WHAT'S HAPPENING IN YOUR PART OF THE WORLD?

My FAVORITE city in the world is PARIS, FRANCE.  I feel something special when I'm there, most likely because the first time I was there was with my MOM when she was terminal. Our last trip together. So naturally, I'm tuned in to any news from there (and can't wait until I can return without fear).

• The following information has been updated on the Embassy Paris COVID-19 website:  

• Anyone walking or traveling within France must carry a newly dated attestation.  This form was updated on March 24 and is available here. This is a serious measure by French authorities. The fine for unauthorized travel is between 135 to 375 euros with an increase to 1,500 euros for repeat offenses.
• The French Minister of Interior (MOI) and French police have issued warnings regarding fake police checkpoints and individuals impersonating police officers attempting to fraudulently collect a “fine” for not possessing a travel attestation documents or for improper documentation.  French police always write a report and requirement to pay a fine is sent to your home of record. Do not pay any “fine” on the scene. 

And here is a pleasant note today from a Newsletter I receive by email regularly called BONJOUR PARIS!

• "The quarantine in France will most likely be prolonged, but I'm seeing a remarkable solidarity here in Paris. Neighbors are helping neighbors, families who live near hospitals are offering rooms to doctors and nurses, citizens are respecting the rules put in place. The highlight of the day? My kids count down the minutes until 8 pm when we can rush to our balcony and applaud France's hospital workers. The applause has grown louder every night, with horns and musical instruments adding to the cacophony. It's a wonderful moment and welcome release. And my kids happily holler out, "A demain!" to all our neighbors when we step back inside our quarantine bubble."  

Just in case you don't understand French, "A demain!" means "Until tomorrow!"

Restrictions have been happening all around EUROPE and we are NOW seeing more here in the United States. Because it hit there earlier, we are able to observe what is likely to happen here and hopefully be better prepared.

My AUNT MARTA has family in GERMANY (Munich) and AUSTRIA (Vienna) and shares with me first-hand what is happening there. If you go out to a store you are STRONGLY ENCOURAGED to wear not only a MASK and GLOVES but also GLASSES. And in their pharmacies, they are hanging SHEETS OF PLASTIC from the ceiling to the floor between the pharmacist and the customers.

A DEMAIN!

JOAN

"SOCIAL DISTANCING" AND "SELF-QUARANTINING" HUMOR

And I've decided to stick with HUMOR and looking at the BRIGHT SIDE.  Here are a few "FUNNIES" to hopefully tickle your funny bone!!

Someone who saw that I posted this on Facebook responded by saying: 

• "I have decided that instead of reaching for a SNACK, I should reach for something to DECLUTTER".  

And chatting with LISA, my friend in Texas, she said:

• "I looked in my clothes closet today......  And now that I know I can't go to the store, I literally HATE everything I have."

LISA admittedly LOVES JEWELRY.  Do I dare send her a photo of the latest sought after earrings?

ANNA sent me a video recently that has become my ALL-TIME FAVORITE VIDEO for this time of QUARANTINE!!!  I had to watch it several times in a row because it literally made me LAUGH OUT LOUD. And that felt GOOD!

And a CALMING, PLEASANT illustration of a GIRL WITH HER DOG from creative cartoonist, CATHY GUISEWITE - 

JOAN

ARE YOU/WE BEING PRODUCTIVE WHILE QUARANTINED??

The ongoing saga with COVID-19........

My friend HELEN in AUSTRALIA sent the following in a recent email. I find it CALMING and hope you do too!

A priest in Ireland shared this (you don’t need to be religious to appreciate the sentiment): 

 

LOCKDOWN

 

Yes there is fear.

Yes there is isolation.

Yes there is panic buying.

Yes there is sickness.

Yes there is even death.

But,

They say that in Wuhan after so many years of noise

You can hear the birds again.

They say that after just a few weeks of quiet

The sky is no longer thick with fumes

But blue and grey and clear.

They say that in the streets of Assisi

People are singing to each other

across the empty squares,

keeping their windows open

so that those who are alone

may hear the sounds of family around them.

They say that a hotel in the West of Ireland

Is offering free meals and delivery to the housebound.

Today a young woman I know

is busy spreading fliers with her number

through the neighborhood

So that the elders may have someone to call on.

Today Churches, Synagogues, Mosques and Temples

are preparing to welcome

and shelter the homeless, the sick, the weary

All over the world people are slowing down and reflecting

All over the world people are looking at their neighbors in a new way

All over the world people are waking up to a new reality

To how big we really are.

To how little control we really have.

To what really matters.

To Love.

So we pray and we remember that

Yes there is fear.

But there does not have to be hate.

Yes there is isolation.

But there does not have to be loneliness.

Yes there is panic buying.

But there does not have to be meanness.

Yes there is sickness.

But there does not have to be disease of the soul

Yes there is even death.

But there can always be a rebirth of love.

Wake to the choices you make as to how to live now.

Today, breathe.

