Catching up on Classics (and lots more!) discussion
"Junk Drawer"
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Has the Coronovirus changed your schedule and your reading habits?
Lynn wrote: "I am a school teacher. I have only completed two books and four short stories during 2020. I am really quite behind on my typical schedule. Sunday 3/15 we learned that schools will be close through..."I'm sorry about your daughter's wedding. About your libraries - what does your humbug on the county Board of Supervisors think small children will do without the resources of picture books at the library? It is so important for them to be able to see those books and actually hold them and look at the pictures and words. Sad!!
Lynn, I feel for your family. My parents canceled going to a wedding only to find out it was postponed. My personal reading habits are opposite yours. My kids are now home. I have two in elementary and one in middle school and my son is in high school and thankfully self sufficient. I have to provide guidance for their work because they only have online meetups with their class for about an hour a day. I’m also a fan of physical books and had a stack from the library before it closed. Unfortunately that stack is a reminder to me that the library is closed so I have read nothing at all. And will have to slowly ease back into things. We have Overdrive, Libby, etc and can get books that way. We all also have our personal shelves at home. When I find time to read I’m going to read Agatha Christie, James Bond, and Harry Potter. That’s about my level of focus right now. Truthfully I’m enjoying helping the kids so perhaps I will take a reading break for now.
Janet wrote: "Lynn wrote: "I am a school teacher. I have only completed two books and four short stories during 2020. I am really quite behind on my typical schedule. Sunday 3/15 we learned that schools will be ..."Yes, I hope the humbug does not get his way. I hope the good things in our society survive this current situation.
All of the college courses I teach are transitioning to online courses later this week, so I have been busy preparing. It’s a big change for a lot of us. I have experience teaching online, but making the change mid-semester is still a lot of work. I have been reading less, but not because of the extra work I am doing. I’m reading less because I’m distracted. I haven’t felt like this since 9/11. But 9/11 was a sudden shock followed by a gradual return to routine. With this pandemic, the tension in the air just keeps building.
My partner (stroke) , my mum (diabetes) and my sister (recent operation for ongoing brain tumour) all have underlying health issues. I’m pretty sure most people could list a few of their close relations in similar threatened positions. None of these people seems quite as alarmed at the consequences of, say, three degrees of separation that would amount to a chain of people “socially” transmitting a deadly virus whilst the people doing the transmission going from one social occasion to another, on the basis that they aren’t part of the threatened demographic. What’s known as an “I’m alright Jack” atttiude on Britain. I can summarise the attitude of my close relations as all “waiting for official advice”. Official advice will accelerate towards what amounts to martial law as the death toll escalates as a response to political pressure. That may be life but it’s sickening. So people need to individually think through the consequences themselves. My nearest neighbour is in her 90s and I’m becoming more concerned at meeting her by chance. I may flee at the sight of her just at the thought of linking my presence near to her to any tragedy that befalls her. I saw bars still full of people when I went out earlier so, in effect, I’m self-isolating myself from other people’s inability to form a coherent thought more than from a virus.
Nobody wants by the end of this year to feel that their contact with someone lead to their deaths do they?Someone they love. Each death will be proceeded by tremendous guilt as well as grief.
The missing word, crucially, was guilt; but that might have been self-evident. I think the internet may be a casualty of this. Nobody to run it (people think home delivery is a solution as if delivery drivers are an immune group) so that might cause reading of good old fashioned paperbacks to rocket.
Still at work (NHS, so wont get time off) although my son’s Uni have finally decided to cancel his lectures until after Easter, which is the end of April, so he’s driving home now and should be back in another hour or so. Very little reading is being done, as I spend my time now working/ searching for items that aren’t in the shops/ reassuring panicked relatives that aren’t ill/ checking in with other relatives that have underlying health conditions and could become very ill/ persuading other family members that, actually no, it isn’t really a good idea to go for a meal in a restaurant this weekend. Oh and my vet just cancelled all non emergency appointments, so I have no idea what I do with my diabetic cat that was due a check up next week and needs more insulin, as the telephone lines are constantly engaged.
Too tired to read even if I wanted to.
Thank you Pink and all other medical field workers for your service.Now recovering from a mild virus, I have bought myself a weak dose of immunity, something that will lessen the severity of any coronavirus I might get. I plan to sit back, shelter in place, and read long literary works when they start arriving in the mail.
I can’t concentrate on anything let alone sitting and reading. Mind is continually buzzing with unwelcome thoughts. I want to talk but my husband is away on a month long trip so...alone with small kids and house bound. When this will end????
