Florida & the Virus

UPDATE. I'm accumulating information, and hopefully expertise, on making masks. My next blog will include links to patterns & video, and include what I've learned while making a variety of masks this week. Meanwhile, for those who are anxious, check out the YouTube video made by Jo-Ann's Fabrics and the pattern & instructions for making a Fu Mask (my preference), available on the Internet.

My son sent me a list of ten "Corona Memes." I am re-posting 3 of them to Mosaic Moments. Obviously, we need all the smiles we can get.

FLORIDA & THE VIRUS

Thursday, March 19.

Hard to believe only a week ago I was buying groceries, though the shelves were already clean of toilet paper and hand sanitizer. Why the run on toilet paper I have no idea, nor did anyone else in the store. We were all talking freely to each other, only vaguely worried about a virus that had produced but one case in our country, a man just returned from a Nile cruise in Egypt. (More important that day, my family had to be out their house before Friday's Closing.) But two days later, daughter called to postpone my visit to the new house and get a transponder for the gate of their new community. As a "most at risk," I was to stay home, she told me, go nowhere—including no church, no choir—have my groceries delivered.

My son called from Connecticut to give the same caution as my daughter. So here I am, grateful that I already have a "work at home" job, my cat to keep me company, and feeling self-righteous because I early-voted last Thursday, completed the 2020 Census online, and sent off my IRS figures to my accountant. (My one venture out to a nearly deserted post office and to pick up a prescription in the drive-thru line at Walgreen's.) 

Looking on the bright side, my next book will likely get done faster. I am getting a lot of gardening done - long neglected due to my broken foot last fall. Which means spring gardening is a real challenge, with lots more debris to clean up than usual. (I'm gradually getting back in shape, but there's a lot of huffing and puffing.) Since my reading schedule has always been heavy, few changes there. But I am enjoying having an extra project during this time of being house-bound—I am finishing up my fifth princess gown for the church's spring musical and will likely make one or two more. Of course the musical has been postponed, but I am confident it WILL happen sometime, and those gowns will be ready!

Squeak, interestingly, seems to pick up on the general tension. She cuddles more, sleeps with me each night, not at the foot of the bed as in the past but cuddled up as tight as she can get. Reminds me of my previous cat, Ghostie, who was a stray I fed while living in Venice. Knowing she would starve when we moved, my son cornered her, forced her into a carrier, and moved her to Orlando with me. The day after we arrived, she was gone for four days, coming back only after being defeated by the superhighway leading back to Venice (or so I speculated). Anyway, she stayed put, but never cuddling (as was her habit) until I came home after a week in the hospital, at which point she curled up on my bed and stayed there until I was up and around. Amazing how animals sense our feelings.

As for the rest of Florida . . .

It was truly the end of the world as we know it when Disneyworld, Universal & the other theme parks closed their doors, a number of hotels along with them. Orlando International - something like the fourth busiest airport in the U.S. - is nearly a ghost town. Bars are closed, restaurants asked to "distance" their customers. Schools are closed, many going to online classes after Spring Break (this week). My church is still functioning but the choir has been given leave. Everyone is asked to practice "social distancing." Even the anchors on my local TV station were delivering the news from separate studios. Our grocery stores are now offering "early shopping" hours for seniors,but I still intend to explore Publix Delivery, a whole new concept for me. 

Although Disney is paying its employees during the shutdown, most businesses cannot manage that; plus, all peripheral businesses are adversely affected, which is a goodly portion of Orange and Osceola counties. And every business, large and small, is affected by people staying home, making this a really tough time economically as well as medically. My county (Seminole) is now up to 8 cases, Orange County (Orlando), 15. And yet, Spring Breakers are still going to the beach—88 rip tide rescues at Daytona Beach last Sunday alone. Evidently, there are altogether too many college students who consider themselves indestructible. Sigh. 

One disturbing bit of news—this news report was from MY country:

Gun stores are selling out of guns & ammunition, the majority to first-time gun owners. Apparently, too many apocalyptic movies & TV shows out there. Sigh. Fortunately, most people are standing up to this disaster with fortitude (barring the hoarding of toilet paper, that is). We, all descendants of immigrants, are a hardy lot. We will cope. And hopefully, do it with grace and courage.

I offer my sympathy to other affected countries, particularly those who are suffering so severely. Perhaps this is a reminder we are all one world—that we suffer together, will rise together, hopefully better able to see "we" instead of "me."

Saturday, March 21
Eight cases of Covid-19 in my county. Two neighboring counties - Orange & Osceola - have instituted an 11pm - 5am curfew. Restaurants are now Delivery or Curb-service only. Yet the beaches, crowded by spring breakers, are still open. The Florida Keys, however, are shutting down to all outsiders as of Sunday (tomorrow) night. 

Closing with a pic we all need . . .

A stream of flowers (Holland)

~ * ~

For Blair's website, click here.

 
For a link to Making Magic With Words, click here. 

For a link to Shadows Over Greystoke Grange on Amazon, click here.

For a link to Shadows Over Greystoke Grange on Smashwords (20% free read), click here.

For a link to Blair's updated Facebook Author Page, click here.

Thanks for stopping by,

Grace