Personal post, do not read or you might get depressed.
With rising coronavirus numbers in Texas, I just wanted to know if you are alright.
Rita
Thank you for checking.
See that big red circle? That’s us. We made national news by going from 4 cases a day to 210 cases a day. For a county with not that many people, it’s not pretty.
Yup. Greg Abbot, our governor, removed the shelter at home restrictions. San Marcos is a college town. Once restrictions were lifted, the kids went to tube on the river and they went to the Square, which is like a tiny 6th street (Austin reference) in our town filled with bars. Nobody wore a mask. Because you can’t drink with masks on, and when you have surgery, your medical team only wears them because they make such lovely fashion accessories. So dumb. So very stupid. Everyone Kid 2 currently knows in her age bracket has COVID. Everyone.
We haven’t left the house in weeks. Groceries are delivered. I have sewn masks. I found this awesome pattern that fits really well, but is a bit fiddly to make. Right now we have Saharan dust and everyone’s nose is either clogged or running, so Kid 1 checks our pulse and oxygen every day. Kid 2 has moved to Austin and so she is isolating there. Our daughters have agreed that they might survive COVID but Gordon and I are hosed. They decided that we shouldn’t take chances, so we are under very strict supervision.
I don’t know what to tell you. Alright is a relative term. Everyone knows how much this whole thing sucks. It’s devastating if you have COVID and it’s awful even if you don’t, because you live in constant worry that people you love or you might get it. People are losing relatives. They are losing jobs and businesses.
Right now my coping mechanisms are failing a bit. I haven’t been able to read a single book. I can’t finish anything I knit. I’m trying to find a lawyer to remotely update our will. When that happens, most people get anxiety. I get fun physical symptoms for the reasons I won’t go into here. My chest hurts constantly – probably costocondritis rearing up after taking a 2 year break. Normal digestion is out the window. Sleeping patterns are completely off.
So yeah, it’s not fun. But we are all humans. We are designed to survive, so let’s do our best. We will keep writing Ryder as long as we can, you, hopefully, will keep reading it, and we will try to get through this mess together. 🙂
Oh, so I don’t end on a sour note. If you have Viki, check out Romance of Tiger and Phoenix. A screenwriter of a fantasy romantic drama gets stuck in her own script as an awful princess fated to die two episodes in on her wedding night.
I’ve laughed so hard! OMG. I don’t know how it will end – it’s ongoing – but what’s there is so funny. I want to watch it all in one sitting, because making people wait for the new episode is some sort of torture. Like I don’t know who came up with that or what kind of horrible monster even uses serial format for entertainment. Honestly. 😉
I started watching Tiger and Rose, and couldn’t get into it but I’ll give it another shot. Oh My Baby is another good one, concerning a serious topic of infertility and the pressures women (and men!) face in that culture. But, oh! It has some real rofl moments! My husband is not amused with me sitting in bed watching it, crackling and snorting like a hyena while he’s trying to sleep. But, it too, is being released three episodes at a time, gah!
*cackling. I hate auto incorrect….
Makes me pleased I live in New Zealand, where all we have to complain about is NZers returning from overseas with COVID and being put in isolation
I live in Northern NJ and it’s been tough. I’ve been keeping away from people because my mom is 87 with heart issues. But last week we both took the Covid test and both came back negative.
I always think of you (both of you) and Kate Daniels when I hear about the Princess Bride. Did you know they’ve done a remake? Well, sort of.
When I first heard they were thinking of it I said “Hell, no!!” But what they’ve done is more of an homage. A quarantine homage.
They’ve gotten actors and musicians who are also in isolation to re-enact a scene or two, then the director put it all together. It’s on Quibi, starting yesterday, in a serialized version. And they’ve raised $1 million for charity.
Here’s the Vanity Fair article: https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2020/06/the-princess-bride-homemade-fan-film?fbclid=IwAR0sSixer3g4CreUHBRbJZx77m9pUKhSlRMYIr7_U0Bg6rx9KfZyDpsBJrE
And thank you for Ryder.
Thank you for Ryder. I think its safe to say you will always have an audience…in me anyways. 🙂
My son and his fiancee are in Houi. My husband and I are in NC. I’m worried about my son a future daughter in law. They are getting married in October and we don’t know whether things will improve enough for us to attend. Stay safe.
My copping has been to start Kate from the beginning for the third time. Never gets old. Thanks guys 🌸
Stay well. All you can do is isolate. I hope your daughters remain healthy. This is such a frightening time. My brother in law just died of Covid -19. I would hope everyone gets through this pandemic. All the best wishes.
You should be ok as long as you isolate. And it sounds like you have a kiddo looking out for you.
We must keep you safe because you are keeping some of us sane at the moment.
I’m from La Crosse… a small river city town in Wisconsin. We have 3 THREE colleges in our small city, and we made the New York Times because of our sudden spike in cases. Because why? Because when the Wisconsin Supreme Court overturned the stay-at-home order, it clearly meant that all the 20-somethings should go a-drinkin’ in the bars and partying on the river beaches. The demographics show all the new positive cases were 20-29. And now they’re a variety of ages because they are spreading it to others. It doesn’t help that a certain segment of the population thinks that it’s a liberal conspiracy to force people to wear masks, so they won’t.
This is why I hang on for escapism. And I’m counting the days for Ryder releases and the Emerald release. Thank you so much
I am in the big city to the south of you, and it is scary. We got spoiled with careful government and slow growth, until the moronic governor fought with them– now look where we are. My husband and I are high-risk, our parents are super high-risk, so we haven’t seen them in months. My dad was so sad on Father’s Day. So, I get your worry. I wanted to say, thank you for Ryder. That story, plus some other authors doing a similar blog/facebook serialization have helped (somehow the shorter bits are manageable, even with the stress/fear). I also thank you for your recommendations of forthright’s work. Hers has brought joy, too. I am so happy you have Kid1 and 2 keeping an eye ( will keep Kid2 in my thoughts) on you. Lay low and stay healthy.
