15 Days… Stop the Spread: Life has Changed… Day 14

I chose to reuse this photo again… it says it all!

I’m glad this is Day 14… as I’m getting tired and depressed reading the stats everyday and trying to wrap my head around the numbers. I log them in the morning and then later I see how the numbers have drastically changed… it’s scary!

While I have tried to have lots of “hope“… that when we reached Day 15… things would seem more hopeful… that isn’t seeming to be. I log the stats daily as I watch TV… finding it hard to believe that these numbers are coming from the country I live in. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever fathom I would live through a pandemic. I don’t live in what’s known as a third world country… we have up-to-date living conditions here… the best medical in the world… but yet, look what is happening… and becoming worse by the day! I remember the first day when I watched “The Walking Dead” TV show… and thought… could that ever happen here… but ,just look at the streets of New York now… it looks that way. They say we will overcome this… I want to believe… I’m trying to have hope!

Stats Today…

• World Wide Cases – 691,867
• World Wide Deaths – 32,988
• United States Cases – 133,039
• United States Deaths – 2,362

Entirely too much finger pointing still continuing today… even in a pandemic the politicians just can’t work together… sad for our country. It wasn’t like that during WWII… people pulled together more and stood together strong!

It seems the only ones working during this time, with no conscious, are the scammers that are  working hard to continue in stealing your money during this already stressful times. Be diligent as you review every email, message and phone call… and keep reminding your grandparents. Now that stimulus checks are on the way… I’m sure they will be mentioning that in their calls… how they need your checking account no. to direct it to you. Think Twice on everything before you click! I DO NOT click on anything… if I’m concerned, I go on the internet myself and then to their site… no clicking from within any emails sent me. I often forward those phishy emails to whichever supposedly site they came from… does it help… probably not, but it makes me feel like it does. It still boggles my mind… that we can’t track these people down… but, they sure know how to find us!

Tomorrow will be my last blog post in this series… I had hoped my last one would have more hope… but the only hope is that this will all end… sooner, rather than later! Stay safe everyone.

To read more 15 Days Stop the Spread: Life has Changed… click HERE.
© 2020, copyright Jeanne Bryan Insalaco; all rights reserved

 

15 Days… Stop the Spread: Life Has Changed… Day 13

I took this photo of me while sitting in my mother’s room a couple of years ago. She had been hospitalized for a droplet flu and the nurses made me wear while in her room. I feel for anyone having to wear a mask all day… as this simple mask drove me crazy in wearing while inside her room… I found it very smothering while wearing. Usually I don’t post photos of me… but thought this one fit into my post.

Today is Day 13 of the “Stop the Spread” that President Trump began… today he is now talking of an enforceable quarantine in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut! So what does that mean… does that mean we will see the Army patrolling our streets… stopping us on the roads? It will not pertain to truckers entering our states, but who will want to come in? I live in Connecticut… but not in the immediate area bordering New York… how and when will this end?

News of the Day…

• World Wide Confirmed Cases – 622,000
• World Wide Deaths – 28,000
• United States Confirmed Cases – 111,000
• United States Deaths – 1,800
• Italy has over 9000 deaths in their country
• The Dow is still up for the week, even with the down days we experienced… it’s still the best it’s been since 1938.
• President Trump visited the U.S.N. “Comfort” ship in Norfolk, VA. to bless and send off to New York.

I’m told the grocery stores were busy today… and probably even more so after this announcement today… I foresee the hoarding to begin soon again for groceries. We were just beginning to see items as toilet paper, paper towels and cleaning items back on the shelf… and now we’ll be turning back to empty shelves.

The FDA approved new rapid tests that will now give results in 15 minutes… they will be delivered next week. Even with a quick turnaround of the test… it seems this virus will never end! They have said this is worse than dealing with the aftermath of 911… talk about scary! I am feeling panicky today… especially when my mother calls crying… over a thousand miles away… and I can’t do anything. This is not living!

In telling hubby today that I wanted to wipe off everything before bringing it into the house… he looked at me… “I’m not living my life like that.” He’s my sanity… and keeps me from losing mine. I don’t want to become paranoid, but if the virus can linger on boxes, cans and vegetables… what is really safe to buy? This is like no other war we have ever fought… our enemy is invisible!

I’ll sleep on all this… maybe tomorrow will look better! Stay safe… we will fight this all together!

To read more 15 Days Stop the Spread: Life has Changed… click HERE.
© 2020, copyright Jeanne Bryan Insalaco; all rights reserved

15 Days… Stop the Spread: Life has Changed… Day 12

It made me feel good to read about the many companies like Hanes… stepping up to produce over 1.5 million masks weekly and up to 5/6 million in the coming weeks. The fashion industry is also joining in… offering their many seamstresses to sew gowns, masks and scrubs. Beauty companies are producing hand sanitizer to distribute free to medical and emergency services. Crocs Shoe Company is giving away free shoes to health care workers.

Our generation has never been tested as it is today!

This is all being done even though President Trump did sign the “Defense Production Act” into place… which requires companies to produce supplies for the government; he will only act to invoke the law if he must. As long as companies are volunteering and able to produce, he doesn’t want to “nationalize” our U. S. industry. All this offering from private companies… stepping up to produce… just goes to show you that there still is greatness in our great country!

