Wednesday, March 18, 2020
Self-isolation comes naturally to me since I’m a writer. Today was the first time the COVID-19 pandemic has affected me since I normally work from home. Unless you consider my applying for a part time position at the Mineral Wells library on Friday the thirteenth to be related to the virus outbreak. I probably wouldn’t have applied for the job had the city of Fort Worth not cut out overtime for my husband Ray because few people can replace him if he gets sick. He works for the Fort Worth Fire Department at city hall, but usually picks up a couple of 24 hour overtime shifts a month on the fire truck.
Our daughter Stephanie and her husband have refurbished a 1975 Airstream camper. They had planned to start traveling the end of this month, but have since delayed their trip until May.
Our church has cancelled all activities for two weeks since gatherings of more than fifty people have been requested to cease. I volunteer there in couple of ways most Wednesdays, but today there is no need to go. I am looking forward to more time at home to do a little extra cooking, cleaning, reading and writing. At least as long as out toilet paper holds out. Paper goods are scarce, along with meat, bread, pasta, rice, beans, eggs, milk, and many cleaning products. We are good for now, though.
The library called. I have an interview tomorrow at 2pm. I have to read them a children’s book.
Thursday, March 19, 2020
I went for my interview and read Dr. Seuss’s Horton Hatches the Egg. They seemed to enjoy the story. This would really be my dream job—surrounded by books and helping children fall in love with literature. The position pays very little, and they assured me that this job is going nowhere and working with the general public can be difficult. Sounds like church, I joked. I still agreed to accept the job if I’m chosen only because of the economic downturn from the pandemic.
Both ladies interviewing me commented that I looked familiar. I said, “Well, I’m in the library all the time.” But they said that wasn’t the reason. I thought that was funny. They didn’t ask about what I was currently reading.
They won’t make their decision for two weeks. The library is closed to the public right now. They offer curbside pick-up, and returned books are quarantined inside for three days.
It is rumored that someone at Fort Worth city hall has COVID-19. Tomorrow they begin taking the temperature of everyone who enters the building.
We had our son Matt move out of his dorm room at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary before the virus hit, but he still works on campus. He and Ray will ride to Fort Worth together each day.
Saturday, March 21, 2020
I needed sour cream and bread today, and I had to go to three stores to get it. Braums Dairy Store had bread and milk. I asked an employee about eggs. She said they would have some Monday morning and they open at 6am.
I found a roll of paper towels at Dollar General, too. Maybe things are getting better.
Sunday, March 22, 2020
I watched our church service on Facebook Live. Worship online was much more enjoyable than I had imagined. Seeing other friend’s comments and pictures when they joined the service made it fun and interactive.
We know a young couple with a three month old, and they are unable to find the baby formula they need locally. Our daughter Stephanie said the stores are out of dog food. I hadn’t noticed because I haven’t needed it yet.
Monday, March 23, 2020
I drove to Braums Dairy Store in heavy fog before 7am. They were stocking the shelves and I asked an employee about the eggs. He told me no eggs were sent on the truck.
Easter is three weeks away. Normally, eggs are everywhere this time of year. I wonder if more is going on than the government and the stores are telling us. It is hard to not get sucked in by the media and fearful when you see empty shelves in the stores.
I’m not sure the postal service is running every day, or maybe businesses aren’t mailing out as much. We didn’t receive anything in the mail a couple of times last week. Amazon, the global mail order giant, used to promise free two day delivery, but now shipments may take up to five days.
I cleaned the doorknobs and light switches again today. Everything is clean, but boxes of stuff from Matt’s dorm room are everywhere.
The sun came out for a while today. The weather has been dreary—cloudy and rainy—throughout most of this stay at home order. Gray skies zap my energy, and I have been sleeping a lot.
Ray is unsure about his job. Work has slowed at city hall due to more and more places shutting down. He fears he will be put back on a truck, and this is a scary time to be a first responder because of shortages of health protection gear, like masks.
President Trump held a press conference tonight. He promised he would not keep America closed for months, and that we would be open for business with a strong economy real soon. He is clueless. He needs to be saying we’re taking this one day at a time and it is tragic that one hundred people died from this virus in New York today.
Tuesday, March 24, 2020
I went to Walmart this morning. The aisle with paper goods is bare—completely empty—you can see across the shelves where the box cases were once stacked to the next aisle. In the dairy section there are open coolers where extra inventory or special price items are displayed. Easter eggs would normally be stored in these bins, but they now hold twelve packs of Coke and Diet Coke.
I’m carrying around a folded and tattered shopping list with very few items scratched off, and the list continues to grow. I found dog food for Stephanie, and she shared some eggs with me.
It’s weird to shop. Shortages and empty shelves make you want to buy things. Multiple times I found myself thinking, I should buy this in case someone needs it.
Ray said a guy claimed Brookshire’s Grocery in Weatherford is completely stocked except for ground beef. Their meat case is filled with steaks.
Matt stayed home from work with stomach issues. He was feeling better this afternoon.
It’s supposed to be sunny and 92 degrees tomorrow.
Wednesday, March 25, 2020
Prince Charles tested positive for COVID-19 today. He is 71 years old. I also read online that people are abandoning their pets from fear of getting the virus from them.
Matt went back to work.
I re-potted some plants outside in the sunshine this afternoon. It was nice to be outside.
Ray brought eight rolls of toilet paper from a store in Fort Worth. He also bought three pounds of ground beef. I will share it with Stephanie if she needs it.
Friday, March 27, 2020
Ray brought 32 rolls of toilet paper home from Ft. Worth last night. We are officially hoarders now. I made some care packages for two of my friends and delivered them this morning.
The library called. They are under a hiring freeze due to the pandemic, but they will contact me at a later time. I have been writing a lot during this time at home. I’ve been editing and formatting my second book, God in the Doggie Bag, and plan to spend my weekend working on my website. It was cloudy and humid all day.
Sunday, March 29, 2020
I didn’t work on my website, but I did do some writing yesterday.
The guys finished fencing the front pasture yesterday and brought five calves over to get them off of their mamas. One jumped the fence and they chased her off of the neighbor’s place and back to our herd. Her mama is a fence jumper also, so they thought this might be a good time to sell her and her mother. Ray called the local auction barn and got no answer. We wonder if the cattle auctions have ceased for a time due to the no gatherings over six people regulations that are put in place. The other four calves are still bawling for their mamas.
We couldn’t watch the church service on Facebook Live today. The screen kept freezing, but the comments continued rolling. I don’t know if the problem was on our end or the church’s feed. We said we’d watch it later, but we haven’t yet.
I need to go grocery shopping again tomorrow. I don’t expect to find what I need since the internet has posted lots of articles about what to stock up on before beginning your isolation at home.
Tuesday, March 31, 2020
Governor Greg Abbott issued a statewide Stay-at-Home Order today. There are still no reported cases of COVID-19 in Palo Pinto County at this time. I had gone to the store an hour earlier and found rice and beans. They were limiting them to one of each item per customer. It was the first bag of rice I’d seen on the shelf in two weeks.
Ray came home from work with some groceries also. We should be good for a while.
Yesterday the seminary cut Matt’s hours to three days a week. Two of his co-workers have babies on the way, and he only started this job a month ago, so he offered to go on furlough voluntarily. Today is his last day.
The sun came out this afternoon.