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QUARANTINE BUBBLES PROTOCOL – SOCIAL BUBBLES – SOCIAL PODS
How do we do the social bubble distancing? We’re bored to tears isolating. We love each other and our kids but spending every hour of every day together is too much for too long. We’ve done the Zoomtini with grownup friends and FaceTime a lot with family, but we’ve had enough of screens.
 
How can we spend time safely with friends and extended family? It seems forced and awkward trying to put together a bubble with one or two other families. Our kids’ closest friends have always been other kids they’ve been spending time with commuting in the school bus, playing soccer, lacrosse or pick up basketball. Their friendships, for the most part, didn’t include parents, except for the parents we mainly saw at home games.
 
How do we initiate the suggestion to other families and how do we know who to invite? What happens if it doesn’t work out? Or if they reject our invitation to start a bubble? How can we be sure they follow as rigidly the same social distancing and hygiene rules? How do we safely have a healthy social life again? People say they are being super careful, but are they really?

–Jennie, Brookline, MA

Hi Jennie, thanks for your questions about Quarantine Bubbles Protocol, social bubbles and social pods.
 
The risk of gathering together during the pandemic will change as time goes by. Warm summer weather is here just in time to allow for quarantine bubbles and social pods. 
 
A double bubble is where two households meet outdoors and agree to adhere to social distancing guidelines in order to increase social contact. Having a picnic in a public place or taking turns for pizza in your backyard are a start.  A household picks one other group to socialize with until lockdowns are further relaxed. 
 
The bad news: Close and numerous social interactions with friends may need to be limited until a vaccine is available to all, modeling shows, to eliminated a second peaking of COVID-19. Recent studies in the UK found that under optimistic assumptions, contacts may have to be limited to 5-10 a day outside the home, and if 10% of previous contacts were resumed we would be at risk of a second peak of the virus outbreak.
 
The good news: The prospect of being in a bubble can give your family something to look forward to. Try forming a quarantine bubble consisting of a group of people or families whose members have been safely isolating; people who can eventually begin hanging out with other extremely cautious groups, as long as everyone obeys safety guidelines and agrees to be exclusive. At least that's what many European countries are doing as they begin to ease their lockdowns.
  • For instance, in Belgium, "Two sets of four people make a 'corona bubble' who can visit each other's homes. No one else is allowed into the domestic social circle." Eventually that first bubbles enlarges as trust and caution become the normal.
The trick is to go in light heartedly but with facts, "Hey, do you and your family want to join us in our quarantine bubble?" Then you go into detail about the guidelines your family has been following, including mention of how many times a week you go to the grocery store or/and gym and explain the routines you follow. If they're interested, they'll respond by telling you their routines about ordering groceries online and doing curbside pickups. Then suggest a picnic in a public space to see how everyone behaves. 
 
If it doesn't work, it doesn't work and there will be other people interested in being part of a bubble, with the objective of eventually enlarging the bubble. Make it clear that if it doesn't click, the friendships will peter out and it will be obvious that it's time to find other people.
 
Keep in mind:
  • Social bubbles allow some social contact, while continuing to limit the risk of further Covid-19 transmissions.
  • The goal is to get to level 3 where your household bubble can include people such as close family members, care-givers or someone who needs care.
  • Beware that if the number of deaths does not continue to drop or the average number of people infected for every Covid-19 case increases, people will then not be allowed to use the bubble scheme.
  • Two sets of four people make a "corona bubble," who can visit each others houses but there are no hugs or other physical exchange like kissing.
  • In Northern Island now six people from different households can meet outdoors as long as social distancing is practiced.
  • Your social bubble is the people you live with. With extreme caution you can manage adding to your bubble.
  • Anyone experiencing coronavirus symptoms, or who is at a higher risk, should not be in a bubble, and needs to self-isolate.
As part of your first discussion:
  • When do you go out? For what reason?
  • Do you where a mask?
  • Do you keep 6 feet away from others?
  • When are you communicating with family?
  • What happens if someone in the bubble has symptoms of Covid-19?
  • What questions do you ask others?
  • What is the process for entering a bubble?
  • How would we set up protocol and etiquette?
  • What would be the protocol and etiquette?
Three things every member of the bubble must keep in mind: 
  1. There is the possibility of extending the bubble.
  2. The bubble doesn't have to be forever.
  3. The bubble gives everyone something to look forward to.

~Didi

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MINIMONY WEDDINGS: POSTPONING – WEDDING ETIQUETTE – COVID
Our wedding in October was planned over six months ago. Postponing it for another year seems like dragging a good thing out for the long haul. We had an engagement party at home in Newport over Christmas and people are expecting their save-the-date card so they can make hotel reservations. 
      We’re weighing our options wondering if we should be flexible – as in here’s hoping everything will be opened up – or whittle down the list for a mini-mony, or simply elope when it becomes easier to travel. A destination wedding wouldn’t work because the old people won’t travel, especially now, and we wouldn’t want them to feel left out.
 
Not that you’re a fortune teller, but what would you advise, Ms. Didi?