And the news today…

• World Wide Coronavirus confirmed cases – 551,337
• World Wide deaths – 24,863
• U. S. Coronavirus confirmed cases – 104,142
• U. S. deaths – 1,695
• Connecticut Coronavirus confirmed cases – 1,291… Deaths 27
• Hospital Naval Ship “Comfort” sails to New York City
• Stock Market takes a tumble today after a three-day rise… let’s hope the signing of the bill will help to stabilize the market

Cooking Classes Today…

Ana and Ella baked in cooking class today!

My daughter-in-law cancelled all school classes today except for a cooking class in Home Economics… today the girls learned how to read a recipe and all that goes along with understanding the concept of it. I’m told there was one who sat on the sidelines… the taster waited impatiently for the chocolate cookies!

Ana and Ella making chocolate cookies… cookies enjoyed by baker “Ana” and taster “Nina”

Great job girls… Hint Hint… GiGi has a birthday in April… send cookies!

In reading through Facebook today… so many people are getting antsy to get out of their houses… and many who went on drives today reported seeing groups on the beach. I haven’t been out in a few days… maybe tomorrow we will take a ride by the beach… I miss seeing the water. Possibly our favorite Sundae House will be open… is it essential?… well, we will find out tomorrow!

The Stimulus Bill passed in Congress… sent to President Trump… and All Signed!

I read through many of the additions to this stimulus bill… and just don’t understand it. Money was added to so many things that I personally don’t feel should have been… but to get it signed… we all had to let it go. I hope people remember this when they’re up for re-election again… as they were clearly not thinking of the American people out of work. There are many people who really need those checks… hope they arrive sooner, rather than later… as government often seems to take forever… unless you owe them!

Stay safe… we will weather through this together!

To read more 15 Days Stop the Spread: Life has Changed… click HERE.
© 2020, copyright Jeanne Bryan Insalaco; all rights reserved

 

 

 

15 Days… Stop the Spread: Life has Changed… Day 11

Thank You Truckers!

The past day or so I’ve seen several photos on Facebook of meat cases full and photos of almost full shelves of toilet paper. The truckers have been working non-stop to bring in supplies… but they often disappear almost immediately. Hopefully, if the stimulus bill is passed… people will slow down in their buying and not feel as if they must run out to buy everything in sight. We need to get back to normal!

every morning… the news of the day is depressing!

• World Wide confirmed cases… 487,648
• World Wide deaths… 22,030
• U. S. confirmed cases… 69,97
• U. S. deaths… 1046
• A record 3.3 million people are filing for unemployment. The state web-sites were so overwhelmed, that many even crashed. 1982 was the previous, highest unemployment… so sad, as we were presently at our “lowest” rate of unemployment in history before this crisis; we had been at our lowest since 1969.
• Navy Hospital ship, “Mercy” heads to Los Angeles with a 1000 person medical staff.
• US Stocks rallied for 3rd day of gains… closing up at 6.2%, while the Dow finished up at 6.4%: Tuesday closed at the highest since 1933; I hope this continues.

The stimulus bill passed the Senate last night… now onto the House… and finally to President Trump… sad that it must take this long! What really upsets me… is reading the “pork” additions that have been snuck written into this bill. I thought it was a stimulus bill to help our Americans out of work… where do we draw the lines on some of those issues? I just want this to all go away… and we have our lives back… and loved ones safe!

I just sat shaking my head this morning as a newscaster talked about getting our lives back… but mentioning nail salons and hairdressers and how our roots are showing! I think the new word “Covidiot” applies here!Really, you don’t know how to color your roots or paint your nails… you do have the time now! I’m sure there are YouTube videos… if needed! I’ll just head over to my granddaughters house… they are pros in the nail painting department! 

Since my granddaughter learned to knit, I find her paying attention to everything I have that ties to knitting. She picked up a knitting pattern book yesterday and asked what it was for. I flipped through it showing her how it gave you directions to create different pattern stitches. She later picked up one of my WIP’s (work in progress)… and in looking at the stitch pattern, said… “this pattern looks like my mermaid tail blanket you knitted.” She was absolutely right…. Good eye McKinley… my budding Nancy Drew! I think I’ll look for a simple project soon, and show her how to follow a pattern… especially as she’s reading more and more every day.

The WIP was a mermaid tail I’m knitting for all the girls. I had previously knitted them Barbie mermaid tails, but these new ones will fit a larger 18-inch doll. Even though they don’t all play with them, I thought they’d enjoy laying them on their bed… and having GiGi with them every night. McKinley and Grace also spotted my 4 socks I was knitting for them… and thankfully they each liked a different pair… as they both vary in colors.

Little sister, Gracie, was writing sentences yesterday for a story, and every time she didn’t know how to spell a work, she’d ask big sister… and big sister would quickly rattle off the spelling; it was interesting to sit and listen. Spelling has always come easy to me… not so much the math though… maybe Ancestry will soon test for spelling genes. They have tested my DNA for so many things from “bitter sensitivity” to “sprinter gene” and much more. I can safely say I am not bitter sensitive or possess any sprinter genes!

