Photo by Laura Coldwell
Can anyone remember what life was like just one year ago? For us it was a fairly mild December, filled with typical Christmas busy-ness and spending time with friends and family. This was succeeded by a pretty ordinary January and February; Chris had her usual active Valentine’s Day flower crush. Then, abruptly, everything changed. We were on our way home to Hoboken from a visit to Martin’s mom Ruth in Palm Springs, California. That day, March 9, at the San Francisco airport, and later on the plane, we saw a scattering of travelers wearing face masks. That seemed odd – almost menacing. What was happening? By the end of that week, we had donned masks, too – and it felt as if the whole world had been upended.
The following is an abbreviated list of events we experienced during this strange year.
Christina: Not long after Valentine’s Day and returning from California, Christina Andersen Floral Design came to a screeching halt: her weekly accounts for three Hoboken businesses were suspended, as restaurants were ordered closed down for safety reasons. Nevertheless, since then, Chris had a fine Mother’s Day, plus various orders for birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays. Mother’s Day was a particular surprise: a scant two pre-orders by a week and a half prior rapidly ballooned to twenty within a few days. One of her restaurant accounts, Halifax, reopened in December – at least for the time-being. Meanwhile, Federal SBA EIDT, NJ Business Administration, Hudson County, and Hoboken small business grants have come to the rescue with funds needed to pay rent, utilities, and other overhead expenses. One welcome consequence of fewer hours in her studio is that our home has never been graced with so many beautiful flower arrangements and plants. The balcony became a mini garden this summer, resplendent with numerous flower and fresh herb plants. Chris has become very fond of computer crossword games, and frequently invites Martin to join her.
Martin: New Jersey Symphony Orchestra last performed a live concert on March 1. Since then, Symphony activity has included musicians making recordings at home, coaching the youth orchestras online, and performing virtual outreach, such as private lessons for healthcare workers. In October NJSO had one week of string members rehearsing and recording two concert programs in-person at NJPAC for online consumption (no live audience). Possibly these will also be broadcast on PBS. More live activity to come. Meanwhile, numerous new NJSO task forces were formed to deal with the orchestra’s new reality. Martin has been in the thick of it: helping negotiate side letters to the musicians’ union contract, including substantial temporary cuts in weeks of work; helping to craft and continually revise safety protocols enacted to help keep everyone safe on the job; working on the NJSO board’s Strategic Planning Task Force, seeking to find our way forward, post-pandemic. He stays active on his local music union board, which has established a $150,000 fund to aid financially-distressed musicians. He Skypes his private lesson students. He remains on the Vestry of All Saints Episcopal Church, and continues working as an elected Hoboken Democratic Committeeperson. Busy is good. Martin regularly takes long hikes and walks with friends, and even just by himself. Also reading more.
Chris and Martin: Obviously spending a lot of time at home, we try to get out for at least a walk together daily. Some of these urban hikes take us as far as Jersey City Heights, where we often take out our favorite Detroit-style pizzas, and pick up a few bottles at a favorite wine shop. Car rides into the countryside, and closer jaunts to Branch Brook Park in Newark, and DeKorte Park in the Meadowlands, provide another change of scenery. On June 20 we attended the socially-distanced wedding of NJSO trombonist and friend Vernon Post and Joyce Hodgson, which felt all the more moving and festive under the circumstances. Their flowers by Christina Andersen Floral Design. The next day Martin turned 65, and began drawing his music union pension. In mid-September, with infection rates down, and taking precautions, we spent ten fun and memorable days in upstate New York at the Bunker Hill Inn and nearby Saratoga Springs, also visiting a former Hoboken friend, Cassandra Wilday, and Jordan Davies, who live close to Burlington, Vermont. We decided to dare this vacation because of our own safe habits at home, coupled with the very low incidence of cases at the time. Thankfully all went well. Would not attempt the same thing presently.
At Thanksgiving our good friend Jane Kober joined us at home, bringing her warmth and wit, with windows and doors open and us distanced, over a traditional turkey dinner and a pumpkin tart (from one of Chris’ accounts), with good wine. We had a two-some Christmas, with the usual phone calls plus Zoom and Skype visits. A recent good weather day found us on a sunny outdoor walk and fire pit-cooked meal in Brooklyn with Chris’ sister Melinda, husband Peter, daughter (and very accomplished actress) Lucy Kaminsky, and friend Patsy Taylor. We missed seeing Lucy’s sister/singer-songwriter Lily McQueen. The gathering lasted well until after dark – easy to happen, during these short winter days. We are making our best efforts to take advantage of these opportunities whenever we can – and are all the better for it.
In these strange, uncertain, and often distressing times, it can take extra effort to keep up morale. We are beginning to see the prospect for a better future, taking the form of scientific expertise and improved governmental response to the pandemic. We sincerely wish for better and safer days ahead. Hope is a precious and powerful thing, which we do our best to keep always before us.
We hope your holiday season has been a good one. Happy New Year to all!
Best,
Martin and Chris Andersen
P.S. – January 5 will be a special time for us: married 30 years ago that day.