Items

• 
  2020-12-19

  Minnesota Election Day

  I had the privilege of documenting what I saw in Minnesota for @aclumn on Election Day. Going into the day I was prepared to see voter intimidation and long lines of frustrated voters, instead was met with celebratory and upbeat voters hosting cookouts and energized to cast their ballot.
• 
  2021-03-14

  Ostara on a Budget

  for Ostara this year, many of us will need to adjust our celebrations due to Covid-19. Many are feeling the loss of jobs, incomes, or stability this year. Lidia Pradas shares some inexpensive ideas to celebrate Ostara and welcome the new season.
• 
  2021-02-08

  Coronaland -- “Life is a Crap-aret”

  With Carnival parades cancelled, somebody had the bright idea to start the Krewe of House Floats to (a) make up for it and (b) to offer work to unemployed float artisans. The results have gone beyond everyone's wildest imagination with 5,000+ people signing up in New Orleans, surrounding parishes, and around the world. This House Float on S. Galvez, “Life is a Crap-aret”, celebrated what a shitty year 2020 was.
• 
  2021-02-07

  Coronaland -- “Schitt$ Streets”

  With Carnival parades cancelled, somebody had the bright idea to start the Krewe of House Floats to (a) make up for it and (b) to offer work to unemployed float artisans. The results have gone beyond everyone's wildest imagination with 5,000+ people signing up in New Orleans, surrounding parishes, and around the world. Tiffany Assaf Tandecki came up with the concept for “Schitt$ Streets” for in front of her Canal Blvd. home; Artist Lindsay DeBlieux realized it.
• 
  2021-02-02

  Coronaland

  With Carnival parades cancelled, somebody had the bright idea to start the Krewe of House Floats to (a) make up for it and (b) to offer work to unemployed float artisans. The results have gone beyond everyone's wildest imagination with 5,000+ people signing up in New Orleans, surrounding parishes, and around the world. This installation on St. Charles Avenue honored “Saint Dolly” and her $1million donation for the COVID vaccine. Of all the House Floats, it was my favorite!
• 
  2021-02-02

  Coronaland

  With Carnival parades cancelled, somebody had the bright idea to start the Krewe of House Floats to (a) make up for it and (b) to offer work to unemployed float artisans. The results have gone beyond everyone's wildest imagination with 5,000+ people signing up in New Orleans, surrounding parishes, and around the world. This installation by a member of the subversive Krewe of Tucks is “Don't procrastinate. Vaccinate!” on Camp Street.
• 
  2021-03-12

  A Wedding... We Hope

  When our friends got engaged at the end of 2019, we were extremely excited for them. Then COVID happened. This week, we received their Save the Date card and are cautiously excited. As the back of the card explains, our friends realize that their wedding plans are contingent on the state of the virus. It is a reminder that even though we are hopefully heading in a positive direction, it doesn’t mean everything is normal yet. Fingers crossed that it will happen and that we will be able to safely attend (may need to leave the kids at home, because I doubt they’ll be vaccinated yet. But let’s be honest, weddings are boring for kids, and after a year of quarantine, a weekend away from them will be a nice change of pace.) *The couple gave me permission to post their Save the Date to the archive, and requested their names, and the date for context, remain public.
• 
  2021-03-12

  Remembering Our Last Lunch

  On Friday, March 13, 2020 it was pouring rain. My co-worker/work wife/love of my life/bestest friend - the Ann Perkins to my Leslie Knope (very accurate if you know us) bought us McDonald’s for lunch. We jokingly called it “the end of the world as we know it lunch” and played REM while drinking Shamrock Shakes. We were in denial about what was happening around us. Two hours later, it was the end. We have not had lunch together, or been physically together, since then. (However, we probably outdo any teenagers in the amount we text each other. We’ve pretty much live tweeted ever minute of our incredibly mundane days to each other throughout all of quarantine.) Today, we both bought McDonald’s separately (for me, only the fifth time having fast food since shut down last March) to celebrate our year-versary of the “end of the world” lunch. One year later, it’s raining again, but it feels so different. A year ago, everything was closing down. Today, everything is opening up. I am thankful we’ve both received vaccination one, and although we are both apprehensive about school reopening in a week, the thought of seeing her face to face (six feet away and in a mask) makes me happy enough to cry. There is nothing I hope more for than for the efficacy of the vaccinations. I can only hope that the second Friday of March 2022 will see us together in my classroom, eating McDonald’s for lunch, talking about how we can’t believe we lived through a pandemic. A rainbow instead of rain would be a nice touch, too.
• 
  2020-03-14