My in-laws live in Fort Worth. They are 74. She is obese, with congestive heart failure, Parkinson’s and diabetes. He has super high blood pressure and cognitive decline. My SIL lives with them, she is a hair stylist with her own small studio, she wears a mask when she see clients but is basically in denial because she is plugged into the conservative conspiracy theory circles which somehow have made following public health guidelines and the CDC recommendations into a political statement…WTHO? (Substitute “heck” for the more common “F” cussword). Basically, if my inlaws get Covid 99.99% probability they will die. But still they want us to visit (we live in NW Montana, almost on the border with Canada, no way we can go to TX without days in a hotel to get there or go in a plane). I feel so badly because they really could go at any time regardless… but we are not going to be the ones bringing CoVid to them. Hand in there guys. You are doing all the right things to stay safe and your family (biological and the greater reading community) all support you!
My first comment … hooray!!
I’ve been watching what’s happening in Tx (and other states experiencing spikes) with great sadness. Here in Mass, we got also got hit hard. For awhile it felt like living in an apocalyptic novel. But now we’re slowly recovering, numbers are down, people are starting to live again.
The light at the end of the tunnel isn’t a train, I swear!!
The Ryder series has been a God send. I’ve been going through bad IA withdrawals as I’m sure many other readers were as well; this was the fix we all needed!
Lots of love and well wishes your way. If prayers are like currency, you guys are going to be fine! All of your (rabidly) loyal fans are beseeching the cosmos to see you through this safely!
My prayers and love to everyone else out there struggling too. Not to sound to syrupy, but I hope we can all look for the positives around us. As one commenter here said, at least we have the internet! Some of us will remember pre-internet, payphone days. Life where the car breaks down and you’re walking 4 miles to the gas station, small whining children in tow. We’re the best equipped generation of humans to endure a pandemic thus far, lots of things to be thankful for. This website for one!!
XOXO everyone, stay well and safe. <3
Oh man, I have two daughters in their 20s, and they have cross-examined our stay-at-home practices and sworn us to extreme caution! Guess they are not the only ones! 🙂
I’m from Philippines and currently isolating in the province with my family. The governent has lifted the quarantine and has allowed people back to work amidst the high positive cases daily. I’m lucky because our company still let us work from home. I won’t go back if they make us because I have a 2 y.o. kid and and elderly mom. Keep safe!
I have found that there are some alternative therapies out there that can help reduce anxiety and support your wellness. Healing Touch Program is a non-invasive, energy healing therapy that can support your mental, emotional, physical and spiritual health. Reiki is a similar practice and both of these can be done from a distance.
I wish you the very best with your family and your combined health and wellness and will hold you in my prayers.
I am north of that big red dot; I am a nurse in Austin, and I am 55. I feel your pain- my children are sure they will survive, but terrified for me. I tell them I will get it or I won’t, and I’ll survive it or I won’t, but worrying about it now does not help. I have been a nurse nearly 30 years, and honestly, this is what I do- these days I mostly teach other nurses to take care of sick people, but with the rising case count I am doing a little of everything, including patient care. I do get mad at people who won’t wear masks. Your fashion or political choices shouldn’t figure into your thoughts on this- the virus doesn’t care! I hate seeing people throwing their life or health (or that of the loved one they give it to) away for a drink in a bar or an outing and it just drives me crazy.
So, anyway, sorry for the rant, and thanks for this- reading your writing gives me a nice little break in all this where I can think about something else for a while. I wanted you to know it matters a lot and helps.
I am so sorry to hear that life is a struggle at the moment.
Please take care of yourselves, be kind to one another, and do what is best for you.
Your BDH will be here whether you need to take a break from writing, or choose to lose yourself in the words. Either way, just please remember that you have thousands of people wishing you the very best.
Most of the people my age– especially those of us who were late babies– are terrified for our parents. I don’t blame Kids 1 and 2 one bit for their reaction. It’s a bit hard to supervise mine as strictly as I’d like from across the country, but I’m managing. 🙂 I’m glad you’re safe(ish), even if being stuck in the house is non-ideal.
Here, in Canada, I’ve been worriedly watching the US infection stats, for months. I wish your family and friends well, during this arduous time. Thank you, so much, for sharing your stories with us. Please take care of yourselves.
I am so sorry. I work in healthcare in No. CA. We are still on lock down in my county and I’m very grateful. We are still seeing the growth in cases here in CA, mostly with young people as well. They think they are invincible and they are giving it to their elders who are not. Stay home, stay safe and have lots and lots of Zoom meetings or distance riding. It’s easy to spend some with someone on a horse 12 feet apart. 🙂
Be safe.
Canada Sews has great patterns for masks. Don’t forget to treat deliveries like nuclear waste.
I love your stories. Please stay in and stay safe.
Sound familiar. We are all stressing. Nice to hear I am not the only one who cannot focus. Sharing does help. Keep on keeping on
Hey Ilona, on a bright note, Neanderthals were more advanced than we realized.
Scientists have found Woven Yarn dating from about 40,000 to 50,000 years ago at a cave site in France, indicating that this early human species had a more sophisticated material culture than they’ve been getting credit for. (published in
Scientific Reports).
Now if someone finds the 40,000 year old remains of a computer chip, We’re all going to have to reassess… everything!
That ‘chip’ would probably be the next wave beyond our chips so we wouldn’t recognize it! Neanderthals left the earth for the greater galaxy when they realised that Homo sapiens was ruining the neighborhood.
I feel your pain as it is mine also. I am hoping and praying that we get through this. I’m selfish, I want you to be well and continue to write. Your musings keep me sane some days. Like everyone else. I have no answers but to hunker down and endure.
Stay strong! We need you, Ilona! yes, that’s very selfish but I look forward to your blogs and stories and books. You are in my thoughts!
I found one on Viki (and its complete and translated): Moorim School was really good, including magic and fights. Also good The scholar who walks the Night (fights, vampires, a girl dressed as a boy… )
I’m rewatching the Girl who Sees Smells, cuz that was fun (and the bad guy is really really cute/hot). oh and Master’s Sun was fun (that one has ghosts).
Sending you big, virtual hugs. 💕
Thank you for the post, Ilona Andrews. The thing to remember is when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. I spent hours yesterday and last night talking my 76 year old demented mother down because she is convinced 23 year old niece who is asymptotic but her boyfriend was diagnosed with COVID-19 over weekend is going to die. I was vet tech for years so KNOW what coronavirus does. I told Mother that the more Negative Nelly you are the more likely bad stuff will happen. So you take care of what you can (such as updating wills etc) and your self. (And Gordon if he will let you.) The rest is not something you can control without going bonkers.