Listen, behind the factory noises of your panic

The birds are singing again

The sky is clearing,

Spring is coming,

And we are always encompassed by Love.

Open the windows of your soul

And though you may not be able

to touch across the empty square,

Sing.

My niece posed the question on FACEBOOK this morning, "WHAT DID YOU CLEAN OR STRAIGHTEN UP TODAY?"

I think her point was to find out if everyone is being productive in some way. I didn't "clean or straighten up" - instead, I spent the morning online comparing SKYPE with ZOOM to find the right format for my BOOK CLUB meeting later this week. My research found that SKYPE allows 110 minutes FREE and ZOOM allows only 40 minutes FREE. With 9 women I don't think 40 minutes will be enough!

Soooooo, FIVE of us did a trial run on SKYPE and worked through some difficulties and I was feeling very CONFIDENT that we could make this work, despite the poor quality of the transmission of video AND audio.

Then tonight I spoke with CLOVER!!!'s NANNY, NICHOLE - my trusty, SMART COLLEGE STUDENT, who told me that SKYPE is not the way to go. Oh geez....... Back to the drawing board.

We postponed the BOOK CLUB until the end of APRIL, so I now have plenty of time to come up with a better solution.

JOAN

ANYONE ELSE FEELING A BIT BLUE??

I'm an EXTREMELY POSITIVE person. It's unusual for me to ever feel "down" but yesterday was one of those days....... this PANDEMIC is the root of it of course. The UNCERTAINTY is highly disturbing and makes it difficult to remain HOPEFUL. 

Ok, it might have started when I looked at my retirement funds...... the LOSS! 

OUCH OUCH OUCH

Which started me thinking about what I'll need to change in my LIFESTYLE....

OUCH OUCH OUCH

Then I thought about all of the people who aren't RETIRED - who still need to WORK to feed themselves and their families. What must each of them be going through? And what are the small business owners feeling right now? And what about young college graduates and their UNCERTAIN futures? In all situations, life right now feels FRAGILE and SCARY. My heart felt even heavier...... 

Ok, you get the idea....... 

Today, I woke up on the right side of the bed. I started to clean out another cabinet and then CLOVER!!! and I drove to a friend's house to put a book in her mailbox. Then we drove to another friend's house to put a book in HER mailbox. Then we drove home. 

And I continue to try to share HUMOR for my friends on FACEBOOK, such as the slide above and below.

All we can each do right now, is PUT ONE FOOT IN FRONT OF THE OTHER, stay in touch with LOVED ONES, STAY BUSY and resolve to BELIEVE that THIS TOO WILL PASS.

Stay FOCUSED on what you personally can do to be part of the SOLUTION and not part of the problem. And by being part of the SOLUTION, I don't mean you have to find the CURE (BRAVO! for you, if you do!!), but you sure can reach out to others who are feeling down and do what you can to HELP lift them up.  We are all in this TOGETHER and we can all make it through this TOGETHER.

"How do you eat an elephant?"

"One bite at a time."

Right??

JOAN

QUARANTINE DURING RETIREMENT - SETTING SMALL GOALS

YES, YES, I've TOTALLY been enjoying my retirement during the last couple of years, but a QUARANTINE at home was never even considered in my little mind........

I realize that for good mental health, it's important to stay BUSY, ENERGIZED, FOCUSED and ENJOYING MYSELF, while alone at home. A week ago I decided to ADD ONE SIMPLE THING EACH DAY to my normal routine of spending time on the computer, reading, cooking, planning trips and playing with CLOVER!!!.  

It's true that not much has changed in my life EXCEPT all of the time I spend away from home. I'm used to enjoying a number of LUNCHES/DINNERS OUT with friends, TIME every week at a BOOK CLUB, and grocery and mindless SHOPPING, TRAVELING (!!!), etc.  

After my last trip to the GROCERY STORE last week, with this extra time in the house, I decided I would set some DAILY GOALS for myself. Just think how good I'll feel once all are completed!!

I'm fortunate enough to have wonderful gals clean my house every other week. I DO NOT LIKE to clean!! Although I DO LIKE a clean house..... 

So........

One day this week I changed/washed the sheets and bleached the duvet cover.  

One day I cleaned the toilets (ugh), counters and sinks.

One day I vacuumed.  CLOVER!!! sheds a LOT of HAIR!! 

Today I did LAUNDRY (sort of a Sunday habit). 

And I did some PAPERWORK (does THAT ever end?).

Two days this week, when it was dry outside, I brought firewood into the garage to dry out, so I can enjoy a few more FIRES in the FIREPLACE during this chilly spell.

Now that the basic cleaning is done, I decided I should create a few "PROJECTS" for myself. I'm starting with cleaning out and wiping down some CABINETS.  Just ONE/DAY - since this quarantine thing might last a bit..... PLUS I still need time to READ, play on FACEBOOK, watch MOVIES/SERIES, entertain CLOVER!!! and CHAT on the phone, right?!

Here's my PROJECT list so far.......