  Going Home

  This story reads the story of the impact of COVID 19 on my life is important as it shows the transition from the normal world into the new covid world.
• 
  2021-02-22

  "African/African Ancestry Health and Heritage Month Virtual Celebration: Black Family Day"

  Repost via Twitter @COVID19Black. Santa Clara County Public Health is hosting a virtual celebration for Black Family Day on Sunday, February 28, 2021 (11:00 AM- 2:00 PM) zoom link provided: http://BIT.LY/FAMILY_DAY2021
• 
  2021-01-29

  Coronaland

  With Carnival parades cancelled, somebody had the bright idea to start the Krewe of House Floats to (a) make up for it and (b) to possibly offer work to unemployed float artisans. The results have gone beyond everyone's wildest imagination with 5,000+ people signing up in New Orleans, surrounding parishes, and around the world. This is a detail of an installation that shows how many people are feeling these days, “Cuckoo from COVID”
• 
  2021-01-29

  Coronaland

  With Carnival parades cancelled, somebody had the bright idea to start the Krewe of House Floats to (a) make up for it and (b) to possibly offer work to unemployed float artisans. The results have gone beyond everyone's wildest imagination with 5,000+ people signing up in New Orleans, surrounding parishes, and around the world. This installation, shows how many people are feeling these days, “Cuckoo from COVID”
• 
  2021-01-29

  Coronaland

  With Carnival parades cancelled, somebody had the bright idea to start the Krewe of House Floats to (a) make up for it and (b) to possibly offer work to unemployed float artisans. The results have gone beyond everyone's wildest imagination with 5,000+ people signing up in New Orleans, surrounding parishes, and around the world. This creation, at 430 Harrison Ave., gives the perspective of the crowd and advises people, “Six Feet when possible Y'All”.
• 2021-01-22

  My Experience with COVID Symptoms

  When COVID-19 had just started I had heard a lot of people had gotten sick, but no one that I had known. Fast forward a couple of months into the pandemic I get the news that my friend had gotten COVID when I had just seen her a couple of days ago. She has five siblings, one of them was a toddler, her older sister who had a one-year-old was staying with them, and she was pregnant for the second time. Thank god everyone ended up all right including the baby who had not even been born yet. Out of the 9 people that were living in their house at the time only two of them got it bad. The second oldest siblings along with her mom had body aches, a fever, a headache, lost their sense of taste, had a couch, stuffed nose, and couldn't get out of bed for a week. The rest of them only had a cough and a stuffed nose. Lucky they weren't infectious yet when we saw them so my family did not contract the virus from them. Another time this happened, my dad had a business meeting with his co-worker. Three days late his co-worker had tested positive for coronavirus. Once again our minds filled with worry. My grandma was staying with us at the time and because of her age, she was high risk so we sent her along with my uncle to a hotel nearby our house. We waited till we reached the five-day mark and my parents went and got tested. Luckily they tested negative and my grandma and uncle came back home and we celebrated the New Year all together with some negative COVID tests.
• 2020-12-25

  Personal COVID Story in 2020

  It was during Christmas time, and my aunt wasn't feeling too good. She went to get tested and she tested positive. I had seen her on Christmas day, and she felt sick a few days later. It didn't really affect me, but I got scared thinking that I might have it because I was near her during Christmas. I ended up not getting COVID, thank the Lord.
• 
  2020-10-31