I finally got thru to her that dog and cat would be okay. I have made sure that they are all fully vaccinated thru the years and there is some cross protection according what’s coming out of vet schools.
I am sorry you are stressed out and yes Texas is a very scary place to be right now. But the more you stress and are anxious the poorer your immune response is to attack. Trust that you taught kid 1 and 2 how to survive this successfully. I think you and Gordon have.
Thanks for listening to me vent and lecture. Stay well. Be safe. And yes I am well aware that the niece may die but having someone she loves wailing and wringing her hands is not helpful to a sick person healing.
I don’t have words to describe what I am feeling,I told my wife I am in Zombie mode,I have trouble reading, I don’t even have the patience to watch TV. I am somehow able to do things around the house, redid a small deck, dug out like 400 square feet of grass to expand beds and am going to be putting in a network of hundreds of feet of drip irrigation line.
Sadly now all those idiots who thought this was a joke,the flu, that it was a blue state flu, how they had to needlessly lock down, are now seeing what a joke this is (not), that they didn’t have it bc they locked down before it got there and this virus is a patient sob. Not to mention that the virus may be 10 times as contagious as when it originally jumped to people. The other statement,that this is only the old people or sick people who have to worry,is being blown apart, the hospitals are flooded with people in their 20s,30s and 40s. The good news,if there is any, is that thanks to what providers can do,the fatality rate has dropped,small comfort that is.
We are lucky where we live,everyobe is really careful and considerate,people wear masks, distance and support each other. I hear it isn’t as good in other parts of NJ, that in South Jersey and the shore areas there are the idiots who think wearing a mask is a political statement or taking away their freedom *sigh,*. One of the things this has ripper away are any illusions I had about people, while there are good people out there they are dwarfed by the selfish and stupid ones, Mencken’s term Boobus Americanus is sadly true for a lot of people.
The one bright note so can give you guys is because you are being smart you will do okay,speaking from experience. I live in NJ,worked in NYC and was commuting when this SOB was spreading until mid March, since then my wife and I hunkered in, limited our exposure like you guys did, and knock wood are fine. The other thing to note is that by limiting your exposure from everything I have seen or read that if you do get exposed to it you likely will be asymptomatic or have relatively mild symptoms.
I also have personal interest in what is going on in Texas,my son lives in Houston which is getting pounded,he lives near Rice University,which is near the hospital district,and he says all you hear are ambulances day and night. He has been telling us all along that even with lockdown no one was distancing or wearing masks and that worse they made it hard on those he did. My son for a 24 yr old has a head on his shoulders,he and 2 of the other members of his music chamber group have hunkered in, the rehearse together but other than that have isolate pretty much since March. He has asthma,which worries me, but thankfully he is careful.
And thank you guys again for the Ryder series,it is really helping to clear at least some of the gloom.
Sorry to hear about your spike in infections. I had thought about retiring to a college town, but I’ve been picking up college town proximity details from your various posts that are changing my point of view.
Usually, I can turn any sort of lemons into lemonade, but stay at home and social distancing (SD) is a drag. My upside so far is increased ability to read micro-expressions (for my 6 year old, as I’m a lost cause). And, I’ve mastered the use of grocery delivery options. So, there’s that…
Hope you can stay patient enough to be safe and find the sparks of joy available in trying some SD act-out crazy – Like a walk outside to scream, you’re isolated enough to not end up with a well check, and it does relieve some pressure.
Finally, thanks for remaining real on the impact of 2020.
Have you tried jigsaw puzzles? I just ordered a nice Koi fish one off Etsy – 2 to 3 weeks delivery time. I recall you doing coloring in the past. Would that work?
Since you mentioned making masks here is a summary of a trial from the journal Physics of Fluids on the effectiveness of 4 non-medical grade masks. If you can obtain surgical masks (not N95) those are better than any homemade mask. I was able to get a few and sent them to my Dad who is 85 with health issues. I use handmade masks and they get washed daily.
https://news.google.com/articles/CAIiEIU0LDs7qasaQdHwjbcEr8oqGAgEKg8IACoHCAowh7LTATCV2zUw_o3MBg?hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US%3Aen
Here is another one with full detail or you can scroll down to the conclusions section. https://aip.scitation.org/doi/10.1063/5.0015044
Note:
Mask efficiency is dynamic (not constant). It is reduced during cough cycles. The fluid dynamics and the interactions between the droplets, the filter, and the face influence mask efficiency. We show that after ten cough cycles, efficiency can drop ∼8%. The above is a conservative prediction considering that we model a mild cough incident and ten cough cycles. We should expect more significant efficiency reduction for severe coughing events, as well as when wearing a mask for a longer period.
Stay safe and healthy!
Oh my god one of my great friends introduced me to your books years ago. This same friend also sends me over all her real-time cdrama recommendations and we flailed about ROTR together. It’s so fantastically good. It’s definitely a drama with mojo.
Wait…. Maybe she was the one who recommended it to you…
Either way everyone go watch ROTR!!!!!!
I couldn’t agree more that alright is a relative term. Some of us are doing better, some worse but thank goodness we are not alone as all the comments before, and those that will surely come after this one, clearly show.
Thank you so much for your contribution in helping the rest of us cope. Reading the Ryder installments and re-visiting the worlds you have created have been a wonderful and needed escape from reality. I wish I could do the same for you. ::hugs::
We live in San Francisco, where we are lucky to have a governor and a mayor who are both being very conservative about lockdown and rules for reopening. It is pretty scary, though, watching what is going on across our country and the world. Much love and virtual hugs to the Authorlords and the rest of the BDH. May we all stay safe, sane, and get through this together.
Really praying that things will get better soon…for all our sanity! Lets all hang in there while we do our best to protect ourselves, family and friends 💪💪.
I know what you mean about waiting for the next episode its a form of torture but as long-time Kdrama, Jdrama, and Cdrama addict, this is the life I have chosen 😌.