It seems my grandchildren will not return to school until the fall… but isn’t that the time when the flu rears its ugly head… and what about this Coronavirus… as I keep hearing that it may come back around again. We can’t continue to live like this… our roads and buildings are beginning to look like areas from The Walking Dead. I’m not trying to be depressing… but I do worry about where we are heading, and what the future holds for my grandchildren! I worry about when it may begin to affect them… when will they realize they aren’t going back to their classrooms… or see their teacher until the new year, and what grade will they return to? I don’t think anyone really has that answer… but I still think about it… and wonder!

In California, many banks are waiving mortgage payments for 3 months… except for Bank of America… only waiving 1 month. I have never liked BOA after dealing with them for a family member… their customer service associates were exceptionally rude and nasty with me on the phone. I’m sure families are very appreciative of all the help that is being offered… hope it extends throughout the country.

Be Like Rosie… wash those hands!

It’s time to stop the name calling… name blaming… Let’s all take some responsibility and pray that God gives us another chance to make this country “Great” again. We are all coming together to do what we can… and what’s been asked of us… continue washing those hands!

To read more 15 Days Stop the Spread: Life has Changed… click HERE.
© 2020, copyright Jeanne Bryan Insalaco; all rights reserved

15 Days… Stop the Spread: Life has Changed… Day 10

I wash my hands to protect these people!

There was so much talk last night about NYC being a hotspot… and it’s scary as it borders my state. I do feel sorry for those who work and live in the city… so many jobs that will not come back. Sad to see Broadway shut down and streets empty… I love going to musicals… but no one will dare to sit in those seats for a long time… they are extremely close. I remember my first experience there and shocked how close the seats were to each other… you literally are like a sardine sitting inside those theaters. But the experience of being there for a live production makes you forget how closed in you are… as the inside of each theater is spectacular… quite different from how the outside of the theater looks.

On the news briefing today… they mentioned that NYC might be flattening off… but that doesn’t mean we can go back to work and back to our life just yet… we can’t let our guard down too quickly!

I called my mother today before she called me to ask “is everyone ok up there?” While she doesn’t often remember one moment from the next lately… she seems to remember about this virus… and I keep telling her to change the channel! I’m surprised she hasn’t remembered to tell me her favorite words… “you know, God is getting tired of this world, and he’s letting us know”… while I’m not proficient with what’s written in the Bible, she has continued to tell me over the years, that it says how we “ourselves” will destroy the world.” We will not let this be the end… of which she speaks!

Lots of talk about the “bill” this morning… Talk, Talk, Talk… get it done! There are many people out there there that need those checks, and we don’t want to hear all talk and no action!

News today…

• Prince Charles of England has tested positive for the Coronavirus… and they have isolated his mother, the Queen, to keep her safe.
• When they pass this stimulus bill, it will be the largest bill ever passed in American History.
• As of this morning, 436,159 confirmed COVID-19 cases throughout the world
• 19,648 deaths throughout the world – up 765 in last 24 hours
• There are 55,238 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the United States today
• 802 deaths in the United States… up 19 in the last 24 hours
• Scientist now say that the Coronavirus is not mutating quickly, so it might respond well to a vaccine.

I liked President Trump’s words today of… “We should never rely on other countries for our own independence!”

Who knew such a vast amount of our pharmaceuticals and medical supplies came from other countries… I didn’t know we were this dependant on them as we seem to be! Did You? Maybe this is a wake-up call… a time to take back our country’s independence… bringing back the “Made in the USA”… what our parents and great grandparents grew up seeing. They never wanted to buy products made in China… they only wanted American made. We need to become, once again, the self-sufficient country we were… to not depend upon any other country for our own needs. There are many companies already stepping up to help produce the immediate needs of respirators, masks, glove and gowns so desperately needed in our hospitals, nursing homes and doctor offices. We can’t ever let this type of thing happen again in America! We can do this!

GiGi wore her teachers hat to grandchildren, McKinley and Grace today… and I’m sure my classes were much different than their usual classrooms. After breakfast and a half hour of “their choice” on TV, they had computer time on their laptops. Before lunch we watched a live feed on alligators, courtesy of our own Mystic Aquarium in CT. After writing exercises and science reading on insects, we discussed the insect of McKinley’s choice… the ladybug… who knew she was also known as a ladybird and that she could live up to three years! In working together, they both wrote a story about ladybugs with illustrations and I filmed them… sending video to their mother. Our history lesson came about when the Golden Gate Bridge screensaver showed on the TV…. and McKinley asked why it was so-named… off to Google I went. And the answer is, the body of water that flows between the Pacific Ocean into the San Francisco Bay is called The Golden Gate Strait… hence the name. Arts and Crafts ended our day with birthday card making for their great grandmother, “Angel” who turns 90 next month.

Teacher definitely was in need of a nap by this time!

Pop took over the afternoon cooking class… sure he gets all the fun and rewards! They were excited to make brownies in his personal size cast iron pan! A fun project they’ve asked to make again.

