I know you all know this, but my likes on this thread are hugs!

Our children who are still at university need that in person education - online is offering nothing near the collaborative environment they are used to experiencing. These are small schools, though. With large state universities, I can see that a shift to online education may work better. Or, not. Wouldn’t the loss of room & board devastate universities? Buildings cannot sit empty. Kitchens cannot go unused. Facilities will begin to deteriorate. As much as living in spaces wears on them, sitting empty does enormous harm. Even thinking amount the possibility of them not opening makes me think of all the damaging sociological effects of this pandemic. Effects we cannot even imagine. Reading this thread is depressing me.

I miss Mass. in and of itself, but the ‘getting all of us including young adults together for Sunday supper & games’ part that happened most weeks. We’re still together, but we talk about no other topics. It’s so unknown. Like many have said, I miss people acting normally. Probably my greatest concern is: how will people act when the orders are lifted? Will we be forever acting suspiciously towards our neighbor? That thought makes me so very sad 😿.

This.

Theodore, Virginia, Alice, Gertrude, Elmer, Lucille, Clarence, Luella, Harold, Eleanor, Alfred, Margaret (although, I know a lot of little Maggie's), Adeline, Louise, and Goldie. May they all rest in peace!

Just this morning, a sign in front of a local janitorial supply store announced in BIG letters, that they had all the TP, paper towels, and garbage bags you need. As to people being at home being precisely why TP has disappeared, I disagree: it disappeared, and has not reappeared in my local stores, since a full week and a half before restaurants were closed - two and a half weeks before stay-at-home orders. TP is at the top of every good prep-er list.

DH and I were going to Flower & Garden at EPCOT in May. That is certainly cancelled. Still plan to take a short family road trip to the mountains this summer - already booked the Airbnb. If we simply play pool, read, cook, and enjoy the view while being all together, my heart will be happy. No need to sightsee.

Thank you for passing this along. A favorite here. Eldest received a handwritten reply to the first fan letter he ever sent. Requiesce In Pace

For myself, I keep a huge bowl of cherry tomatoes on the counter to offer a quick bite when I am just eating for nerves. When that doesn’t work, the Doritos come out.

Condolences for your loss - prayers for all of you!

Two carry out orders from regional favorites. One for dinner, other will be tomorrow’s brunch. I had to travel 30 mins on interstate to them (everything is at least 30 mins/usually more). It felt like a Christmas morning, traffic-wise. So odd. Then, there was the pick-up, it was even more odd. But, focus. Focus on family sharing great food, working on projects together, playing with the dog. Tonight, DH and I are going to watch more Rick Steves’ Europe. We had planned to go next year. Maybe. Maybe not. But, cuddling on the couch, while continuing to dream will be nice.

Only one and a half weeks in, here. My daily routines have not changed compared to the time of year where I am not employed outside the home (three fourths of every year, I am a full time homemaker). With my job coming to a screeching halt, I thought I’d just move into the at-home routine easily. Not so. DH working at home, on-line college classes in different parts of the house, keeping the dog/cat managed so as not to disturb those ‘working’...never mind them disturbing my work! Finally, the past few days, I am getting into the ‘at home’ routines. But, it is different in so many ways. I am finally organizing our basement, a long term project left to sit, and now seeing progress...But NO drop offs to donation centers possible! That’s weird. I can plan healthy, or not, comfort meals with what I stocked up on, but NO salad after tomorrow. (We have space and seeds but no lettuce was planted=( Last year, at this time, I spent the first hour of my day planning my trip to NYC with DS...so thankful that we were able to make that trip together. So sad for those suffering great disappointments this year, but especially for those sick! Also, sad for those having symptoms and frightened.

6 months at the approximate rate of 5 rolls/month. All mega rolls. Until this situation, I had never rationed myself, I am being strict, put sufficient, and realizing that I wasted a lot - using extra, using as tissue, etc. Didn’t even realized that I had a stash in storage. I was doing secret shopper jobs a lot last year, and TP was an easy way to fulfill minimum order requirements for grocery pick-up. I am glad that I am becoming more aware of waste. Of many things.

I'm sorry your not getting enough sleep @Murphy101, but I had to laugh at the description of your animals! I went to the grocery for what I hope is the last time in awhile. I did not wear a mask, despite a friend urging me not to go into public without one. Requested our eldest come home to roost. Cleaning. Especially his room to de-cat dander it. Began a new book, continuing to crochet, and trying to keep myself off of the internet, to no avail. Be well, everyone!

