Life in a Pandemic

Life in a Pandemic

A Personal and Historical Record

 

 

             We had a busy travel year planned for 2020. . . until the coronavirus aka COVID-19 pandemic throws travel into disarray. A trip to Europe for the end of May is cancelled. Ironically, it was highlighted by the famous Oberammergau Passion Play, which began in 1634 when residents of the village vowed if God spared them from the bubonic plague ravaging the region they would produce a play depicting the life and death of Jesus. Offered every 10 years since, it had been cancelled only twice before, in 1770 when all passion plays were banned & 1940 due to WWII. We accept an offer to reschedule at the same price when the Play resumes in 2022, with full refunds for trip insurance and United miles used for flights.Another shoe drops: a Viking River Cruise in Portugal with Marjorie’s cousin Jim and wife Susan scheduled early August is also cancelled. As usual, Viking is very accommodating: full refund or voucher for 125% of what’s been paid. I coordinate with Susan to rebook the trip in Spring 2021 (and then to July, joined by Marjorie’s sister Mary & Jeff). Closer to home, a visit with friends Francisco & Beth for Nantucket's Daffodil Festival has to be called off. One other possibility, Marjorie’s 55^th high school reunion in Portage, is also cancelled.

More cancellations accumulate on the calendar. Choir singing stops and all Masses move to streaming on-line. My Mendelssohn Club rehearsals and Spring concert are cancelled; we have some Zoom meetings of brothers and of the Board to think about the Fall, which is eventually also cancelled. Viewing a webinar on transmission from choral singing, to both singers & audience, was pretty scary! Marjorie has a major art exhibit through April with 3 artist friends cancelled, but thankfully able to reschedule in December (hopefully!). 

 The summer art camp she’s organized for several years for the Colonie Art League is cancelled, as is the Siena College Relay for Life event (tho Marjorie nonetheless surpasses her fundraising goal!). Son Matt and family in Queens are affected in various ways. Matt winds up being furloughed by Manhattan School of Music, moving onto unemployment checks. Anthea continues going to her mostly empty Metropolitan Youth Orchestra offices on Long Island, working hard to hold things together. Grandsons William & Miles finish the school year on-line. William’s soccer is on hold, Miles must settle for on-line dancing and singing classes.

 So what to do? Doesn’t look like I’ll have opportunities to do the usual trip journals for my blog. But I can do something similar to document our life in a pandemic, our local activities and ongoing updates of developments & events ˗ a combination of personal journal & historical record. Plus staying at home gives time to work on photo books, other projects. Artist-in-Residence Marjorie is able to create a stockpile for future shows.