In talking with granddaughter Ella in Florida… she reports how she loves the  homeschooling with mom… and sharing the classroom with sisters, Ana and Nina. She gives her mom an A+ as a teacher… sounds like things are going well there… but I bet mom was also ready for a nap later… as I was!

Great news hearing the Dow Jones was up in points again today… at over 21,147 points as of this writing. The Dow has gained the most points in two days since 1987… let’s hope this bill is signed soon, or that could all change. Wish I had the know-how and money to have bought stocks at recent lows in the past days… and sell at record highs. I’m sure there was much money made on Wall Street today!

If you’re  homeschooling your kids… let me hear how it’s going for you!

To read more 15 Days Stop the Spread: Life has Changed… click HERE.
© 2020, copyright Jeanne Bryan Insalaco; all rights reserved

15 Days… Stop the Spread: Life has Changed… Day 9

Today’s quote… Put your politics behind you (Democrats & Republicans) and pass the darn bill!

I laughed when I found this photo as it reminded me of my father whenever I talked about money issues… and who didn’t have money issues in raising small children. The first thing Daddy would say is… “better tighten that belt.” I don’t think I’ll ever forget that lesson he taught me… and I think I’ve told my children those same very words over the years! Our country needs now to do the very same thing as we all pull together to get through this crisis… and we will get through… and then we can loosen that belt… a little!

As of this posting, the numbers are…

• World wide Coronavirus cases – 417,698
• World wide deaths – 18,614
• U. S. Coronavirus cases – 53,268
• U. S. deaths – 696

When will these numbers start to level off!

I’m hearing that this stimulus package in Congress is a $2 Trillion plus… a 1,400 page stimulus bill. I can’t even wrap my head around writing such a thing in such a short period. I hope they plan to read this one… as the last time we had such a large bill… I remember hearing it said, “Oh, we must get it passed and then there will be plenty of time to read it.” When you go to a lawyer, you have always been told…  always read the fine print. We didn’t on that one… and I think that was a big mistake! I don’t think that’s the way to run our country!

At this time, many people have transformed from working in a cubicle at work… to working from home… at least the lucky ones. While many aren’t afforded that option because of the type of job they have… it is great that companies were able to give their employees that option… and make it happen in such a quick time.

I’m still trying to wrap my head around how the annual flu causes a death total of around 37,000 annually… with the Coronavirus showing a death count of only 696 deaths as of today. I still think about… do they know something we don’t?

Well it’s official… no 2020 Summer Olympics this year… 2021 will be the year! What nation would even send their citizens to Japan for this event, at this time.

President Trump had a virtual “town hall” discussion in the White House Rose Garden today with a few of the committee members that have often stood side by side in the press room. I like seeing it held outside under sunny skies… and they were sitting apart here. He, along with Vice President Pence, answered questions by phone… I hope they continue these outside briefings.

President Trump is very strong and determined to save our country!

The Dow rallied today… almost 21,000 points… the 4th highest rally in history… boy that made my stomach feel good! It’s said to have come after President Trump’s strong talk in getting the country back working and hoping to have everything back open by Easter Sunday… April 12th if things look promising! We need hope… and he’s an optimistic person… which is needed. I don’t want to hear doom and gloom every day… I want to hear “Hope.”

As I sat on my couch writing today, I enjoyed watching my neighbors out with their children… one neighbor was playing basketball with his young son, while another threw the football with his. It was nice to see humans interacting with their children… making it look like a normal day. The sun was out bright today… much different from the light snow we had yesterday… that is long gone, but it was pretty coming down.

In the past 9 days have you been cooking more… or grabbing take out? I think I’ve been cooking more… and munching more… yikes… and now summer’s  coming… and pants are going to be too tight… especially as it’s often a pj day!

To read more 15 Days Stop the Spread: Life has Changed… click HERE.
© 2020, copyright Jeanne Bryan Insalaco; all rights reserved

15 Days… Stop the Spread: Life has Changed… Day 8

We are now in Day 8 of the President’s “Stop the Spread”… telling us to stay home unless necessary to go out for food or medicine… or toilet paper. Life has changed for us all… my granddaughters have no more outside activities like swimming, soccer, or dance classes… although I’m told their dance school is beginning virtual dancing for them to follow along on the laptop… sounds like fun! I don’t foresee any dance recitals this summer… but I’ll wait and see. We have experienced way too many life changes this past week… life has changed for us all… but We will survive!

Tonight at 8 p.m. in Connecticut, our Governor mandated a lockdown on all our non-essential travel… only essential stores will remain open daily. So what does that mean, are the police going to pull us over and ask where we are going? Yes, we can go to the grocery store and pharmacies… and the liquor stores. I do find it odd that they are open… is it really necessary… but after spending 24 hours… day in and day out with the kiddies and trying to homeschool them might warrant trips to the liquor stores! My son was just telling me last night about the computer work the school wants his girls to do at home… saying how it was mind boggling as he tried to download all the apps… then try and understand them himself… then explain to the girls how they work. We will see how this goes… and it will take time. When all this is over… and I’m hoping sooner rather than later… will the kids even want to go back to school when they realize they can learn from home… in their pj’s!

