Well, we're embarking on a new week of our strange, unpleasant and somewhat terrifying new normal. It's a dreary, rainy day outside my windows, so staying inside and reading/sewing/crafting isn't really a hardship for me today.

This morning, I am settling in to make a bunch of face masks with some of the fabric I have laying around, not for medical providers in my area, but for my family (not that I wouldn't make them for medical providers, but I don't have the quantity elastic that the patterns call for to make them). I've finally been convinced by the recent Washington Post article that it makes sense to wear masks out in public.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/03/28/masks-all-coronavirus/

I'd been pretty resistant because of all of the articles that are just insistent that they don't work. After I read the article, it made sense to me - of course homemade masks aren't a substitute for health care providers who are in constant close contact with people who are actually infected. For the rest of us who are just interacting from a distance in grocery stores and whatnot, it makes a lot of sense to wear them.

I have a plan to make them with the little bit of elastic that I have in the house (I found one small package while I was reorganizing some drawers yesterday), since elastic is almost impossible to source right now. Once I go through that, I'll have to figure something out - maybe I'll make the versions that tie, or I might be able to use some velcro that I found to secure one of the side straps. I've been listening to Evil Under the Sun, so I'll probably finish that while I sew. Once I finish about 50 for my family members, I'll look into making them for our local children's advocacy center if they think they would be useful.

Reply to post #1 (show post):
Bright, sunny day here, not a cloud in the sky. A bit chilly at first light, but warming up. I spent about half an hour changing out my rock tumblers -- should have done it yesterday but didn't have the ambition -- then another hour and a half pulling weeds. Our rainy winter and spring produced a more than bumper crop of weeds, especially the stickery-pickery kind that dry out and create a horror for a long-haired dog like Moby. I've been trying to focus on those, but there are so many others, too. I pulled three plastic grocery bags full yesterday, another seven today, and you'd never know I pulled a single weed. It's pretty terrible.

I've been making masks, too. I found a stash of old but still stretchy 1/4" elastic, enough to make about 50-60 masks like this:

https://www.sewcanshe.com/blog/5-free-diy-face-mask-tutorials-using-fabric

I've been looking for a pattern that's quicker to make -- this one takes about 20-30 minutes start to finish -- but none that I've found seem to work as well, so I'm just going with these. I have bunches and bunches and bunches of fabric, even if it is slightly weird prints. If nothing else, I'm using it and getting it out of the studio.

My daughter-in-law is a nurse in the Seattle area, as I've probably already told everyone fourteen times, so I'm sending them to her to use as she thinks best. I don't know how effective they will be, but even if they just supplement existing masks that are being reused, I guess it's something.

I was able to score some more 1/4" elastic from an Etsy shop at a reasonable price before they sold out; most of the sources I found were outrageously priced, far more than I could afford.

Rationally, I know this whole horrible thing will end eventually, one way or another, but in the moment it's terrifying. Like Tigus, I have a sister with whom I don't communicate, and because of various dynamics, I'm afraid to reach out to her. (She's in Chicago area, so not nearby at all). I just want everyone everywhere to be safe.

Now it's time to clean up after weeding, then head back to the studio to sew some more masks.

I had my usual Skype talk with my mom this morning and I flipped out on her when she started talking about how the media is hyping this disease up and it's all overblown...flipped out to the point my husband had to ask me several times if I was okay. No I am not okay; my mom and step-dad live in NE PA and have health conditions and age brackets that make them vulnerable; so do my sisters and their kids. I just couldn't keep it inside any longer and I think she honestly got the wake up call she needed. She works part time in an eye doctor's office and they are running low on PPE; she is a quilter so she is going to make herself some masks. But damn, living so close to NY state you would think she would be more cautious and not so "media is out to scare us."

Anyway, our book fair package came in yesterday and the kids did the unboxing this morning. And yet, even with new books, they are still B-O-R-E-D. I've got reviews to write from February and March and have no desire to type a single word.

Good morning everyone! I'm sitting here in the hallway of the courthouse and I'm the only one here. I have all of the morning appearances which start in 15 minutes so I'm waiting for opposing counsel to show up. It's like the aftermath of the apocalypse here. Totally bizarre.

I hope you all are well.

The sun came out today which has cheered me up. Working now in my office (got it updated and cleaned) downstairs near all of my books :-) I used to just work upstairs, but I got tired of my crap spreading all over the place and having to pack my stuff away all day. Bought a monitor that should get here Thursday.

So far a quiet day at work and I am not complaining.

Just made a quick grocery run to the store closest to me, AZ chain Basha's.

Stocks are not completely back to normal, but getting closer. I suspect this is in part due to the departure of more of our winter visitors. In another two weeks they will almost all be gone.

Canned goods were plentiful as were most of the dairy items and eggs. Better selection of packaged meat though some items were still missing. For instance there was a full case of chicken, but no regular chicken breasts at all. Wings, thighs, drumsticks, whole chickens, half chickens, chicken tenders, but no breasts.

