With everyone being a little less connected due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, we thought it would be nice to put together a roundup of good things happening at CEO and beyond each Friday.

This week at CEO:

Eileen at the Rensselaer FRC’s ducklings hatched! There are nine healthy ducks, and we are currently taking name suggestions on Facebook.

Victoria, WIC’s Lead Breastfeeding Peer Counselor, has been having success with her online support groups, WTEN even covered the great work being done!

Essential CRC staff are keeping spirits up with some home made masks, and Rosie the Riveter imagery!

This week around the region:

Albany is hosting a virtual Tulip Festival this year. Residents are invited to join in and share their own tulips to the #518TulipTracker hashtag.

Tomorrow is supposed to be a beautiful day out, and some local ice cream stands have found a way to offer socially distant takeout service to customers. Lansingburgh’s Snowman isn’t listed in the article, but is offering pre-order.

It’s Troy Night Out, and area businesses are pivoting to offer virtual experiences and specials. The theme is Connecting Community.

and beyond:

Wednesday was Earth Day, and even if you are stuck inside, there are plenty of ways to celebrate the great outdoors. The Brooklyn Botanical Garden has a tour of their Japanese Garden in bloom. Many National Parks are offering virtual visits and tours. If you are looking for something more animal related, many zoos have animal cams available. Here’s a link to the Atlanta Zoo’s Panda Cam, and here’s a great video of elephants crossing the road in Thailand.

This has been an unprecedented change for everyone, and that can be really hard. NYSCAA recently shared this link, with the note, “Right now. you may be feeling a thousand different emotions at once. Don’t worry, that’s okay and you’re not alone!” 

And lastly, if you just need something to help destress for a few minutes, the New York Times has a great guided meditation available.