Hubby took the last ride out to Costco this morning… and finally, they had toilet paper! Hooray!!! He reported that he didn’t see one single carriage without a huge 30 roll package snuggled inside… and he reported that most people only took one roll even though there was no limit posted… no one was hoarding today!

The only limit they were imposing was on their 42 ct. case of bottled water… is our water going to be turned off… did I missed the memo? We have water running to our house daily, can you not refill a water bottle? I do like to keep bottled water in the house, mostly just so I have a bottle to refill… we don’t throw empties in the recycle bin… we return them for our 5-cent deposit we paid. I’m still not sure why you don’t pay a deposit in every state… I’m always reminded of  that when I buy water or soda in Georgia… it does save me a little money… but I still wonder why they don’t? Paying that 5-cent deposit pushes me to return them for my money back. I am not one of those who throw them in their recycling bin. While yes they are recycling… I still want my money back… add it up at the end of the year… it’s a nice piece of change!

All this type of hoarding extra shopping I’ve been doing lately reminds me of the 90’s when I heavily coupon shopped. While I only have two children, I was obsessed with buying almost anything that I could bring home “free” by using coupons. My mother lives in Georgia and their coupon face amounts were much higher than ours; they didn’t double their coupons. Mama gathered coupon flyers weekly at the local recycle center… coming home with bags of coupons, and sitting for hours on the living room floor cutting coupons. She made piles for me, herself and her friends… literally spending hours cutting those coupons… and I looked forward to receiving those heavy envelopes that arrived weekly! After my father-in-law saw how much I was saving, and all the “free” items I brought home… he quickly became a coupon user! He never would throw away a good coupon when he missed the expiration date though… not him… he’d just cut off the date… he had special cashiers he frequented… need I say more! 

From all those coupons mama sent… I brought home many items for “free”… or almost free… and even one grocery store (Pathmark) gave me money to carry the items home… literally… as the coupon exceeded the amount I was to pay. As some items like soap, paper towels, washing detergent and soda have a long shelf life… I stocked up when I had coupons. Hubby said he counted one day all the bars of soap in the basement…  a total of 145 bars. All long gone now… nothing was ever wasted except maybe some of that soda as I brought home way too many “free” bottles of Mountain Dew on one shopping trip… and my kids didn’t want it. What was I even thinking.. but I gave it away to someone who drank it, so it wasn’t wasted.

We are at war with no ammo! I heard this today on TV and thought…. The Coronavirus (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a new virus! How would anyone create/invent a new virus… and Why… the Why part scares me as that sounds like biological chemical warfare!

What are you doing to “help stop the spread“? For the most part we are staying out of stores unless necessary… I think I was already at that level as I’m often frustrated when I do shop in a “real” store… as they never seem to have the size or color I need. I don’t frequent many stores anyway except for craft stores… but by the time I reach the registers and find extremely long check-out lines…. more than not, I lay my items down… going home to just order online, mumbling to myself…. why did you even go there? If you want people to shop in your stores… you need cashiers to check us out! I’m a big pajama clad…armchair shopper… and I usually always find my size and color with online shopping, except for right now. So I’ve been helping the “stop the spread” in shopping online and staying out of the stores. I’m sure the UPS and postman know me very well!

Am I alone… or are you also finding it hard to remember to constantly wipe off everything you’ve touched… or hubby touched… or even the cat and dog touched? That would be an endless chore… as we touch everything! I do find it hard to remember to wipe and sanitize as I have not ever lived like this before… and am not conditioned to think in that pattern… but I try! When hubby returned from shopping today… I felt like I walked behind him literally wiping off the door handles and everything he touched as he came in before washing his hands. I fussed at him when he sat the shopping bag on the table… and he fussed back… telling me he wasn’t going to live his life being afraid of every single thing! I wiped the table off and moved his bag to a chair… and how do I really know that I’m wiping away germs… they could be on everything… even his clothes. Are we to run change our clothes when we return to the house or carry a black light around to spot germs… the day we do that… they have won… they are making us run scared! But I do want to know how do you go daily without touching your face… rubbing your eyes… scratching your nose!

The Stats today are Mind Boggling and Scary!

• More than 378,846 confirmed cases world wide
• Deaths worldwide as of now… 16,510
• 41,511 confirmed cases in the United States
• 553 total deaths in the United States
• The coronavirus COVID-19 is affecting 195 countries and territories worldwide

As you can tell, I have been reading more than I probably should… and thank heavens I seem to sleep all night… not laying there counting statistics. Yes I watch more of the news than I normally do on a daily basis… but you can only take so much… and then I click Netflix on… and my mind wanders to what will I watch binge today. I can’t believe all the old series that I missed before… but now catching up on. I have shows I watch alone, and show we watch together. There are some shows that hubby would not really be interested in, although he’d never complain and watch anyway… or probably be on his laptop. So what are you watching… let me hear what’s keeping your mind off of wiping down every door knob in your home!

To read more 15 Days Stop the Spread: Life has Changed… click HERE.
© 2020, copyright Jeanne Bryan Insalaco; all rights reserved

15 Days… Stop the Spread: Life has Changed… Day 7

In waking up today… there are 27, 107 confirmed cases of the Coronavirus in the United States… and 349 deaths. Yes the confirmed cases are going up… as we were told it would… before it peaks and level off. Connecticut has 223 cases now… a plus of 29 new ones.

