COVID-19 Masks

Now that most places across the country are asking people to wear masks when they go out, I thought that now would be a good time to share some information on making your own masks. The CDC does not want people wearing N95 or surgical masks; those are to be saved for medical and hospital staff. Out in the everyday world, we should be wearing cloth masks. I’ve been wearing one for a little more than a week. Last week, my husband went to Ocean State Job Lots where they were giving out free fabric/cloth in order to make your own masks. You can check their website to see if those are still available. At the time, there was a limit of 5 per person.

The instructions that I used to make my NO SEW mask can be found on YouTube.

FREE pattern for sewing a surgical face mask

The CDC Now Recommends Everyone Use Cloth Masks in Public (Vox)

DIY Homemade Face Mask Tutorials (Vox)

CDC – Cloth Face Covers

Food, Isolation Style (Updated 4/29/20)

Some people on Twitter, like Luis Miranda, Jr. and Chef Jose Andres have been sharing recipes online, and I will be sharing the two that I have plus adding to this post with others. I have several of my own recipes on the website; just put “recipe” in the search box and see what comes up.

First some tips that we are using in our house.

Wash fruits and vegetables really well. You should also wash the fruits that have peels that you won’t be eating because it still may have something on the outside that you don’t want on your hands or in your body.

Wash your utensils before food preparation.

Wash your hands, and then wash them again. It is equally important to dry your hands thoroughly. This is also a good year round practice.

Separate your meat, vegetable, and bread cutting boards. This is something you should do year round when there isn’t a global pandemic going on.

Grocery Stores are the Coronavirus Tipping Point

How You Should Get Food During the Pandemic (published by The Atlantic on March 14, 2020)

No, You Don’t Need to Disinfect Your Groceries. But Here’s How to Shop Safely

How to Freeze Vegetables While Preserving their Best Qualities

Hot to Make Substitutions for Spices, Herbs, Dairy, and Meat in Your Everyday Cooking

How Long are those Condiments in Your Fridge and Pantry Supposed to Last?

How Long Your Fresh Produce Will Really Last

Clicking graphic takes you to the source link.

Luis Miranda’s Mother’s Recipe for Pound Cake

Chef Jose Andres’ Recipe and Video for Fried Rice

“A Little Snack” from Chef Jose Andres using seaweed, rice, and Spanish anchovies

Chef Jose Andres #Recipesforallofus: 3 1/2 minute angel hair pasta in tomato sauce (I’m making this later in the week!)

Chef Jose Andres #Recipesforallofus: Sugar Omelettes

Chef Jose Andres Chicken and Cauliflower

Chef Jose Andres Brisket & Eggs (leftovers in the Andres’ house)

Chef Jose Andres Canned Green Pea Fritters Chef Jose Andres Pasta, Eggplant, and Chickpeas

Chef Jose Andres Vegetable Lasagna (onions, eggplant, zucchini)

Chef Jose Andres’ Sausage and Cabbage

Chef Jose Andres’ Leftover Chicken with Vegetables

Chef Jose Andres’ Tuna Melt (of Sen. Mark Warner)

Chef Jose Andres Classic Spanish dish – “Migas” that uses old bread. Chef has added chorizo and grapes

Navajo Fry Bread

Crock Pot Lemon Italian Chicken with Capers

Hot Crash Potatoes

Chicken, Potatoes, and Green Beans Dinner (one pan. I made this and it was delicious!)

Disney’s Churros

Disney’s Dole Whip

Disney’s Cookie Fries

How to Cook a Ronto Wrap (Galaxy Edge at Home. YouTube Video)

Ikea’s Swedish Meatball Recipe

Apple Fritters

Three Ingredient Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies (perfect for lockdown)

Scone Recipe

Homemade Pizza Dough

Armadillo Cheesy Garlic Bread from Chrissy Teigen’s Cravings Cookbook [posted with permission]

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Found this on Facebook when my sister shared it. It’s meant for camping and to do over a campfire, but I’m planning on doing this with my kids in the oven next week! I’ll show you how it turns out after! (c)2020

Religious and Spiritual Resources (Updated 4/29/20)

I was waiting to find resources for other religions, and I am still actively looking, Please forward anything that you think would be helpful and I will update this post as soon as I can. I do apologize for only having Christian sources at the moment. This post is meant to be multi-faith and interfaith.

I plan to share whatever reputable resources that I have for people self-isolating and quarantining at home.

