On a warmer night, I stopped to take a picture of this lovely, cozy, outside restaurant seating. This is the first evening, I have seen these seats empty. The beautiful lamp caught my eye, and it warmed my heart. This was before the “revised rules” were implemented, and folks chose to sit outside. As summer ended, it was nice to see folks enjoying the warmer weather, that was surely on it’s way out.

Spending my money weekly, eating out, having my dinner cooked by a stranger, but with a beautiful ambience, is not worth the money, to me. I consider it more of a treat, not an everyday thing, but I see it’s the norm for a lot of folks around here. Granted, this is an area popular for it’s restaurants.
I’d rather prepare my own food and create a beautiful ambience at home. All you really need is nice lighting and candles, to create that cozy mood. The temperature is slowly dropping, and It’s easy to pull off, and you decide what works for your budget.

I have learned a very valuable life lesson observing this neighborhood since the shutdown. Although a cloudy question mark looms over all of us, folks seem genuinely content. The majority of the population didn’t seem unhappy while adjusting to the changes. For the most part, folks were extremely polite in the stores and in the mile long social distanced-spaced lines.

After the first restrictions were lifted in the summer, folks looked very happy to finally be free to enjoy the sunshine and spend their money in the neighborhood.
The neighborhood felt energetic, and full of enjoyment.
It almost felt as though the virus didn’t exist, minus the masks, and gaps between us.

I noticed the difference in the sense of priorities, compared to mine. I was very happy that I survived, and got by to make it to the summer. I was simply happy to have some food stocked up, to have my basic needs met and to be able to be there for my family/friends.

I did not feel that much different than I did in March, except a little more blessed. Getting by was enough for me to feel happy and enjoy what I have. I have more to say on this topic but I’ll continue in my next post.
Have a safe and productive day:)

Take Care, Stay safe, and Stay tuned.

Love and Respect,

~Dawn Lovely

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