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

I remember giving blood in the early 1980s, though I might have given a couple of times since then. For many years after beginning to take an autoimmune drug I assumed that I couldn't donate blood because of it. About a year ago I checked and it appeared that I was allowed to give blood. A couple of months ago my daughter mentioned that if I gave blood they would tell me if I had COVID antibodies. This would be useful information because being on a low dose of an autoimmune drug made me somewhat less likely for the COVID vaccine to work for me. I gave blood last week for the first time in decades. I actually had forgotten my wallet, with my driver's license, but I showed them my COVID vaccine card, and another card from a well-known national organization with my name on it and they let me give blood. I felt worse than I expected. I guess because I'll decades older than when I last gave blood it's harder for my body to rebound. After I gave blood, while having a snack on site I checked and the Red Cross stopped telling blood donors whether they have the antibodies as of late June. A friend who is a nurse said I can go to CVS and pay $10 for LabCorp to check if I have COVID antibodies, and the result may take only three days to receive. WE are going to an outdoor barbecue at a synagogue this afternoon. WE accidentally bought extra tickets. I asked a friend is she wanted to join us and she agreed. Today she let me know that a friend of hers is in the hospital so she needs to do a hospital visit instead of going to the event. Another friend might enjoy the event, but I won't invite her to come with us since she's unvaccinated. Yesterday I wore a mask with a clear mouthpiece to synagogue, since most of it is navy which matched my outfit. The mouth piece is plastic, which makes breathing with it harder. From now on I'll only where it when tutoring in person. WE will be traveling out of town to care for our grandson soon, when our daughter has another child iy'h. Our grandson is two and I've decided I'll where a mask whenever he is supposed to, to make him feel better.