The experts can’t agree on when (if ever) the coronavirus will completely vanish, or if they’ll be able to create a vaccine and when it will actually be safe to eat in a restaurant. Will this be like the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, with a mild first wave, followed by a deadly second wave months later? Just today there was snarling among the experts about whether asymptomatic people (those with the virus but no symptoms) can actually pass along the germs.

What if it takes a very long time to return to normal? I think we need to be prepared for that, for having a new way of living, for now … and working to make that OK.

A highlight of my summer is likely to be the barbecue I’m planning: 10 good friends, all properly spaced around the yard (I’ve measured where the seats and food table will go), one person manning the grill, all the food courtesy of the grocery store deli so no one has to shop and cook, a boom box blasting tunes across the yard. It’ll be great and has picked up my spirits just planning for it.

I’ve also made adjustments to my budget, moving a few things in the Entertainment category. The Lunches and Dinners Out money got pushed over to Books, and I’ll spend that cash on more e-books for my Kindle, since going to the library is out.

What will your list look like, if you aim toward finding some relaxation and peace in our ongoing crisis?

If you become weary of following social distancing guidelines and begin to think that all this unrest and angst about the coronavirus is unnecessary, go online to the National Geographic website and view the charts they’ve provided about how the Spanish flu spread (or didn’t spread) through various cities, depending on how they handled lockdowns. It’s an eye-opener.

© 2020 King Features Synd., Inc.