1. Coronavirus Numbers in One Week
I'm trying not to obsess, but I am keeping track of the daily increase in cases of coronavirus. For the posterity of my children reading this someday, I post them so far. (Since we live ten minutes from the state border, I track both states' info.)
Worldwide
|
Open
cases: Mild
|
Open
cases: Serious/Critical
|
Closed
Cases: Mild
|
Closed
Cases: Death
|
USA
(Deaths)
|
NC
Cases (deaths)
|
SC
Cases (deaths)
|
|
3/12/20
|
9
(0)
|
10
|
||||||
3/13/20
|
138,585
|
91%
|
9%
|
93%
|
7%
|
15
(0)
|
7?
(0)
|
|
3/14/20
|
148,051
|
91%
|
9%
|
93%
|
7%
|
2,329
|
23
(0)
|
19
(0)
|
3/15/20
|
157,476
|
93%
|
7%
|
93%
|
7%
|
3,045
(60)
|
32
(0)
|
28
(0)
|
3/16/20
|
173,101
|
93%
|
7%
|
92%
|
8%
|
3,802
(69)
|
33
(0)
|
28
(0)
|
3/17/20
|
186,993
|
93%
|
7%
|
92%
|
8%
|
4,744
(93)
|
40
(0)
|
33
(1)
|
3/18/20
|
200,106
|
94%
|
6%
|
91%
|
9%
|
6,524
(116)
|
63
(0)
|
47
(1)
|
3/19/20
|
226,525
|
95%
|
5%
|
90%
|
10%
|
9,477
(155)
|
97
(0)
|
60
(1)
|
The sources I am using:
South Carolina:
https://www.scdhec.gov/health/infectious-diseases/viruses/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/monitoring-testing-covid-19
2. Sorrows and Gratitude Lists
This week has been unprecedented in our country in our lifetimes: maybe unprecedented because even during prior pandemics throughout human history, we did not have speed of information, social media, or technology advances that allow people to self-quarantine in this manner.
My head has been spinning with the changes flying at us day by day, usually hour by hour. Our bishop dispensed with our obligation to attend Mass, then our Masses were cancelled, then they were allowed again (for one day!) for only 99 or fewer people, then they were cancelled altogether when our state governor would only allow groups of 10 or fewer to gather. Pastors nearby are opening up daily for Confession in open parking lots, praise God! Our bishop has arranged for a 40 hours' Adoration with only four people allowed in the church at a time.
The governor closed all restaurants except for drive-through and delivery.
 |
| Confession outdoors nightly at our nearest parish |
One by one, our children's events were all cancelled: all their music competitions, including John going to states as the first place winner in his division from Charlotte, something that broke my heart for him. Altar server practice and Fraternus (fathers' and sons' night at church). Girls' choir and then cancelling the upcoming pre-1955 Easter Triduum entirely. Orchestra rehearsals are cancelled so far out in the future that probably the spring concert will be cancelled. Hockey team. All our medical appointments this week, including Mary's much desired installation of braces. Scottish dance. Our parish St. Joseph celebrations of a solemn Mass, solemn Vespers, and a fundraising spaghetti feed dinner.
Now our various fun summer diversions are being put on hold and may be entirely cancelled as well. I'm hearing that institutional schools may not bring the children back at all this school year, which means closing 10-12 weeks early: it leaves me agog.
Meanwhile, our citizens' retirement savings is slashed in half and is in freefall to who knows how low. All this "free money" the government is offering to give away at this time of crisis is not free--as there is no such thing as a free lunch--but is more taxes, more legalized absconding of earned money from the citizenry. More debt that our country's citizens will never be able to pay back in many lifetimes. It's a house of cards.
If the government puts us under martial law soon, I will not be surprised, but I will be horrified. When I traveled through 21 countries more than two decades ago, I noted that Europeans--horrified at the idea of citizens owning personal firearms--were accustomed to military men bearing machine guns walking the streets, keeping everyone in order, but it would be a far stretch to imagine Americans submitting to this and so very quickly and with no plan or end in sight.
I'm truly not sleeping much this week.
But there are blessings, always.
Chris and I count our blessings that few people could be as well-suited for self-isolation than our family: Chris works full-time from home and I homeschool full-time from home, so, while I feel like we've lost so many joys, our daily life is little changed. I found in our bedroom this note written by our seven-year-old: "Home is best"! I'm so glad our children think so because we're spending all of our time here right now.
I went through jittery anxiety, insomnia, nightmares about viruses, panic, extra anger and barking at my children. Not that I've moved beyond those things, but I moved into trying to count my blessings intentionally and often.
I thought I had no hand sanitizer in the house and certainly we could find none in the last several weeks on the shelves: then I found my secret stash! Now at least if one of us has to go on an errand, we can use this when we are out until we get home to wash up. I do also have three boxes of latex gloves.
My kids are learning fabulous hand-washing skills! I took this photo on the last time we were all left the house together and we all lined up to wash upon our return.
Our dedicated piano teachers quickly switched to teaching online via Facetime. Meanwhile, by losing all of our upcoming competitions, we are given the (painful) opportunity to meditate on "what is the point?" of learning all this music and are we doing it for the glory of God?
I am grateful for our beautiful back yard and neighborhood where we are still free to walk, ride bikes, play hockey, and climb trees. Our children have spent so much time outdoors in this beautiful weather this week--a privilege that those living in apartment buildings don't have.
