How are you feeling today? Any new distractions, or are you feeling back to normal? How is your state handling the shutdown, or didn’t it shut down? I know a few states, like Iowa, didn’t.
Indiana is slowly letting go of the grip, but it could be tightened if Covid-19 explodes around the state. We’re going back to work on Monday, May 11, but the public isn’t invited back yet. I have an online meeting this Wednesday, so I’ll probably know a little more then.
I’m looking forward to seeing and talking with people I know. That’s the good part. Here’s what I’m going to miss – watching the wildlife outside my back door. There’s a rabbit and baby bunny, a squirrel I call George, and ducks who regularly run across the back lawn. They’re all out in the morning, and I enjoy the visits. (The cats ignore them all.)
I’m reading a little more, talking to family a little less. We don’t really have much to say since we’re all stuck at home.
Looking ahead to the week – there’s a streaming rebroadcast of The King and I on March 8. My Mom, sisters and I saw it on Broadway with Kelli O’Hara. That’s the one that’s being shown. She won the Tony for the role, and she was marvelous.
And, today is May 4. The Kent State shootings were fifty years ago today, May 4, 1970. I was only in eighth grade at the time, but five years later I went to Kent. I lived in a dorm that still had bullet holes in it. The memories of that weekend and that day lingered five years later, and one of my English professors even covered it in class. The Columbus Dispatch has been running a series about the shootings. That’s what I’m going to do today – read the newspaper. They were all so wrong fifty years ago.
Those are my distractions. What are you doing? Most of all, are you doing okay?
Wow. 50 years. I was in college and we were also having protests at the time. In the end, the term was finished and students were given a pass/fail option for most classes. I was very disillusioned at the time and dropped out of school. It was a couple of years before I went back and finished, in a much better frame of mind.
Distractions? Hmm. Well, our favorite Italian restaurant reopened (for curbside pickup) so we ordered some yummy food and picked it up yesterday, which was good. It was also 80 degrees (though quite a bit cooler when we were out, plus we are by the water, which tends to keep it cooler at times with a sea breeze). The cool weather is back again this week, unfortunately.
No, New York is (rightfully) not reopening yet, at least not Downstate where most of the cases are, though numbers are coming down quite a bit. I just wish everyone going out – including "protesters" – would just WEAR A MASK. You think it's a hoax, you want to go back to work, I get it. Well, we don't want to die, and neither do your parents and grandparents, so use at least that much common sense and consideration for others.
If you want a distraction and a laugh, go to youtube and watch the "KoCuomo" video. Very clever.
I agree, Jeff. And, I wear a mask. Everyone in the grocery store had one on when I was there on Thursday, staff and customers. And, I don't want to die. You're right.
I'm going to go to YouTube, and check out that video.
Afternoon Lesa 🙂
Today it's sunny here and I now have my mini-greenhouse up and running. I decided to site it on the balcony of the sitting room (middle floor) rather than in the garden itself, as the only place we could put it down there would be in shade. I have put some of my pots of growing seeds into it and we will see how they do.
I finished 'The Murder on the Sussex Downs' and now I have started Marghanita Laski's 'The Village', which was written in 1952 but opens on the day that the war ended in 1945. It is not a cosy, more a fictional observation of the way in which social strata are changing in a big way, with the formerly comfortable middle classes having to come to terms with less money and no servants, and the tradespeople, who have done quite well out of the war, now able to buy better houses and their children able to find better jobs. And now an American has arrived in the village – the residents don't know what to make of someone who is friendly to all, regardless of class, and who doesn't know the etiquette for the paying of afternoon calls. So far I am loving it – I'd not read anything by Laski before, but she is a good writer. I have the book in an old 'Companion Book Club' edition that I must have picked up in a charity shop, but I think it has also been republished by Persephone.
I know what you mean about speaking a bit less to your family. One of my daughters said to me 'well none of us has anything to say, do we? We're not going anywhere!' – though despite that she and I had a good chat on the phone (then she had to go because 'I have a call booked at 2' (with two of her London friends)! I also chatted to my younger daughter for over an hour on Saturday night – I tend to call people when I am out walking.
Nothing is opening up here – I don't know what the latest news is because I don't watch any of it, but I get updates from my news-addicted mother every so often! So at the moment the only places open are food stores, pharmacies, medical centres, vets, some hardware stores and some banks. Our post office is inside the Spar so that is also open, but only for 4 hours per day, as the shop staff have to cover that as well, and the PO is just inundated with parcels. I contribute to that as I seem to have a list of my mother's aged (and therefore 'shielded') friends who are all putting in requests for biscuits, sweets, cakes, tea, etc. Keeps me busy!
The heron was on our stretch of the river again yesterday, so lovely to see, whether standing motionless in the water or flying low upstream like some kind of prehistoric being.
I recorded the new documentary about Lee Miller on BBC2 last night, so I will try to catch up with that tonight. I've also been listening to 'Death in the 5th Position' by Gore Vidal on BBC Sounds, which I enjoyed a lot. I thought I might buy some of his murder mysteries (written as Edgar Box I think) till I saw the prices they are commanding.
Apologies if I am repeating myself, I'm starting to forget what I told to whom….
Hope you are having as good a day as you can.
