Let's READ

Books haven't stopped being written or published because of the global pandemic we're experiencing (thank goodness!). People across the planet are being forced to adjust in ways we never imagined, and the writing and publishing community is no exception. Books that were expected to launch with grand (or not so grand) aplomb are being released with a fizzle. And because our libraries are closed, there is even greater reason and necessity to support these industries.
We can help booksellers, publishers and writers by continuing to buy and read.

What I'm currently reading (published March 20, 2020):

A spooky retelling of the Titanic disaster 

Books that just came out and are already in my pile: 

Nonfiction:

A woman's take on the life of George Washington (click to explore on Amazon, but I encourage buying locally:)

The speaker/activist addresses the discontent of meeting others' expectations and finding yourself

A story of true leadership during the Blitz of London when Churchill’s eloquence and courage bound a country.

Fiction:

 A combination of Where'd You Go, Bernadette and Big Little Lies

The latest from the author of Secret Daughter and The Golden Son

A Plymouth colony murder-trial story told in the voices of two women

A combination of Americanah and Lucky Boy

A combination of Sliding Doors (the movie) and Eleanor Oliphant

Queen Elizabeth hires a new spymaster for an impossible mission

A dystopian thriller


For friends who like more romance 
in their stories check out:
                             For friends who like Jojo Moyes: 

And currently in the media (on hulu):

Some ways in which you can read these books:

• Purchase from the usual outlets like Amazon or Barnes & Noble (offering curbside pickup)
• Purchase from local bookstores:
• Gramercy Books in Bexley, Ohio is closed for walk-ins but is still open for shipping or for curb-side pickup
• Half Price Books locations are currently closed but will look up inventory and ship
• Borrow ebooks and audio books through the Libby app supported by your local library:https://apps.apple.com/us/app/libby-by-overdrive/id1076402606

Pandemic Journal Friday, March 27th

Do you know anyone who has it?

I am asked this, as I am sure everyone is.

By some people, I am asked in a way that
suggests whether this is a real thing or not.

By others, I am asked out of a sense of curiosity;
we all want to know if someone has experienced
this firsthand. We all want to hear how others have coped and fared. 

Do you know anyone who has it?

I don’t. But the degrees are getting closer everyday. 

A woman on my catchibol team(early 40s?) is a pediatric nurse at Children’s, showing

symptoms, currently quarantined from her family, awaiting test results.

Our former, beloved, piano teacher, whose husband is a professor of Russian literature at

OSU, and their young children, have been terribly ill for a week and are also awaiting

test results.

Our neighbor’s cousin (early 50s) in Chicago has it.

A friend of a friend in Boston (late 40s) has it.

Do you know anyone who has it?

No, and I hope I won't, and I hope the best for those of you who do.

The Thursday Three

3 workouts I've been doing at home since the gyms are closed:

#1

I have a riding crop in the garage but I still don't think
it will get me moving on the treadmill. So instead,  I break out
the old Zumba CDs to work up a sweat.

Exhilarate is available onYouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paDCwWu68Aw&list=PLPedxQ_BdR4tYKFwKbVN8Hi2cAjjQsuXN

#2

Jake Dupree has a lot of great workouts, many using
no weights. He's fun and uplifting (haha!).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAYurJYRtNE

#3
POPSUGAR has so many great fitness hosts for all different levels, workouts and time limits.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZqtZSuh5Rk&t=155s

How are you staying fit while the gyms are closed?

Pandemic Journal March 22 & 25th

Sunday, March 22nd

Shelter In Place order. Day 9 for the Shah family.

When will the other states follow? How much will it help if only some are

doing it?

Wednesday, March 25th

Glorious sun today! And temperatures above 50 degrees. N. and I rode our bikes probably seven miles, did sidewalk chalk and chatted with neighbors who passed by. My dad stopped by and we talked on the driveway. The turkey vultures swooped over our heads, enjoying the warmth on
their widespread wings. Do they notice anything different about the creatures that live below
them? Do they have any curiosity about us? There is surely less roadkill for them to consume
with so many less cars on the road.

The lovely weather was worrisome though. It made us forget, I think. Forget that we are under
a Shelter in Place order, forget that we should keep some distance, be careful about what we are
touching out there. 

We rode our bikes to our little downtown area that is being built up and modernized. It was
teeming with people. The young adults scared me the most; they stood close, they threw balls,
they jostled each other. 

