TGIF

Sunny days make all the difference. It would feel much different if we were going into winter in isolation. I can only pray that in six months we won't be having a resurgence.

I had an actual business meeting yesterday with the South Deerfield Fire Dept. to plan for repaving their parking lot. No hand-shaking. I went out today to get a burrito at Mesa Verde. Supporting local restaurants is something I can do. Hand sanitizer is prominent on the counter

My contract with the City of Northampton for doing their paving inspection this summer has no start date yet, but I got a message today just to say that everything is uncertain.

Another small job in Whately is pending "when the Town can conduct business again."

I recorded a webinar this morning about historic maps for the Mass. Gen. Council, whose April conference will now be virtual. Paid work!

So many people don't have savings. It feels strange to draw on my retirement account (how did we become "the elderly?"), but good to have savings. Not to panic. My kids are secure for now. All are still on the payroll. The funding bill passed the Congress.

Every day we hear about the heroic actions of hospital workers who don't have the equipment they need to help the suffering and to protect themselves. Being at home, making my own schedule most of the time is my usual state of being. My life hasn't changed so much, but I am thankful for my choices to life a rural life. The space between me and crowds of people. We start to know that every morning we wake up and face the fear. It is a lot like the feeling of unease that started in November of 2016 when knew it would be a long time until things were put right.

A little writing, a little knitting, too much TV. I was going to wait out the warmer temperatures expected and not deal with the snow, but I decided to go out and get a sandwich so I had to push it off the windshield. Supporting local business - the Black Cow Burger joint. I pulled a few articles about the 1918 flu pandemic from old newspapers. So many obituaries. I think that's where I'm at, less fear for now than dread about what's to come. Greenfield Savings bank announced an interest holiday for mortgages. I will have to follow that up.

Carolyn started conducting speech therapy by video screen. I'm glad that keeps her employed. She says her father took a warehouse job. He's not in the best shape for that.

I had one video chat with genealogy friends. I'm not sure how positive that is. They're more worried than I am.

Just Another Manic Monday

Not really manic. It is going to be as hard to title these posts as it is to write them.

Today was the first time I washed off the groceries I brought home before I put them away. Just a soapy sponge on the plastic containers: a gallon of milk, orange juice, and onion dip. Oh, and grape soda. It tastes like my fourth grade picnic. The empty paper aisle at Food City is striking, and there are signs posted to limit all purchases to two of any item. There's plenty of meat, but I don't feel that I need any beyond a few portions I have frozen.

And snow! This is not what I wanted at this point of the month. I was hoping to take a walk in the Federal Street cemetery in Greenfield. I guess I'll go back to researching, but I like to visit these people when I get to "know" them better. When I start writing when I wake up, I don't break for breakfast until later. I made it until noon before I turned on the TV today.

Zoom Time

I'm thankful for new technologies that let me video chat with my family. We had a Zoom meeting last night. I could see their faces in Alaska and North Carolina yesterday (and, Brian, local.) My nephew Brendan also chimed in. I hope they are willing to do this weekly. We got to see the baby wiggling in real time for 40 minutes. Brian put the dogs on screen for Linda to see. There's nothing better for a mother than witnessing the natural interactions between her children.

Although I'm not good with too much structure, I'm going to make a point of getting my body moving. I took a walk across the river this afternoon. It's not enough, but I want to be conscious of it. It has felt like a weekend after all.

Saturday

As I said, I mostly work from home, but I really feel like I have to remind myself it is Saturday today. Or, as I was reminded of what the Dowager Countess said in Downton Abbey, "What is a weekend?" My schedule is flexible. Some people I know who have brought their work home have a better sense of time off today. 

The sun is shining, and that makes all the difference to me. The Income Tax filing deadline has been extended to July, but that's still on my To Do list. 

The medical profession is feeling the stress in the more populated areas. The shortages of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is a crisis that the federal government isn't prepared to solve. That is a crime. Articles are circulating with instructions on how to sew face masks, but I don't understand how that will help. Old T shirts don't stop germs. Calling retired doctors and nurses out of retirement will only put them at extreme risk. They can't say no. 

Cases of COVID 19 are confirmed at the Buckley Nursing home in Greenfield. I am relieved that I don't have to worry about elderly family members. I am it. Cousin Val just returned from a Panama Canal cruise. I hope she and her family are safe. It has been a rough month for death even before the pandemic kicked in. There will be too many obituaries to be written in the next months. This week Julie Burns Mangione was taken by pancreatic cancer. It was a couple of years ago we got together in EMass. but I'm glad I had that contact. Last week it was Ed Jeronczy, 94, prostate cancer. I will see if I can finish writing his war stories for him. I was asked to be a pall bearer for Denise Lundgren's husband, Nate (blood infection). It was an honor. Funerals are no longer being held.

That's today's update. Let's see if I can do this daily.

Genealogy in the Time of Coronavirus

Preserving personal experiences for history, that's what any good genealogist should do, right? I'm going to let the next series of posts go from research-based to stream of consciousness.

Someone asked yesterday, "When was your last normal day?" I know today was my most abnormal day yet. I got up early to grocery shop and found the parking lot at Market Basket as full at 7 am as any afternoon when I have been there. As I thanked the employees who served me, I realized I was about to break into tears. The stress has been building and I wasn't aware how close to the surface it is.

My shopping list was somewhat changed from previous weeks. I don't usually buy dried beans, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to have some on hand. I got milk in 1/2 gallon containers to freeze, just in case. There was no flour. Is everybody learning to bake bread? There was, however, plenty of bread. I stocked up on cat food and litter. I don't want to do without that.

On March 4th I flew back from seeing Carolyn in North Carolina. Was that a normal day? My seat-mate swabbed down the seat belt and tray table before sitting down. Do some people do that all the time? I wondered if the plane was less full than usual, but that can vary.

On March 7th I went into Boston for a NEAPG meeting. I was more conscious than usual about not touching anything in the shuttle bus from Alewife and the train into Park Street. Don't touch your face. Don't touch your face. I went straight to the bathroom at the Congregational Library where the meeting was held and used soap to wash my hands.

Since then I've been to the grocery store, take-out food places. Not much else.

I live alone. I mostly work from home. My quiet days are not unusual. Having nothing on the calendar is unusual. I shouldn't watch so much TV, but I like to get my news live. I have confidence in the governors and their infrastructure planning. No faith in the administration in Washington.

I have plenty of writing, researching (cleaning?) to do here. I have cats wrapped around my legs. I have started to draw on my 401K, but that was done in anticipation of summer construction work replenishing it. We shall see. Social media keeps us in contact, but video chat is better. Genealogical friends have embraced it immediately. Let's see if I can get the family to sit down and try that.

Keep praying. Watch out for each other.