  Halloween At Home

  Halloween is usually a month long celebration at our house. We plan our costumes months in advance. We go to Disneyland at least a dozen times to enjoy the special Halloween treats, decorations, and to wear the insane amount of Disney Halloween shirts we own. On Halloween night, we serve at our church running game booths for the community and come home just in time to trick or treat (and usually get A LOT of candy because we’re some of the last trick or treaters). This year, of course, every single thing listed above was cancelled. With so many disappointments this year, we committed to making Halloween a celebration from morning until night. Making our own backyard carnival, the kids bobbed for apples, carved pumpkins and played Halloween soccer (okay, it was just soccer but we were in costumes!) My daughter was over the moon to have us all dress as Hogwarts students, except for her little brother who dressed as her owl. Lunch included ghost shaped chips, jack-o-lantern quesadillas, grape “eye balls,” and guacamole in a jack-o-lantern pepper. To make dinner extra special, we brought out the fondue set we registered for when we got married over 15 years ago and never opened. The kids loved a dinner of dipping into cheese and chocolate. The one thing my son repeated all of October was he wanted to “trick or treat to all the doors in the house.” Undaunted, we turned off most of the lights, put a bowl of candy inside every door in the house, and put either an adult or a dressed up stuffed animal (there’s only three adults here and way more doors) at each door. The kids were genuinely excited to trick or treat and actually knocked at every single door, and gleefully filled their bags with candy. It’s easy to focus on all that has been lost this year, but this simple, stress free, at home Halloween may have ended up their favorite one ever.
• 
  2020-12-08

  One day I'll...

  A huge theme of this pandemic has been having hope. Since COVID came about, professionals have been thrown threw a loop with what works and what the best things to do are, never mind the public being even more lost and clueless. We have had to kind of just follow what professionals tell us is best to do, do our part, and have hope for brighter and healthier days. Despite varying beliefs, most people have seemed to be able to unite through hope. Hoping for the health and safety of ourselves and others, hope for things to return to semi-normal feeling, and just hoping to feel comfort. This tweet shows a playful side of hope. Making the right choices so that you can make other choices later on. By Katelyn not going out and celebrating her 21st how she wanted to and dreamed of doing, she's doing her part in stopping the spread and ensuring that there is a future in which we get to go out to crowded bars and get shots from strangers to celebrate.
• 
  2020-12-08

  My Personal Experience Turning 21 During a Pandemic

  This collection item not only symbolizes my personal experience of turning 21 during a pandemic but it also demonstrates something significant about my generation under COVID. I was one of the many 1999 babies that experienced this milestone birthday during the pandemic. This photo is to remind that I was not the only one who had to celebrate this birthday in my kitchen and that I was not the only one who couldn’t go out to a bar and take shots with random people. This pandemic has brought about a lot of unexpected things to many people. Turning 21 during COVID times and having an impromptu celebration during it is something that I think is important to document and remember, not only for my generation but for everyone. Looking back on the unexpected and homemade 21st birthday celebrations that people had this year will be something to cherish one day. These kinds of stories are also important in documenting how many people, although there were far worse things going on around them, chose to be selfless and sacrifice this very special birthday for the safety of themselves and others.
• 2020-11-26

  Thanksgiving of 2020

  My Thanksgiving this year was barely changed. Ignoring guidelines by Democratic governor Newsom, who doesn't even seem to be able to follow his own rules, I celebrated a great thanksgiving. My family gathered together at my house and my mother made the meal. We had multiple pies and a large turkey to separate between all family members that could come. I had a great time celebrating, and no one in my family has got sick from the gathering.
• 2020-11-14

  My Thanksgiving

  I and my family have a tradition where we would go to my aunt's house for Thanksgiving, and we invite a lot of our family over to have a big feast! This year we did the same thing, Corona or not we will always be together for each other. I hope the people reading this understand that if you're scared of Corona, then you can stay at home, but do one thing never miss a family get-together. They always love you if you stay home or not.
• 2020-11-26

  Covid Thanksgiving

  For this Thanksgiving it was different from others because this year I couldn't have any friends over or my grandparents either. Usually on a normal Thanksgiving my friends, my parents' friends and my family would come over for dinner but this year because of covid that didn't happen. Something the same from the other years that happen would be the food, we had the same food we had last year, turkey, mashed potatoes, and more. I really didn't have to prep this year because we had no one over but I still had to help buy the supplies. This year was very different it wasn't as fun but I still got to spend time with my family.
• 2020-12-14

  COVID Thanksgiving

  My family’s thanksgiving dinner wasn’t that much different than our other thanksgiving dinners. My family isn’t a big believer in COVID 19 because honestly it's just a flu. So, we envied our family, only one part of the family didn’t come because they are crazy COVID cautious. Other than that it was realistically normal. It was more relaxed than usual but it was nice. Covid is real but the response to it is worse than the sickness. I hope the other generations don’t have to deal with the government we have right now in California.
• 2020-12-14