I hate these details that come to my attention now. I am constantly aware of my proximity to
everyone and everyone’s proximity to each other. 
I read Prince Charles has the virus. I'm heartened that it sounds like he is doing okay with it
though.

We enjoyed the weather to the fullest and now I am tuckered out. 

Pandemic Journal March 20th - March 22nd

Friday, March 20th

We had moments of nice weather today. At other moments, it was torrential downpour. I went on a long
walk though and shut everything out except for Agnes Obel. I also forced M. outside (threatening to not take
her driving if I did not see her going outside when possible). N. had meltdowns today too. S. yelled at her
for wearing makeup for the third day in a row, she got in trouble for clinging to her phone so vehemently
and she is starting to feel the crush of not seeing her friends after so long.

M. thinks none of this is bothering me much. “You like just being at home and being by yourself! You
could stay away from everyone for months and not care!” While this is, for the most part, true, it is definitely
not easy for me. First off, I don’t like that I can’t go out (especially to the gym and the library!). But also, I
live a lot in my head. They have no idea what I'm going through in there. I share a small amount of my worries
and frustrations but they mostly see that I am occupied, content and positive. I convey that for them and for
myself. Otherwise, I might go under too (see a sample of my darker thoughts above).

We watched ‘Castaway’ with Tom Hanks, celebrating the fact that he and Rita recovered from the Coronavirus. 

I did take a walk with neighbor R. today, chatted with L. on the porch and neighbor J. came by for a good
long chat on the porch, 4 feet of separation.

Saturday, March 21st

There could be positives that come out of this, possible changes when all this is over (assuming there will
be an ‘over’). As I've alluded to previously, there could be a grand, Universal purpose here.
I hope people come to some of these realizations:

*People and connection can be more fulfilling than what you do for a living

*You can still walk outside in the cold

*You don’t have to be on the go all the time

*You don’t have to have plans out to enjoy a Saturday night

*You don’t need Starbucks every day, or even once a week
*You can make good food at home, every day of the week

*You don’t need as much as you think you do (or have)

*We don’t need to travel every time there are days off school/work

*We (the world) need each other in cooperation and information

*We get along better without the pressures of time, work and social constructs...
We can learn a lot from this experience; about ourselves, about the world, about those closest to us. If we
don't make something of this, then it will be all for naught, no matter the outcome.

If we, as a family, as a community, as a nation, as a world, don’t make some of these changes, then shame
on us and we deserve what we get.

And, I hope we have all been able to catch up on things we felt behind in, created something new or, developed
a positive habit, hobby or outlook.

The earth is really benefitting from this. I hear there are satellite views of clear skies over previously
smog-coveredparts of the world. There is not as much single-use plastics being consumed, not as much
carbon emissions being produced. We need to show Mother Nature that it will not take an epidemic killing
us off to get us to change our ways. Let's hope this is just a wake up call and that we have heeded it.

On a less philosophical note:

Yesterday we cooked, cleaned, M. played guitar and learned new songs, N. played successfully with
friends over Facetime. I braved the virus and went for a grocery store run to get fresh veggies and fruit
(no pears, no plums and, no salt). I FaceTimed with K.K., read a lot of Becoming by Michelle Obama and
had a one-person dance party, embarrassing my family in front of no one for a couple hours. The girls bickered
badly a few times, even getting physical,  but, I think if we are cooped up just a few more weeks, they might
actually start to like each other...

Pandemic Journal March 15th- March 19th

Sunday March 15, Sunday

Everyone else is still sleeping. I should be working on my short story. Or sleeping.

Yesterday was a bit tough for the kids and it was only the first official day we instituted “social distancing.”
Most of our friends are getting together, friends are knocking at the door, posting their time together on
social media. What is the right thing to do? How strict should I be? Don’t judge! I tell myself. We are all
doing the best we can with the information we have. I am just overly cautious with anything that has to do
with the word epidemic. I can't help it, it's the subject of some of my favorite books and worst nightmares.

Yesterday I ate like crap.

I don’t work out at home as hard as I do at the gym.

Are we all going to get fat, gray and grizzled?

I wanted to write-there’s so much time, being stuck at home!

But my kids want me: they want to whine to me that they are bored, hungry, that they want to see their friends.
S. wants me: he wants my help in the kitchen, needs to know where this is or what that does. He wants me to
move this, get that.

And my mind is all over the place.

What is happening in Spain, where my aunt lives?

What are my friends doing? What are they thinking?

Has Tom Hanks and his wife recovered?