Nishi, my husband used to travel when my kids were small, but that was under normal circumstances. I can imagine how ovewhelmed you feel right now.I have been less able to focus and am actually reading less than before. I am retired and have lots of time to read, but am so easily distracted.
My husband and I are trying to focus on positive things.
We have already had two vacation plans for June changed. The first tour didn't have enough people for the tour so we changed it to another one in Europe. So you can imagine how that went.
The tour company was very flexible and we now have booked a tour in Canada, where we live. If it gets postponed we will still be going on it.
I work in banking and we can't close. We are limiting most branches to drive through traffic only, but soon all lobbies may close to the public. We are trying to transition to giving as many people access to work from home as possible. Monday we plan to begin a 50/50 plan with half of our employees at the branches and half working from home then switch the next week. This is to limit exposure as much as possible. I work in lending but if the economy falls apart, people don't borrow money so I dread the day that layoffs may begin. My city has not been hard hit by the virus that we know of but that's only because hardly anyone has tests available. My first coworker had to self-quarantine today due to a positive diagnosis of someone in her sphere. The first of many, I'm sure.My reading continues but I may have to abandon any heavy reading. I can't concentrate well and I need to read something positive and hopeful soon. I have plenty of ebooks and physical books. Our libraries are not closed but I don't intend to borrow since I will not get out anymore than I have to for the foreseeable future. I'm more concerned these days about figuring out how to deal with work issues and reading is not the oasis from worries that it used to be.
Susan wrote: "All of the college courses I teach are transitioning to online courses later this week, so I have been busy preparing. It’s a big change for a lot of us. I have experience teaching online, but maki..."This is a LOT to have to do mid-semester!!!! My brother is having to do this as well--he teaches Physics at a university in British Columbia. What do you teach?
My younger two kids are in college and this is a big transition for them, although they don't have to do all the things you do. Neither owns a laptop (they don't want to and so far have been able to do everything without them), and now that the library is closed we are figuring out how to do this the very limited times they have classes at the same time.
One is a sculpture major (a junior) who has lost her college studio space and the other a music performance major, which means it's very hard to do some of his classes. But his college is the top one for Contemporary Dance and one of the very top ones for Musical Theatre - how on earth are they going to do this?
Both my state and my county have their own Wikipedia sections devoted to tabulating coronavirus statistics, and my county sent out a shelter-in-place order for three weeks this morning. Yesterday, after commuting back from work for the last time till who knows when, I waited in line for an hour surrounded by people wearing masks to buy three onions, a sack of green beans, and a pack of vermicelli noodles. Every library system in the area that I know of is closed, and I'm currently working from home for one job and have been promised that my other job will be similarly set up next week. School was always online, so that hasn't changed, but the distance work has been rather aggravating, and I'm starting a new (indoor) exercise routine to stave off the approaching madness. Things are surreal, to say the least. I imagine my brain, and my time, will settle down enough for me to read more than I usually do, but for now, I'm just trying to find a flow. My biggest worry is my plans I had for one last internship before I get my masters, as deadlines range from end of March to mid April. How things fall out, and whether academia will be forgiving in that regard, remains to be seen.
Oh no, Lynn, I'm so sorry for your daughter's wedding!And to you, Pink, I say THANK YOU for working in the health sector and helping all of us.
I work part-time as a lawyer and do my PhD the rest of the week. Since Monday my law firm is working from home and it has been a really smooth transition as we took precautions beforehand and everybody knew what needed to be done once they gave the order. The only point to complain about is that during the afternoons the virtual desktop is getting a bit slower (not sure if it's the internet in my village or the firm's IT system).
Working from home my daily commute of 3 hours is cancelled and so is my reading-time which usually goes with it. On the positive side (I'm quite happy in home office), for the first time ever I've started work with enough sleep (I'm rather a night owl and getting up early to commute is a pain) and as nobody sees me it's a lot easier to stand up and stretch for a minute or two during work hours.
In the evenings I would have more time to read as most things have closed here in Germany (e.g. gyms, evening classes, sports clubs), but for the last couple of days I spent the evenings with my boyfriend and parents or on the phone with friends I haven't talked to in a while.
We miss the physical activity of Karate, but we compensate with the spinning bike and dumbbells we have at home. I cope, but my boyfriend feels like a caged tiger and thus he is doing gardening the whole day today (we've got beautiful spring weather).
My boyfriend is a high school teacher. Schools are closed and so far he organized a study plan for his students (in Germany one teacher is officially in charge of a "Klasse" which is a fixed group of students in the same year who stay together for their whole high school career). All the other teachers teaching a subject for his "Klasse" sent him instructions for the students and he summarizes and sends them on to his students. Next week, our written final high school exams are supposed to take place and he is scheduled for supervising.
