Mount Pleasant Magazine Documenting Covid-19

121 www.CoronavirusMag.com | www.ReadMPM.com | www.ILoveMountPleasant.com feature past. After dinner the two unwind in front of the TV and do their best to go to sleep at a normal time to keep some semblance of a routine intact. About 1,300 miles away, Marsha Wetmore is throwing the notion of a normal day out the window. Instead of trying to cling to a routine that can’t exist, she’s decided to fill her time with projects that she’s been putting off and new ventures. At her home in Norman, Oklahoma, Marsha has taken to baking, gardening, cleaning her closets and even washing windows. Keeping herself busy is about more than just filling the hours; it helps to keep her from worrying about her two adult children, who live far away. Marsha and her husband, Bill, were planning a trip to Tucson, Arizona, at the end of April to visit their recently married son but were forced to cancel their plans. Her daughter works for Sotheby’s Auction House in New York City and, while she hasn’t contracted the virus, living alone in solitude has been difficult emotionally. Thankfully, Marsha and Bill haven’t been forced to give up golf, their favorite past time. A few times a week, they make the trip to their country club, which has remained open but is enforcing strict rules: the clubhouse is closed, the holes have been modified so that balls sit on top, carts are disinfected between rounds and tee times are 20 minutes apart. “I feel far safer on the golf course than I do in a grocery store!” she said. In the evening, the couple heads over to the gazebo in their community’s common area to spend time with some friends at a distance. They bring their own drinks and chairs, set up camp at opposite ends of the gazebo, and play music on their Bluetooth speaker. Though they don’t normally drink during the week, a glass of wine or two has become a part of the nightly routine. Los Angeles’ stay-in-place order has redirected Renee Scotti Dalo’s daily focus, but it hasn’t slowed down her entrepreneurial hustle. A wedding planner and industry educator, Renee starts her mornings by hosting a 9 a.m. Zoom session with a nationwide group of wedding planners. As social distancing measures began to increase and weddings around the country were being cancelled or postponed in unprecedented numbers, she knew that it was important to bring the community together in a place where they could talk through challenges and mastermind future plans for their businesses. After she wraps up the call, the day could go in any number of directions: teaching webinars, recording her podcast, creating new content for her education brand and planning for her group coaching program launch are all on the docket. She’s also diligently working with her wedding planning clients, supporting them through the infinitely stressful process of postponing the biggest day of their lives. Although Dalo has plenty to keep her busy throughout the day, staying positive has been a challenge. “I’m an extrovert and a planner, so not being able to be around people—or know when this is really going to end—has been unnerving,” she admitted. Originally from New York, Dalo feels fortunate to have a backyard with a patio during the stay in place order, allowing her to spend time outside without venturing out into the world. When she needs a break from the mental weight of it all, she’s found comfort in journaling, reading and staying active with her online Zumba class. Cooking has provided her with the creative outlet she craves, but it’s not always easy when you’re missing ingredients. “We have had a hard time getting flour. So much so that a friend who lives about 30 minutes away bought some for me when she came across it and drove it over to me. That’s true friendship!” At home in Charleston, the overall map of the day doesn’t look terribly different for me. As a wife to a police officer and mom to a one-year-old my routine has Photo by Julie Shuford Photography.