  My Covid-Thanksgiving

  The year 2020 has been a very strange year, and my families Thanksgiving experience was an odd one. Since we couldn't have a large family dinner, we ended up bringing food to both of my grandparents. I was really bummed to not be able to spend quality time with them, but I was still glad to get the opportunity to see them. After we left our grandparents, we went to our cousin's beach house. We were scrambling throughout the city trying to find an open restaurant for our Thanksgiving dinner. None of the restaurants were open, but we luckily got a call from our friend to have our Thanksgiving meal with them. The lesson I learned from this day was that having close family and friends really matters and that they can get you out of any tough situation. Overall, my Thanksgiving during the pandemic was not an ideal one, but it was still a blessing to be able to be with my family and friends nonetheless.
• 2020-11-25

  The Quiet Thanksgiving

  Never would I have thought that my Thanksgiving would be like this. My Thanksgiving usually is with my whole family. But this year it wasn’t. My grandparents are scared of covid and did not come over. My other family, like my uncle, were scared to put my grandparents in danger. It was weird not looking forward to seeing my grandparents. My parents and sister decided to just eat at home together. Usually when we go to the market. It is crowded but now, no one was there due to covid. It felt like a ghost town. We enjoyed our meal and it felt like a regular Thanksgiving meal but I still had that lonely feel of my other family. It wasn’t an awful Thanksgiving, it just wasn’t the same.
• 2020-12-14

  Thanksgiving 2020

  This year's thanksgiving was not very different from other years. The only difference was that my mom's sister and her family did not come due to COVID-19. Everything else was the same. We had turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, and Martinelli's. It didn't seem all that different this year.
• 
  2020-05-13

  Mme Benoit fête ses 92 ans au CUSM - Mrs. Benoit celebrates her 92nd birthday at the MUHC

  Pierrette Benoit celebrated her 92nd birthday while in hospital recovering from COVID-19. The staff on C8 at the Royal Victoria Hospital of the MUHC ensured her day was special by presenting her with a cake and singing her Happy Birthday. Gestures like these are just an example of how MUHC staff go above and beyond for their patients.
• 
  2020-04-10

  Social Holidays: celebrate together but apart

  Pictured is a flower wreath which is titled, "Celebrate together but apart" against a pink background.
• 
  2020-09-05

  Covid Safe Wedding

  My older sister Rose got engaged in March of 2019 with the intent to not be engaged for a long period of time, her and her soon to be husband Ben, decided on their wedding date and venue shortly after their engagement; April 18, 2020 at Plimoth Plantation. Rose and Ben are the first cousins from either family to get married.The wedding was going to have an estimated amount of 230 people. Only a short 11 months away my whole family began the wedding planning, trying to cover all bases for what would be the most anticipated day for the next year. From wedding dress shopping to sign making to endless phone calls with the venue coordinator, it really was never ending. The whole summer was spent making sure everything would be perfect for their big day. Fast forward exactly one year after their engagement the world shutdown began. Governor Baker of Massachusetts announced the stay at home order, where he limited all outdoor gatherings to 5 people. With this announcement we had to replan and rethink my sister's entire wedding day. Many tears and phone calls later the April 18th wedding was canceled due to the worldwide pandemic. She was able to pick a new date in October and had taken her 230 person wedding down to a 100 person wedding, in hopes that things would be settled after a few months. Due to the spike of cases in July, it became a 50 person wedding in September. It was held in my parents backyard on Labor day weekend. This was truly something that could not have been planned for, nor did we ever imagine impacting the wedding. Although my sister had gone through a rollercoaster of emotions, and 3 wedding dates later, it was a beautiful celebration of love and coming together during this socially-distanced unknown time.
• 
  2020-11-03

  NYC Celebrate President-Elect

  In New York City, people gathered on street corners after the 2020 election was called to celebrate the President-Elect, Joe Biden. This video was shot by my sister, Catherine Sweeney. The pandemic made this year’s election a very important one for many people, as their jobs, relationships, school, and health were all affected by the decisions of the new president. As a relief to many, the candidate with a solid COVID and public health plan was elected. Joe Biden wants to find a unified coronavirus strategy and create a Medicare-like public insurance plan. Over the last few months leading up to the election, many celebrities and influencers have been urging people to get registered to vote, educate themselves on the candidates and issues at large, and take part in democracy. This year, many Americans, including myself, voted using mail-in ballots. Others showed up in masks on voting day and waited in socially distanced lines, to make sure their vote was counted. It took several days longer than usual to announce the winner because states had to process so many mail-in ballots. This goes to show that democracy carries on in a pandemic.
• 2020-12-01