True live online classes would explode our internet infrastructure.
All in all, he has a lot less to do in contrast to my full-time home office and is thus more bored.
My holiday in Uzbekistan I've been so much looking forward has been cancelled (basically all holidays have been) and so has my PhD research trip to another German city's library.
I'm sad, but it makes total sense.
Now I work some extra days in order to earn a bit of extra money for the next trip.
I'm so sorry that your daughter has had to postpone her the wedding that she organised, Lynn. Hopefully she may look back on her new intimate ceremony as something special and once all this is over she can not only celebrate the commitment they have made with others, but everyone can celebrate life.All schools & universities closed here in Madrid a week ago. My daughter is still doing work via Google classroom so she is busy all day. My son is studying medicine so while he is still studying away, they don't have online classes or activities because his lecturers are busy working in the hospitals or laboratories.
Spain officially went into a State of Emergency on Sunday. Noone is allowed to leave their houses except to go to the hospital, supermarket, pharmacy & to give your dog a short walk. Only one person can do the trip though.
We have actually been in quarantine for a week now as my husband's secretary tested positive for the virus. So far we are fine. No symptoms or fever. Fresh food is starting to run short so yesterday we had to ask some friends to grab a few necessities for us when they pop out.
I'm reading in the evenings. It is a lovely distraction from the chaos. I have a large stash of unread books so I should be fine for a while & I guess I can always re-read some old favourites if I get desperate.
Wishing everyone a safe time. Do take it all seriously. It escalates rapidly.
Karin wrote: "My younger two kids are in college and this is a big transition for them, although they don't have to do all the things you do. Neither owns a laptop ..."Hi Karen. I teach literature and I’m lucky to have some experience teaching online. So I merely have extra work. Other classes are difficult to transition, like the ones you mention: sculpture, dance, etc. My university is allowing students to access labs and studios, but they must stagger their visits to avoid too many people being there at the same time. The library was supposed to remain open, but it had to close due to a library staff member testing positive.
If your kids don’t have laptops, could they borrow laptops from their university? My university is loaning laptops to students in need, but it is on a first come, first served basis.
All the stuff going on lately is definitely very distracting, but I've found out that when I'm too unfocused to read a more difficult book, it's helpful to take a break with a fluff read or watch a show or movie based on a book (started watching The Man in the High Castle). Also, now is a wonderful time to catch up on the phone with friends and family. That way you get socializing in but in a germ-free way!
Speaking of restaurants my husband has been "furloughed" from his job at the restaurant where he works. I really cannot tolerate idleness in my own life. I think I'm going to paint one of the bedrooms. I let my daughter pick out her paint and paint it herself when she was 13 years old. It is electric blue!!! haha, but not for long. Also I am the piano/organist at my church and services have been cancelled indefinitely. Sigh.To answer the question of where I teach, I teach 8th grade (13 year old) students at a Middle School near Nashville, TN. I am supposed to develop voluntary, ungraded internet assignments for the students....essentially a book talk thread. I think I've got this!! I teach Literature and Language (grammar and writing).
And speaking of Nashville... we did not see panic buying in my area. Maybe everyone is too tired from the tornados to panic. I have a tree in my front yard leaning on its neighbor and threatening the house. I am about to call the yardwork people now. We got an estimate a week or so ago.
That is a real shame about your daughter's wedding, Lynn.
Our church services have been cancelled too.
Emily wrote: "All the stuff going on lately is definitely very distracting, but I've found out that when I'm too unfocused to read a more difficult book, it's helpful to take a break with a fluff read or watch a..."Fluff reads! Yes, definitely. I am excited that my copy of The Cafe by the Sea has arrived and I may have a lighter, chick lit to read.
Philina wrote: "Oh no, Lynn, I'm so sorry for your daughter's wedding!And to you, Pink, I say THANK YOU for working in the health sector and helping all of us.
I work part-time as a lawyer and do my PhD the rest..."
It sounds like you have your situation well in hand Philina. I hope you have continued health. I relate to the "caged tiger" feeling.
Lynn wrote: " I am supposed to develop voluntary, ungraded internet assignments for the students."The same thing my boyfriend is doing here in Germany. Only that he teaches Maths.
Lynn wrote: "It sounds like you have your situation well in hand Philina. I hope you have continued health. I relate to the "caged tiger" feeling."Thank you, Lynn!