–Althea and Ben, Washington, DC

Dear Wedding Couple,
      You are not alone in trying to plan your wedding during the Covid pandemic. Who knows when travel and hospitality venues will be opening up. A lot depends upon containment practices and the availability of a vaccine. As of this writing, the end of 2021 is a safe guess.
      We've gone from relatively simple backyard weddings, such as you see in the original 1950 Father Of The Bride movie with Spencer Tracey and Elizabeth Taylor and the 1991 version staring Steven Martin and Diane Keaton, to the 2018 over-the-top Royal wedding between Prince Harry and Megan Markle (that according to the British press cost 45 million US dollars).  It would be interesting to know the stats as to which couples stay together longer; the marriages of those who had small versus those marriage whose weddings were huge, but this question is about you.
      Remember, you can always have a post wedding reception, or sequel wedding, at another time. Even if it is in celebration of a wedding anniversary, and what could be cheerier? 
      What we're seeing now are lots of mini-ceremonies and micro-weddings. A mini-mony is all about the ceremony and includes up to a dozen people including the officiant and the wedding couple, and social distancing is top priority; there may be no celebratory party following the ceremony, and a post wedding reception, or sequel wedding, is a possibility at another time. On the contrary, micro-wedding can include up to fifty people, depending upon the size of the venue and the regulations of the state and town: the ceremony is followed by a celebration and a sequel wedding is not anticipated. Just be sure, in both cases, to keep track of the names and addresses or people who have already sent engagement and/or wedding presents, so that you can include them in any larger celebration that you may eventually host.
      Here are some of the concerns we've been seeing when substantially sizing down your wedding plans:
  • Depending upon the location regulations, a mini-mony, a small ceremony, consists of a total of a dozen participants, and has the possibility of a follow up celebration or sequel wedding at another date.
  • If you already have a wedding website be sure to update it so that you won't have to be answering the same questions over and over from guests. When your wedding is a go, add local hygiene guidelines; suggest they time washing their hands to the chorus of "Marry You" by Bruno Mars.
  • Remember many churches and wedding venue sites may have to integrate tighter restrictions on the number of people in the church or the banquet hall after the restrictions are lifted. Seating may still be limited.
  • Keep in touch with your wedding planner or venue. 
  • Keep up to date on local government developments: state and town.
  • If your wedding insurance policy was taken out before the lockdown and venue closures were put in place, check to see if your policy covers cancellation or rearrangement due to issues relating to travel bans, flight cancellations or government acts, including bans on public or social gatherings or any kind of travel restrictions.
  • Call your wedding insurer to ask about the terms and conditions.
  • If you paid any of the downpayments with a credit card, you could be covered, so check that.
  • Most travel insurance policies cover trips cancelled due to government restrictions, be sure to check your individual plan.
  • Check on your wedding dress as many are made in China and you want to be sure you have time to get it fitted properly whether your wedding is huge or mini. If there is a problem, you can buy wedding dresses on line to try on at home.
  • Hygiene guidelines for your wedding should include asking the venue to have antibacterial soap and disposable paper towels in the restrooms, additionally ask that staff spritz every guest with high quality alcohol-based sanitizers and provide for everyone to wear a mask, except the bride and groom. 
  • Chic gift bags could include additional masks and hand sanitizers. 

Whatever you decide to do,

working it out together

will deepen your love for each other.

 

~Didi

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CONDOLENCES & SYMPATHY ETIQUETTE — SOCIAL DISTANCE — COVID-19
It’s been my normal to send my condolences through a sympathy card, but there are none to be found anywhere with so many of us dying. Online or in the usual places such as CVS or Stop & Shop. For people I was close to, I call or email their nearest surveyor, or who I know the person through.
      Before COVID-19, for my dearest friends and family members I’ll arrive at the surveyor’s door baring bounty and pitch in by doing errands and making phone calls, and try to make myself useful. “What can I do to help? I’ll ask and there is always something even if it’s walking the deceased’s dog or arranging the flowers, but these are not normal times. I’ve had to take pen to paper and find a stamp.
      What words of sympathy can I use to ease the surveyor through their tragic loss in these troubled times?

–Jeremy, Newport

Dear Jeremy, I am sorry for your loss, or losses as the case may be. A new normal, a now normal, a forever normal, indeed, is called for now, today. More than ever your words on paper will be registered and stored in the recipient's heart and mind.
      In offering first words of condolence in the first paragraph--here are examples highlighted--mentioning the deceased by name; as it is most comforting to use the name of the deceased often:
  • I am (Sharon and I are) deeply sorry for your tragic loss. Bob was my best guy friend, I couldn't have had a better friend.
  • It is with a heavy heart that I (George and I) write to send you my (our) deepest sympathy. Charlotte was the kindest, dearest friend and neighbor from that first day when she arrived after we moved in twenty years ago with blueberry muffins, to only last week when she picked up our curbside grocery order.
  • A few warm words to say how sorry I am (we are) for your great loss. Charles had to be one of the wittiest raconteurs I've ever met, always with a friendly smile and an amusing anecdote to start the conversation going.
  • Our whole family is mourning your great loss. It is our great loss, too. Thanksgiving won't be the same without Aunt Susanne, always curious to learn what the kids and their own families were up to and joyfully praising their many accomplishments.
If you can, tell a story about the deceased that illustrates their character, loyalty, sense of humor, honesty, valor, or good disposition. Here's one of mine:
  •  One of my favorite stories about Harry is the time he found a woman's wallet in the ATM entrance to his bank, where he had gone to take out money for the long holiday weekend. It was late on a Friday afternoon after the bank had closed. He ran out looking left and right, but he didn't see anyone in sight. Leaving the wallet where he found it wouldn't have been safe, so Harry took it home and found her name and address on her driver's license, called 411 and was connected to her house phone. The woman was grateful that she had answered the phone because she had been on her way out the door to do an errand without realizing that she didn't have her wallet. Long story short, he left the wallet in a manilla envelope in his porch mailbox, she picked it up while he was out, and two weeks later he received a hand written thank-you note and a gift certificate to her restaurant. They met, they dated, they fell in love.
Start by thinking of a memorable time you spent with the deceased:
  • Alison was an amazing person, full of surprises, and truly one of the most capable, unassuming people I've ever known. Once I took her out on a sailfish, I was at the helm because she had never been on a sailfish and said that she didn't know how to sail. We were curious about a particular cove and our goal was to find it. Once there we had a swim before starting back to the dock in the harbor, but just as we were entering the bay a fierce gust of wind came out of the northeast and swept us out to sea. The sky suddenly became dark as black clouds headed our way and I had a really bad cramp and couldn't move, Alison without saying a word took the helm and the jib and brought us safely back to the dock.
By the way, if you don't have a personal tale to tell you can go right to the final paragraph praising the deceased: 
  • End with words of praise for the deceased. "As a working mother I could have never finished my thesis and kept my job, if it hadn't been for Susanne's support, she was a real friend pitching in when my son was sick and I couldn't miss another day at work, and helping me through postpartum depression and rough patches in my marriage. Susanne was always there for me, never judgmental, though always helping me question my values. I don't know how I could have gotten through the early years of parenting without a true friend, as true as Susanne.
  • Conclude by writing something such as this: Gordon joins me in saying we are (deeply) sorry for you and your family, and hope that you will receive the comfort and strength to bear this tremendous loss.    
A couple of final points:
  • Ideally, a letter of condolence should be hand-written without delay, "to bolster the surveyor for the funeral," which gives a sense of convivial urgency. If you missed the boat, receiving words of sympathy after the funeral are also greatly appreciated. Not that there are funerals these days, but there may be memorial services and burials eventually. Sometimes, I think, those later letters are the hardest to write because they express the deepest sentiments. The writer has taken a lot of time to mourn.
  • A widow or widower would be happy to read a praise of their happy marriage; that you thought their marriage was perfect in it's happiness. An unforgettable happiness that would survive always in your memory, and be an inspiration to you and all who knew the couple. 
  • Be ware: If you're not totally sure of the recipient's religious belief, steer clear of expressing your faith. The condolence letter is not about the writer. The surveyor could become angry and annoyed by any hint of  proselytizing. 
  • In the event that the condolence letter is to a member of the your staff or to the staffer's family, the letter can be printed out on office stationery.
  • Signing off "With dearest love," to someone you you've known for a long time or "Alex joins me in sending our love (to you and your family)," are sincere; or more formally, "Kindest regards," or simply, "Sincerely."
As of this writing on May 4, 2020,
social distance takes precedence
over religious rituals. With good reason.
Never has there been a more important
time to write a letter of condolence.

