JZ and Hec, I'm sorry Matilda didn't get into her school. Thanks for sharing her sweet moment with Emmett.

I went out for a walk. Too many people . Way too many. I don't even want to go out again but it was so nice to just walk. I guess I'll do laps in the backyard, it's not the same but I just passed a lot of people. and again a lot of older people.

Plus there were groups I know that can't possibly be in the same household walking/talking very close together.

Timelies all!

Mr. S didn't go to sleep until after 11 last night. Of course he was up by 8, and has been watching tv all day. Gary did the grocery run, and I will go out in a few minutes to pick up lunch.

Man, Aldi is on their game -- they had everything, including TP and paper towels. Meijer, on the other hand, STILL has cereal stocked on the TP shelves, so I feel like they're having a supplier problem.

Even so, I got everything we needed and all the shoppers were maintaining good social distance. I saw one woman shopping at Meijer wearing a big top hat with a dramatic curved feather. It made my morning.

I've been thinking about What I Can Do and one thing that occurs is making face masks for Youville (my assisted living residence). I'll need to get my old sewing machine out and find where I put all my Supplies (and get out to a sewing store because I know I don't have any elastic for the loops). It's all straight seams and a couple of tucks.

As usual with anything about the Trump Pandemic (I agree that we should start calling it that -- it will be his biggest legacy in history) I should have started wearing a mask and making them a week ago. At least I was smart enough not to go out driving for Lyft last weekend, which would have been an even greater exposure, so there's that.

I've been thinking about the masks, too. I can't tell if the request from a Rochester hospital is real, or a Hickey Freeman way to get a press release in the paper or a little of both. If it is a genuine need, I want to reach out to my hospital and ask them if that is that they want me to do, because I have a semi industrial machine and I could turn out a lot in a day. But I also don't want to do that if it is not needed or no one can use them. I think Theo, you have a better use case.

Yeah, my understand is those would be masks of last resort, as they're nowhere near as good as real medical masks. But I'll probably try my hand at making a few—I just wish I had better guidance on the ideal fabrics? I mean I don't have a huge stash but the stuff I've seen that's like "pillowcase or cotton tshirt" doesn't even tell me if woven or knit is preferable!

I think cloth masks would be great for individual people to have -- they apparently work pretty well, and then you can leave the good stuff for professionals, right?

I've also seen patterns designed to hold a filter or fancy mask, so they last longer. All sounds good to me!

Based on the properties of fabric, I would think woven would be betterthe more tightly woven but light the better. Frankly, I am imaging a good muslin would be the best since that is what they used to use. Or tightly woven cotton sheeting. Sort of the things that you use to back quilts. If you use new fabric, I would wash on hot water first, as they are probably intending to launder these a lot in hot water if needed, instead of disposing of them. I think they are probably better than a bandana, which is what the nurses are tlking about (jokingly)

I mean I don't have a huge stash but the stuff I've seen that's like "pillowcase or cotton tshirt" doesn't even tell me if woven or knit is preferable!

Sounds like either is fine? I mean, assuming pillowcase is woven and t-shirt is knit.