It seems like simpler times have been forced on all of us. The pollution in some areas is down because there is less travel. Gas prices have dropped because nobody is purchasing much these days of confinement. Families are actually together for meals. We are all using the computer and other devices more than usual to play games and to work.

Just last week my son said that life is more like when they grew up. People are home. There is time to do things as a family. He told me he had his wife dress up while he made dinner. The dinner even included a pie. They sat and ate in peace — just the two of them.

This morning I did something that I have not done for a long time. I made sweet rolls. I used a paddle that I had purchased years ago on a trip to Nova Scotia. It was made of apple wood. It had been hanging in my pantry all of these years. I bought it for its decorative quality, but I realized that it had a utilitarian quality also. Kneading dough is therapeutic to me. It always has been. As I kneaded away, I got to thinking about how things used to be. This recipe was my mother-in-law’s. I knew that once I mastered it, I was home free.

My rolls looked beautiful as I put them in to bake. A last-minute decision almost derailed my efforts. I decided to use the lowest shelf in my oven so that the loaf of cinnamon raisin bread had enough room to raise. That was nearly my undoing. The rolls on that shelf baked so fast I had to cut off the bottoms of them to save them. The bread, by the way, baked perfectly.

My husband and I have spent a great deal of time on the couch. We have interspersed it with time at his house. We cut a bush that had been growing there and hauled it away. I picked up sticks in my yard so it would be ready when the lawn men arrived. We hauled the snowblower to the outbuilding. We also pushed the old lawnmower down there as well, after we used the air compressor to inflate the tires.

It feels good to exercise. My daughter told me she and her son have been walking around the block. That is not a short distance either. I think it is about four and a half miles. I remember the first time she asked her then-boyfriend to walk around the block with her. He was from Erie, Pa., so city blocks were short. Well this was not a short walk he soon found out.

Surprise, there was snow on the ground at Hickory Heights this morning. It was wet and very heavy. About noon we heard the sound that meant the snow had slid off of the garage roof. It was time to get another type of exercise. We shoveled once again even though I thought that was behind me.

We have used the fireplace quite a bit. In these warmer than usual days it is just enough to warm things during the evening hours. My dog does not like the fireplace although I am not sure why. When I have it on, he goes to his crate and goes to sleep there.

Another thing that reminds me of days gone by. For years we used a real wood stove as our source of heat. The children and I always hauled the wood up so that we had enough to keep us warm all night.

First, we had a Franklin Fireplace. I hated that thing because I had to be right there to keep it going. Once we changed stoves, I liked the Vermont Casting model. It kept the whole house warm. Even the upstairs felt warmer since heat rises.

The family has probably communicated more during this pandemic than we usually would. Everyone is concerned about how we are doing. We go shopping early on the days that we need something. It is right in and right out. I divided my list so that Don found some of the things while I found the rest. We met up near the checkout. We wipe down the cart before we start and wipe our hands on the way out. After we put the groceries away, we wash again.

As I keep up with Facebook friends and relatives, I notice the simple crafts and games they are playing. They are doing whatever they need to do to entertain their family.

People are actually cooking and baking. I have seen more pictures of food online than I have ever noticed before. I am emptying out my freezer. I have a lot of food stored in there that is coming in handy these days. I cooked a pork roast one day and a turkey breast for another meal. Both of these meant that we had leftovers for a while. I also had a package of cranberries so I fixed those. The rhubarb that I froze made wonderful sauce.

I have flour, sugar, and eggs so I am set for a while on that score. I can bake whatever sounds good to us at the moment.

I have always kept a well-stocked pantry. In the days when I was feeding a lot of people it came in handy. No matter who appeared for dinner I had enough food to feed them. Once again, my pantry is coming in handy.

Enjoy the simpler times. It, too, will pass. I passed on a saying about not wanting to go back to the way things were. Here it is for you to enjoy. Keep it in mind as time progresses.

Nothing should go

Back to normal.

Normal wasn’t working.

If we go back to

The way things were

We will have

Lost the lesson.

May we rise up

And do better.

I almost wanted to add — “Amen.”

Ann Swanson writes from her home in Russell, Pa. Contact at hickoryheights1@verizon.net.