I am currently hooked on the newly aired Kdrama “Its Okay Not To Be Okay”. Its on Netflix and best way to describe is that its a well-written (so far) and well-acted Dramedy. I love the dark humor. The Female Lead is amazing—she’s my kind sociopath (to put ut sinply 😅). The strong crazy anti-heroine character with deep vulnerabilities. Highly recommend 💯💯
Here’s the trailer if anyone is curious: https://youtu.be/50ek4HQo0Bc
Oh wow. Sorry for all my typos 😬
Pushing love and good vibes your way!
Stay safe! Thank you guys for writing Ryder in these crazy times. Hang in there.
I have got to stop taking your recommendations. I have to work tomorrow and I can’t stop watching the Romance of Tiger and Rose. I just finished episode 4 and they are going to do stuff without me overnight. Thank you for being a terrible influence. 🙂
Just want to let you know that your posts, not just the chapters, but the everyday things helps make stuff better for me. Weird times….
Your daughters are very wise young women. Remember that regardless of Pooptid Stoliticians (check out Backwards Talk from The Capitol Steps Comedy Review) we really ARE all in this together. Hang in there. We in the BDH (or whatever is the current PC term for your fan base) cherish you all. Please do some healing yoga poses and/or deep breathing exercises and/lr drink tea and/or knit (even if you have to unravel it-who cares!) and/or do whatever you need to stay sane and feel better.
Kid 1 & 2 – Thanks for thinking as a family unit and caring for your parents. Thank you for paying attention to science, exponentials, and battening down the hatches.
I was watching the J-Drama “We Married as a Job” a few years ago and life got hectic so I didn’t finish. Will need to see if I can dig it up somewhere. The male lead is an herbivore which is a nice departure from how many male romantic leads are portrayed in Western stuff.
Hang in there! It sounds horrendous. Things are not as bad here in Cali, but they are going in the same directions. 🙁 Thank you so much for writing during all this! It’s highlight of my week to catch up on Ryder.
I am so sorry. I’m glad you are staying safe at home and I hope that steps are taken to bring this outbreak under control.
I think I’ve seen a lot of people recommending coffee shop au fanfiction as about the extent of what they can handle right now in terms of fiction.
One set of shows I’ve really been enjoying despiteare the spin-offs from the movie What we do in the Shadows (including the tv series of the same name and Wellington Paranormal), they’re both incredibly dumb and quite sharply written and they take my mind off everything (there are cartoonish levels of gore).
Thats really tough. Thank you so much for writing the Ryder series during this time – I look forward to it very much.
Whew! I’d say you hit a nerve with this post. So many responses! so let me add mine. 🙂
I live in what’s now a hot spot. I go to the grocery store and feel positively hostile when I see people without masks. (Unfortunate side effect of masks: it’s harder to give people dirty looks when you’re wearing them. And I live in the South, so dirty looks are a classic, formerly effective, weapon of choice.) Anyway, my 70-year-old mom and stepdad (both lovely people) seem constitutionally incapable of believing they (yes, THEY) could get or give COVID to someone. I’ve mostly given up nagging them. It just makes them feel bad and changes nothing of their behavior. Re: people’s reactions to evidence-based recommendations on mask-wearing & social distancing, I thought I’d learned a lot about how crazy complicated people are in the last four years, but 2020 has me truly befuddled on how some people’s minds work. I’m mostly okay (because I’ve been lucky in my job and health so far), but I still occasionally get a bout of cold-sweats-inducing anxiety. The best I can do is try to compartmentalize, to remember that worry accomplishes nothing except hurting me (hah! as if my anxious brain cares), and to go on hikes in the woods when I can (also, to watch far too many Asian dramas :D). I just wonder how the world, and all of us in it, will be changed at the end of this. I’m hoping a lot of good changes will come, but it hurts in the meantime.
So, Asian dramas. Yes! I loved Romance of Tiger and Rose! Zhao Lusi is gifted at hitting the small beats of expression and timing that make all the difference in comedy. More of this from her, please. Also, if you want a sweet love story with a heartwarming and motley family, villains that are interesting, and just enough conflict to make it all mean something, try Tale of Nokdu. It was a sleeper hit for me. Also, as ever, I would recommend Healer, Her Private Life is another good Park Min-Young drama, and I just started Ancient Detective and am quite liking it. Only 24 episodes for a C-drama. Unheard of!
I forgot the most important part. Thank you so much for Ryder and for your posts sharing about life in general. They are a happy escape from my stress these days. Ecclesiastes has a saying that you should “cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days.” I suppose that’s something like karma? Whatever you call it, I do believe the good you do often comes back to you. Which means you should have a lot of good karma coming your way. 🙂 I, at least, will be sending good thoughts your way.
The favorite, most respected writer team! Dear Ilona! Please, be alright!
Fight depression and rely on Russian fatalism 🙃. Sometimes it helps…
My family lives in Brooklyn, NY in a 6-story apartment building, my office is in the City. Even working remotely since the end of March, it has been necessary for me to report to the office at least once a week…Last week I’ve started using subway again. It is much cleaner😁😷.
These are things that cannot be changed.
So, we do what we must: we clean, we wear masks, we sanitize hands nonstop, we keep the distance as much as it is possible in such a crowded city, and so on… “На бога надейся, а сам не плошай!”😁
The rest is in fate’s hands.
Please, do not loose hope! Cheer up! Firtstly, for yourself and then for us, your readers.
We love what you do – none can do it as well as you!
It is such a rare thing nowadays- to reread the same books over and over again and never get bored…Thank you!
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
I bought a 10M roll of meltblown cloth from Amazon and cut off about 4 inches at a time and line the inside of my cloth mask with it. I find it adds a lot to the seal and you can feel the additional filter. It also stays in place by itself without needing to be sown in. I then dispose of the meltblown after each use. I think layers of meltblown are what they use in the disposable medical masks.
https://smile.amazon.com/Meltblown-Original-Filtering-Application-Efficiency/dp/B086DGKP32/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8&th=1
I regret posting the link actually. The reviews of this brand don’t seem to be great, and the brand that I bought, Tidcaco, is not sold on Amazon anymore. However the one I got looks just like the pictures of this one…
Marked as safe in Bastrop TX.