~Didi

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OUTDOOR SOCIAL DISTANCING MANNERS — COVID-19 Etiquette

What is the etiquette for social distancing outdoors in terms of greeting and meeting during COVID-19?

How can we make the experience of going out to exercise less anxious and more friendly without seeming snooty or overly friendly. Everyone I am about to encounter either walks out into the street to avoid me or ignores me by looking in the opposite direction or at his feet.

–Jason, Providence, RI

Thank you, Jason, for your timely question about outdoor manners and etiquette in the time of COVID-19. Cabin Fever! We're all eager to get out of the house to walk, run, ride a bike, skateboard or buy groceries. When will this all be over?  How do we keep active in a COVID-19 reality--our Pandemic Summer--while the country fortifies itself for the next phases of the pandemic, that will more than likely last until 2021.      Personally, I feel as though my house is on fire and nobody told me to get out. Never in my lifetime, except for 9/11, have manners been more important. There's nothing new here.         Respecting the space of others, respecting the time others spend helping one with mail, groceries, take out, curbside pickup or placing an order have never been more appreciated. It doesn't cost you anything to be nice.        With summer in the near horizon, the urge to get out and about will be even greater.        How can we make the whole experience of going out and about less anxious and more friendly when we're hiding behind masks?        Because even teleworking from home, you're hiding behind a mask, or for that matter behind a computer screen of cellphone, that's no justification for rudeness. The customer service on the other end of the phone may be half way across the country, but she or he still has to go home to the same situation of isolation that you may have.       In my children's high school there is a rule that is honored to this day. When passing someone--anyone--in the corridor, the stairway, the crosswalk, the sidewalk, bike or running trail, great each other. Whether you know them or not. Then keep walking.        Just because you extend a greeting, even though you may not know their name, it doesn't mean you're obligated to chat them up.  In fact, chatting is hard to do nowadays when you're six to twelve feet apart. Just a reminder:
  • Give right of way. The person on the right has the right of way. It's right to give right of way to the person on the right. When passing on a sidewalk or steps, the person closest to the street gives the person closest to the building or railing the right of way--even if she or he has to move out onto the street.
  • Greet even strangers with one word:  Hi, Hello, Hiya! We're all in this together, whether we like it or not; their life right now probably isn't any easier than yours whether they're pushing a stroller, carrying groceries, or skateboarding.
  • Patience has never been more of a virtue.Always use please and thank you. To anyone and everyone who assists you in any way -- from holding the subway door open to bringing out your curbside grocery order to you.
  • Smile to ease their pain and yours -- even if they can't see your smile through your mask.
Masks are symbols as well as shields. They signify civic-mindedness and conscientiousness. In other words, masks get the message out that society is collectively acting against a serious threat. This will be apart of our day to day lives. If most people wear a mask in public, the transmission rate can entirely stop the spread of COVD-19.

My mask protects you;

your mask protects me.

Please feel free to text me with additional
suggests for these times at
#917-816-0800.

~Didi

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Socializing & Social Distancing Etiquette

Our son is home from college where, of course, he was used to being around people his own age all the time, so how do we get him to understand socializing and social distancing etiquette? Yesterday he went over to a friend’s house while he was out walking the dog. My husband pretty much blew a gasket when he found out. Were they passing joints? Were there girls there? Any kissing? Vaping? How many of their other friends were there? Why doesn’t he get it that he can’t just go to someone’s house and hang out? We understand that it was the house of someone he grew up with and they’re both home indefinitely from their respective colleges, but come on – we’re in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic!

We’re so annoyed we can’t think straight. Can you, please, send guidelines for our quite brilliant college student who appears to live in la-la land, or as the kids call it, it’s a corona-cation.

