I've been watching the Covid numbers rise in Arizona at this alarming rate and am so glad you and your family made the decision to continue isolation regardless of the state's opening. You are a wise one. Take care, my friend. You and your family are in my prayers and I'm sending you much love.
@dhyanaji - You're correct. The only reason many are using cloth is because N95s and KN95s are hard to find, expensive, and should be reserved for actual medical settings and for those who are higher risk. It's one of those situations where "something is better than nothing" and at least it keeps awareness up. Also, outdoors everything is slightly less risky, so cloth may be sufficient for outdoor activities, especially if social distance is maintained.
@Lovendures - you are in my "adopted state" that I'm going to do my best to help flip blue. Good for you for continuing isolation. I wish I could, but my husband has gotten too antsy, and rather than allow him to start biz travel, I had to compromise and allow a return to band practice (outdoors, lots of alcohol wipes, no one allowed in the house). Here everyone is letting their guard down and we're starting to see a slow uptick, which I'm sure will gain momentum. Our governor WAS good, but then he failed us by letting municipalities make their own decisions. "This is why we can't have nice things."
@Bluebelle - throw me in the mix too, I'm more of a wreck now than when this all started, and I don't leave my house except for: doctor appointments, fresh food shopping, once a week dog walk on a big empty grassy field. Thanks friend!
I will lift you up Laura and send you positive energy, too. I had a few experiences this last week that couldn't be avoided and now am counting down two weeks to be possible exposure free. It's hard, isn't it? Life is messy and the unexpected throws you off your best commitments to isolation and protection. Just now in my meditation, I have asked for your protection and that you have peace of mind and can find joy in your day.
Namaste
P.S. A little tincture couldn't hurt, either.
Well, while I am trying to self isolate a much as possible, just needed trips, my daughters are in Texas at the moment. My eldest will be moving there in a month and she needed to do some things there in person before the big move. So, they flew out to Austin 2 days ago and will fly back in a few days. Yep! Texas also has a huge spike going on. I would rather us all be here together.
Yeah. Not fun.
Talk about facing your fears right?
While my mind says this is a pretty bad time to be doing this, my intuition says things will be ok. I am hopeful my intuition is correct.
Thankfully, this is is not the start of the pandemic. We know more and are acting ( at least my family) in prudent and thoughtful ways.
And as their mother I have reminded myself, they have been trained well for this moment over the past several months. They know how to stay as safe as possible given the situation. I must let them do what they need to do without freaking out. Balance gentle reminders without stressing them out too much.
But, a big part of parenting is getting your children prepared to live in the real world on their own successfully whether in a pandemic or just normal life. Normal life can be challenging too. If I have done my job well, they will be able to make critical decisions, be respectful, act in assertive, kind, and compassionate ways, stand up for themselves, avoid danger, ask for help when needed, learn from mistakes, find joy in each day and know and feel they are loved and never truly alone.
One can hope.
So, yes, prayers are welcome! :D
Laura, thanks for trying to turn our state blue. We have a good shot. Mark Kelly is fantastic and a great candidate who will appeal to many so I hope that helps in the Senate and for the Presidential as well.
@Bluebelle - thank you and karma was quite swift today. One of our guitarists called to say he is sick, fever/cough/fatigue, and so is going to get tested. I immediately demanded cancellation of the rehearsal today (it would be a waste without him anyway). Hubby hesitated, but I looked him in the face and said "Your actions are making me feel anxious and unsafe." He caved. I'll have to take it a week at a time, and while on the one hand I hope our friend does not have COVID, on the other it would give me leverage to bring the hammer back down and cut off rehearsals for another month.
@Lovendures - you're welcome! I'm working with the Crooked Media/Vote Save America Adopt a State program. I chose Arizona because a) you're right "next door", b) I have friends and family there, c) I remain disappointed that our daughter didn't settle in Flagstaff, but I feel an affinity for Northern AZ after all our times spent there, and if I had to leave CA, Flag would be near the top of my list. So I view AZ as our "step-sister" state. The program will offer opportunities for me to get work done from home. No trips or canvassing this year (although that was my original plan).
Namasté ladies!
Since Florida wants to fudge their numbers and fired:
Rebekah Jones was fired last month from her job at the Florida Department of Health, where she helped create a data portal about the state's COVID-19 cases. Now, she has created a dashboard of her own.
When I went to show them what the report card would say for each county, among other things, they asked me to delete the report card because it showed that no counties, pretty much, were ready for reopening," she says. "And they didn't want to draw attention to that."
Jones says a superior asked her to open up the data and alter the numbers so that the state's coronavirus positivity rating would change from 18% to 10% — and the state would appear to meet its target to reopen.
She says that on the state's dashboard, any person who tests positive will be counted as a positive test only once, no matter how many times they test positive. But a person who tests negative will be counted over and over again each time they test negative for the coronavirus.
Jones says that because many residents, such as health care workers, require repeated testing, the state's dashboard is artificially deflating the true positivity rate.
"They're adding their total test figures instead of their total people, which makes their percent positive extremely low," she says.
This is her dashboard:
https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/7572b118dc3c48d885d1c643c195314e/
@jessi1978 Florida is the state that also banned use of the term global warming. I am looking forward to the day when Florida turns clear blue. But I am afraid that the a good portion of that state is going to be underwater by the end of the century and real estate along the coasts will be uninsurable much sooner than that.