Stressful. And scar. Not as much as if you didn’t know why there was an uptick in cases though. It might sound bad, but although I don’t want anyone sick, when more people get sick I prefer to know the reason is some thing controllable like people being careless rather than ‘we have no idea, hopefully it doesn’t continue mysteriously escalating.’ Man, I hope they’re all okay and get good care
Thanks for the update, stay strong and safe!
Side note: I just finished The Romance of Tiger and Rose and loved it! Such a light fluffy, hilarious drama. Currently watching ‘Dr Cutie’ on viki and it’s giving similar humour-vibes so hopefully it’s good!
I’m in Brooklyn, NY. It sounds like everything you’re experiencing is normal for the situation. Because you sound like I did when NYC got hit so hard.
I can’t explain what changed, but after dealing with a completely different way of living (yep, my groceries are delivered too) and a period of lethargy, I turned my calorie-counting app back on, began cooking properly again, and returned to writing.
And I’m extremely grateful for my cat Frankie, because I’ve had no physical contact with any human since this started here.
Zoom, Skype, and FaceTime are my friends, as well as your blog and fiction.
We WILL get through this.
Stay safe everyone, find your emotional fortitude in your network (and here). As someone who believes in asking if only to be told no, just keep bugging friends, family and authors who tend to write serially, for connecting. They’re probably hesitating too, so just take that step and call/chat/video as much as you like and it will surprise you what response you get.
I likely had it back in late February through early April (but was not eligible for the test at the time due to age group, lack of contact with a known case – so ridiculous a restriction when no one was being tested, and not having been hospitalized). I originally assumed I didn’t have it, because I didn’t have what everyone was saying were the main symptoms (I never had a fever, for example). I did eventually develop the shortness of breath, after foolishly thinking I was better and going for a jog– it snapped back then, with exhaustion, increasing shortness of breath, etc. I finally got a test through a study at the beginning of April, but, at that point, most of my symptoms were gone and it wasn’t one of the deep nasal tests… so I don’t place much faith in the negative results.
I’ve made some inquiries about getting one of the Abbott antibody tests (since those are the only relatively accurate ones), but I’m not eligible to get one of those, either.
It wasn’t a pleasant illness, is what I’d say. Weeks of exhaustion, on and off, with other symptoms coming and going. Since I can’t get an antibody test, and, even if I could, don’t know if it means I’m immune, I’m not comfortable visiting my parents. We have to move in a few months, and we feel like we can’t take the risk of getting sick (either again, or for the first time if I’m wrong?) and being quarantined or hospitalized because that’s just not going to work. I’m just repulsed that the philosophy appears to be, “Suck it up! If you or some member of the family dies, that’s OK, as long as you keep propping up the economy by spending as much money as possible!”
Anyway, I like the perfect fit Jesse mask, which I’ve tried to make out of fun fabrics. I’ve also made the Fu face mask (which I think I need to add wire to in order to make it more practical) and some of the University of Florida Anesthesiology department masks (prototype 2).
We are living through crazy times and although we can not fully control what happens to us. We can control our thoughts and reactions to what happens to us. So, as we forge ahead my hope no matter how cliché it may seem is that your burdens begin to feel lighter, and each day becomes a whole lot brighter.
I understand how your kids feel. Here in Norway (where I live) things are almost back to normal and we have very few cases left. However, my parents and sister are back in Romania where cases have started rising as well. Same as in your town, restrictions got more lax and young people started going out and crowding the beaches. I haven’t seen my family in half a year and it’s terrible to sit here and worry about them. My dad has asthma and my mom is a cancer survivor so I am constantly terrified something will happen to them.
I wish I could wrap my family in bubble wrap and put them in an underground bunker until all of this is over. You guys are welcome to join btw. Plenty of bubble wrap to go around.
Bubble wrap😂😂sending love!🥰🥰🥰
Just make sure you take vitamin D3 Tablets to enhance you immune system.
You tube on effectiveness of vitamin D. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyMFsLFAE5o&t=320s
Where i live in Western Australiav we have had hard border closures since March. We are extremely lucky as we hsve had no cfommunity trasmission. I feel for you and hope you keep safe.
Apologies for the bad spelling. My typing is not as accurate as my thinking 😁😁😁
Thank you for this, honest thoughts on one of today’s major disasters. I live in TX also, not in a college town but a prison town. That means we have a high number of cases but they are really quarantined. I hope people soon come to a realization that this virus is a lasting and serious thing.
I am so sorry you have to go through this. It must be very scary.
My life is swamped with many difficult problems right now, covid being just one of them. So, for me, all the worry and fear about and because of covid basically has to take a number 🙁
Ryder helps keep me going and keep me (relatively) sane through all of it – for which I cannot thank you enough.
Thank you, for writing for us in such difficult times. You are amazing, AuthorL… I mean House Andrews 🙂
Hang in there, and be safe.
Thank you.
I travelled from Michigan to Pennsylvania (both flattened the curve with slight upticks in recent weeks) with my young kids to see my mom and dad. The younger is toddler and there are some mobility issues on their end.
My uncle is coming up from louisiana. He chose to drive through New York (not on the way) and see as many friends and relatives as possible along the way. He’s over 60 and seriously lacking in the common sense department. Now there is really no choice but to interact with him and his family and I’m pretty ticked. I still hold a grudge for 6 years ago when he came up for christmas with a norovirus, didnt tell anyone, and gave it to me. It really sucks to be driving on highways outside of New York city and feel yourself become miserable over the course of an hour. I was sick at my in laws and can’t eat tortilla soup to this day.
Hi All,
Suggestion for our new worrisome normal, music. For me, it brings back happy times\thought that I want to dance around the house to and that’s the best thing right now, focus on the good.
Stay safe and rock on!
I cant imagine how scary that situation is, I hope the situation locally ( and globally, but we will take what we can get) gets better soon.I hope you all stay safe and well. Its an anxious and uncertain time for all of us, but your updates and the Ryder story always brings a smile to my face and gives me a moment out of time where I can escape our current reality…So thank you, while your writing Ill be reading! Needless to say your mental and physical health has to be your first priority right now, so do whatever you need to do to look after yourselves first and foremost. Thank you again and good luck !
“The Romance of Tiger and Rose” was such a gem on Viki. I love ancient Chinese dramas, but not only was it well acted/produced for a short 24-episode web drama, it was also hilariously, amazingly, gender flipped. Men were told to be chaste and submissive, while women ran the city. Even the costuming was spot on – the royal women had the tight bun hairstyles of the ruling family/gender, and the entertaining men had the frivolously loose clothing and flirty loose hair.
