Items

• 
  2020-03-19

  #FormalFriday

  "Since everyday is Corona Casual now, I propose we start doing 'Formal Friday.' Break out the tux or gown, do your hair, and settle in for a fancy day at home." I posted that on Facebook on Thursday, March 19, 2020. The next day, I shared a photo of myself in a cocktail dress, pearls, and lipstick, laptop balanced on my knee, chaotic home office behind me. In the weeks that followed, I would post a reminder on Thursday, and on Friday folks would post photos of themselves in their finery. These were friends from all aspects of my life, people who didn't know each other, using the hashtag #formalfriday and adding a little levity to an anxiety ridden time. For me, it was one of the only bright spots. Work from home started March 12th. Five days before that, my husband had informed me our marriage wasn't working. And five days after, my mom went into the hospital, where she was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer. Over the course of 10 days, my world had been ripped out from under me. The emotional isolation was crushing. Compounded with the physical and social isolation - I was living each day on the verge of collapse. But on Fridays, I would put on makeup, jewelry, and a gown and pretend that everything was hunky dory for social media. That my level of fear, of anxiety, of panic were on the same level as everyone else's. I would take a photo, sometimes with my daughter, and post on Facebook. Then I would take off the sparkles and finery and return to the dull reality of leggings and dread. Formal Friday went on for eleven weeks. I saved my favorite dress for last: A full-length gown with a black and white striped skirt (it has pockets!) and crop-top illusion. In the photo, my daughter is in her pajamas because we had given up on making her get dressed by then. I'm clenching onto her and she's flopped backward, totally over the whole thing. There's a smile on my face that doesn't reach my eyes. After I posted it, I had multiple friends reach out to ask if I was OK. We were three months into a two-week quarantine, yet the pandemic was a solid third on the list of things I was most worried about. The strain was starting to show on my body, in my face. Looking back at the photos now, I think about the illusion of social media and how easy it is to pretend that what someone posts is reflective of their full reality. I was going through the most challenging time in my life, but based on what I put on Facebook, I had enough joy to play dress-up once a week. At the same time... I still had enough joy to play dress-up once a week. And it brought me joy to see other people do the same. Seeing my friends, and friends of friends, and screenshots of zoom meetings, where people were in suits, or gowns, or just putting on a little make-up because that's all they could muster, kept a flame of happiness glowing inside me and helped me get through those first eleven weeks. It was silly, it wasn't a representation of reality, but when my whole world was on fire, it was nice to feel beautiful with friends.
• 
  2020-03-21

  Education changed

  It was my first year teaching middle school history. I was bright-eyed, excited, and felt like I had finally found my calling in life. I went into spring break with such an excited feeling about my new career path. Coming from retail, I could finally have time to spend with my family and not have to worry about making a quota. Then the email came. We would be moving to distance learning and I would not get the chance to finish my first year as an educator with my first group of kids. The sound I most remember was the Google Meets login when someone joined. That sound will forever be associated with the pandemic. The sound I had never heard before became the sound that brought me joy as I was finally able to make sure my students were okay. I remember that sound and immediately checking to see who was logging in. It brought mixed feelings of compassion, empathy, and sadness. Even as we started to get back into the classroom, nothing would ever be the same as it once was. But that sound, that one quick sound, brought on the emotions of this educator. And I hope I will never have to hear that sound again.
• 
  2020-08-08

  Relearning to Cook

  I have loved to cook for as long as I can remember, but I had a few rough years and stopped cooking. With the onset of stay-at-home orders for the COVID-19 Pandemic, I went from 60-hour work weeks between my two jobs to nothing. My mind and hands were itching to do something, anything. As many of the grocery stores started to have supply shortages and I now had a much more limited budget; I had to get creative. So, I began to cook. I started slowly with fancy coffee drinks and eggs and moved to bread and pasta. Nationally people were baking bread so I thought well I’ve got the time I might as well try. What started as something I had learned to dread suddenly became my day’s highlight. I was cooking again! The dance of moving through my small kitchen. The clank of pots and pans and knives and wooden spoons in metal bowls playing in time to Otis Redding. The joy of tasting a recipe and nailing both the flavors and the serving size (many recipes serve 4-6, I live alone). It was truly a full-body experience. I soon realized that I hadn’t repeated any meals in about two weeks and decided to challenge myself to go as long as possible without repeating a recipe, if a meal required a repeat that portion simply didn’t count in my tally. I ended up making over 225 different recipes.
• 
  2020-12-12