(This picture shows four-year-old Thomas still in his pajamas wearing his uncle's 45-year-old hockey gear . . . well, he's wearing half of it because his seven-year-old brother is wearing the other half!)
I'm so appreciative of our beloved neighborhood. The folks are already organizing things: The neighbors do a daily food drive, providing meals for something like 50-100 school kids at the nearby elementary school daily. They are suggesting that everyone to write encouraging chalk messages on neighborhood driveways on Friday for families out walking. And the big plan this weekend is for the neighbors to put up the giant Christmas light stars our neighborhood is known for!
 |
| Brother keeping sister company during outdoor violin practice |
 |
| Fraternus online |
I am grateful for small moments . . . like on Friday morning, I came downstairs from my dressing for the day to find that my oldest child had exercised and then launched right into pool care, skimming the water and checking the chemicals. My second oldest child had already completed 45 minutes of piano practice and her first academic subject. This growth in character seems so long in coming in the first decade-plus of parenting, but it does come!
I am grateful that we have steady employment right now. In just one week, I've already watched real life friends lose their jobs, the entirety of their incomes. How will feed and shelter their children?
I am trying moment by moment to count my blessings, but I am sliding into depression. I am asking other adults and some of them are still leaving the house for necessary errands. However, probably because I have children and because I have this terrible pollen allergy right now (nobody wants to be around someone sneezing!), I have not gone anywhere for four days now and--with Chris running all our errands--I cannot imagine when I will leave the house again. Chris continues to talk to people all day long via phone meetings and emails through his work--continuing one sense of normalcy--while I realize I am speaking to nobody, so maybe I need to start making phone calls to other mother-friends to ease the solitude.
It's a dark time.
"But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!"
(Matthew 24:19)
3. Miscellaneous Moments
We are still catching and releasing lizards . . .
This is the time of year the children start eating their lunches outdoors often and then staying outside to play until Quiet Time.
My darling toddler is sooooo precious, I can hardly stand it. I may be biased.
School goes on as normal . . .
No pic . . . but John got his first lawn-mowing client this week! Even in lockdown, lawns need to be mowed and it is an outdoor job, so John is welcome to do it. He's a hard worker who receives excellent compliments from neighbors who have hired him.
Kids keep climbing too high . . .
What poor timing that a massive spike in pollen--of three types of trees we have in plenty in our yard--occurred this week during Coronavirus Madness. I've never experienced anything this bad and now understand why some people can't even go to work or function with pollen allergies!
When I was hiding in my room, miserably blowing my nose every five minutes and sneezing compulsively, my sweet 11-year-old brought me these "get-well-soon pills" (candy).
4. What to Do with Free Time?
While we still have our regular school schedule, we have more cushion in our schedule because we're not rushing to be done in time for regular outings. This week, the children created a book club, which looks so wonderful that I want to join.Each member has an application sheet, such as Joseph's below.
They each made a satchel, as they call them, and carry around their book club paperwork to have at the ready.
They have regular meetings, at which they take attendance, where each member gives a presentation on his or her book, describing the plot and their favorite parts. The secretary takes detailed notes on each person's presentations in the club record book. Even my four-year-old gave a presentation at the first meeting on his favorite book about trains.
I have noticed that the older children are typing up lengthy presentations on their books--a certain member has already typed a three-page draft and is not done--which I realized weren't just fun and games, but really qualified just as seriously in quality as a book report one might write for school!
My latest idea is that I want to pick one meal per week, such as Saturday nights when we're almost always home--well, we're always going to be home for the foreseeable future!--where our planned conversation at the dinner table is any books we've read that week (whether we have finished it or not): what we liked, what we did not like, and why. I think that could be so very enjoyable if I could implement it!
5. Feast Day of St. Patrick
The Tuesday of St. Patrick's day was really the biggest day when the news media was sending our missiles every hour of the latest closures. My anxiety was making me pretty useless. My 11-year-old daughter noticed I did nothing to prepare for the fun green feast, so without saying anything, she set out our saint books with some fun decorations, as well as made us a beautiful card with her own poem about the great saint.
In the evening when Chris took the older kids to parking lot Confession at the nearby parish, he went through the Dunkin Donuts drive-through to procure the remnants of the festive green St. Patty's day treats to lighten our spirits.
6. Feast Day of St. Joseph
Finally this week--three belated months into the year--we set up a St. Joseph altar in our home in honor of our bishop declaring this the Year of St. Joseph.
We took the entire day off of school and my little munchkins helped me cook a more festive breakfast than usual.
Then we watched a Mass live streaming from www.livemass.net . . . and a sharp eye will note that when Mary snapped this photo of us, Joseph (7) was upside down with his feet in the air.
Pope Francis had asked the faithful worldwide to pray a Rosary for the stop of the coronavirus at 4:00 p.m. E.S.T., so we gathered as a family to do that, and then Chris led us through the house blessing it with holy water while praying the Litany to St. Joseph. Each little kid proudly carried something special, like our Joseph carrying a small St. Joseph statue.
7. Margaret's 9th Birthday
Our dear third child turns nine years old this Friday! It being a Friday in Lent (penitential of penitential, for my non-Catholic readers), we are going to celebrate for Margaret on Saturday. More report to come!
For more 7 Quick Takes Friday, check out This Ain't the Lyceum.
So. much. empathy on the anxiety.
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