  How COVID has affected me

  I added to this archive at the beginning of the semester, but obviously a lot of time and events have happened since then. Corona has definitely made it difficult to stay close with relatives, especially those at high risk for illnesses, but we have managed to take extra caution when planning any get togethers. It does not have the same feel as past events, but we make do with what we have and the rules we have to follow. As for school, I feel as though I am one of the few that actually enjoy virtual learning. I have maintained all A’s and kept three, steady jobs while living at home. One thing I do not like about virtual learning is the lack of connection among peers. When I had classes in person, I felt like I would get people’s social medias and become friends outside of the classroom, but that has not happened as much this semester. Also, if teachers do not enforce that cameras stay on, we are just staring at a black screen of names, making it not as inviting. These are just a few negative thoughts I had about the impact of COVID on our schooling. Of course, Corona has also ruined some plans I had for this year, such as my wedding, celebrations, normal holidays, etc. Now, I am grateful for everything I have in life, so I do not need big celebrations or gatherings, but I do miss seeing all of my family at once and just having fun. I am extremely lucky that I do not know anyone personally that has been affected by the virus, but continue to pray for those who have had negative impacts and hope all becomes better soon.
• 
  2020-10-05

  Jewish Melbourne: NCJWA (Vic) Sukkot zoom event for Seniors Festival

  "We are honoured to take part in the upcoming 2020 City of Port Phillip Seniors Festival. As part of this online event, a special Zoom Sukkot celebration is being organised by NCJWA Vic. Rabbi Yoni Reyder will enlighten all the participants about the traditions and significant of Sukkot; and a Concert of traditional Russian and Yiddish songs will be performed by Gregory Cveigoren and Vered Harel. “We will present the different aspects of Sukkot which symbolise we are different but also strong when we are together” said Nellie Khoroshina, Golden Age Clubs Coordinator."
• 
  2020-10-12

  Jewish Melbourne: TBI visits their Chatan and Kallah Torah for Simchat Torah at home

  "Mazal tov to Craig Levin and Sue Silberberg, our Chatan and Kallat Torah for 2020! To celebrate their incredible contributions to our community, we took Torah to their homes. During our a Simchat Torah services each also shared some thoughts about the past and future of our community. Watch our video here: https://youtu.be/4mALluYXlis"
• 
  2020-11-19

  Father and Son Graduation Celebration

  It was the fall of 2019, and the celebration was on for graduation. Two Air Force Veterans are standing side-by-side for a father and son picture. This moment represents the sky is the limit, and the only thing to do is to move forward and continue with a masters program. Continuing with my higher education meant a continuation in life events for my dad. COVID-19 and his untimely death was not foreseen for the new year of 2020. This will always be a happy time of our lives.
• 
  2020-11-17

  Jewish Melbourne

  We had a beautiful celebration for my daughter's Batmitzvah that was not how we imagined or planned it to be. Despite the restrictions, we were blessed with a simcha that was overflowing with yiddishkeit, connection, Jewish history, music, family, love and tradition.
• 
  2020-06-16

  Class of 2020 Celebrated by a Rural Community

  The rural community of Tuttle, Oklahoma honored their class of 2020 high graduates with a sign made out of a round bale of hay. The round bale was located just off of State Highway 37 next to the Tuttle Grain & Supply. As part of the creativity, the bale had a sign saying: "Class of 2020" with comments such as "Proud of You!" and "Congrats!" as well as "Great Job!" The sign then covered the face of the hay bale in the design of a large face mask. The community was acknowledging the circumstances that altered the 2020 senior year and graduation to be a smaller event.
• 
  2020-10-02

  Socially Distanced Formal Event

  HIST30060 This is a photograph of myself and three other final year Undergraduate students at Ormond College, The University of Melbourne, taking a socially distanced group photo before "Club Dinner." During non-COVID times, this is normally a major event for students and is one of the most anticipated events of the year. Given COVID restrictions, the dinner was not able to run as normal, but students still took the opportunity to dress up in formal clothing and share socially distanced dinner and drinks. Personally, this photo is one of my favourite to come from this year featuring my friends and I, because it shows an adaptation to abnormal times. It is, I suppose, an attempt to find normalcy.
• 
  2020-11-07

