For those readers who don’t follow blogger Randy Seaver, he is recovering from heart surgery and is on a blogging hiatus for the moment.

That means that Saturday Night Genealogy Fun is also on hiatus. However, I found a very “SNGF” type challenge for myself.

Pauline, who writes Family History Across the Seas, has created the Merry Month of May: My New Normal meme and asked genealogists to respond to her questions.

I think this is a meme that Randy himself might choose for Saturday Night Genealogy Fun, so here is my contribution.

Meme Questions:

Has your day-to-day life returned to how it/you functioned previously

No. Like many others, I have become much more of a homebody. We used to takes cruises several times each year and do a few short driving trips, too. Our last “vacation” was in February 2020 when we went to Phoenix, Arizona for a couple of days to watch the Hoop Dancing World Championships. We currently have no trips planned on our calendar.

If your “new normal” is different from your “old normal”, can you share some of the ways it’s changed?

As explained in the first question, we are pretty much homebodies now. I do miss cruising, but the idea of being quarantined in a cabin and dealing with all the possible disruptions doesn’t make trael very appealing at the moment.

On the other hand, I absolutely love online shopping. I rarely went to the mall anyway, but I’ve found I also love the convenience of online grocery shopping. Place and order and it comes to my door.

If I do have to go into a store, I wear a mask and mostly arrive at 6:00 a.m. when the doors open. I am then in and out in under 10 minutes with few other people in the store.

I do really miss meeting up with my genealogy buddies. I taught a class for ten years, but went on hiatus in March 2020. However, we have now had one outdoor meeting and one indoor meeting, so Anquestors is slowly returning to normal.

Do you think these will be long-term changes for you?

I think at some point we will venture on a cruise ship once again, but probably on a trip sailing from California. I’m not terribly eager to get on a plane any time soon.

I think the change in my shopping habits is probably permanent and I also believe that my Anquestors class will get back to normal, albeit with a group smaller than the dozen who had been attending.

What personal benefits have you gained from the change of pace and experiences in the past two years?

I’ve actually enjoyed being at home as I have plenty to fill my time each day. I’ve also liked the slow pace of life. Our family is small and my brother-in-law’s family lives only a 4 minute walk away.

Do you think the disadvantages have outweighed the benefits for you and/or family and friends?

Not really, as most of my family and friends are retired and could stay safe at home. Medical care was definitely impacted – and still is in terms of securing appointments, but, thankfully, all have been able to get urgent care when needed.

What do you value most about your new normal?

I am thankful that we are able to live comfortably and access medical care when needed. My family is vaccinated, boosted and have been fortunate to avoid catching covid.

What do you consider have been the main influences (over the past two years): covid infection, restrictions and isolation, other health issues, changing inter-personal interactions?

Covid restrictions have been the main influence on my life, in terms of accessing goods and services. It has also made us very aware of minimizing health risks through reducing the number of person contacts we have.

What is your view of in-person meetings (social or genealogy) and do you love or hate zoom meetings?

I miss attending genealogy meetings in person and I’ve pretty much been saturated with Zoom meetings. Now, I am more selective in which webinars I choose to attend. Until covid becomes endemic, or occasional like the flu, I won’t be attending many meetings in person.

What was the main activity and/or person that supported you through the unpredictable times?

Having my husband and son at home and other family minutes away made covid restrictions workable. We all have hobbies to keep us busy and genealogy kept me very happily occupied. We also had lots of time to have minor work done in our house.

Has your community developed a new normal or just returned to the old one? What differences do you see, if any?

I think my town is returning to the way things were before the pandemic hit. The main difference I’ve noticed is that perhaps 1/4 of the people I see in public are still wearing masks. While many are senior citizens, a good portion are young adults with a smattering of children also masked.  My hope for the future is that a yearly shot, like that offered for flu prevention, becomes available.

Thanks, Pauline, for this meme. It certainly reflects the times in which we now are living.