Yeah... I'm sitting in my office and he's out there in the garden right now. Since Germany has no strict quarantine like Italy or Spain we plan on going hiking on the weekend. Living in the countryside we've got lots of advantages. Here, one can actually go outside without meeting too many people. Stretching your legs in a city might me much more difficult.
I think this group is an amazing idea, because we can talk to each other and feel less alone (community). Besides, it's totally interesting to hear first hand how people all around the world are effected by Corona.
Lynn you seem to have good attitude about it all. What else is there to do but go forward, I understand. Yet it is conscious decision. Be Well.
Cynda wrote: "Thank you Pink and all other medical field workers for your service.Now recovering from a mild virus, I have bought myself a weak dose of immunity, something that will lessen the severity of any ..."
Yes, thank you Pink for your service to others.
Lynn, I missed that about the wedding, I think--so sorry about that! That is a huge deal to have to change, but I hope it is lovely and that she can still enjoy the day.
Lynn wrote: "Emily wrote: "All the stuff going on lately is definitely very distracting, but I've found out that when I'm too unfocused to read a more difficult book, it's helpful to take a break with a fluff r..."I liked The Cafe by the Sea a lot. Enjoy!
Aubrey you are a librarian aren't you? This really would effect you.. sorry. And for everyone else if I didn't mention you I read. I send everyone best wishes for health and sanity!
Lynn wrote: "Aubrey you are a librarian aren't you? This really would effect you.. sorry. And for everyone else if I didn't mention you I read. I send everyone best wishes for health and sanity!"Thank you, Lynn. I'm almost a librarian. Fortunately, the library I work at will still be paying me for the hours I was scheduled for at its physical location, and I am doing some distance work that will likely become a great deal more efficient and structured once my director has hashed everything out. All said and done, I'm much better off than the librarians at libraries that their respective managing institutions are refusing to let close, or ones who aren't getting paid during enforced time off.
Lynn wrote: "Finally, my daughter was supposed to get married this coming Sat 3/21. She and I went shopping for my outfit last Saturday. She worked on designing her dress herself and it was altered and perfect. Sigh. "Oh Lynn, I'm so sorry. I keep thinking how hard this must be for those who had a special once-in-a-lifetime event planned: weddings, commencements, anniversary parties.
Honestly, it really hasn't. I'm my mother's primary caretaker, and she's not only over 60 but has a number of underlying health issues that make her particularly vulnerable to the virus, so we've already been in self-quarantine.
And reading is just about my favorite thing to do in life. There have been times in the past where I've clocked 15/16 hours straight just reading, so I'm not particularly prone to cabin fever and so far this crisis has had a calming effect on me: relinquishing the illusion of control has acted like emotional ballast. All I can control is my own behavior, and what will happen, will happen.
Lynn, so sorry about the wedding. Funny thing, one of my employees was supposed to attend a wedding in Tennessee this weekend, but it was cancelled.I have spent this week at my office trying to prepare my office for remotely working. Today our firewall/VPN was finally installed, but we are still not quite capable. Even if my employees can work from home, I will still need to go in periodically, open the mail, pay the bills, deposit the checks, etc.
What I am more worried about is whether we will have projects to work on and whether I will have to lay off staff, which I hate doing. Some of our architectural clients have already laid off staff. Some of our projects have gone on hold. Some of our private owner clients have parred back their projects due to market losses.
And then, my brother and sister in law are at high risk, and my bio-dad is in his late 80s, so I am worried about him too, but at least he is not in a nursing home. Further, one of my good, longest time friends lives in a senior facility in the state of Washington — she’s on lockdown. On top of that, one of my mentors just died, I think not from COVID-19, but I am very sad about that.
So, how has this affected my reading life? My commute time is shortened, so my Audible listening time is shortened. The expressways and streets around Chicago are relatively empty.
But otherwise, I have plenty of books to read at home, and otherwise I will probably spend more on Kindle than I usually do. I will say that between politics and the pandemic, my news watching has increased.
Stay healthy my friends!
Terry wrote: "Further, one of my good, longest time friends lives in a senior facility in the state of Washington — she’s on lockdown..."Terry, so sorry. My 78-yr-old mom lives not too far from Seattle as well, and I have friends who live right down the street from the nursing home where it all started and the hospital where it was first diagnosed. I hope you're still able to communicate with your friend -- I try to talk to my mom every day.
My entire dept is now working from home so I too miss my audiobooks on the drive to and from the office. I'm trying to make myself stick to 9-5 hours, to be focused on work when I'm "working" and not to think about it when I'm not. It's difficult though, since I'm unused to telecommuting -- and certainly managing my staff remotely is quite a challenge!!