  Boston Celebrated Joe Biden's Victory in the 2020 election

  This moment is an important moment in American history, as it marks the end of a tyrant. However, it's important to me because it will hopefully represent a shift in the handling of this pandemic, meaning we can get back to a regular life sooner. Donald Trump has not handled this pandemic very well, giving our country the highest one-day increase of any country and the deaths of nearly 250,000 people. I hope that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris's inauguration will America get back on the right track. Their current plan for handling the pandemic looks very promising, and I cannot wait for them to work I also think that its really cool that my sister now has a role model that she can look up to in the White House, and while Ms. Harris may be the first, I am sure that she won't be the last.
• 
  2020-11-04

  Happy 21st

  HIST30060 A person’s 21st birthday (whilst not as big a deal in Australia as other countries) is still considered an important milestone. I, like many other people in Melbourne, had the pleasure of experiencing my 21st birthday in lockdown. Friends were not invited. Family could not visit. Instead, I spent the day at home with only myself, my sister and my dog. I feel like this picture accurately represents what the time was like. Dead. Not literally, of course, but life had grinded to a halt during this period. And yet, that day was one of my happiest. Maybe because it gave an excuse for people to contact me. A theme I think runs through a lot of the pandemic. Because we could not meet physically, social interaction through technology became a lot more prevalent. And who doesn’t love being sent cupcakes?
• 
  2020-04-09

  Banned Birthday Celebrations

  The spring in my family is full of birthdays. My birthday, my brother’s birthday and my mom are all fall in the month of March and April. Our family tradition is that each person gets to pick a restaurant for dinner and their favorite type of cake. This year, COVID ruined all of our birthday traditions. First, my birthday was the first day the county shut down and we had to eat at home. Then my mom’s 40th birthday was next and she couldn’t believe that her birthday trip was ruined. My mom usually doesn’t cry, but the tears were evident in her eyes. She was hoping for this trip with my dad, but again, COVID ruin that idea. My younger brother was looking forward to his birthday, but all his plans were canceled too. He was supposed to be screaming and enjoying Disneyland with his friend. My brother’s face lit up when we surprised him with a driveby birthday. People had balloons taped to their cars, signing blowing in the wind and candy was being thrown from windows. The constant horn honking could be heard all through the neighborhood. The best part was when my mom’s friend drove in front of the house and handed him a beautiful double-layer chocolate cake with sprinkles and candles. Although we thought birthdays were banned and ruined because of COVID, this simple cake made us all appreciate his birthday.
• 
  2020-10-06

  A Muted Rosh Hashanah

  Every year, I attend the High Holy Day services at Temple Agudas Achim with my mother. The services are long, emotionally exhausting, and beautiful; this is when the shofar (a ram’s horn) is blown. This year would have been slightly different because the Rosh Hashanah began on Shabbat, but the High Holidays were also impacted by Covid-19. Instead of meeting in person with the entire congregation - hundreds of people, most of whom I don’t see throughout the year - the services were held via Zoom. Because many of my congregation avoid technology on holy days, there were less than 50 people participating in this year’s services. Rather than 3 hours long, services this year lasted about an hour. When the shofar was blown, it was heard through a computer screen, which failed to capture the awe-inducing power of the horn. As someone with ADHD, the High Holidays are usually tough for me. I struggle to focus during the long services, becoming fidgety after an hour. In the past, my mother and I have celebrated the holidays privately, attending a retreat, or simply spending the day together at home. When we celebrate this way, I can draw on my tablet - drawing has always been a source of comfort and focus for me. In the temple, multi-tasking is frowned upon, as it is seen as disrespectful and sacrilegious. Yet recognizing the holidays this way is unfulfilling for my mother - she misses the community of our temple and yearns for the sound of the shofar. Because of Covid-19, we both got a little of our preferred way to worship. Watching the live stream and participating via Zoom allowed my mother to re-connect with temple members whom she had missed. Yes, the meeting was lacking in many ways, but it was better than not attending at all. I was able to stay off-screen, listening to the service while drawing. It was during the service that I drew the image I titled “A Muted Rosh Hashanah”, which depicts a young girl attempting to blow a shofar through a protective mask. With this drawing, I hoped to convey the beauty and passion of the shofar, as well as the pain and longing that the pandemic and social distancing has caused.
• 
  2020-08-11

