wishing all a safe and happy Easter

A writer's life during Covid 19

How are you doing during this social distancing?  I am doing fine, but then I was ahead of the curve.  I have been wearing a mask since October 2018, when my husband was diagnosed with Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer.  After his death, I stopped wearing them last summer, but again masks would come into my life.  I went back to them in October 2019 because I was going to have surgery on my jaw to remove a ameloblastoma.  I got a really nifty one, washable and with filters, that makes me look like Winter Solider...lol.  No one says we cannot deal with such things in style.

I was surprised, however, how people react to others wearing masks.  I recall sitting in waiting room with my husband, and there were about a dozen people sitting, waiting, too.  They sneered or chuckled at hubby and me for sitting there in our masks.  UNTIL...after about 10 minutes, one of the orderlies wheeled out an elderly man and "parked" him until his ride could come get him.  A few minutes later, he started coughing and gagging, then finally he spewed vomit about four foot away.  It reminded me of Baron Afanas in What We Do In The Shadows 

after he ate a Pizza Pie full of garlic.  People close to the man literally jumped in the air, dance along the backs of the sofas to get away from him.  They glanced over at us still across the room with our masks, and suddenly, they GOT IT.

Another instance was in a store just as the virus was starting to hit.  Candy Thompson and I were out shopping.  I gave her a Winter Soldier mask, too.  She has heart problems, asthma and is in the target range of most vulnerable.  So this young man was checking out in front of us.  He gets a cause of the sniggers over our masks.  He even leaned to the cashier and said, "Some people are taking this virus thing to the extreme."  She knew I heard, so she blushed, but she giggled and agreed with the guy.  Well, enough is enough!  I learned toward them and said, "I am not protecting me--I am protecting YOU."  Then I managed a really good hacking cough.  Suddenly, they lost the snide comments and looked like they wanted to jump up on the conveyor belts.  I had a feeling they had a new view on face masks!

As to the social distancing, I live alone since my husband passed last year.  Candy lives alone.  We get our groceries through Walmart Pickup.  They put them in the car for us.  We wear our masks and when handling the groceries we wear disposable gloves, then wash hands.  We are both rather isolated.  Neither of us will see other people.  I go over and help her take out her trash, feed her a lunch to make sure she is eating well.  Not very hard to do at all.

As a writer, I am conditioned to be alone for long stretches of time.  NANO is having their Camp Nano...so I am pushing to write 50,000 words this month.  Perfect timing.

My Page

So I am doing okay.  Please stay safe.  You have computers, phone and television to entertain you.  And don't forget the books.  You could escape to go visit my Montgomerie Sisters, or go back in time with the Ogilvie Women and the Men of Challan.  They would appreciate the company.