((( @Just Kate )))

Washing hands when returning home, after playing with indoor animals, after touching face, and other normal times. I generally keep our house pretty clean by most people's standards - based on what visitors to my home say to me. In fact, I have slacked off a bit, because I have consumed my normal chore time and previous out-of-home work time by being online. Today I plan to catch up on normal, relatively thorough, cleaning. We live in the country and our Dd runs a fiber farm here. The Covid 19 situation is, in a good way, making me even more aware of the need to keep the barn/house barrier strict. Certainly, we have always changed shoes when returning from farm area, but sometimes eggs have come in and simply got laid on the counter, the dog ran back in from a paddock without having paws wiped, and, in the past, I thought nothing of running out back in my house shoes to free an Angora goat from having his horns stuck in the fence. Now, I am thinking of those things and training myself to be more conscientious. The more difficult thing to do is to train the family.

Oh, @MorningGlory, that is really sad. Been thinking about when the reality will hit for the young adults who have escaped reality and are soaking up the sun on beaches and imbibing in what they think is a preventative...alcohol. That is what I hear from dc is many of their age-mate's thinking=( My Dc run the gamut from introverts glad for the break to science-minded individuals respecting the need. They've even had to remind me why I cannot just cannot take off and go on vacation right now. I know, I know...I wouldn't (and do not really want to) but the extroverted side of me sees the reasonable gas/cheap plane tickets and wants to use some of our points to go hole up in a hotel room facing the ocean and escape it all! My heart bleeds for those like MorningGlory's son who is experiencing major life choices and those, especially. losing their livelihoods and...those losing their lives. I did not at all keep off the internet yesterday like I had planned, and I must reclaim that time to not only catch up, but also deep clean and bake. I figure that I can at least ease the burden of those living/returning to our home by making our home peaceful and warm. Keep well, everyone!

Grocery store run early, only thing I could run low on in the next month, except fresh food, is yeast. None to be found. I am bound and determined to avoid the internet today and get some cleaning done. It was changing so fast yesterday, I couldn't keep my eyes from it. Crocheting and reading begun last night. Maybe I can capture this focused energy and must come to terms with my new-found free time d/t my seasonal job loss. Trying to think positively after yesterday's tailspin.

I don't know how old your children are, but, at young ages, we prayed a decade a night, instead.

Still a little in shock/denial. Denial as simply a coping mechanism, not denial of need to cooperate with flattening the curve suggestions. I have lost my part time job today due to this, and, although I knew that was coming, I am sad about that. Also, not expecting to go to Epcot in May, as planned. We began the original St. Michael the Archangel prayer as a novena last week. With my new found free time, I want to deep clean my house, get the pup's training back up to our standards (winter is a welcomed time of standard's devolution=), and finish a crochet baby blanket. Or two or three. Thanks for beginning this, @Murphy101 it is so good to have goals and a way to time it. It helps me think: someday, the numbers will stop going up, and we will all step back into the light of a post-COVID-19 new day.

https://www.fenzidogsportsacademy.com/ I have taken classes by Sue Ailsby, whose Training Levels books I dearly love. She is currently on sabbatical, but from my understanding, all of Fenzi's instructors are excellent. (sorry to recommend Fenzi when you already mentioned it)

Enjoy your visit with your daughter, @Bootsie !

What a month you have had - may your recovery be swift & smooth!

I have a recipe around here somewhere that makes a delicious casserole with sauerkraut, kielbasa, and potatoes. Let me look... ETA, Oh, I’m sorry if I misunderstood; are you trying to make it ‘by itself’ taste better? And, I see my recipe was an on-the-fly thing with ched cheese & a little white sauce to hold it together (if diced not mashed pots that particular time). But, I believe that people rinse it, then boil with some apple & perhaps a little sugar to combat ate sourness. I love it, sour as can be, on a mett!

I’m “head in the sand Betty” over here, and I have a question: This seems to be spreading so rapidly. Although, from my limited understanding, not everyone shows any symptoms who has contracted it (so carriers). Is the rapid spread due to it being so new and no one has immunity? So...does everyone exposed to it become either sick or a carrier with no symptoms?