LAKE COUNTY — Everyone talks about how frightening the coronavirus is, but are people talking and sharing what’s keeping them busy, occupied, sane during the pandemic?
The Record-Bee asked people from around the lake, “What is keeping you and/or your family sane during this time?”
Sue Dillard, Lakeport resident said, “I’m writing my will and advance directive. Also cleaning out all old/outdated files.”
Mike Adams, Chairperson of the Arts Council’s Soper Reese Committee said, “We’re staying at home except for basic needs. Keeping informed. Supporting each other through technology. Family group texting has become very creative, informative and supportive. We’ve brought isolated friends into the family text. My granddaughter, who’s in her early 20s, has taken to virtual dance parties in place of going out. Most importantly we are maintaining our sense of humor.”
Sue Laymon, photographer from Lower Lake, said, “My husband and I are walking every day. Not far and not fast. We stop and visit outside with our neighbors on our rounds. Our great granddaughters came over for a romp in our yard and we got to have a safe visit with them out in the sunshine and at a distance. The 2-year-old was so good about staying her distance, she would look at us as if she was trying to see why she couldn’t run and hug us like she usually does.
“I imagine it must be much harder with single people. My sister Betty, 90, who just lost her partner of 20 years is now quarantined. Alone. Her son went to see her, and enjoyed a picnic lunch with her. Those kind of things are so important. We must keep our communications going.”
Gytha March, artist in Cobb said, “I saw this quote this morning, ‘You can’t calm the storm, so calm yourself. The storm will pass.’ I’m trying to do that.”
Married couple Barbara Clark and John Tomlinson from Clearlake Riviera told, “John and I are both exploring games (something we did before the SIP). We have been doing a lot of video calls with friends, One online party, we celebrated a friend’s success and did cheers (and some shots),” said Barbara. “In a few minutes we are logging on with friends to watch Saturday morning cartoons together.
“We also had #formalfriday, a movement started by late-night television host Jimmy Kimmel. We dressed up in formal attire and had a dinner date. It was actually very nice and special. Good food and company, and we played music together (something we hadn’t done in a while but was an early part of our relationship).”
Charise Reynolds who lives in Middletown and works in Lower Lake said, “I make my son, Jimmy, stick to a schedule. He is in the 5th grade. Once he’s done with his schedule, he’s free to watch YouTube or to play on his X-Box. His friends join him for Fortnite and Minecraft. There is a whole school-age community keeping in touch that way. He also stays in touch with his teacher via a chat feature on Google Classroom. He says he’s not bored, though, he was missing being outside which is why we started taking walks.
“We’ve been checking on our elderly neighbors, too. We’ve gone around leaving chalk messages at the school and in driveways of folks we know, hoping to brighten their day. This weekend we may start painting on rocks and leaving them around town for people to find.”
Lisa Baker Eden, actor and furloughed office manager who lives in Lucerne, said, “SIP (shelter in place) is definitely having an impact on our lives, but we are coping with it all as well as we can. We are so fortunate to be in a ‘prepared’ stage of life, but the effects of this pandemic are still stressful and disheartening. We are counting our lucky stars that we have savings, a full pantry, and no debts, because I just got laid off on April 2 as a result of SIP. I work in office administration and my husband takes care of our kids full-time, so we now have zero income.
“Quarantine life is a mixed bag. We have been able to seize many silver linings: my husband and I are totally caught up on rest since having our 3 and 4-year-old kids. We’ve been working out several days a week, we’re nurturing our interests, practicing self-care, and we’re generally trying to help each other have fun within the confines of our property. My blood pressure has actually gone down!
“We are facing the psychology of trauma with our preschooler. We can tell he is anxious about everything shutting down and locking people in. His social skills are changing, and he has many displaced emotions,” said Eden. “He’s not himself. It breaks my heart to see him have to grow up any faster than he should. My toddler has difficult moments, too, but she is in heaven with all of her favorite grown-ups around all day to dote on her. We will likely be on high-alert for our kids for months and years following all of this. My goal is to use this experience to make my family stronger, smarter, and more grateful for our fragile lives.”