In addition to many of the suggestions above, another drama I found surprisingly enjoyable on Viki was “Under the Power”. The two leads were excellent throughout the series. I tried some of the other newer ancient Chinese dramas, but couldn’t get past a few episodes. “Under the Power” had a good mix of cast, plot, and acting (although the initial 10 min scene was a bit graphic). I’d recommend giving it a try. I’m now a big fan of both leads.
When I have trouble finding a good ancient Chinese drama, or a good modern K-drama, I turn to online translations of Chinese web novels. Most c-dramas are based on web novels or mangas. The Chinese web novel market is huge and highly competitive in China, so some authors churn out extreme or repetitive content for views, so your mileage can vary. Fans or online companies then choose and translate some novels into English, chapter by chapter. I’d recommend “Ascending Do Not Disturb” on novel updates. It’s a wonderful, calm, happy novel that subverts a lot of fantasy cultivation tropes. “Ascending Do Not Disturb” is an easy read, and it’s almost done translating.
In Ontario, I’ve been home with my 3 little kids for the past 110 days/3.5 months. An adult goes once a week for groceries in a mask. Even though we’re in stage whatever of reopening, almost everyone wears a mask at the grocery store. Even with family members, we’re continuing to physical distance because we have different exposures/risk-level of activity in this Toronto area. The kids also have reusable masks for when we are walking on trails and have to pass someone in close quarters, or when we went back to school once to pick up their things.
The hardest part for me wasn’t being stuck at home. It was being stuck at home with the kids. After 3.5 months (and another 2 months until the school year starts in Sept), the kids are used to Netflix/Disney/Youtube/Minecraft/TocaWorld/etc. and we’ve settled into this new normal.
I’m sorry to hear about the dust and rising covid-19 rates in your area, I hope everything gets better soon. I’ve been reading your books for many years now (since Kate Daniels 2 came out), and wish you and your family the very best.
Oh, I’d also recommend Hyena on Netflix. It’s a 16-episode modern Korean drama about a low class, confident and bold woman who’s a smarter lawyer than all the rich privileged men at the best law firm in the country. The leads’ acting was amazing. I don’t even like lawyer dramas, but this one was great.
Only as a way to bring a tiny bit of, maybe, light.
I’m 68, my two friends in their 70s both tested positive at the same time. One had a previous issue (lobe removed from lung), the other had a husband on oxygen tank. Things seemed incredibly dire.
After 9 days the fever broke of the one with the lung issue. She’s feeling better, no longer sleeping all the time and actually eating.
The other one, her doctor told her take aspirin, drink plenty of fluids and rest. She’s feeling much better, and her husband never caught it (but also refuses to be tested).
So, I hope this little anecdote helps
Completely irrelevant post but I hope makes you smile!
So. Who would write a 2000 page book on firewood? I think that is bad. What would be worse is someone not only buying it, but READING it, AND then QUOTING it to their long suffering wife. Such a villain, if indeed they existed, would have invented a torture akin to the comfy chair. #johncleese should be alerted!
What chance we are about to set up a hardwood plantation?
Sigh.
As an Italian, I understand completely!
While we have been hit quite hard, my area wasn’t as affected but we still had very strict rules and mostly kept by them – I for example could only take my dog for walks with a 200 m limit and might have done 300 (alone!) but nothing mayor. Therefore we now have to use the masks only in close proximity (distances under 2 m) & the numbers are still declining.
I’m sure you will get there too, but the situation in the US seems quite bad right now….
Stay strong & stay healthy!!
My kids have said the same thing about me, so I’m under strict supervision as well. I’m pretty laid back and spontaneous. which makes the supervision feel confining, yet comforting, if that makes sense. I’m still able to read, but now it’s kind of obsessive, “Must finish book, must FINISH BOOK before I go to bed!” Still working part time from home so that helps. I figure we have a year of this, at least until a few months after we have a vaccine, so I’m kind of settling in for the long haul. My plans to take off and travel after a December retirement are shot to hell.
You guys are definately a bright spot, as is the BDH. I still randomly chortle “What would Dobby do?” and am loving Julie as a grown up bad-ass. Thank you! We’ll make it, but it’s going to be a rough year.
Suggestion for procrastination: Sarah Millican – How to be Champion Storytime. It reduced my stress levels during quarantine and I had a little bit of comedy everyday that made me smile.
Yeah, I’m having to find new coping mechanism. I live in metro Atlanta, and our governor is a purposeful idiot. I have major headaches (have-to-work-in-darkened-rooms-or-my-head-will- explode type headaches), weird dreams that wake me up at 2:30am like clockwork, and squirrel brain. You know, you start to concentrate on work and then – “Squirrel!!”
Good luck getting through this and thank you for Ryder. Reading Julie’s story actually helps my anxiety because it feels normal, and I desparately need normal.
You are not the only one who redid their will, so did I. I am old, from Central NY State near Syracuse NY virus number and have more freedom since we are in Phase 3. Don.t be hard on yourself this isolation is getting to everyone. Maybe you guys could get in the car and drive out to the country or find a stream and fish. Just do something safe and different. Stay healthy and thanks for the snippets.
Stay safe and healthy (and definitely look after your mental health, too)! Thanks for the recommendation; if I had access, I’d even check it out. 🙂 All my best from Istanbul.
Hang in there. Hold to the truth that most people even who get it will be fine. Dont watch the news bc they make it all doom and gloom. I am a doctor in az so yes it is insane but again i see most people mildly ill and better. You are doing all you can and we send you luv for the cheer you give as suicides anxiety and depression skyrocket.
For another very funny make u feel better about every bad choice you have ever made in life plz watch hgtv renovation island- family renovates bahama resort with no clue despite a supposed business to do this. Heeelarious!
This makes me want to get Viki because it looked hilarious
On Viki – Doctors is awesome, so is Descendants of the Sun, and Oh My Venus!
Praying for you and everybody Else caught in a Covid-19 hot spot.
