jon@emilys_dad3 really knows how to spread love with this beautiful heartfelt window display.  I found both the Team KY rainbow hearts and the "We will get through this together" stained glass art by Miranda Mook - @thecalligraphyowl both on Instagram under #teamkentucky.  If you take a stroll at night, you may see homes lit up with green - in honor of those that have lost their lives to COVID-19.  Let's see who will take up the challenge this week(end) and adorn your windows and doors for your passersby - use our new #kyadventuresfromhome tag and of course all of the ones our #DandyAndy suggests: #togetherky #teamkentucky #patriot #healthyathome.

Love to all - stay safe, stay home, and most of all - stay positive! We Are in this Together...and in a few weeks - I'll have the T-Shirt to prove it!  (future 3Ps post coming).  One last thing I'll leave you with, in the words of Brian Tracy,  "You cannot control what happens to you, but you can control your attitude toward what happens to you, and in that, you will be mastering change rather than allowing it to master you."  Roll with the changes, ya'll. 

Blessings,
Pamela

Pamela Denny is the Executive Director of Kentucky Travel Guide. She also hosts the Facebook Group - The Positivity Principle, is a proud mom of three, author, speaker, green living coach, lover of all things compassionate and advocates for #loveforward living and in all circumstances, finding that silver lining. You can email her at pamela@kytravel.com.