"I focus on a single strain of light calling me forth, to believe in a better morrow.” - F. Scott Fitzgerald's 'Letter From Quarantine'
READING:
F. Scott Fitzgerald's 'Letter From Quarantine' And The Collective Optimism Of Viral Literature - Scott and Ernest Hemingway both have unique ways of dealing with situations similar to what we are all facing now.
Dutch Girl: Audrey Hepburn and World War II: “Several biographies have chronicled her stardom, but none has covered her intense experiences through five years of Nazi occupation in the Netherlands. According to her son, Luca Dotti, ‘The war made my mother who she was.’ Audrey Hepburn’s war included participation in the Dutch Resistance, working as a doctor’s assistant during the Bridge Too Far battle of Arnhem, the brutal execution of her uncle, and the ordeal of the Hunger Winter of 1944. She also had to contend with the fact that her father was a Nazi agent and her mother was pro-Nazi for the first two years of the occupation. But the war years also brought triumphs as Audrey became Arnhem’s most famous young ballerina. Audrey’s own reminiscences, new interviews with people who knew her in the war, wartime diaries, and research in classified Dutch archives shed light on the riveting, untold story of Audrey Hepburn under fire in World War II.
The Cruelest Month (Inspector Gamache #3): It’s spring now in Three Pines, and if the T.S. Eliot quote is any indication, things are about to get complicated again. I have heard that after this third book, I won’t be able read the rest of the series fast enough. Although technically, “April is the cruelest month,” March is formidable competition. Perhaps Gamache et al. will be familiar friends by the end of this social distancing.
Magazines: Besides our usual Milwaukee Magazine, we are suddenly getting copies of Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Real Simple, Elle Decor, InStyle, Cruising World, Yachting, Outdoor Photographer, and Family Handyman — just in time to keep us connected to our interests while we’re safe at home.
Paris on Air - I pre-ordered the Earful Tower host’s memoir a few weeks ago. Although, the real book should be shipping soon, today, generous Oliver Gee decided to alleviate some of our lockdown boredom by emailing us the eBook! Merci, Ollie!
LISTENING TO:
Last month, I discovered The Earful Tower Podcast and caught up with the current season. Happily, I still have several archived seasons to binge while Oliver and “Lovely Lina” are hold up in their apartment during the Paris lockdown.
Spring rain, song birds, a softly snoring beagle — a lovely soundtrack to the first week at home!
WATCHING
The nightly Parisian applause for healthcare workers at 20h00. I love this! #weapplaud #onapplaudit
Hunker Down with Harry (Connick Jr.) on Instagram TV, Facebook, and eventually YouTube - I have more respect for this man every day.
The Tonight Show: At Home Edition - Isn’t Jimmy Fallon’s home (basement?) fun?
Movies that take me on a virtual vacation:
Because “Paris is always a good idea,” I’m rewatching my favorite films set in my favorite city.
How about a virtual honeymoon in Hawaii with Elvis in Blue Hawaii? It’s corny and sometimes socially inappropriate by 21st century standards, but it’s lovely to return to Oahu and Kauai.
I just rewatched The Sound of Music in anticipation of our eventual trip to Austria later this year.
FEELING:
Anxious: These are trying times for all of us. The news changes everyday.
Peaceful: As an introvert, I do enjoy being at home — with Piper, of course!
Inspired: I am so impressed by the creativity, innovation, and caring spirit of my colleagues who are working hard to engage students in virtual learning. I am so lucky to be supporting them and so happy to be seeing them via Google Meet and Zoom.
Grateful: I’m a so thankful for healthcare workers on the front lines; for those who are still going into work who carefully maintain appropriate boundaries and standards as we all work to “flatten the curve”; for educators who are learning to teach remotely while continuing to care deeply for the education, physical, social, and emotional well-being of their students; for parents who are able to stay home and take care of their families while doing everything they can to help their children continue to learn and grow; for students who are learning to accept this strange new “normal,” who are giving up time with friends, sports and activities, dances, field trips, maybe even graduation — this year’s senior class was born in the wake of September 11th and are now faced with another global crisis that will change their perspectives forever.
PLANNING:
Lessons and methods of communication to facilitate educational experiences for leaners of all ages.
Spring Cleaning: Chez nous, we are keeping things ship shape. We are extra-aware of washing our hands and keeping everything that we touch as clean as possible. When we go shopping, we wash everything we bring into the house with soap and hot water before putting things away. Since, I’m home, I plan to clean and organize closets, drawers, and cupboards. Not only does a well-organized home help to keep us healthy, but it also helps me to feel calmer and happier.
New Blog Posts: Virtual trips, a quarantine bucket list, book and film recommendations, perhaps a return to a photo-of-the-day — these are just a few ideas. What would you like to see on the blog?
A trip to Paris: I had planned to spend a long weekend in Paris after our PHS Spring Break trip to Prague, Austria, and Venice. First Venice was cancelled when COVID-19 hit hard in Italy, followed by the rest of the trip was postponed until Thanksgiving. I still have a ticket to Paris that I was able to change for a long Memorial weekend getaway. I can’t be certain that I will go then either, but Paris will be there when we all get through this.