You have my deepest sympathy. I live in Georgia. Yep. We are setting new records every day now. My daughter came to live with me for the duration and she won’t let me leave the house. We will make it. So sorry you can’t read. I have re-read all your books during the 114 days I’ve been home. Twice.
If reading doesn’t work, you may try video games 🙂 Stardew Valley, and My time at Portia are quite relaxing (and time consuming… Bad idea in fact 😁)
I don’t have covid-19, and it’s not close to me. But because of it, my symptoms which appeared a week ahead of the whole “stay the hell home” thing couldn’t be looked into because the hospital closed their labs. That was … what?… mid-March? Yeah, in mid-March, I weighed in at a whopping 132 pounds. Yesterday, I weighed in at a whopping 114 pounds. I was in so much pain that I couldn’t sleep, and because eating was causing the pain, I ate very little to keep it from crushing me. Then, things opened up a little. I had x-rays, I had a CT scan, I had an MRI. No real idea what they were seeing, so today, I had an endoscopic exam with ultrasound and an aspiration needle to grab 5 pieces of what was only visible on the MRI, and it came back with cancer cells. Pancreatic cancer is basically not curable. They can prolong life, but they can’t cure the cancer.
So let’s discuss depressing news, shall we? The pills to stop the pain of the pancreas not working cause diarrhea. I’ve had diarrhea since this all began, way back in March, but now it’s unreal. Nothing stops it. So in addition to having no energy because I can’t eat, I also can’t leave the bathroom, other than for short periods of time during the day.
On the bright side, the hospital required a covid-19 test before they’d let me into their operating room, and I don’t have that. But covid-19 has forced me to wait months for treatment, and we all know that waiting to treat it means it’s harder to beat into submission. Also on the bright side, that’s the only thing that’s wrong inside me. Nothing else is involved.
I’m hoping that Emerald Blaze will be released in time for me to read it. I’m waiting now because it’s a holiday and they have the day off on Friday, so I can’t see an oncologist until Monday. More delay.
Stay home. Stay safe from the virus. Keep writing. You give us all something to look forward to, and that ain’t hay.
I’m so sorry. I wish there was something I could do besides letting you know someone read your words and cares that you are suffering.
Know that you are loved and appreciated, even by a stranger. May you find at least slivers of peace and joy each day.
Please email me. 🙂 I have an ARC for you, but your email is rejecting my messages.
OMG! Thank you for the show recommends!!! I just found out Japanese anime has a whole genre for people getting stuck in fantasy/fictional worlds, isekei (sp?) which is one of my faves. Currently here in the US it’s called LitRPG if you go to Amazon. But I’ve been reading this genre since the 70s and grew up calling it Lost Boys/Lost Girls referring to classics like Alice in Wonderland, Wizard of Oz, and Peter Pan. When I was grade school, I was grade school age I kept matches and a candle on me just in case I dropped into another world, and when I was old enough to obtain a proper dagger with a sheath (Ren Faire purchase) that went into my purse as well. I kept hoping… but so far haven’t had the luck. So, reading it is the next best thing (plus, old now, unless going means getting a young athletic body, no fantasy world adventuring for this roly poly olly)
So, the screen writer becoming a character in a fantasy series sounds absolute ACES 😀 Also, I just finished “My Next Life as a Villainess, All Pathways Lead to Doom” and “Ascendance of a Bookworm” on crunchy roll, and am on a binge kick for similar fare.
So sorry to hear it is so bad (virus wise) where you are @_@ If there is anything I can do to help let me know. Locally we are getting those things that were selling out for the last few months, like hand sanitizer and rubbing alcohol, etc. Not sure how supplies are at your area, but if you need simple goods, give a holler.
Gonna go look for that series now. Much appreciation!
Bliss
So. July already, and we’re even deeper in the stink than when my company told me to go home to work remotely, on March 2. My company being an international telecom company, they set about enabling a remote workforce for so many companies in addition to itself. My own team set up 36,000 people internally in just a couple of weeks. Then…as this continued and the economy tanked, layoffs came even to us. I was able to take a severance package rather than involuntary layoff, and am now trying to figure out how to proceed. I went through a very financially tough time earlier in my life, and the anxiety is climbing. Also, our health insurance just went into limbo while things get transitioned, and I’m terrified of getting sick in the interim
I work in China. I was home for Christmas, and I went back in January, still on vacation- spent most of January working on a paper when I wasn’t on a 3-day dancing trip in the provincial capital. As I traveled home on the bullet train, I was coughing a bit, and some woman gave me the eye. I had no idea why. Home, I took my immune supplements (I always wage a war on colds in the winter), and they knocked my cough out within 24 hours (andrographis, reishi). But then I was really tired for the next three days and spent a lot of them asleep (well, I had been up until 3 a.m. dancing in the capital, so…) as well as having a headache for 2 days (not horrible, just unusual). After that period, I was fine. I spent about a month, alone, working on my paper in my apartment, and I started to hear news through social media about Wuhan. My international colleagues were all out of the country on vacation. I always wear an N95 in the outside air in China, and we were required to wear them. Then they started locking down the city and then even the village I was in. When I could no longer get to the Western grocery store, and flights started being cut from my city, and countries started closing more to Chinese flights, I took off to Cambodia. I was there for 2 months, and then I came back to the US, as we’re all teaching online now, and I could choose. I’m in a safe place, I keep my distance, used to masks, and I love the fresh air of the U.S., and I’ve managed to do a socially distanced hike with one of my best friends. Sleeping in in the morning and fresh air are two of the blessings of this time period for me. And enjoying this blog is something that I have done around the globe this year lol.
I’m so sorry that your coping mechanisms aren’t working. I hope you find something that does work.
If you want to explore distractions, Anime Expo is going virtual this year for its convention. Schedule starts tomorrow with various panels. Since some of the K and C dramas mentioned here were Japanese manga, I thought there might be some interest.
Hugs. You and Gordon take care of yourselves!
From the bigger red dot east of you that is Houston….I am a musician in the arts that have already lost their spring and fall income, possibly the entire 20-21 season. I too am toast if I get Covid, but am almost resigned.