–Kathleen, Middletown, RI

Thank you for sharing your concern about the boundaries of socializing and social distancing! Yikes, that's definitely a tall order question. From the freedom of college to being trapped at home again, these kids are living a nightmare. A loss of innocents. Suddenly they have absolutely no control over their lives. It's easy to see how difficult it must be for them, those who don't remember 9/11 and watching people jump out of windows on the morning news, which many thought would change everything we knew to be sacred--but it didn't. As punishment, and he's too old for a time out, ask him to listen to The Daily, the New York Times Podcast app on his phone, daily. You listen to it on yours and then discuss what you both heard. Or make it a daily family ritual while he's having his breakfast by putting it on speakerphone--whatever it takes. Your whole family will learn some of the facts, for instance, that viruses get viruses. In our state, legally (as of today) there should not be gatherings of more than five people, and we're to keep those gatherings with the same five people.  At the moment, when only 50% are staying home. everyone needs to be compliant. As you know, with every additional social and physical contact your son has, the risk of having an encounter with an infected person goes up. Suggest the following:
  • He minimizes the number of people he interacts with physically.
  • He sticks with one friend who limits their other social contacts, too.
  • If that friend feels sick, he stays away.
  • As long as his friend is well, social contact by going for a bike ride or hike is fine, but they should keep six feet apart.
  • That means NOT sharing finger food, liquids, bodily fluids, or joints, cigarettes, e-cigs or vaps.
As soon as possible, get the baseline temperature reading of every family member. That way when someone seems under the weather, that person's temperature can be monitored closely. That said, what you should know is:
  • The significance of adult and children's temperatures differ.
  • Plus, we all have our own normal temperature baseline, based on weight, gender and activity level; it's helpful to find out what everyone's is, so it's precisely monitored.
  • Normal can be anywhere between 97.7-99.5 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Fever is likely to be between 99.5 or 100.9 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Hyperpyrexia would be dangerous at 104.0 or 105.8 degree Fahrenheit.
  • Baseline temperatures vary based on age, sex, physical activity and health, and whether it is taken in the mouth or armpit, which can be lower.
  • To find a person's normal, take the temperature every day at the same time for at least three days, sticking to either mouth or armpit.
The loneliness of social distancing
can be hard to handle.
Discuss the facts and the difference between social and physical distancing.
  • Know the facts, but don't overdo it, too much information can aggravate stress.
  • Put the coronavirus pandemic in perspective.
  • Refrain from blaming and shaming.
  • Ask for help, now is the time to turn toward one another.
  • Encourage him to partake in social distancing in a positive way by calling his friends to actually talk about what's happening in the world around them.
  • Discuss the difference between social and physical distancing, if, in fact, there is a difference. What does he think?
Educate your son and let him find his own boundaries once he understands the guidelines. Corona-cation is no laughing matter and he needs to handled it like an adult.
  • Advice to avoid the coronavirus through social distancing can increase the risk of physical and emotional harm from inadequate social contact.
  • But without physical distancing the virus spreads like falling dominos.
  • Prepare him for when, not if, the coronavirus strikes. 
  • He should know where to find your estate will and your living will; in the event he has to make choices for you.
  • Having a down-to-earth conversation with your son can be both heartrending and heartwarming.
  • Honoring your wishes when you are unable to do so is one of the most loving and bravest things an adult child can do for a parent..
Talk about what we lose when we don't touch?
  • Scientist call our longing for human touch "skin hunger."
  • Physical touch triggers the orbit of frontal cortex in the brain, according to Daniel Keltner, professor of psychology at University of California, Berkley. 
  • Regular touch reduces levels of stress hormones, says Tiffany Field, director of the Touch Research Institute, the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.
  • Hugging stimulates the thymus gland regulating the body's white blood cell production, which helps fight infection, according to research at the University of North Carolina. 
  • Women who are frequently hugged have lower blood pressure, than those who are not according to research at UNC.
  • People who received regular hugs had fewer flu symptoms than participants who were hugged less frequently in a study at Carnegie Mellon University.
We must keep our physical distance to keep one another safe. Even though in a pandemic the very thing we're biologically programmed to need is also what can harm us most.

~Didi

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VIDEO CONFERENCING ETIQUETTE

For years I’ve been making and jumping on conference calls, but now that I am working remotely I feel I need to figure out video conferencing etiquette. I’ve witnessed some sloppy ones first hand that were really embarrassing. Some have become a joke. Most of which I won’t go into, but you can guess what happens when dogs and kids are cooped up at home.

Would you, please, give us your guidelines for video conferencing.  Thank you for your time, Didi.

–DOUGLAS BLAKE

With one in three Americans being asked to stay home that's over 101 million, many of whom are curious as to how to be professional while video conferencing when the viewer assumes that 1) you're probably not alone in your house or apartment; and 2) you're calling from an improvised at home office.
     As office workers adapt to working at home during the corona pandemic, video conferencing has become the norm, but if you're dialing from your favorite easy chair, it could be a problem as to what to wear. Maybe not a suit or cocktail dress.
    How to act?
What's appropriate etiquette?
Dos + Don'ts of Video Conferencing
The play: Think of yourself as performing a major role in a stage production. Have fun with this and it will put you at ease. Play your part, the role of the professional.
The Stage:
  • You're going to need to choose the right background, but it should be plain, neutral beige (if possible) with no knickknacks or such that look kitschy and foolish. And certainly don't have your TV muted with Netflix in the background. 
  • Make sure you're secluded from people or pets who might pass behind you or jump in your lap. And there shouldn't be a pile of laundry waiting to be folded in the background.
  • It is best to be seated at a desk, which is more professional than mansplaying, slouched on a couch.  
  • A glass of water in a plain glass? yes; a cup of coffee in a cutesy Red Sox mug? no! Avoid the coffee mug as it is too laid-back. You're not on the Stephen Colbert Show. You want to appear composed and easygoing but, I repeat, you're not a talk show guest.
  • You don't want anything on your stage set to distract the viewer from the conversation. No cat in your lap, because if the viewer doesn't like cats, he'll be distracted by that. You wouldn't take your cat to your office for a meeting. No Giants pendant or Madonna on the wall behind you.
The costume:  You want to look casual but not too relaxed, you're going for a look that is flexible professional.
  • Nix the tie and three piece suit as you'll only come off as pompous. You want to look slightly relaxed.
  • A collared shirt and a sports jacket or blazer, but no need for a tie, would be just right. Play to your audience, if it is the black V neck T-shirt audience, then fit in and wear a fresh black T-shirt.
  • Be well-groomed, nobody wants to see a bedhead or greasy locks, or to see white specs of dandruff on your black T-shirt.
  • Shave, but don't look half-shaved, as though your shaver broke down half way through your morning shaving ritual.
  • Don't wear too much make-up if you're a man, (because you don't want to look like orange-faced Donald Trump); a woman's make-up should be no heavier than what she would wear to a board meeting, church or to a job interview.
  • Since the viewer won't see you from the waist down, the same goes for a woman, a crisp top would do perfectly with or without a jacket or blazer. Hold off on the jewelry as it could be a distraction, with the person out of focus wondering if your pearls are real or faux, real gold or not.
  • Save the sweater fireside look for another time. Perhaps a video conferencing with family or friends.
The lighting: Good quality lighting is key. 
  • Stage a dressed rehearsal videoing yourself in your costume and at your desk to make sure that the lighting is just right and that there isn't anything weird in the background. 
  • Try turning light fixtures off and on and/or pointing the camera at a different angle.
  • The lighting will either be flattering or you may actually feel you need a bit of makeup if your nose shines too brightly, or that there's food left over from breakfast in your beard.
  • Likewise test whether to wear your eyeglasses or do without.
  • Do all this before the call begins so you're not muddling about trying to fiddle with the lighting or looking for your notes.
The show begins: but first do a sound and lighting check, don't just pick up a call or dial into it until you are sure you are well prepared--just as you would be prepared for an important face to face meeting.
  • Where you wouldn't be looking around for your notes.
  • Be visible and clear to your clients to garner rapport with clients.
  • Remember that face to face adds a level of extra communication that you don't have in a regular conference call.
  • Video conferencing is sociable and that is what makes it a more productive tool. 
  • Remember to mute yourself while other people are talking.
Don't forget:
  • Preview your webcam.
  • Test your set up: microphone, Internet speeds, lighting, background.
  • Make use of mute default when you're not speaking to eliminate the amount of possible disruption, especially if there are only a few people on the call.
  • Keep video chats sharply focused.
  • Start by having a roll call acknowledging the participants.
  • Set boundaries: no shouting + no interrupting.
  • Follow an agenda.
  • Pay attention.
  • Limit the number of meetings.
  • Avoid the lingering wrap-up.
  • Don't you dare wave good-bye.
  • Instead graciously thank people for their time.
 