  Pandemic Puppy

  I got my puppy during the pandemic, something many people also did because everyone had so much time to take care of a dog during quarantine. A puppy brought joy at a time of sadness and uncertainty.
• 
  2021-11-01

  HIST30060: BUTTERFLY HOSPITAL

  This is a beautiful contraption that sprung up on my street during the lockdowns in Naarm/Melbourne. It’s also a startling localised act of care, likely by a child, and it gave me lots of joy walking past it to the shops everyday.
• 
  2021-09-09

  Lockdown Life with a Whippet

  Here in Victoria Australia, our pandemic experience has been easier than most. We live in a regional area and we have not had the angst of the long ongoing harsh lockdowns experienced by Metropolitan Melbourne . However going in and out of lockdown, hearing about growing exposure sites and increasing Delta virus numbers is disturbing and anxious making. The one constancy in our lockdown lives, is Pip the Whippet. Walking, sleeping, eating and loving is all she does. In lockdown her daily taste was to go into the local cafe and bring cheer to the Barista while my husband waited to pick up our takeaway coffees. Attached is a picture of Pip the Whippet waiting for our take away coffees. She has been a ray of sunshine in our lives at this point in time, and wearing her hound tee has brought a smile to all, as we progress through this, the strangest of times.
• 
  2018-02

  The Power of Pets: Health Benefits of Human-Animal Interactions

  This story shares how pets help people with their mental health in a variety of ways. Pets were vital in helping people with their mental and physical health during the pandemic. This article, while written pre-pandemic, shows the different ways in which pets are beneficial.
• 
  2021-07-23

  Canine classmates

  I was grateful to be able to do my martial arts classes through Zoom. My dogs, though, didn’t know what to make of it. Daisy, my young lab mix, consistently tried to participate in the classes. She seemed to love the group dynamic, even though most of it was on screen. Zoey, my older dog, needed to be in the room with me and often made appearances on screen. During such a trying time, these small moments brought a lot of joy.
• 
  2021-05-04

  When will this dream come true?

  This was an assignment in Paula Flynn's 5th grade class at Franklin Elementary School in Santa Monica, CA. People hugging having a good time without a care in the world.No masks close together. Like before. A beautiful ray of sun beating down on there faces. Sharing it’s warmth with them.Casting shadows of them. The shadows black against the colorful world. I hear laughter, joy and relief, almost everyone is happy. Leaves are rustling in the wind as if dancing to a beat. Happiness, Laughter, Grateful When will this dream come true. When can we live like this again. Joy Joy Joy
• 
  2021-05-04

  Hugs, Laughter and Love

  Hugs, Laughter and Love I see my cousin running with me in the fields i don’t feel ashamed of what i am doing and neither are they The sounds of our feet crushing the grass with a smile just because we are finally together I taste the great food melting in my mouth Happiness, Joy and fun Joy, Joy, Joy
• 
  2020-08-06

  "Joy is an act of resistance." - Toi Derricotte, Poet

  "Joy is an act of resistance." - Toi Derricotte, Poet Photos from Emergency Response - Calling Woodbury on the Carpet, July 30, 2020
• 
  2020-05-23

  COVID 20th Birthday

  What I have submitted is important to me because I learned that I don't need a lot in life in order to be happy, but instead I have more than enough with the people that love and support me.
• 2021-02-07

  Spreading Happiness

  As a way to help my students stay social and emotionally well I have started to do a spread happiness wall where they have to leave at least one nice note to either a classmate or to me as a way to spread joy. To me, this will brighten their day and show them that someone cares for them and may help get some of them out of a funk of sadness and encourage more social interaction with one another. To me, this is very important because students are having a tuff time during the pandemic along with adults. Overall, all people need to know that they are cared for.
• 
  2020-08-27

  Senior Year in NYC: The Monumental Moments - Welcome Freshman!