New York today March 22, 2020… Bare to the Bones!

Our governor has now issued a “stay home order“… which goes into effect on Monday at 8 p.m. Is that going to make people run out today and tomorrow to “hoard” more stuff… I imagine so! Yes, I do want to go to the store… but I know if I dare mention that to my husband, he’ll probably tell me to go, but there’s no room in our freezer for anything else! I’m going to resist the urge to go.. we have food… but I’m still worrying about my toilet paper… and other things I just realized I might need for cooking… like vegetable oil, and Ritz Crackers. Why Ritz… well I wanted to cook chicken tenders in the oven and needed them for breading. See it’s the things you take for granted as always available or being there… then they aren’t! Oh well, I’ll come up with something else!

In being a genealogist, I’ve read about how the generation of our parents and grandparents lived, and survived, through WWII. They are known as the greatest generations in our country… they were strong. Now, we are being asked to become that “strong” generation… and I pray we live up to what is being asked of us!

While this is a “virus”… which is affecting us different… they had worries when they sent their sons off to war… worrying that they would never return. While we aren’t experiencing life in that aspect… we are worrying in a different way. Both of my children work in “essential” jobs… going to work everyday… and thankful they have jobs, but I worry about all the “in contact” they have with so many people every day! I have a mother that lives alone… 1000 miles away from me with no family nearby… and she turns 90 on April 6th. She is continuing to live in her home… but has memory issues… but still ok to live alone with her cat, Boo. She watches way too much news and often will call me upon waking after a bad dream to ask if we are Ok… or during the day after paying too much attention to TV… and ask again, if we are OK. Boo is her companion, and has been with her since 2007… he’s a very sleek, 11 pound black cat…. and when she first brought him home, he was the tiniest thing. In Mama’s house… it’s all about Boo… whatever Boo wants… Boo gets!

Here’s BOO… with my daughter when he was just a wee kitten!

And Boo today in his favorite place at Mama’s window…

So what have I learned in the past 24 hours… companies are now looking into changing what they normally produce… to now manufacture what is immediately needed for hospitals, such as respirators, sanitizer, masks and gowns. Just like in WWII… when our factories changed their regular production lines to produce what was needed for the government to fight the war… Even the liquor distilleries are stopping production of their whiskey to produce hand sanitizer… I still have yet to find one bottle in the stores. Actually, I think the only one I have, sits in the side panel of my door… and I put that in the car a long time… keeping it there for travel purposes when eating in the car. I now use it whenever I go in and out of the car…. cleaning my hands and wiping off door handles.

As of today, there are 7 states that are beginning a mandatory “shelter in place” order… and my state of CT is one of them… along with California, New York, Pennsylvania, Oregan, Illinois, and New Jersey.

My mother was 11 years old when Pearl Harbor was hit on Dec. 7, 1941… and war broke out. She’s often talked about her brother Leroy who was drafted and sent to fight… and was killed in Metz, Germany. She’s told me stories of how life changed and how she saw it… the first time a plane flew over their farm she thought they were there to drop bombs on them; she had heard the adults talk about planes dropping bombs. Another time a truck came to the farm with workers dressed in uniforms to help on the farm, and she went running to find her father yelling “the Germans are coming“… she honestly was scared!

Fortunately my mother lived on a farm… she never went without food… and tells me they ate very well. She might not have always had the clothes she wanted, but she never went to bed hungry… unless she fussed at the table over what was served… and then sent to bed without supper. I’m told she was a little fussy… and her father did send her away from the table some nights… but her mother always snuck something to her.

Many foods were rationed during WWII, such as sugar, flour, coffee, even gas was rationed. Among my grandfathers things saved… were his ration books… with many of the rationing stamps still in place as he didn’t use them. Mama told me that he was always too proud to use them for the most part… often only using maybe the sugar and coffee, as he couldn’t grow that… and granddaddy liked his coffee! He only farmed with a mule or horse… so he didn’t use much gas, as they stayed home during the week… only going to town on Saturdays to pick up things they needed. I think his main reason for Saturday visits was so he could go to the filling station (gas station) to converse with his cronies on politics, and whose dog had been in the lead on Friday night fox hunts.

Ration books were put in place to ensure the government had supplies for the Army… in WWII it was all about having what our men needed and the families at home were willing to ration… in doing their part! Would we give up our coffee and sugar today and ration?

What will we remember when this finally ends… I am trying to think positive as life must, and will go on. I have five granddaughters and want them to have a future… lives will continue, but in a different way. Let’s hope we don’t quickly forget, as many have done in the way they remember 911. Living very close to New York, only a couple of hours away by train, definitely affected me… but thankfully all my family was not in the city on that day. Even though I’ve never forgotten 911… I have moved on… and at times hard to even believe it really happened, as it als stopped our country in its tracks! I pray we will do the same with this virus pandemic, but I’m sure I will probably hoard food for awhile… especially my coffee. Often I never even finish my cup… it’s just the attachment of having that cup in my hand… I guess it’s my cigarette!

