This is going to be a long haul, this virus. Just over three months into it and already I am reduced to cursing on Facebook. The virus has me by the girl globes. I work DNA for genealogy and anthropology – who cares? We all want to know what this RNA sequence means to us. Illness? Death? Financial ruin? Or a time of being home – a rare thrill to relish for many people to get to “stay home” “slinging in” as Dish TV says. But when it is forced on us, that is different. And when it is forced with little understanding of what is going on, then it is frightening.

During this time, I am seeing so many friends and family in a new way. There are the “glass is half full people” and there are the “glass is half empty people.”  I am a shop once a month person. I find the fewer times I am in a grocery store each month, the less I weigh, except for my wallet, and it fattens up nicely. I even buy toilet paper online by the case when it goes on sale and have it delivered. But this has nothing to do with the virus. The last case I bought was from Target but Dai complained about the texture of that one, so we are back to giving the poor Koch brothers money.

BTW:

As Larry Wilmore points out on the (excellent) Nightly Show, you might be contributing to the Kochs’ mountain of money without even knowing it — which brings us back to the toilet. Calmly and quietly take a gander at the paper roll. If you use Soft ‘n Gentle, Quilted Northern, Angel Soft, Brawny, or repurposed American Greeting Christmas cards to wipe (way to recycle, by the way!), you’re handing money to the Koch machine. Thanks for shitting on America!

Boycotting the Koch brothers? Better get a new brand of toilet paper

I grew up in and worked in the restaurant business in Birmingham, Alabama and as a cooking steward — including as oil-field trash, as I affectionately called my co-workers — and I learned a thing or two about supply for staples and disposables. Some grocery stores know to the person how many items will sell, when and for how much. But never in a million lifetimes will I believe the Koch brothers, Walmart and Target could not have sorted this out sooner. They did not need a directive from the federal government – they needed some gal globes and chap cojones.

I talked to several grocery people and all said the same – “even without buying in bulk,  people are all buying at the same time and we never see that unless there is a storm.” Since this was a “hoax” and not a storm for a while,  many were not willing to plan. But the directives were, prepare for at least two weeks. If you are old and vulnerable, plan to stay in. These suggestions went out a month ago, so where were the supply and demand people? The question is rhetorical; we know where they were, the department no longer existed.

So we take care of ourselves and then begin to add on helping those around us. Like the directives you get on an airplane: “Put on your own oxygen mask first, then put the masks onto the children and elders who cannot.” This is not selfish. If you are the adult in the room you cannot be incapacitated even for a split second.

We will be happy in our isolation and we will share with our neighbors. We will read and we will listen to music and we will plan for tomorrow. And we can plan for tomorrow because we are going to be careful today and we will live on and survive this RNA cootie.

So I challenge everyone – what are you going to do after you get your vaccine? Will you visit that special person? Will you go to that special place? If you would like to share what you would like to do in hope for our tomorrows, I will try to share as long as I can keep up the blog.

I am a cancer survivor – so far, but my lung disease is as advanced as my age. We hoped to make another trip. I want to go to mineral springs for health. I know they won’t save me. I know my time comes closer with every passing day. But we will not go – this year – the year of the virus. So I must hope for the future.

In Germany, there are health caves in the community where my 2nd great grandmother was born and where her mother and father were born. She is special, she is my mt-DNA and I have thought of this place to visit in my “old world.” I was “holding my breath,” so to speak, by the time I heard this and I began to weep. I finally had a bit of a cry. It was such relief.

Maybe we could go here first and hear this man sing. He gave such hope and solidarity in the face of this awful bug.

Nessun Dorma sung by, Maurizio Marchini

 lyrics: None shall sleep! None shall sleep!
Not even you, oh Princess,
in your cold bedroom,
watching the stars
that tremble with love, and with hope!

But my secret is hidden within me;
no one will know my name!
No, no! On your mouth,
I will say it when the light shines! And my kiss will dissolve
the silence that makes you mine!

(ladies sing) (he continues)

Vanish, o night!
Fade, you stars!
Fade, you stars!
At dawn, I will win!
I will win! I will win!

I am a cancer survivor and hope I stay cancer free and virus free and that we all can meet in Florence or wherever Maurizio Marchini would like to sing for the world once again.

This is the Coronavirus Diary, updated as I can. Full of free links to virus information in many languages. No medical information. Links for WHO,

This next link is the Coronavirus Diary. I update daily when I can. It is full of free links to information in many languages. C.D.C. and others. I have Google Translate on all my pages, but on phones, the feature to click Google Translate is at the bottom of the page. I am trying to figure out how to move it to the top.

Use Google Translate available on the page to read in your choice of language. Down the page are reliable links and all free. There is a diary of updates that I have tried to add to daily. And there are links to things to do while home – virtual  museums and there was a free book download from Italy for seniors.

The unlimited data plan is hard to afford, but it might be the best for all of us. I hope to learn of organizations who might help with internet data time for everyone. If anyone hears of help I am happy to post it

https://cherielynnsherstory.com/2020/03/06/coronavirus-a-shorter-list-of-helps-and-a-longer-list-of-links-for-resources/

Another thoughts piece about global consciousness – of course we all went out and bought toilet paper, but not nearly enough to even start this time of care.

https://cherielynnsherstory.com/2020/03/10/the-darn-arent-we-puny-creatures-in-the-face-of-cooties-not-panic-buying-smart/

This is my day job you will see many blogs in the contents list or on the home page about DNA for genealogy – and small business.