    Text me with your suggestions
at #917-816-0800,
we're all in this together.
 

~Didi

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COOPED UP — SPACE-SHARING — LEARNING TO LIVE TOGETHER
My question is about space-sharing etiquette during the Trump Pandemic. We’re cooped up.
 
We’re absolutely housebound in self-imposed lockdown, self-quarantining. Our three kids are home from college; they’re either hibernating in their rooms streaming, or are underfoot. I hear them arguing more than usual; especially when one isn’t taking precautions as thoroughly as he should according to his sibling. “You didn’t wash your hands long enough!” Or, “Stop touching your face.”  Or, “If you cared about our family, you wouldn’t leave your wet tissues lying around for us to pick up. It’s disgusting.”
 
Feminism is down the drain with MY having to organize three meals a day for all of us. Cooped up, we feel as though we’re having to learn to live together after all these years of everybody being mostly out of the house.
 
I find I’m dragged into doing more than my share of the housework, more than I’m sued to, and I’ve become resentful. Or I should say, I’m systematically compelled to do everything. It’s partially my fault, because I’m trying to keep busy working at my job remotely, plus do the added housework and meal planning through the Trump Pandemic. 
 
It’s like I want everything my way, I need to have full control of the running of the house because I can’t control anything outside of my house. But the reality is this: none of us feels in control of our lives. 
 
We need some guidelines about sharing space. I never thought it would be so stressful being confined with the ones that I love most. We have a large enough house, but it’s sometimes irritating being in constant contact with my loved ones.

–Maggie, Newport

Hi Maggie, lovely to hear from you about space-sharing etiquette--despite the circumstances. We're all having to learn how to live together sharing space. Without a doubt it is challenging during these cooped up uncertain times. Nobody feels in control any longer of anything. It's as though the coronavirus is on the loose and nobody can catch it to snuff if out, it's not a scented candle in a jar with a lingering scent you're sick of smelling.
 
Space-Sharing Tips: Dos and Don'ts
  • Limit long periods of social interactions, whether with family or housemates, before the conversation becomes tedious. At the first sign of vibes going downhill--with criticisms, grievances or accusations--simply say, "Let's take a break," and leave the room. Know when to say to yourself, 'no more of this.' Like turning the TV to a different a channel, but this is reality TV.
  • Self-designate work spaces and/or set up a schedule for computer time. Let everyone choose their own workspace or set up a flexible schedule where they can trade workspace time.
  • Combatting the psychological heaviness. In these gloomy uncertain times we're all down-hearted. The ongoing combination of having a sense of foreboding mixed with terror and boredom is difficult to endure. Making it worse is the lack of physical comfort we derive from person-to-person contact.
  • Surprisingly, some anxiety can be productive. It motivates us to wash our hands more often and to distance ourselves from others physically--anxiety gives us an important reason to do so.
  • Even though watching the news can exacerbate anxiety, it's important to get the facts straight. For instance, outbreaks of influenza tend to wan in warmer weather. Wrong, the coronavirus might not ease so easily. Look at Singapore (located in the tropics) and Australia (where it is still summer), which is why summer plans need to stay fluid to avoid further disappointment.  Along with sticking to physical-distancing to avoid person-to-person transmission, which is the only way to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
  • Draw straws as to who chooses what you're watching on the family TV, then if others don't want to watch they can go off and read or stream from their laptops.

Create a rotating chore list:

  1. Wastebasket and garbage patrol and disinfecting the containers.
  2. Emptying the dishwasher, putting away the dishes and refilling it, and disinfecting the kitchen sink and counter.
  3. Washing pots and pans, and cleaning table tops, stove, and counters.
  4. Emptying and loading washer and dryer and folding laundry (if family members are not responsible for washing their own sheets, towels, washcloths, laundry bag and clothing).
  5. Watering house plants.
  6. Walking the dog.
  7. Disinfecting bathrooms.
  8. Vacuuming and mopping floors.
  9. Dusting.
  10. Disinfecting hard surfaces. Including doorknobs, remote controls, phones, fridge handles, faucets and toilet handles, and cabinet pulls.

Beware, a few words of caution about using

99.99% disinfectant with clorox:

  droplets on your clothing while cleaning

with spray will permanently

bleach out into little white spots.

  • Switch it up with chores by rotating the chores, including showing sons and fathers how to use a vacuum cleaner, mop the kitchen floor, and clean a bathroom.
  • Help maintain other people's privacy. Let them carve out a space of their own.
  • Know when you're being annoying and self-correct.
  • Don't press other people's buttons, and who knows how to do that better than siblings?

Respect other people's private space:

  1. Knock on closed doors before entering.
  2. While walking into a room when the door is open, clear your throat or hum--before entering--to signal that you're on your way in, so as not to startle someone deep in concentration.
  • Be considerate of others by thinking about how other people might be feeling. For instance don't leave dirty tissues laying around and clean up after yourself in the bathroom, as well as at the table or after lying on the couch; when you'll want to fluff up the pillows, refold the blanket and put your empty glass in the dishwasher or sink.
  • Nip it in the bud. Any issues that come up should be resolved or diluted by communicating them to everybody as soon as they surface. Otherwise bottled up frustrations, resentments, and grievances will dwell and exacerbate.
  • Show real empathy. Understand that we all deal with stress in our own way and in our own time, so don't let minor quirkiness, idiocrasy, eccentricity and gripes get on your nerves and bring you down.
  • Learn to talk to each other again. Strive for drama-free family dinners; learning to live together--perhaps all over again. It's an opportune time for family members to talk about their aspirations; what they would like to do with their lives after they get out of hibernation.
  • Be social. After dinner, play boardgames, chess, backgammon, pingpong, poker or cards. Make popcorn and watch movie classics on TMC.
  • Check your own emotions. Fear can be contagious. Monitor and manage your own sense of worry.
  • Be a listener. Disappointment and sadness over missing an anticipated event and even fear of the unknown can cause worry and anxiety. Validate emotions whether the emotion is disappointment, fear of the unknown, or something in between.  
  • What can we learn from this? Encourage freedom to express frustration. There is definitely something therapeutic about having a person who is willing to listen to you and hear you out. 
  • Encourage consistency. Keep meals on time. Get bathed and dressed as usual. Keep to a schedule.
  • Lastly, despite rain, wind, and fog, take a walk once a day--even for twenty minutes.
Treat people as you would
like them to treat you.
As parents, we create good, bad and even ugly memories, which, obviously, we don't mean to do. When was the last time you all baked cookies or brownies?
  • Give the gift of listening today.