Rosemary x
No repetition there, Rosemary. In fact, it just makes me feel good to read your updates. Thank you. You're right. That's the issue. It's not that I love or miss my family any less. We just don't have anything to talk about because none of us are going anyplace. Since I'll be the only one in the family working outside the house as of next Monday, I guess I'll be the only one with something to say. Let's hope it's all good.
I'd read about the post-WWII years in Great Britain. There were such big changes in life there, right? Ha! I'd be one of those Americans who talks to everyone. Interesting.
Keep posting on Mondays, if you can. I love to read your updates. Thank you.
I was a senior in high school in Canton, Ohio, already admitted to Kent State, when I heard about the shootings. Which dorm were you in? I lived in Terrace my freshman year, which backed up to the Commons where they were still demonstrating every weekend that fall. My dad would come and take me home for the weekend, then I got a job in the old student union and had to work weekends. Anyhow, it was an interesting year to be a freshman.
So "May the 4th be with you" means Kent State this year, not Star Wars.
I was in Prentice, Cindy. Lived there 2 years before moving off campus. Right there at the parking lot where students were shot, next to the journalism building.
You know, I heard some of the students when they came back to speak. I read the book in my English class. The professor was one of the co-authors, showing how wrong newspapers could get it with headlines saying guardsmen were shot, etc. But, it all never really hit me how easy it would have been to be involved until May 4 my sophomore year. I worked down in the new library. I came up to Prentice at noon to have lunch because the dorm had a cafeteria. And, it hit me right then. I could have easily been working on campus, not knowing what was happening, and walked up to my dorm for lunch just when the shootings were happening. I believe it was Allison Krause who was heading to a class when she was shot. That sophomore year was when it hit me how easy it would have been to be shot even if you weren't involved.
Nothing is opening up here in NJ except the parks which opened this past weekend. We’re staying away from the parks for the time being since they’re very crowded. We’ve had a couple of nice days so we got some yard work done. We had to go grocery shopping this morning but we should be good for the rest of the week now. My mom has one more home visit from the physical therapist this week and then she’s done. She’s getting around better but hasn’t been out of the house for about 7 weeks. She doesn’t want to wear a mask and there isn’t really any place to take her. I finished a book over the weekend and now I can’t decide what I feel like reading.
It's hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that it's been 50 years. I remember.
And doing okay. Still doing a lot of cooking and baking. And eating!
Normal? I find it hard to believe anyone will be believing things are "normal" for a long time yet. Adapt, yes, but not feeling normal based on what normal was a couple months ago.
They're opening some businesses where I live, but many of these places were open sub-rosa anyway, so I don't know it makes any difference. There was a bit of a speakeasy type culture forming.
I went to college during the Clinton years, and while there were protests, nobody much cared about them, not even the protesters. It was more something they did because they were in college than anything else.
I'm glad we opened the hospitals. A lot of "elective" procedures have a deadline before they aren't so elective anymore.
It wasn't until, what, 2008? that republicans really started to protest. I think people still don't know how to handle it.
I agree with Kaye. I don't think we're going to know what our new normal is for quite some time. You all take care of yourselves. I depend on you to be here on Mondays and Thursdays. Sending lots of virtual hugs.
I live in Iowa. You are right that Iowa never had a shelter in place order from the governor. However what the governor asked of us and business was very similar to other states' shelter in place orders. Dr. Fauci spoke with our governor and said that. So most businesses were shut down–only those deemed essential remained open. Dentists were not included in this. We are slowly starting to reopen in counties that do not have a high number of cases. Right now restaurants can open at 50% capacity and 6ft of spacing between tables, some medical procedures, malls and other businesses at 50% capacity. Many have remained closed though. Our worst hit counties have meat packing facilities. Those counties restrictions have not been lifted.
I love to read and enjoy your reviews. I especially love treasures in my closet.
I live in Northern Colorado which is sticking its big toe in the water a tiny bit at a time to see how it goes. I'm from the elder crowd, so I'm encouraged to continue staying home as much as possible. In an odd way, I'm getting used to it. We use the curbside-pickup option a lot for groceries and supplies, take a walks with our masks in place, and use all kinds of precautions to disinfect purchases and deliveries. This "reopening," even if gradual, could go either way. At my age, I don't care to take any chances.
Hi Lesa,
Glad you're going back to work. I work at a public library library in NC and we have still been working even though we are closed to the public. Doing curbside pickups, answering phones, cleaning books, making facebook videos (storytimes, book recommendations, etc), planning programs and watching webinars. I feel like I am reading more (esp. audiobooks) even though still working. Since we are closed to the public, it's been pretty casual. While I clean books, I am usually listening to an audiobook. take care and keep safe.
Hi Lesa. In Illinois, everything is very much still on lockdown. Nothing is reopening. I had a lockdown birthday last month (very strange not seeing family/friends), and I'm still working but mostly from home – my work is an essential business, as we're a manufacturing company that supplies parts to the federal government and companies like John Deere, Caterpillar, etc.
Not surprisingly I've been reading a lot! I've been choosing more cozies than usual – they're just comforting and easy to read. I like knowing everything will be resolved in a neat little package at the end of the book. Right now I'm reading "The Book of Two Ways" by Jodi Picoult. I was fortunate to get an eARC from the publisher.
It's good to hear everyone is staying safe and taking the necessary precautions!