  Video Chat Birthday Celebration

  The pandemic disrupted the frequent trips I take to visit my friend Chrissie in California. We planned on celebrating her birthday together in person, but since we both lived in hot spots we decided it was best to postpone our festivities. I used some of the money I would have spent on traveling to buy her some very personalized gifts. When she received her presents I asked her to meet me on the Houseparty app so that I could see her reactions. They were priceless. I commissioned an artist friend to draw her beloved cat Dulce which I then printed on a poster. To add a Texas touch, I also got her a James Avery charm bracelet with an inside joke engraved on it. Even though I would have much rather hung out with Chrissie in person, this celebration was still special. Being away from made me think about how much I love and appreciate her. Quarantine allowed me the time to reflect on what makes her unique and what gifts would put a smile on her face.
• 
  2020-05-17

  Graduation during Covid-19

  My sister has been working so hard for the past two years; late nights and difficult early morning labs. She earned the title nurse practitioner. The pandemic hit a few months before her graduation and she would work the front lines while taking the last push towards graduation. As expected her graduation was cancelled and she was mailed her practitioner license. My family and I thought that her hard work deserved a proper celebration so we planned a way for our family to get together but follow all the proper precautions. We saw those drive by celebrations and planned one of our own. My grandmother demanded to be apart of the crowd at home to be closer to her granddaughter and no could tell her any different. This is one of the pictures from the celebration.
• 
  2020-05-10

  Graduation 50 Years Apart

  In this photo, I am holding a picture of my deceased grandfather while I'm dressed for my undergrad graduation that did not happen. I wanted to take a picture in my regalia on the campus that we both studied at, but due to the pandemic, I was forced to finish my undergrad degree at home. This photo in my regalia reminded me that I could not celebrate this accomplishment at the same place that my grandfather did only 50 years before.
• 
  2020-06-14

  A Distanced Graduation

  The image above shows the window of the Peaks Island Library, where the town celebrated their graduating seniors with a “Congrats class of 2020” sign. Surrounding the banner are the names of the high schools the students attended. Since the shutdown began just months before my class was set to graduate people all over the state have been putting up signs and decorations to give us a celebration. We had virtual commencement speeches, videos, lawn signs, balloons, and free pizzas that in a way made the year more special than a normal walk across the stage.
• 
  2020-04-08

  Pesakh in lockdown

  Pesakh was going to be a large family event. We had people coming from London, Canberra, Sydney and of course, Melbourne. Then the pandemic hit. No-one could travel, and we were not allowed any visitors in our house. So, we set up a zoom Seyder. We had members of the family join Zoom from London, Lund (Sweden), Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne. It was a huge success.
• 
  2020-07-25

  Arras, Rehas, Oxygen Mask

  This describes another take on being a bride during a pandemic: a bride worried if she will walk down the aisle, or into a jail cell, or be wheeled into a hospital bed
• 
  April 10, 2020

  Emma Ouellet’s 103rd Birthday in Quarantine

  Family members of Emma Ouellet gather outside her window to celebrate her 103rd birthday. The post description read “We just came back from wishing my 103 year old belle mere a bonne fête pandemic style in Montreal. It was heart-breaking to not be able to kiss her in person but we blew a huge bouquet of them her way.”
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  2020-04-08T17:00

  Seder for 2!

  I normally go to my sister’s place for Seder. She has 22 people attending! This is the first one I’ve done at home & I’m 60!
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  2020-07-12

  Graduating during the pandemic

  This personal journal tells what is it like for me, graduating during the pandemic. With ways of celebrating this milestone totally changing, and with my mother having to work at the health center on that day, this virtual graduation experience was really different.
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  2020-07-01

  Police called in to shut down Canada Day celebrations at Mooney's Bay

  "Hundreds of people were on the beach and the surrounding area Wednesday afternoon and evening. One officer on scene told CTV News that at one point, there were close to 3,500 people in the area. "Witnesses say there was very little physical distancing." "Just after 8:00 p.m., police were called to the Mooney's Bay area, where they started turning cars and residents away. Around 10:00 p.m., the City requested the site be closed immediately, citing health concerns and disorder issues."