Kate Flora: Probably being in quarantine is easier for me than for many, since except for the now canceled trips to the store, the occasional dinner with friends, and going to the gym, my life is pretty much unchanged. As an over 70 person with an underlying condition, I am taking the advice to be careful very seriously. In fact, I just finished washing the batch of groceries that someone picked up for me, hoping I’ve been careful enough.

People are doing a lot of good things to support each other and stay connected. This weekend some of will attend a Zoom cocktail party and my book group will Zoom together on Sunday. I even had a Zoom tap lesson earlier this week, although that was a mixed blessing, since I was revealed as a total klutz after a month away.

There are a lot of games going around on Facebook, like sharing something true about yourself that sounds make-up. I shared that one summer I was an upstairs/downstairs maid for an eccentric millionaires on Islesboro, a job that entailed constantly being on poop patrol for untrained dogs, always carrying a can of Brasso and a rag to polish up all the sea-tarnished brass, and when I turned down the beds, carrying an iron so I could iron smooth the fold in the sheets.

Another game is naming 5 concerts you’ve been to, one of which is a lie. Mine would be Joan Baez, The Rolling Stones, Bob Seeger, Bob Marley, and Bob Dylan. Can you guess which of these is a lie?

Then there’s the game of name X (you can choose the number) things everyone likes that you don’t. For me? Lamb. The Office. Loud music. Most shades of green. Flats. Breaking Bad. Schitt’s Creek. Blue Fish. Okay…you’re on.

In my neighborhood, people are putting bears in their windows for the neighborhood children to find. I just put Joey the Koala in my little library, along with a stack of juvenile and Y/A mysteries. (If you look closely, you will see me, with my unkempt hair, reflected in the glass)

And of course, everyone is kindly posting pictures of flowers and beautiful places. So here are some of those. Enjoy. Stay calm if you can. Don’t hoard toilet paper. And let us hope this makes us all kinder.