~Didi

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GREETING FRIENDS DURING the CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC

It sure is awkward greeting friends, a person you know pretty well, on the street or in the supermarket during this coronavirus pandemic. And it could go on for six months. Gosh, I’m so happy when I see someone I know–as I’m isolated working remotely from home–but not knowing how to react to their warm smile and/or approach leaves me wondering what to do, how to react. How do we show someone we’re fond of that we’re fond of them, but no hugs.

On the verge of tears, a friend in the checkout line at the supermarket became distraught while telling me about her husband’s recent stem cell transplant and when I went to put my arm around her to hug her, we both took a double take and withdrew. With all the cares of the world on her shoulders, she offered to help carry my grocery bags to my car.

I’ve small children and parents in their sixties, so I’m deathly afraid of getting too close to anyone I run into in public, and, yet–we could all use a hug–and more groceries. Thankfully, so far we’re all well in my family, but you never know, apparently, until it hits you or a family member. We just don’t know how long this will be going on.
My natural impulse, my basic instinct, is to hug or kiss on the cheek the good friend I run into as usual, so what do we do? Well, I either stare at them waiting for him or her to make the first move or I ignore them. But the problem with ignoring them is that I know I’m going to see them in another aisle or on the checkout line, or another time when I go to the market or drugstore.
Both options seem incredibly rude.
I know it’s bad karma, impolite to give someone you know the cold shoulder, but I am more apt to put up an invisible shield and pretend I just didn’t see him or her, and assume that they’re in the same self-protective mode predicament. We’re both afraid to get too close and yet they, too, don’t know what to do. Any suggests?

–Helen, Charlottesville, VA

Hi Helen, you're right on. We're all wondering about the etiquette of greeting friends during the coronavirus pandemic. If the person is not wearing a mask and gloves and is shopping for groceries, then it is unlikely that they're dangerously ill or they wouldn't be physically able to be out and about; driving a car, and lifting groceries. And if they were ill with the coronavirus or thought they'd been exposed, they would most likely own up to the fact and tell you why they have to keep their distance from you. Although the person could be a carrier and not know he or she has been exposed to the coronavirus.
For instance, your friend told you right off about her husband's serious medical condition and having to take care of him full time. That must have triggered a respond warding you off. She can't risk being exposed to the coronavirus, because she has to take care of him.
  • Nobody wants to go in for a hug and get pushed away.  Nobody wants to be the person doing the pushing away.
 
Take the initiative and wave to him or her while keeping a distance of at least six feet--the length of a tall person. With a cheerful smile on your face simply say, "How are you doing? It's good to see you. How's the family." Then tell them that you're working remotely from home, and so far everybody seems to be OK.
  • Wave, smile and keep your distance of six feet, create your own space.
  • If the person looks as though they're about to come in for a hug, keep waving, smile and get them talking. The fact that your hand is waving will signal that you're hesitant about going in for the requisite hug. You're not waving them away, merely carving out your space.
You want your wave to be the Queen Elizabeth Wave with your hand jiggling gently from side to side, but you do NOT want your wave to mimic your car window wiper racing from left to right clearing rain drops off of your car window.  
  • Using your body language and facial expressions, let him or her know that you're thrilled to see them, but you're being cautious. So smile. Everyone wants to see a smile right now.
  •  Bringing up the subject of the coronavirus pandemic first thing will remind them as to why you're reluctant to pull them in for a hug or a kiss. Even if you don't have the coronavirus yourself and don't believe you've been exposed. 
  • Hold your pocketbook, hat, sunglasses, small child, knapsack, or shopping bag in front of you to your chest as a visual barrier.  Of course, a shopping cart  or stroller make a perfect barrier.
  • Chat with your friend warmly asking questions about their family, pet or work, or simply plan to talk on the phone after the kids are in bed.

~Didi

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DOUBLE-CHEEK-KISSING and the CORONAVIRUS — POSTPONING A WEDDING

When I think of weddings the image of double-cheek-kissing in the receiving line comes to mind – but what about the coronvavirus? Do we postpone our daughter’s June wedding because of the coronavirus? If so, how do we go about postponing the wedding? When would we postpone it to? We booked a lovely wedding event space in Newport a year ago, and I dare say our daughter and her fiancé don’t wish to wait another year.

–Parents of the Bride, Brooklyn, MA

Dear Parents of the Bride, you have my heart felt sentiments and I agree that if there is ever a time for double-cheek-kissing it's at a wedding, but the coronavirus is testing many couples hoping to be married this year. Some wedding couples are saying, "Let's not wait," and are being married at City Hall or quietly elsewhere. With many churches closed, they are being creative.
 
Should your daughter and her fiancé opt for that route, they can always have a post-wedding reception down the road.
  • Purportedly, the number of new coronavirus diagnoses will slow down in the warmer months.
  • Have a quiet wedding now.
  • When the coronavirus fatality rate stops growing and, for instance, the state of Rhode Island is no longer in a State of Emergency, you can reset your plans. I know that's painful, but everybody loves a wedding and all those who intended on attending will make a good show.
  • On the upside, if the wedding dress you ordered is being made abroad, there will most likely be a delay in receiving it on time, but with a change of date you'll have it.
     