Suggestions welcome. (POSTED/UPDATED 3/31/20)

Catholic/Christian

The Holy
Rosary

Letter from Pope Francis plus 2 New Prayers (to say with the rosary this May)
We’re All Monks Now
What the First Christians Can Teach Us About Missing Sacraments and Still Growing

Spiritual Act of Communion Coloring Page
See Brother Mickey McGrath’s Facebook Page for several coloring sheets for both children and adults

Faith at Home Resources from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany (NY) (including listings for live masses)

Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana offers a Daily Office. I believe they usually begin at 10am, but they will post a video to their Facebook, which I’ve linked.

Morning Prayer and Song with David Haas on his Facebook, daily at 8am CST

General Absolution allowed during Coronavirus Contagion (Pope Francis) – article from the National Catholic Reporter

A Prayer for Spiritual Communion (from RC Diocese of Albany)

Prayer Resources for use during the Coronavirus Pandemic (from the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference in Ireland)Twitter

Give Us This Day – a monthly subscription with the daily prayers and much more. The Digital version is FREE during the coronavirus outbreak because many people cannot attend their daily/weekly masses.

Resources (several) on worship and prayer from Fr. James Martin, SJ

Fr. James Martin, SJ, Facebook, Twitter (He has a daily faith sharing at this time. See his Facebook for the exact time.

The Daily Examen with Fr. James Martin, SJ (podcast)

Brother Mickey McGrath, OSFS

A Gentle Suggestion for Lent (this is still so very good for our times now) from Brother Mickey McGrath, OSFS

Brother Mickey McGrath’s Art and Faith Chat (from March 26, 2020)

Prayer at Home

Celebrate Holy Week at Home

A Guide to Celebrating the Easter Triduum at Home

A Different Way to Have Liturgy at Home

Judaism/Jewish

Passover is in one weeks, and I’d like to add resources before then.

RUACH: Jewish emotional and spiritual support care providers

Everything You Need to Celebrate Passover in Quarantine (Chabad)

How to Do a Seder Alone

Quarantine Kaddish Service Contact Information

Coronavirus Resources and Inspiration (Chabad)

Chad Gadya (Jack Black)

Islam/Muslim

Ramadan begins April 24, and I would like to include Muslim resources before then.

COVID-19 RESOURCE UPDATE (UPDATED 3/26/20)

There have been updates to the two new resource posts including new educational resources and where you can help from home. I plan to have a religious resource post later this evening.

Here are some shortcuts:

What to Do in Isolation/Quarantine (UPDATED 3/26/20)(NOW WITH EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES)
Where Can I Help? (UPDATED 3/26/20)

Religious and Spiritual Resources (UPDATED 3/26/20)

I hope everyone is keeping their distance and staying well.

My thoughts are with all of you.

What to Do in Isolation/Quarantine (Updated 4/29/20)

We’ve got our milk, bread, toilet paper, and kids home. It’s only been a few days, and we are in it for the long haul: two weeks, four weeks, six. We just don’t know right now. What can we do from the sanctity of our homes without risking our health or the health of others? Here are a few suggestions.

Imagineering in a Box – Free online course where you will “go behind the scenes with Disney Imagineers and complete project-based exercises to design a theme park of your very own.” (In collaboration with Khan Academy.)
Good Night with Dolly Dolly Parton will read weekly bedtime stories beginning on April 2 at 7pm ET. The first book will be The Little Engine that Could by Watty Piper. The rest of the ten weeks of books will be: There’s a Hole in the Log on the Bottom of the Lake by Loren Long, Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney, I Am a Rainbow by Dolly Parton, Pass It On by Sophy Henn, Stand Tall Molly Lou Mellon by Patty Lovell, Violet the Pilot by Steve Breen, Max & The Tag-Along Moon by Floyd Cooper, Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña, and Coat of Many Colors by Dolly Parton

Children’s Book Authors Read-Aloud

National Aquarium in Baltimore – Livestreams of The Blacktip Reef, Jellies Invasion, Pacific Coral Reef

New York Public Library – (for NYC residents with a library card) (CONTACT YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY ABOUT THEIR E-BOOK PROGRAMS)

NASA makes their entire media library publicly accessible and COPYRIGHT FREE

33 National Park Tours You Can Take Virtually

15 Broadway Plays and Musicals You Can Watch on Stage from Home (best filmed and where to find them)

FREE Coloring Books from 113 Museums

Virtual Field Trips – including San Diego Zoo, Yellowstone National Park, Mars!!!, Animal Cameras, Virtual Farm Tour, US Space and Rocket Museum in Hunsville AL, Discovery Education, The Louvre, The Great Wall of China, Boston’s Children’s Museum

12 Museums Offering Virtual Tours – including British Museum (London), Guggenheim Museum (NY), National Gallery of Art (Washington, DC), Musee d’Orsay (Paris), National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (Seoul), Pergamon Museum (Berlin), Rijksmuseum (Amsterdam), Van Gogh Museum (Amsterdam), The J. Paul Getty Museum (L.A.), Uffizi Gallery (Florence), MASP (Sao Paulo), National Museum of Anthropology (Mexico City)

14 Beautiful, Dramatic Waterfalls in North Wales (this is primarily a travel article, but they’re still pretty to look at! And Wales!