• Under-sink cabinets in the bathroom (2)
• Medication cabinet in the kitchen (that top-shelf probably has expired ones)
• Catch-all cabinet in the kitchen (oh my!)
• Kitchen desk drawers (the papers - oh, the papers I hope I can PURGE!!)
• Attend to that pile of FILING on the cabinet in my studio/office
• Garage cabinets/drawers - now THAT is a PROJECT!! I'll need a warmer day for that.
• Plant some indoor herbs (a birthday gift from my sister!)

Well, THAT should get me started and then I can look around and add to the LIST, right?

What are you doing to CREATIVELY PASS THE TIME AT HOME??

WASH YOUR HANDS!!!

JOAN

SOMETHING TO DO WHILE QUARANTINED AT HOME TOGETHER

QUARANTINED AT HOME?? 

Of course you are....... I am too.

I just came up with the following idea for my nieces/nephew and their families to keep them busy, engaged and thinking positively. I REALLY, REALLY hope they do it. It's a fun idea for FAMILIES and I bet it would be fun/interesting for COUPLES to also see what transpired over this "QUARANTINE" time at home. Feel free to share this idea with your families.

Here's the idea....

Put a large-sized NOTEBOOK of paper (spiral is best and unlined if you have it) out somewhere that is convenient to everyone. Date the first page today, THURSDAY, MARCH 19th. Tomorrow morning, the first person up, turns to the next fresh page and dates it FRIDAY, MARCH 20th and so on. 

When anyone passes by or feels inspired, take a minute to:

• "Doodle"
• Write down a pleasant phrase
• Make a statement
• Encourage each other
• Write a paragraph (or more) of your thoughts
• Add something interesting you've read or heard or done
• Write the lyrics to a song you love
• Draw a picture
• Describe what you accomplished that day
• Cut out a nice picture from a magazine and tape it in
• Add a memorable photo (or 2 or 20......)
• Express yourselves as you see fit
• It's up to you if you sign what you've added

Have some fun with this and try to remain positive with your entries. Some days you might fill more than one page and that's terrific!! Every day, everyone contributes and I bet you'll see that your creativity will expand as the days go by!!

At the end of this Quarantine, you'll have a FAMILY MEMORY BOOK of your time at home together. 

STAY HEALTHY and STAY AT HOME FOR NOW........

JOAN

BOOK - LITTLE by EDWARD CAREY (NO SPOILERS)

FICTION BOOK CLUB decided on this book for MARCH, but after two of my friends were a bit bored with it after reading the first 1/3, I was NOT looking forward to reading it and even considered skipping this month.  

I READ it and REALLY ENJOYED IT! I'd give it a 4.5 out of 5.

I LOVE HISTORICAL FICTION.

I LOVE FRANCE.

I LOVE stories of the FULL LIFETIME of the MAIN CHARACTER(S).

I APPRECIATE when a book reads CHRONOLOGICALLY.

This book met the above criteria. It's about the life of MADAME TUSSAUD, who is known for her WAX MUSEUM in LONDON (and now in additional cities). It takes place from 1761 - 1850 (until she was 89 years old).

What a sad, sad life she had. How did she survive the losses and the harsh and unloving treatment? She was terribly unappreciated, not only as a person, but also for her talent and work ethic. I really grew to like her (MARIE/"LITTLE"), so each day when I picked up the book I was curious to know what she was going to do next........

FULL DISCLOSURE - 

You WILL have to endure some GOREY DETAILS while the FRENCH REVOLUTION was in full swing.

A FEW PASSAGES THAT PLEASED OR INTRIGUED ME - 

Page 50

"Aren't you, little boldness?" This he called me, and very pleased with his own observation, he went on, not caring for a moment how I might take his words: "Little ill-facedness, little minor monster in a child's dress.... little thing.... little howl.... little crumb of protruding flesh.... little statement on mankind .... little.... little?" he concluded, not certain in the end of what I was, only that I was little, a little of something.

Page 65

"Life," explained Mercier, "can be said to start for you now, now that you've found Paris......"

Page 253

"Pity the poor toys, for they are generally loved for such a short time; they get broken, or other things come along to replace them and they are taken to distant rooms set aside for unloved objects."

Page 339

By now its name had changed: when louisette reminded too many of the disgraced king, it was renamed the guillotine, after a doctor who had sought for many years a humane device of death-entering for criminals.

Page 396

We told each other our stories. Again and again. You always knew the true ones from the false ones, for the false ones changed at every telling. The true ones remained constant. What is a life? This is what we were left with: stories. They were our clothes.

Page 398

"No, most of all, I shall tell you who I miss: it's my pug dog."

Page 429

We've climbed to the top of London, which is the greatest of all dung heaps ever laid by man, an excrescence of appalling dimensions.

Page 432

This world has turned mechanical. The new world is made of iron. Life now is heavy, propelled by steam and pistons. In place of candles, people illuminate themselves by gas, which gives off a light without mystery.

JOAN