I woke up to the sound of rain cascading through the trees and smacking the roof of our house. For once, I slept pretty well and only woke up a few times in the night. Rain noises keeps some of my friends awake, but it calms me and puts me to sleep. 

When I popped into the kitchen around 8:20 a.m., Dad and my sister, Brooke, were already cooking pancakes on the griddle. My family likes to experiment with different ingredients, so as I stirred hot chocolate into my black tea (which is not gross, I assure you) I watched Brooke mix in oats, cinnamon and walnuts into several pancakes. I suggested we enhance the last batch with chocolate chips because who doesn’t like a warm, buttery pancake with gooey chocolate in the middle?Breakfast was satisfying and delicious, but Mom pointed out several stores were short on flour, so we wouldn’t be able to do quite as many elaborate recipes in the coming weeks. Normally, Mom always has a homemade dessert on hand — whether it be a chocolate lava cake, a pan of bean brownies or a cherry cobbler — and Brooke and I often take breaks during homework to help mix ingredients and taste-test the recipe. I wonder how long certain ingredients will be out of stock? Hopefully not too long.

Mom was placing online orders at different grocery stores this morning and said a few of the stores’ websites were hard to navigate and were not yet user-friendly. Major retailers around the U.S. such as Walmart have either closed or reduced their shopping hours to clean and restock shelves, according to an article from the news platform Consumer News and Business Channel. In Columbia, Hy-Vee was among several local stores that reserved one hour of in-store shopping from 7-8 a.m., according to the local news station ABC17 News. This hour is designated for senior citizens, expectant mothers, people with underlying medical issues and other customers at high-risk for COVID-19. Other customers can shop online.

“Following my curiosity, I pulled on several 80s-era gowns with puffy sleeves and floral patterns.”

While my delicious breakfast  digested and fat snowflakes were beginning to fall outside (Missouri weather is absolutely baffling), I trailed into my room and put away some of my laundry. In the process I began to dig through my closet, and I rediscovered a collection of my mom’s vintage clothes. I had known they were there, but it had been a while since I last tried them on. Following my curiosity, I pulled on several 80s-era gowns with puffy sleeves and floral patterns. I pranced down the hall to show my mom, who laughed and took my picture in a few of them.

My favorite dress was the lacy peach one my mom wore to her senior prom. It is absolutely the most splendid gown I have ever worn. It has ginormous off-the-shoulder puff sleeves and an intricate lace paisley design across the bodice. What’s more, I totally feel like Glinda the Good Witch from The Wizard of Oz when I wear it. I am seriously considering wearing it to my prom. I think it would be cool to find my mom’s prom picture and put it next to mine if I end up wearing the same dress.

I hope all the COVID-19 concerns are over by the time I graduate. I feel bad for seniors who had to change their plans after event cancelations this year. At least right now, I know my family will not be leaving the house except to go on short walks around the neighborhood or to pick up groceries outside the store once our online orders are ready.     [vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”329595,329620,329621,329622″ title=”Vintage Vibes”]It’s been a weird first two days of spring break, and I’m hoping no one close to me gets sick. In the meantime, I am going to have fun and eat more chocolate pancakes.      

How did you spend your fifth day in quarantine? Let us know in the comments below.