Paper goods still thin, though there was some toilet paper and a little bit of facial tissue. Cleaning products also scarce -- laundry detergent, cleaning sprays, etc. -- but soap, shampoo, etc was in good shape. I did pick up an extra bottle of bleach.

Very little pasta, and noodles were the one item I'm running a bit short on, so I did manage to get two bags.

The important take-away, however, was that at least at one store in Arizona, life is returning to a reasonable facsimile of normal. That's a good thing.

I have a box full of hand-made masks to ship to my daughter-in-law in Seattle. I'm going to make a special trip into town to do that. See y'all later.

3/30/2020

Both kids had their first Zoom meeting with their teacher and classes today. Sophia's teacher started choking up at the end, so us parents said our goodbyes and left the meeting so she could cry in private. This teacher is also a parent to a kindergartener and a second-grader, so she has to fit in those meetings as well. Joshua's teacher is a little older and she just asked for patience as she learns all this new technology - us parents were like me too sister. But I think Joshua's teacher liked that she could mute the entire class of 8 & 9 nine year olds with just a push of a button/icon, LOL. This afternoon we went to pick up their stuff from their classrooms and dropped off school library books. And Sophia's speech & language therapist at school is starting Zoom meetings with her come next week. I think it is coming clear to the kids there is no normal for a while.

I am feeling more grounded today rather than the hair-trigger anxiety of yesterday, even though Wichita has recorded it's first COVID-19 death. The slow drip is starting to ramp up. I actually focused enough on reading to finish a book, but it was a complete disappointing read so I don't know if I should continue with this author. This is the second crap book I've read from her and this is not a streak I want to be on.

Hi everyone. Good to see you all.

I got a cold and now very reluctant to see a doctor. Monitoring if there any fever. Still working from home and running out of idea for meals.

Just got a company email yesterday telling me that one of the staff has a confirmed case. The office is now doing deep cleaning and asked everyone to leave the office early yesterday.

It is sad. I don't know who is the one who got it. But it is hitting damn close. Staying home seems to be the best option.

Reading the Bosch novel.... he got kidnapped...again. This is my joy that there is a book world I could go to when I got bored, or scared or both.

Stay healthy everyone.

I hope you feel better soon, XOX. I ran out of meal ideas ages ago. My idea of variety now is putting chili flakes on everything. It's a really good thing I'm not the only cook in my household.

I got bookmail today. It's a book I pre-ordered a while ago and not the books I anxiety-bought earlier this month that I'm pretending are a late birthday present to myself. It's the first package I've received since going into self-imposed lockdown and I'm surprised at how uneasy it made me. The packaging went straight into the recycle bin and the book is now in "quarantine" in an out-of-the-way corner and I've washed my hands twice but my skin is still crawling. Yay, anxiety. I don't think I'm coping as well as I thought I was. LOL

Reply to post #11 (show post):
Thank you. And happy birthday.

It is hard to know how careful we have to be. I totally got that after getting a cold even when I have been wearing surgical mask since February.

Happy reading.

So glad I'm not the only one who run of meals idea. I'm now searching on Youtube on what can be cooked under 15 minutes.

Reply to post #10 (show post):
That is close to home. It heightens everything.

I’ve only read one Bosch novel so far but I can see the wor’d Is an absorbing one,

I’ve been experimenting with dishes that need to be cooked slowly or where barley or beans need to be soaked overnight before use. I don’t usually have time to make those. I’ve just ordered a new cookbook called The Tin Can Cook. The writer is a campaigner against food poverty. She’s written recipes that are cheap to make and where most of the ingredients are canned goods or dried goods.

Stay safe. Keep reading and posting.

Reply to post #13 (show post):
Thank you.

Tin Can Cook. Let me check that out. I run out of idea long ago. Luckily, I'm an easy person when it come to food. I eat a lot of noodle in soup. The easiest way is to put a few ingredients in soup with noodle. And there is a lot of possibility.

The cold seems to be almost gone now. I will stay home tonight and read the end of the Bosch novel. I knew he survive as I have already read the one after this. it is the disadvantage of reading novel in the wrong order.

Stay safe. And thanks.

Doing okay. Zoom class meetings started so that is why been slightly MIA. It is far more tiring. Everyone is okay. We're really lucky because the local farmer's market is one of the three that the city is keeping open. So literally every Sat, half a block a way, I can get food including fresh greens. Everyone is doing social distancing there too, so it is safe as it is going to get. My corner store opened back up, so that's good.

Two people are school have come down with it. My roommate's fellow instructor at Penn has it.

It is strange seeing Dunkin Donuts closed. Not that I went there, but just strange.

Right now, I am worried about summer courses.

I also hope if everyone can, you are giving money to PBS because they are doing their job really well.

Still fine here, a friend hosted a big zoom chat for a group of us and it was so much fun. It was the brightest spot of the weekend, and we're going to figure out a movie to watch soon - it'll be something that we all have on dvd or can stream.

Everything is on pretty tight lockdown, but traffic is only half slowed down coming through the village, so I'm concerned about how that's effecting the curve...

Reply to post #16 (show post):
I’m amazed the post is still being delivered. I hope your father-in-law is ok.