We can’t see ahead. I threw away my crystal ball months ago. But we can look back and it’s clear that COVID-19 is still here, still affecting our lives more than we ever expected. Instead of a return to “normal,” 2021 is turning out to be a year of adjustment. We live in an era of negotiation

CNN recently ran an article called, “5 countries that are opening up and living with Covid.” This caught my attention immediately. Which countries? I asked. Does that mean people are just walking around like it’s 2019? Open up in comparison to what?

Podcasts abound on the subject of COVID-19. One of my favorites is Dr. Osterholm’s weekly podcast from the University of Minnesota. Lately he’s remarked that his crystal ball has grown cloudy. I answer back that I threw mine away–

Yes, that apostrophe is in the right place. I’ve spent the weekend in a writer’s retreat, as in one writer. Namely me. The original plan was a few days in Lake Tahoe, but they had to evacuate and everyone was going the other way.