How many new cases are there in Ohio now?

What are other states doing to prevent the spread?

Never mind the more esoteric questions to which there are no answers yet:

Will this really just last 3 weeks?

Will this virus just be the new norm, never to go away completely?

Will social distancing work?

How serious is it really? Is all this really necessary? It’s not like it’s Ebola…

Monday, March 16

Well, I’m trusting that it’s pretty serious because more and more things are closing everyday.
Restaurants and bars are closing now (take-out only). They are saying schools will be out for the year.

What is this going to look like for the world? Is it going to help? Is this life until we have a vaccine?
Or will this truly run itself out?

If there is no discernible reprieve, I can see people rebelling, not following isolation orders. At that point,
it will be caution to the wind and perhaps our elderly population and those of weaker immune systems will
die off.

The girls handled it better yesterday. Partly because the sun was out some of the day; the snow glittering,
until it melted. Partly because things got worse out in the world and they are understanding how serious this is. 

N. played with her friend outside, snow gear on. We waved at her family from across the yard. I’m not sure
they are following any of this. The daughter seems confused as to why N. can’t go to her house, nor why
can't come in. I feel bad. The look on her face when I didn't let her in...

M. talked and Facetimed her friends. She had a good cry, mascara running down her face (mascara?? At least
she is retaining her sense of pride; I have dressed in warm yoga pants without makeup for the last few days.)
I took her for a drive and I took her to the craft store to get some stuff to do. 

I’ve been more lenient with them both. This is tough for them. We allowed them to make slime after years
of banishing the practice, we’re allowing more time on the phone, letting them mess up the kitchen to make
cookies or snacks or their own lunch. They’re having a lot more tv time too. We all are.

Things will get more structured here in a couple days when our online world gets organized and they start school.

I forced myself to do some writing. Once I got started it was a wonderful flow. It’s getting away from the
news, my phone and the constant updates, news and funny, cathartic comments from my group chat of friends.

It’s getting away from the puzzle I started. What will I do when I (we) finish it? I don’t have another new one.
Trade with friends?

Tuesday, March 17th

Oh yeah, it’s St. Patrick’s Day.The parade was cancelled weeks ago. Bars and restaurants closed days ago.
No celebrating this year.

I went in to work yesterday. We cleaned and organized like it was the end of the year. It was nice to be around
people again, but a little weird as we were all wary of each other. The atmosphere was something like being at
a funeral; where you are happy to see people you haven’t seen in a while yet you’re not sure if it’s okay to
laugh and smile. 

It’s very scary, thinking about how the world will recover after this ends. Assuming it will end…

What if it doesn’t, not really? This is a virus that targets the elderly and the weak. What if this is nature’s way
of culling the population? It needs to be done. It will be done, in some fashion, in some way, at some time in
the near or far future. We know the earth cannot sustain a growing population of consumers and predators
like ourselves. 

If I knew this was Nature's ultimate plan, I could accept it. I could even accept that I may be one of the
weak ones. I might feel a little betrayed, however: Have I not always had a special connection with nature?
One I have appreciated, nurtured and tried to instill in my children? Have I not always been grateful for the
things nature gives and shows us? Have I not always been kind to plants and animals, including insects
and dirt? But nature is arbitrary.

Thursday, March 19th

Yesterday was cold and wet and felt so unfair. I shouldn’t expect much from Ohio weather but really,
Coronavirus, social isolation and bad weather? At least we have electricity, wifi, water and the food supply
working. I remind myself to be thankful for that, every moment. My kids are pretty independent, they
help out and they are well-behaved.

Nighttime is hardest; spirits are lower.
I just feel like this may never end and the social isolation may be for nothing in the end.

It’s so much harder because some of M.'s friends are still allowed out. She thinks we are so unreasonable,
so unfair.

The BMVs closed also. She begged me to take her to get her license before it closed at the end of the
day for the foreseeable future. The last appointment is at 4:30 and she told me this at 3:15 so it was a
no-go anyway. I am in no rush for M. to get her license so I was not going to bolt out the door to stand in
a stuffy waiting room with multiple other people, nor allow M. to sit in a car less than 3 feet away from a
stranger who's been with countless others throughout the day. I am surprised the BMVs were actually
doing exams.

Yesterday I cleaned out the pantry and it looks so beautifully organized. We finished the steampunk puzzle,
also beautiful. We finished ‘Lost in Space’ on Netflix, did a little homework, board games and exercise. 

Today was the first official online education day.