I’m still journaling daily in my actual paper journal… as I have done for years but did fall off the wagon for a few years. What will my descendants think one day… will they laugh at my antics I’ve written… and think me crazy for hoarding coffee… and so obsessed in my daily writings!

We will get back to  the “hustle and bustle” of our “before” life!

Let me hear… what you are doing with more free time… if you are at home? As I’m already retired… I had free time. So what do I do daily? I sit on my couch having my coffee every morning, pondering what I’m going to watch on Netflix while I knit… I enjoy knitting and am presently knitting two pairs of socks for the granddaughters… knitting them all at the same time…  on one long circular needle! And if you’re reading here… you know I write; I began my blog in 2014. I enjoy watching the traffic outside as I’m near a four-way stop of local roads… and I’m constantly noticing how “No One” seems to want to stop… blowing through those stop signs. Lots of tickets could be given out here! Thankfully, I haven’t seen a major accident there since it was a two-way stop… that’s why we have now have a four-way stop… that they still ignore!

I know I said I wasn’t going to the store today… and I didn’t… hubby went! Don’t laugh, but I think he wanted another can of Spam! Several weeks ago he came home with this one small can of Spam… saying “we’ll have to try this for lunch one day, we haven’t eaten this since the 70’s.” And we hadn’t! The other day he made us a sandwich at lunch… and it was pretty good, definitely worth having in the house for emergencies… so off he went searching for another can… even though I told him, “I bet you don’t find it“… and he’s already called from the store saying he only found Light, Turkey, and Smoked Spam… I couldn’t resist the… “See, I told you so!” Every time I tell him that certain things are hard to find… he scoffs me off… so I had to set him straight! But he did find Ritz crackers and vegetable oil… I’m good now! Yes, I sent him with a list… hey he was going anyway, why not!

Still no flour, active yeast, sanitizer… and No toilet paper! He did ask, “why did you want yeast?” Me… “I’m going to make bread in the bread machine.“

So How’s Your Day Going?

To read more 15 Days Stop the Spread: Life has Changed… click HERE.
© 2020, copyright Jeanne Bryan Insalaco; all rights reserved

15 Days Stop the Spread: Life Has Changed… Day 6

March 21, 2020: President Trump asked our country on March 17th to take 15 days to “Stop the Spread”… and if you were able to…  work from home. As I’m retired, I work from home every day! We are at Day 6 and Life is changing for our country and the world… every day! This Coronavirus is presently infectious in 148 foreign countries with Italy being the worst hit at the present… and every day is different… higher counts… and more deaths

How are you and your family surviving?

I don’t know exactly how much of this pandemic I’ve really wrapped my mind around… and haven’t experienced anything like this since 911… this is “war”… as this virus has attacked our country! How do we fight this… I guess we start with what has been asked of us… to stay home as much as possible and “wash your hands”! Am I scared, Yes! I’m scared for my children… my grandchildren… and losing someone extremely close to me… but I’m not alone… as I’m sure that everyone who reads this… feels the same way.

Watching TV and hearing the President and everyone speak on the confirmed cases and the deaths is nerve wracking… and then hearing of the 60 million people in Italy and how their “entire” country is in lockdown… who can even wrap their mind around that! I so feel for the country of Italy… seeing the countless videos of them standing on their balconies singing to the world gives me hope… as they are showing us they are alive… gathering to say hello to nearby friends a balcony away. I enjoy listening to them sing… it’s very therapeutic to listen. A famous soprano,  Maurizio Marchini, in Florence comes out on his balcony every evening to sing to the world… hoping to uplift their spirits. Click HERE to hear one of my favorites, “Nessun Dorma”… and forget the world for a few moments! They even organized a flash mob from their balconies… their music is giving them hope to live!

My daughter in law has family in Italy… they call everyday to talk… and while they all are ok… they are scared!

Yesterday, (Day 5) after listening entirely to, too much TV… I made hubby take me once again to the store! Why am I obsessed with going to the store and buying… I swear I have never bought so much stuff, but like everyone else, I’m afraid I won’t be able to find something we really need. And no I don’t have a horde of toilet paper… actually I haven’t even found any yet. Good thing I had bought a 30 roll from Costco a couple of weeks ago, so it should suffice until I find more.

So what have I stocked up on… one of the things I feel I need to keep my sanity is, my coffee… and cream… so yes I have a stockpile! Sometimes you just don’t know what to buy as we have all been accustomed to… just running to the store to pick it up. Now you go to the store and see empty shelves and now we even have complete empty aisles! As I walked down those half empty aisles yesterday, I’m thinking… I can’t believe this… what is happening to our country! They have me running through the stores on a scavenger hunt in search of everyday items like toilet paper, eggs and chicken that were always fully loaded in the past. Now I find a half carton of eggs with two broken! Are we being led to slaughter…. is this really real… what will it be like in America next month… will we even be able to have Easter dinner with our family?

If you haven’t found time to do your taxes… well the president has extended tax day until July 15th… has this ever happened in our country before? Luckily for me, taxes are done and refund has been received, but for those who have to pay… this is a great thing for the moment. So many changes…

I want this to all go away!