Metropolitan Opera offering Nightly Met Opera Streams – see the link for details and limits.

Five Gardens You Can Virtually Visit – Waddesdon Manor (Waddesdon, England), Claude Monet’s Garden (Giverny, France), Chicago Botanic Garden (Chicago, IL), Hawai’i Tropical Botanical Garden (Papaikou, Hawai’i), Kew Gardens (Richmond, England).

Hogwarts Digital Escape Room

Ivy League Courses Online for FREE

How to Be Happier in Your Daily Life (popular Yale University course – ONLINE FREE (Source: Business Insider)

Tour New York State Parks (virtual)

Activities at The Spy Museum

Twitter for Voice Actors Read. There are many voice actors reading books aloud to you and your children.

Tour The Winchester Mystery House (virtual tour)

Tour the Paris Catacombs (virtual tour)

I Love NY Landmark Coloring Pages

EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
The Parents’ Guide to Google Classroom

What to Do with your Kids When Schools are Canceled

Harry the Dirty Dog read by Betty White

The Very Hungry Caterpillar read by author, Eric Carle

Outdoor Scavenger Hunts from Buttonwood Park Library

Easy Toilet Paper Roll Crafts (when you use up your stash of toilet paper!)

Outdoor and Indoor Scavenger Hunts from Leicester Library

Home Safari at the Cincinnati Zoo

50 Ways to Keep Kids Engaged at Home During the Coronavirus Shutdown

Miniature Bookshop DIY – cost $36.99

NASA Space Station STEM Activities

Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY (Safe at Home Program)

Virtual Tour of Auschwitz

COVID-19 Update

(This will also be added to original Coronavirus post that is linked at the top of my home page)

I recommend you follow Dr. Scott Gottlieb on Twitter. He is not currently a part of this Administration, but is the former head of the FDA and Harvard professor and offers good, thoughtful advice on dealing with this epidemic.

His USA Today op-ed: Take Smart Steps to Slow the Spread of the coronavirus

This is a transcript of his interview on CBS’ Face the Nation

Int’l Women’s Day – The Mooncatcher Project

On this International Women’s Day, let me tell you about The Mooncatcher Project. They make and donate menstrual kits so girls can go to school. In some of these countries, underwear is a luxury, let alone disposable pads. This kit includes a carrier that can be written without underwear and comes with three reusable, washable absorbent pads plus a way to carry the used one home and wash it. I only learned about this earlier this week and I’m so excited by this project. Each kit costs $5 to make and cost nothing for the girls who receive them. Check them out and help if you can either by making kits or by donating money.

Coronavirus Resources Update

Talking Point Memo’s Josh Marshall has compiled a list of Twitter accounts giving real time updates and accurate information. If you’re on Twitter, check the tweet here, or go directly to the Epidemic Science & Health link, and follow these folks.

There is also a Coronavirus Live Update Website from Worldometer (h/t to actor Jim Beaver for the link) with statistics and numbers. However, please be aware that the number of cases is based only on those tested. Here in the United States, we are well behind the testing, so our numbers may be higher than reported. This also doesn’t include people who are carrying the virus but are asymptomatic.

I received an email from my health insurance company with their current policy on coronavirus testing. Check with your own health insurance provider to find out when and if you should get tested and how that procedure would work for your specific situation.

I will add this to my original post (link is at the top of my home page) which will continue to receive updated information as I discover it.

Black History and Heritage: Journalist Gwen Ifill

Gwen Ifill was an extraordinary journalist, and someone who I followed for as long as I followed politics. She died too young in 2016 of breast and endometrial cancer. This year she has been honored with a United States Postal Service Forever stamp. You read her author’s page at The PBS Newshour and read some touching memories at Remembering Gwen Ifill. She will always be an inspiration to me.

Black History Month Information and Resource

By happenstance, author and activist, Charles A. Preston appeared on my Twitter timeline through the retweet of someone I follow, and I consider myself lucky to have found his amazing resource for Black History (this month and every month of the year). The multi-folder Google doc is chock full of information about many aspects of Black History from Afro-Futurism to Zora Neale Hurston and many others in between. I believe he is continuing to update it. When using his folders, remember to give him credit as well as linking to his Twitter or website.

Black History Month Library

In addtion, you can follow Mr. Preston on Twitter or visit his Website.

Griffins and Ginger Snaps

-I write, and I have a blog because of course I do-