Quarantine Diary July 13, 2020

Someone on Twitter the other day asked if people were still quarantining. I answered "Yes". We're still staying at home as much as possible and limiting our social contact. In fact, the number of cases in our county is going up more quickly these days, so quarantine is even more important.

Unfortunately, when we do go out to get groceries or necessities from places like Fleet Farm, it seems like only about 30% of people are wearing masks. Most places of business, though, are enforcing 6 feet of social distance between people. So, that's something?

What do we do during quarantine around here? So much stuff!! A couple of blog posts ago, I showed off the new book that Lydia made. I've been doing lots and lots of knitting while listening to audiobooks and podcasts. Patrick is carving little guys that he will sell at craft fairs. He's going to start working on Nativity Sets because those will sell really well.

I've been working on my memoir that I started earlier this year. I've been listening to the Write In 10 Podcast and am in the Facebook group. Karen, the group leader, started a 10,000 words in July challenge. I've been doing pretty well with it. It averages out to about 350 words/day. Since I write at least every other day and average about 900 words, I'm on track to get all 10,000 words in. I'll still have writing left to do, but mostly I'll be editing those 10,000 words during the rest of the summer.

The biggest issue being debated in Maison Martin is the whole return to school thing. If we had school aged kids it would be no big deal. We homeschooled Lydia all the way through school and Chris through 10th grade. Homeschooling wasn't scary for us. No, the issue is the school opening and what kinds of precautions they are going to have to protect students and teacher from getting Covid-19.

Patrick is 53 years old and diabetic. That's not a good risk category for getting this disease. If the school opens, we also have to pull back from our in-person relationship with Patrick's mom because she's at higher risk because of her age. As it is, we do see Lydia when they come to do laundry. We've quit seeing Chris and Jenna in person because one of Chris' coworkers tested positive. Thankfully, it wasn't someone he was in contact with much.

What is the right answer to opening schools? How to do it? What precautions? How to monitor for an outbreak? What to do if there is an outbreak? We've already had cases because of parties and going to bars. School cafeterias are pretty much the same thing. This is going to be rough.

How is your quarantine going?

Catherine