Luckily, once I go to sleep at night…. I seem to sleep and not lie there awake thinking about this all. But I am worried as to when… I can travel to see my mother and my son and grandchildren… and wondering will I ever be able to visit again. I haven’t felt this way since 911… and those were scary times… especially as we only live about 2 hours away from the city.

Please take a moment to “thank” and “pray” for those who on the front lines… the lines we all hope we never have to witness for ourselves, family and friends.

Will we be safer on Day 15 of the President’s “Stop the Spread”? I pray and hope we will!

To read more 15 Days Stop the Spread: Life has Changed… click HERE.

© 2020, copyright Jeanne Bryan Insalaco; all rights reserved

15 Days… Stop the Spread: Life has Changed… Day 5

Today marks Week 1 of schools closed… kids home… parents scrambling for daycare… and me still on the hunt for toilet paper… although hubby isn’t concerned about it… just me! What haven’t you found yet… that you think you need… and do you really need or just want?

President Trump has been coming to the press room for daily briefings, along with his entourage… have you been watching? There is way too many people in that room! I think I’d rather just have our President talk to us from the Oval Office… away from everyone… he and our Vice President need to be kept a safe distance from everyone. I know that’s hard, but I don’t want to imagine what would happen if they both became ill. And as to the media… I am tired of the ridiculous questions they often ask… unless he has a crystal ball, he can’t answer them! It’s all speculation… guesswork… there is no real correct answer he can give us. I feel assured that he’s doing the best he can… and I believe he wants the best for our country, but he’s not a miracle maker… just a man doing the best he can while so many are still trying to beat him down!

I think I went to the store again today… but it seems I’ve gone so often that I can’t even remember when I’ve gone or not!

So many nursing homes are closing their doors to visitors… leaving families to only communicate through phone lines. While it’s for the best… as it was a nursing home in Washington state where an outbreak first began. My mother still lives alone at home, and I worry about her now, as it’s mostly just her and Boo, her cat. She calls me often to ask how we are… several times a day. Sometimes I think she lives on the phone, although she often doesn’t remember who she has called. I hate that she’s by herself… but she is actually safer than being anywhere else right now. If she’d only watch a movie instead of listening to the news all day!

I’m seeing more joggers in my neighborhood… and I’ve chalked it up to that their gym is closed! I see more cars in the driveways and neighbors returning from the grocery stores… I should look more closely next time to see if they bought toilet paper!  add to another post

So what would I be doing today if I wasn’t out searching for toilet paper? Well, our favorite ice cream place opened last week, so I’d probably be heading to the “Sundae House” for my first “sundae” in celebrating Spring… but no, I’m obsessed in going to the darn grocery store. I don’t even know if it’s open… guess I’ll have to ride by and find out! I’m really missing my half peanut butter and half hot fudge sundae! Yummm… it’s like having a warm peanut butter cup melted over soft vanilla ice cream.

On nightly phone calls with mom she’s often talked about the world and how God is going to get tired of us one day… has the day come? What makes me think of that is in hearing how the once dirty canals in Venice, Italy are now running again with clear water… and they are seeing fish swimming and dolphins appearing daily… which they haven’t seen in years. I’m reading that China is now seeing blue skies appear overhead… coming from all the factories shut down and pollution at a standstill. Sad to hear how they they don’t see blue skies on a regular basis… as I enjoy watching the sky and the many changes of blues. I especially love the clouds and taking photographs with them in the background… they really make your photo pop! When we travel I always keep my camera nearby for great cloud photos, as well as anything else that catches my eye… hubby has been known to make a turnaround for a photo! Take notice in your travels as the clouds do vary from state to state in their forms and shapely appearance.

Take the time to enjoy the blue skies!

In regards to blue sky’s… I never thought about how other parts of our country have different colors of blue in their sky. I only realized it when I commissioned a photo of an old Southern home I loved… and the artist requested photos of the sky in that area; it was she who explained to me that every part of our country has a different shade of blue!

As I hear so much about what type of businesses are being asked to shut down… it does make me worry that we could never recover and end up in a depression. The 1929 Great Depression is something that I never thought I would ever live through… and I hope that it never happens… but the stock market is dropping every day. I am thankful to be retired, not having to go to work everyday, and my house is paid off. It’s not that way for my children… and I’m sure that’s a worry on their shoulders everyday. But let’s not put the cart before the horse… just take one day at a time. You can worry and worry… but where is it really going to get you in the end… except become sick yourself.

So what can you do besides staying home day after day… take a ride, enjoy spring popping out, and if you’re lucky to live near the beach, take a ride. There’s something peaceful about watching the water roll in and out… and we often enjoy sitting at the beach. The very early sunrise is the best time for the beach… the quiet sounds of the water lapping at the shore, while watching the yellow-orange glow of the sun rise from the horizon… but in as much as I enjoy seeing it, I’m not wanting to get up that early anymore. Who said seniors like to rise early? We enjoy late nights and sleep ins!

Stay safe… wash those hands… blow kisses to the grandchildren!

To read more 15 Days Stop the Spread: Life has Changed… click HERE.
© 2020, copyright Jeanne Bryan Insalaco; all rights reserved