  COVID-19 has helped to remind us that the little things matter in life, especially around a college campus. Showing a freshman to their dorm room or to where they may grab a bite to eat and have classes is nothing short of important. We are all jumping with joy here because even with a worldwide pandemic we could continue to enjoy making a difference in the new student’s lives at our university **Fordham University, SOCIO 2200
• 2020-12-01

  Having a Baby in a Pandemic

  Having a baby is always a joyful, if not stressful, time, and having a baby in the middle of a global pandemic simply amplifies both of these emotions. My son was born on September 30, 2020, which means we found out about the pregnancy at the same time we found out about the COVID-19 global pandemic. Going through the initial lockdown, all of the information and misinformation, while knowing that we had a baby on the way made everything that much scarier. The joyful part came when he was born, a couple of weeks early, but a totally healthy baby boy. The joy of a new baby joining the family allowed us to take a break from the daily grind of living through a pandemic. And while no one was able to visit at the hospital, or meet him until quarantining for 14 days, and all had to hold him while wearing a mask, the joy definitely outweighed the stress. Our covid baby, and the journey to him joining our family, will be a bright spot in our family in an otherwise very dark year.
• 2020-10-20

  Introverts love the indoors and lockdown

  The image that has been submitted is important to me because its relatable to those that enjoy being isolated from society as much as possible. Granted even introverts need some sort of human interaction, more often than not they prefer it to be as minimal as possible. Which is why the character in the image looks absolutely ecstatic to enter a mysterious room. If anything there isn't much of a story to the image, rather it can be used to illustrate a human emotion, joy, but a odd, weird joy. Due to the fact that most people want to spend more time with their families, it doesn't seem absolutely innocent due to the fact that some people might actually spend too much time to themselves and will ultimately have a difficult time working with other people again. Let alone normal day to day social interactions, casual conversation might become unnecessarily challenging, but it will be something that people will have to deal with until things can get back to normal.
• 
  2020-07-26

  A COVID Wedding

  John Lokka's Wedding, July 26, 2020, at the Gettysburg Hotel, Gettysburg, PA. My wedding was the final wedding at the Gettysburg Hotel until at least mid-Summer 2021. Due to COVID and Pennsylvania's response, the wedding date moved three times. Originally for June 20, we changed the date to September 6 when the initial lockdown period exceeded expectations. About three weeks prior to July 26, the hotel coordinator called us to explain there were no more public events after August 2. Gettysburg College, owners of the hotel, needed additional dorm room space to meet COVID distancing restrictions. They were converting the hotel in additional dorms and distance learning. When we agreed to host our wedding, the coordinator offered many amenities originally beyond our means. They offered us the Grand Ball room, a converted bank. About a week before the wedding, PA's Government Wolf issued new COVID restrictions due to a general uptick in cases. He limited indoor gatherings (weddings) to 25 people including service personnel. To meet the requirements, Gettysburg Hotel eliminated one person, and we uninvited two. Thankfully, two people decided not show. It was great time. Every one who attended needed to be there. The joyous atmosphere gave all a chance to forget their own troubles for a few hours.
• 
  2020-09-23

  The Challenges of Caring for Children and Working at Home

  I have been working from home and caring for both of my kids with my spouse since March. It is challenging and chaotic, but also it brings a lot of joys in watching kids develop. Teaching at the university level has also brought its challenges and joys, but I hope that by making my own struggles visible, it makes me more relatable to students.
• 
  2020-03-19

  Fighting Creative Blocks During Quarentine

  Of course the pandemic hit everyone's motivation and zest for daily life pretty hard, but as an artist whose social circles are mainly comprised of other artists, I noticed an especially hard hit to the creative output of my peers. I've heard before that suffering and despair is supposed to bring out the best artists have to offer, but in reality the inverse is often true- Van Gogh painted the Starry Night while he was getting specialized care in a mental health facility, after all. It's hard to find your spark when it feels like the world is caving in on all sides, but I was determined to find a way to keep myself from falling into a months long creative drought I knew I'd find myself in if I didn't do something about it. I didn't have the energy or desire to touch full sized pieces, but I reasoned with myself that I could stand to go smaller scale to save on both energy and time without sacrificing the feeling of accomplishment that comes with a finished piece, and so the day before every non-essential business in town shut down, I ran to my local Michael's and picked up the cheapest acrylic paints I could find and 3 packs of six 2 inch square canvases. I tried to think of a subject that could easily be captured on such a small surface, but was also sure to spark joy in myself and perhaps others if i chose to share them, and landed on the topic of pets, since they were easily one of the biggest comforts for myself and everyone else I knew during our prolonged stints sitting at home. It was a good move, I think- looking at an an image of an animal for long periods of time never hurts your mood, and sharing photos of the finished paintings with my friends who own the animals pictured brought a boost of serotonin to both parties involved. More than one person suggested I start an etsy page and sell them, but I think I'm content to just let them be a quarantine hobby and act of kindness during a deeply depressing time.
• 
  2020-07-03