Aubrey what a fabulous idea of working out at home! I'm beginning to sort of feel the strain a bit and some releasing so endorphins would perk me up.
One of my sisters in law has had lung issues for a good 10 years or so that is somehow autoimmune related (it took a long time to figure it out) and she's only 54. She just had to go back on prednozone (sp, not going to look it up after today's grueling computer ordeals getting something set up for some online classes given that we are Luddites here) so she is staying at home.
My city's libraries are finally closing to the public on Saturday. But they will continue to loan physical books. Patrons have to call the local branch, tell the librarian their library card number and which books they want to borrow. The librarians will pull the books and have them available for curbside pickup in less than an hour. I think it's great that they are still providing this service since kids are much more likely to read physical books and not everyone likes ebooks or audiobooks.
I wish ours could do the curbside service. They were going to at the beginning, but then the governor shut down the whole state basically so they weren’t allowed to do it :(
Newly wrote: "Aubrey what a fabulous idea of working out at home! I'm beginning to sort of feel the strain a bit and some releasing so endorphins would perk me up."For sure. I also recommend regularly looking outside and/or into the distance, for retaining vision's sake as well as mood.
I am looking forward to spring. I have visions of taking a break from my work at walking into my backyard to putter in the garden for 20 minutes and the getting back to my desk. I understand it’s been snowing in Colorado, so it is probably headed towards Illinois. Ah, well, so much for dreaming.
My library closed today. My current loans of cookbooks and two fiction books have been extended until the end of July.
My library closed at end of business yesterday. I had 7 books waiting for me. As unhappy as I was about that that for a couple of hours, I am not now. Now I have time to read all those books I never have time to get to. Happy Breathing.
It took me a few days to settle down... I have found a new structure since yesterday. Start my day with exercises, an early stroll and then working through the internet. And yes, this morning, I managed to get into my book again... Very happy about it... Happy readings to all of you and stay at home and Healthy.
I have books. I have reading time. What I don’t have is the ability to concentrate for more than three seconds at a time.
Susan, me too. I’m glad to see it’s not just me. I’m taking it one day at a time and I’ll read when I feel like it.
I am getting better at concentrating on reading, but I alternate each chapter or two with knitting and using my ipad. I always read more than one book at a time and that helps too.
Yes, I'm with Susan and Brina. I think it is getting slowly better, as I'm getting over the shock and working through new things that must be done and new ways of doing them. We need to be easy on ourselves, get exercise as much as possible, and think positive … I guess.
Reading does provide a much needed escape, so I will do it as much as I can.
I thought that a quarantine would mean lots of reading done, but no. I can't concentrate for long periods of time in a book. My 8 kids are at home now and of course that doesn't help. I am trying to keep some sort of routine, but it's difficult. We read, watch movies, draw, play board games and we even built our camping tent in the playroom, but some days it doesn't seem to be enough. I think it doesn't help that at this point in the year, after winter, we are so ready to go out and enjoy the better weather, that it feels worse.Next Monday all of them but the youngest one start online school. In a way I am worried how I am going to manage all that "homeschooling" at once, but I guess after a few days of adjustments the structure will help.
Eight kids!!!! Wow, you deserve a medal :D You might check out Barefoot Books, they've put together a bunch of at-home activity kits and made them freely available.
Catching up on Classics (and lots more!)
Books mentioned in this topic
Beowulf (other topics)The Decameron (other topics)
The Canterbury Tales (other topics)
Beowulf (other topics)
Chaucer's Canterbury Tales (other topics)
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My local library is closed. They have a notice on the website that they will be close 3/15 - 3/31. There is a person on our county Board of Supervisors that advocates closing the libraries completely. For the last couple of years he has argued they are outdated and an unnecessary expense because the online ebook library division is really run by the state. I hope this emergency closure does not give him more support for that idea!
I recently purchased The Cafe by the Sea for my Bingo. I was recommended. I am excited to have a happy chick lit to escape into while things are stressful.
Finally, my daughter was supposed to get married this coming Sat 3/21. She and I went shopping for my outfit last Saturday. She worked on designing her dress herself and it was altered and perfect. Sigh. The 250 guests have been told not to come. She and Brian are thinking of going to a scenic overlook near her house. She lives in beautiful Chattanooga, TN. There will be a small group of family. The minister and photographer are willing to make the changes. She will not wear her beautiful dress, but rather save it. She hopes to have a reception in a few months and re-invite all the guests. This has been very costly both financially and emotionally.