Often, friends and colleagues ask me what I've been doing or how I'm doing while sheltering-in place. I'm doing well except my pants are getting tight from eating lots of carbs and spending lots of time in front of the computer. But I've been reasonably productive. Thanks to Zoom, the video conferencing app, I've been able to participate in virtual meetings with the groups I'm involved in.

I believe in the power of presence—there's something magical in being up close and personal. But meeting via Zoom is the next best thing to meeting in person. At first, Zoom meetings felt awkward, but after a few sessions, I got the hang of it. For now, it will have to do.

The Sacramento Youth Symphony Board switched to Zoom meetings early on. We've been able to discuss options and strategies, make decisions and get things done. It's great to not have to drive in traffic to a meeting place. I will even say Zoom is pretty cool. For Toastmasters, Zoom allows members to join club meetings in other parts of the world. At a recent club meeting with Dixon Toastmasters club in California, three Toastmasters joined in from the Philippines.

Under lockdown, I have rediscovered my backyard and put more effort into container gardening. Nothing beats home grown tomatoes so I have tomato plants in seven pots. Basil, the signature summer herb, is my favorite. I have two pots with basil from seeds. I've planted carrots, beets and okra from seeds and the beets and okra are coming up.

My lemon grass and aloe vera are now thriving after some attention and nurturing. I've discovered that those yellow, bell-shaped flowers that come up every spring are freesias. They remind me of my brother, because when he visited me last spring, he noted how pretty they were.

The freesias are yellow, his favorite color. This year, I added French marigolds and jalapeño peppers to my plant collection. I want to plant sweet potatoes. But I don't have the space.

Long ago, we had a vegetable patch. But the landscaper converted that space and most of our backyard into lawn. I am not ready to give up the lawn area, though. This is where my son used to do his PACER exercise, something he learned in high school physical education.

PACER stands for Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run which is basically a 20-meter shuttle run between two markers. I, too use the lawn area to run back and forth. I can only manage 5-minutes at a time but it's enough to raise my heart rate. I really miss the gym—especially my yoga class and running on the treadmill.

Sometimes, I am able to walk with my neighbor Denise 3-4 times a week. In the safety of my home, I do Tai Chi moves in the morning for 10 minutes, 20 modified pushups before bed, and Qi Gong for 20 minutes some nights. A fellow Toastmaster said we can all stay in shape just by walking and stay strong by doing pushups and planks. He's right. But only if I do them religiously and regularly. Sigh.

While sheltering in place, I have come to appreciate my neighborhood Raley's. It's my one-stop-shop. When I go there to pick up prescriptions for me and my family, I get groceries and essentials. At Guest Services, I can mail packages and buy stamps. On a Raley's shopping trip, I bought 2 six-pack tomato seedlings and basil seeds. I also found pretty flower pots for flowering plants and veggies.  And what's more, at checkout, I have an opportunity to donate money for Food for Families. How cool is that?

~ Nida Spalding