  Another Day, Another Puzzle - Day 112

  With calendars cleared as a result of shelter-in-place orders we have had more time to enjoy some of our family's favorite past-times. Cards and board games that were collecting dust have made their way out of cabinets. But what we've spent more time on than anything is puzzling. While each member of our family will puzzle here and there, our 5 year old son is a constant at the puzzle board. His attention and focus to puzzling is way beyond his years. Puzzling has given us the gifts of togetherness, joy, and consistency during these uncertain times. Another puzzle complete on Day 2 of our get away. A puzzle to match his shirt!
• 
  2020-06-24

  "I am not a silver lining kinda person, but..." tweet

  A tweet from author Anne Thériault talking about the silver lining to the disruption to routine brought on by the pandemic. She and her son have been staying with her mother in Kingston instead of their home in Toronto.
• 
  2020-04-22

  Another Day, Another Puzzle - Day 40

  With calendars cleared as a result of shelter-in-place orders we have had more time to enjoy some of our family's favorite past-times. Cards and board games that were collecting dust have made their way out of cabinets. But what we've spent more time on than anything is puzzling. While each member of our family will puzzle here and there, our 5 year old son is a constant at the puzzle board. His attention and focus to puzzling is way beyond his years. Puzzling has given us the gifts of togetherness, joy, and consistency during these uncertain times. In this image, a glimpse of our family remote learning schedule and some school work are seen in the background. The presence of his "lovey" in hand is also a reminder to remember how young he is to be living during something as big as a pandemic.
• 
  2020-04-15

  The Best Thing to Do

  Motivational Text
• 
  2020-03-28

  Grace Papagno

  I have spent the first half of my life being angry at my mother, and the second half forgiving her. She was insensitive, narcissistic, and at times, downright cruel. There were, of course, reasons, explanations, and perhaps understandings of my mom’s behavior and I have made a lifetime study of her so that I would not be like her as a mother. And I was not. I even published a memoir about life with her and after her. Now, in the time of Corona Virus, I find myself attributing many of my strengths to my mother. I have not been frightened by this pandemic. Rather, I think I’m coming into my finest hour. I am strong, positive, and yes, even happy. When I was a child, my mother would not “allow” me to be sick. There was no sympathy for illness. If I “chose” to be ill, I would have to stay in bed, eat nothing but tea and toast, and there was absolutely no TV nor friends. I was, after all, “sick.” With that scenario, I did not miss a day of school from third grade throughout high school. Now it is as if my body refuses to harbor a virus. I do take the prescribed precautions, but I do not even entertain the thought or fear of this virus. I do sense that if I did contract it, I would not be stopped by it. My mother would not allow me to watch TV if the sun were shining, and so I learned the joy of the outdoors. “Go outside and play,” was her mantra on the non-school days. As an adult, I quickly learned that gardening is “playing in the dirt for adults,” and so now, isolated, I spend the sunny days – even the cold ones, out in my yard, either cleaning it up, laying down compost, or planting seeds. I do not turn on the television until after I’ve practiced my piano lesson and cleaned up the dinner dishes. Even then, I am so tired from the day, I only watch TV for an hour or so before I am off to bed. Busying herself with her job and caring for her home, my mother had little or no time to share with me. “Get busy. Do something. Read a book or something,” was her order of the day. At age seven I taught myself to use the sewing machine; at eight I learned to knit. I embroidered and did crewel work. Later in life I took watercolor painting classes and resumed piano lessons with a magnificent teacher. I got busy. I seem not to have enough time in each day here, isolated at home, to catch up on my pastimes. Now in the day of COVID-19, I finally have time to do all the things I love to do without being interrupted for social events or volunteer promises. And whom do you think I attribute all the myriad interest, health, and self-sufficiency I find myself graced with – my mother, who unwittingly gave me the tools to find joy in isolation and meaning in the mundane. I am doing fine in this time of the pandemic. Thank you, Mom.