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How is the coronavirus pandemic affecting your life right now? Tell us about your experiences, feelings, and thoughts.

<strong> This is the anniversary of our quarantine year. Days are warmer and lighter, bringing back memories of the frightening and disorienting start of the pandemic. This is a confusing time for me:</strong> so many people have had their vaccines and can shift toward the new normal. I'm in phase 2 so am waiting, feeling depleted, feeling a confusing mix of hope, anger, fear, exhaustion and confusion. <strong> Work flows forward, filling my days -- some productive, some not</strong>. Despite my best efforts, I'm strangely less attuned to details. I forget to send dial-in details for Zooms, forget to cc key people, skip ahead in processes in ways that I might not have before. Maybe because of the isolation, I feel a lot of anxiety about these mess ups. I'm a freelance writer and editor so maintaining strong relationships with clients is crucial to my future earnings. <strong> I am doing the best I can. I'm trying to simplify my life</strong> with fewer volunteer involvements so that i can maintain better focus and carve out more time for well-being, self-care and peace of mind.<strong> I ordered seeds, potting soil and pots, and am eager to begin work on this year's garden.</strong> The snow drops are blooming in my garden. I look forward to trimming the lavender back for new growth, and am excited for a new well-contained bed of mint to grow so I can cook with this. <strong> Last night was President Biden's first address to the American people.</strong> His quiet kindness and calm, his competence and determination to help is a balm to my soul. I am terrified by the presence of so many people who are determined to deny voting rights to others.<strong> This moment of hope feels way too fragile.</strong>