    Postponing your daughter's wedding would definitely take finagling.
    • Talk to your wedding coordinator and have her or him speak to the events manager where your daughter's wedding is booked about a contingency plan.  Ask for a date later in the year, even if it's in the fall.  Newport is absolutely beautiful then, and  double-cheek-kissing will be all the rage again.
    • Another upside is that the wedding couple can keep guests and family amused and in the loop through their wedding website.  The trick is to lightened up and have fun with the delay.
    • Your guests who received the save-the-date card will be wondering about their hotel and plane reservations, so it is important to act quickly.

    Happy to talk to you further about your

    daughter's upcoming wedding by phone

    or by text at #917-816-0800.

~Didi

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ENGAGEMENT PARTY ETIQUETTE — WEDDINGS

Our question is about engagement party etiquette. Our son is getting married this September at City Hall in San Francisco where they live.  Afterwards there will be a party with their friends and coworkers at an event space.  As the groom’s parents, this coming July we are hosting an engagement party in the form of a cocktail reception for our son and his fiancée at our home in Newport, and we would like to know what to call this event?

We assume that when family and friends are invited to the July engagement party, they may well expect to receive an invitation to the September wedding in San Francisco, but that’s not going to happen. How do families handle the etiquette of what is essentially a bi-costal wedding?  What is to be done about wedding presents?  How do we keep track of the RSVPs for the engagement party, if it’s on the wedding couple’s website?

–Anonymous, Newport, RI

Thank you for your question about engagement party etiquette.  You've got everything right.  An engagement party is held a month or two before the wedding to feel relevant to the wedding--you don't really want it to occur too close to the wedding.
Here are helpful suggestions for your particular engagement party:
  • Be sure you get the word out, by word-of-mouth, that all presents should be sent to the wedding couple in San Francisco, and make sure that the wedding couple's CA address is on their wedding website. Loud & Clear. 
  • Also, on the wedding couple's website: the RSVPs have to be recorded accurately for a realistic headcount by tracking the engagement party acceptances and regrets separately. Make sure both events, engagement party and wedding reception, are listed separately, and that they are identified as such on the wedding couple's website. 
 
  • As the groom's parents, you don't want to be caught off guard not knowing what's up, which is why you must  have the name of the wedding registry on the tip of your tongue so that you can say, "Crate & Barrel," or whatever.  Then the guest's gift is sent from the store directly to the CA address--not to Newport.  The days of feeling one has to walk into a party loaded down with a wrapped gift box are clearly over.
 
  • Call the event what it is:  Engagement Party for _______
Five more thoughts, unless you have further questions.
  • Don't forget that the introductions made at the engagement party will be invaluable on the wedding day, not only for some of the guests to see familiar faces, but also to relieve you, the groom's parents, from having to make too many introductions - and having to remember all those new names.
  • Be sure to have a photographer at the engagement party. I know it sounds silly with everyone taking shots with their phones, but those photographer's photos (with everyone all dressed up) in an album would make a lovely gift to the newly weds as a first Christmas present.
  • I know cocktail napkins with the wedding couple's first names or entwined monograms sound cheesy, but they are an elegant touch--and everyone will know the bride's name.  If she isn't from Newport, they'll learn your son's fiancée's name from the eighty odd cocktail napkins floating around the engagement party.
  • Most importantly, presents should not be expected for an engagement party. 
  • Nonetheless, over the decades you've no doubt given engagement and wedding presents to family and to the children of your friends, and those of whom are invited to the engagement party will want to send the wedding couple a gift from their wedding registry, regardless as to whether or not they are invited to the wedding reception in San Francisco.
Happy to answers all questions
either here of by text at #917-816-0800

~Didi

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MESSAGING ETIQUETTE

Messaging etiquette is such a mystery to me.  Some of the brightest people I know professionally and otherwise use letters to stand for words.  For instance thru for through  U for you.  Cum for come.  W for with.  C  u tomor.  Whas up w tht?  It seems to be the cool thing to do, to let the reader guess what you’re trying to convey.  I understand about not using periods at the end of a message, but it can come off looking as though you’re missing out on a detail.  Pls give us sum messagin etiquette guidelines cause its gettin out a han n drivin me crzy.

How do I know if my message is annoyingly too long?  How long do I have to wait before I answer?  If I don’t shorten words does that mean I’m not cool?

 

–Steven, Boston, MA

Hi Steven.  I get it.  Thanks for your question about messaging etiquette.  Communication has evolved rapidly into its own kind of pig Latin.  It's not really shorthand, it's lazy.  This morning I got these two messages:  Sounds good, will c u @11:30AM!  Then another:  Kate is in 4 jus the 2 of u! Whether it's GIFs or stickers and emojis, time is marching on to a different beat.  In many ways texting is succeeding in crossing cultures, but it is also dumbing us down.  It doesn't always help with autocorrect which can interpret the wrong word and, whoops, you're embarrassed reading it back after sending.  Here are points to consider when texting:
  • When texting professionally, act in a professional manner.  Be sure to spell out important facts--such as date, time, place, address, and name--mainly to verify that you're on the same page about meeting up or reaching a deadline, etc.
  • Be sure to identify yourself with the name the person is known to call you, if your name doesn't appear in the lead of the text.  For instance if they know you by your maiden name, but you're using a business phone, then sign the text by your name.
  • Texting with friends, by all means let your hair down, just be sure to clarify any pertinent info or you could end up at the wrong meeting place and/or at the wrong time, and that would be a real time waster.
  • Answer a text with a text as soon as possible, because we all have busy lives and promptness is polite.  Nobody wants to spend time checking their spam mail for your return text.
  • On that note, be nice.  Treat the person you're texting as you wish to be treated yourself.
  • Monitor the length of your text.  If you have more to stay break your message up into sentences to send one at a time.  If it is still too long, write an email.  Or simply divide up a long text into smaller ones.
  • If using symbols and emojis are part of your style, then use them, but not professionally, if you don't know how the recipient will react to your cuteness or marvelous sense of humor.
  • When waiting on info to forward, such as hooking up for drinks with friends and you're all deciding where and when, be patient about not receiving a quick reply.
  • On the other hand, if you're driving or in a meeting and can't text back promptly, when you have the time to text back say, "I was driving, yes, Tuesday at noon, tomorrow, at the Black Pearl sounds fun."
  • As in a phone call, where it's polite for the person making the call  to take on the responsibility of ending the call politely:  the person who initiates the texting ends that text thread of the texting.  Otherwise, like when a phone call gets boring, so does a long thread of texts.

Do text me any questions about texting,

or otherwise, at #917-816-0800.