Tim Barnes, former mayor of Lakeport responded, “We are taking time to focus on our family. We’re spending time with our kiddos and are really trying to find out what their interests are and what makes them tick. Laura [my wife] and I are trying to spend as much quality time together as possible, while giving each other the room we need as individuals. This time has been trying, one of the things we started just tonight [Tuesday] was a brief block party. I am a DJ on the side and I have hooked up my equipment and after the howl we plan to pump out a few songs to keep that feeling of unity going, at least in our neighborhood. We have taken the low points to take a breath, to remind ourselves that when life returns to normal we will not be afforded the luxury of time to spend with one another. When all that fails, we go to the garage and scream.”
Barnes is making reference to a practice of residents going out at 8 p.m. on a nightly basis to howl like wolves in order to vent, release stress and/or generally connecting with other humans facing the same SIP restraints.
People have listed what they are doing; staying busy as if living a 30-hour day. The internet is full of stories detailing how families and single people keep busy. One family, whose aunt lives in Lake County, told of her nieces and nephews who put on their own “The Masked Singer” show; the TV show where contestants face off singing against each other, concealing their identity with costumes.
How are people in other countries dealing with the Covid-19 restrictions?
Rob Sutherland, a photographer, who lives in Northwest England, the Lake District, with his wife Jen and three red-haired boys; Lachlan, 8, Hamish 7, and Angus, 18 months. “We‘re under lockdown conditions. Food in the supermarkets is a little sparse following the panic buying of the first week or two of the emerging pandemic emergency in the UK. Schools are now closed and we are trying to educate our children at the dining room table, with varying degrees of success. Life is pretty stressful!
“I went out for supplies yesterday and it really hit me just how all encompassing this situation really is. The streets are deserted in the towns, other than queues, which are more reminiscent of Soviet era Russia than a modern market economy. It isn’t just the streets which are empty though, the main arterial roads which drive the commerce of the region are more or less deserted, probably more so now as the police are starting to set up road blocks and turn away non-residents.
“Not much has changed other than our stress levels going ever upwards. Our Prime Minister (Boris Johnson) has just gone into the ICU (intensive care) but for the moment we are still allowed out and so the boys can go and burn off some steam.
“We haven’t worried too much though. I think we had a brush with COVID-19 a couple of weeks ago so hopefully we have some immunity now. Boys both had fevers and sore throats. Myself and Jen were worse, with headaches, muscle aches, chills and raging sore throats.
“The wee man had chicken pox at the same time so we don’t know what he had in terms of symptoms. We live rurally which I think helps. Just a waiting game now to pick our lives back up!”
Ingrid Bartsch, a film critic in Germany said, “When I started my quarantine: home office and distance keeping, it turned out I not only can cope, I am enjoying it. We are allowed to go out to go to the doctor, to work, to buy groceries or to exercise but only accompanied by family or one other person maximum. Each night at 9 p.m. people in my town, including me, open their windows to clap their hands and applaud those who work in health care and save lives. I can see that my emotions are different every day. But I am also learning by all these changes. So let’s see what comes next. And let’s hope, our health workers can still manage. I love German public health care more than ever. Stay safe!”
Charuni Ranchigoda is an architect in Sri Lanka where the government, in several districts, is under strict curfew. “Absolutely no moving about. The government tried a curfew lift several days back but it appears to have heighten the risk as people are forced to flock to supermarkets to buy necessities. Although people did the stipulated distances and wore masks in most cases. The vendors now seem to have adapted pretty fast, true to Sri Lankan style, and deliveries happen even from the corner grocery store. Of course any and every item cannot be had, just the necessities. There’s a shortage of fruit in these areas as people focus more on vegetables and other essential items.
Ranchigoda wondered if the U.S. has good face masks available for people to wear out in public.
“I hear stories of shortages, don’t know how true they are. Our neighbors have really shown outstanding kinship and generosity. I’m so grateful for that! We share what we have, including necessities and news. So many acts of kindness.”
There are many stories around Lake County of how people are dealing with the Shelter-in-Place order and people from countries around the world. People are all are trying to deal as best they can. As Lisa Baker Eden said, “I feel fortunate that my family is currently residing in Lake County because the people here have been taking this situation very seriously. I feel like we owe our low infection rate to our neighbors’ willingness to meet the rest of the world in commiseration and cooperation.”