~Didi

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MIXED GENDER WEDDING PARTY

My question is about having a mixed genders wedding party. My finance thinks it would be silly for my BFF to be in my bridal party. He’s my best friend, after my husband, of course, and we’ve been through a lot together. He’s like a brother to me. How do we resolve this issue? I said he could have a best girlfriend as a groomswoman, but he doesn’t like the idea. He said she would have to dress like the other groomsmen and wouldn’t be invited to his bachelor party weekend and wouldn’t appreciate the tie he’s picked out for his groomsmen.

–Charlotte, Brooklyn, NY

Hi Charlotte,
Thank you for your question about having a mixed gender bridal party. Traditionally, in situations such as this--which are quite common, by the way--the bride would give her BFF the honor of having him do one of the readings during the ceremony.  Just as the groom would do the same. 
  • He could also perform usher duties at the church (escorting single women to a pew and passing out the program). 
  • If there is a bridal party banquet table, he could be given a seat and/or asked to give a toast. 
  • He could also be invited to cut in on the groom during her second dance, after she's danced for awhile with her father. 
There are many creative ways to make the BFF feel special.  At the end of the day, you don't want to make a big deal out of this and make a fool of him; don't make the BFF the joke of the wedding. 
  • Fit him in as the wedding couple sees fit. 
  • He would be identified at the wedding with the same boutonnière as the groomsmen, he just wouldn't stand up at the alter with the groomsmen.
Happy to answer any further questions. 
You are welcome to text me
at #917-816-0800
Congratulations on your upcoming wedding!

~Didi

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How To Work With A Wedding DJ

How do we go about finding and working with a DJ?  At weddings we’ve been to recently the music just didn’t seem right for us, and anyway, we wouldn’t want to have the same DJ for basically the same group of friends.  Please advise us about how to find, hire, and work with a DJ. Like how much do we need to budget in for a DJ for our wedding this summer.

–Avery & George, Newport, RI

Hi Avery and George, your wedding coordinator could be your best bet on this.  He or she knows your budget and your style.  But still this is what you should know:
  • Look for an online wedding forum in the zip code where the wedding is taking place, but don't give out info about the date or location of the wedding, or you could get crashers. You're looking for information: DJs to interview, or not interview.
  • Get started now, because the best DJs may not be available if you procrastinate.
  • Don't go with a referral until you've actually talked to the references on the phone about what the wedding couple liked and didn't like about the DJ.
  • Make a short-list of DJ names and interview them.  If you're lucky they'll tell you where they are working on a certain night and you can go to the bar or club and listen without getting personal.
  • When you narrow down your list of possibilities ask:
  1. How many weddings has the DJ done in how many years?  100 in three years? 300 in five years?
  2. How many songs does the DJ have in their repertoire 10,000 songs?  100,000 songs?
  • The venue where the wedding is taking place will have a list of contacts for DJs they've worked with in the past that they recommend.  They may even have a short list of DJs they would NOT recommend.
  • Make a list of the requirements that you're going to insist on in your contract with the DJ.
  1. The exact amount of time you want music being played--even when it's softly in the background during diner--to ensure that there are no long deadly silences where guests start asking each other, What happened to the music?
  2. Look for a contract that states hours that don't include set up and breakdown.  For instance anywhere from $500 to $1,000 an hour for the DJ's performance.  The lower hourly prices may not include equipment setup time or rentals. Is there an added fee for rental equipment or a sound man?
  3. How many songs do they play in three hours?  About 200 during the dancing hours, meaning one song per minute?
  4. Make it clear if the DJ is also performing the duties of the Master of Ceremonies, because some DJs are not comfortable taking on the role of an MC.  You might rather have the best man, maid of honor, a sibling or other friend take on the role of Master of Ceremonies, especially if the DJ is not good at pronouncing names he or she doesn't know.
  5. Find out how amenable the DJ is to suggestions.  The DJ may not respond well to a list you've printed off of Google, as they like to read the crowd.
  6. The best DJs study the guests looking for clues:  What kind of music makes them suddenly get up and dance?  What songs do they sing along with?  What songs do they raise their arms and move their hands and shoulders to?
  7. If you don't want the DJ playing cheesy disco, make that clear:  Be emphatic:  No "Y.M.C.A." or "Macarema."  If you don't want hip-hop during dinner, make that clear.  The First Hour the DJ should play a little bit of everything; a variety, to find out what kinds of music people are gravitating towards that makes them swing their bodies, and then go stronger with that sound in the last hour.
  8. Have a romantic playlist of memorable songs that are standards at weddings.  Maybe include Aretha Franklin's "Respect." You get the picture.
The most important job of the D.J. is his or her talent in reading the room full of guests:  Pick up on energy cues, go high, go low, go with the flow.

Happy to answer further questions here

or by text at #917-816-0800.

~Didi

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GUEST ETIQUETTE DILEMMA: MODERNIST MANNERS
Our question is about a guest etiquette dilemma.
A lovely friend very graciously allowed us to stay in her apartment while she is away.  She evidently left in a rush.  On the nightstand is a bottle of lubricant.  Should we (1) take it so she isn’t embarrassed, (2) put it in a drawer in the bathroom so she isn’t embarrassed, (3) do nothing, or (4) assume she’s a very thoughtful hostess who thinks of her houseguests’ every need?

–ES, Park City, Utah

I like (3), but go with (4)) and leave the container of lubricant in place. Except, of course, if you use quite a bit of the lubricant, then you'll need to replace it with a fresh container -- even if you can't find the exact brand -- beside the old one (unless the old one is all used up and you've thrown it out). Just the way you would replace a bottle of wine or champagne or a six pack of beer -- even if she left the lubricant for you as a welcoming present.  Welcome her back.
That said, more importantly before you leave the apartment:  
  • (1) fold all bed linens, towels, and dish towels that you've used neatly near, on top of, or next to the washing machine.  If there's isn't a washing machine, find the laundry hamper or simply leave those linens neatly stacked at the foot of the bed. 
  • (2) empty wastebaskets and don't leave garbage distilling in the garbage can, dispense of waste properly.
Not to worry if you can't replace the lubricant with the same brand. 
  • Remember, if she's hip enough to leave her lubricant out in the open, then you shouldn't give this dilemma another thought unless you use it all up.  Like drinking her wine or coffee, you replace when you use a noticeable amount.

~Didi

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