However…reading your books give me hope, something to look forward to…
Maybe this music will pull you into a different direction…
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ph0wd4vfbr53x12/soldier%E2%80%99s%20wife%20final.mp4?dl=0
Has anyone watched “The Killing of Three Thousand Crows” (aka: Love of a thousand years). I absolutely loved it! It was beautifully filmed. The drama is about a princess’s quest to find a spirit lamp to save her people from slavery and the immortal who loves and safeguards her on her journey.
I don’t think it’s on Viki yet but you can watch episodes on YouTube.
Links:
Theme song MV:
https://youtu.be/ADY1GSxIsO4
Drama review:
https://youtu.be/V0dGvb9KaEE
I live in Texas also, in Bell county. My city, Killeen, went from 138 cases to 450 in one month. I’m staying home, but I think I’ll get it anyway. Also, please tell your kiddos not to be complacent about the viruses. Young people are dying from it too. Not to make you worry (sorry!). But everyone needs to take as many precautions as they can.
I empathize with you so much. Here, in Kentucky, we don’t have the escalating Coronavirus numbers that you all currently have in Texas, but my company still laid us all off and then fired most of us. So, as my chronic anxiety and depression spiked beyond my usual coping mechanisms, I have, also, been having lots of trouble finishing anything (books, tv series on Netflix, etc) and my sleeping ranges from 3-6 hours a night. Medication has helped some, but not entirely. I’m in a better place than I was last month, though. That said, it may be a while until any of us (or anything, really) is back to normal. I hope that things even out for you soon and that you feel better. Take care!
Ilona,
Thanks for sharing what is going on in your neighbourhood, I’m from Ontario and we have been very lucky, we don’t have the numbers that you have in the US. I’m lucky that we are rural and have land to walk around on, and gardens to play in. In the city is must be so hard to have to stay in your home. I don’t know how people do it, and respect them for how hard that must be.
It is hard because we have to hunker down and follow the rules. Being selfless is really hard. Something our generation really hasn’t had to do. Mom is 89 and said a lot of this is like the war, following rules and doing for the community good. In fact we are getting more stuff delivered, and she laughs saying that is what is was like when she was a kid.
It was hard to read your post, but I love how protective the kids are of you both. I hope we learn a lot from this time, and never have to go through this again, but I hope that stronger families are a result for everyone.
Large hug to everyone, to read everyone’s feelings I find helps.
Barbara
Don’t worry, God only gives what our souls can bear. You will get through this because you can
I totally understand worrying about the health of relatives and friends, and I feel really sorry for people who are out of work and are worried about paying the rent or losing their businesses.
But I haven’t lost my job, and when I start feeling sorry for myself about the fact that I can’t go out to a bar or the beach or see my friends in person, I give myself a sharp kick up the backside.
We are so lucky in so many ways.
I once visited Anne Frank’s house in Amsterdam. A tiny portion at the back of the house had been sealed off to create a secret place to hide her and 7 other Jews. 8 people in a space 450ft sq – for over 2 years. They couldn’t even make any noise for fear of being discovered.
WWII lasted for over 6 years in Europe. For a good portion of that time everyone in Britain had to lower their blinds and turn off any visible light as soon as it got dark – or bombs would be dropped on them. They could do nothing except listen to the radio (if they were lucky enough to own one) during the hours of darkness – which could last for 14 hours or more in Winter.
We live in an age where we have the internet. We can talk to our friends with zoom, even if we can’t see them in person. We have TV and on-line shopping and video games and so many other things that the older generation never had. So we can’t go to the bar or the beach for 3 months – put that in context with what previous generations had to put up with – and maybe we can stop feeling quite so sorry for ourselves and be grateful that we’re part of the internet generation.
“We will keep writing Ryder as long as we can.”
That is a chilling sentence to read. Wishing you health, happiness for many years, and asymptomatic cases if you do have to get the virus.
That sounds like how my town was in April. Hang in there and take precautions. It WILL get better but it’s a long way until we get back to pre-COVID comfort level.
ups!! en mi país (Argentina) llevamos 105 días de aislamiento, en mi ciudad estamos en fase 4 por lo que hay algunas actividades comerciales y recreativas con los protocolos de cuidado necesarios , algunos lugares cercanos a la capital están en fase 1 (solo se permiten actividades esenciales) es difícil sobre todo para la economía. por suerte hay mucha conciencia y todos usan barbijos de tela y mantienen distancia social. tenemos relativamente pocos casos por ahora pero sabemos que llegara, es difícil porque aquí es invierno y eso no ayuda. tratamos de tomarlo con calma y de buscar la manera de sobrellevarlo y esperar lo mejor, deseo que los amigos de kid 2 y sus familias y vecinos superen este tiempo apoyándose unos a otros, mi filosofía es hacer todo lo que se puede hacer y tratar de no preocuparse por lo que no se puede. pero no siempre es tan fácil, si sirve de algo, ustedes nos están ayudando mucho y nos están alegrando con estas hermosas entregas. no es poco. gracias!!!!
Dam I’m sorry things are so rough for you guys. Reading your books helped get me through some rough patches. Stay safe and be well.
Oh wow – I truly cannot comprehend the numbers of active cases you have. I’m from New Zealand and we currently have 22 active cases in the WHOLE country. These are people who have returned to NZ from overseas, and have had a positive test when coming into the country. So they are on mandatory isolation for 2 weeks and have to pass testing before being allowed out in to the general population. We do not have any community transmitted cases currently.
We as a nation count our blessings every day.
Best wishes to you – our slogan during our lockdown period was “be strong, be kind – we will be OK” – it became a mantra that our prime minister made during her daily update.
In 2017 I got costochondritis while it law school, and almost failed out because of it. Most people, even doctors, didn’t really get how….horrible it can be, which almost made it worse, because it affects your life in such a unrelenting way. The only person who fully understood was my grandfather, who had it WWII. It was one of the only times we ever fully understood one another. Anyway, I don’t know if it helps, but as one costochondritis sufferer to another I just wanted to give you a massive virtual hug.
Your post made me want to cry and laugh! A truly gifted storyteller! Also I find the Kate Daniels books a prophetic read in light of current crises. Ever worry your fiction will become a little too real??? The Ryder series really is bringing me true happiness in dark times, thank you so much for that. Most of us are too spooked to even accomplish basic daily tasks, and here you are pushing yourselves and doing amazing work under pressure. Again, Thank you.
Keep on keeping on. Wishing you all safe & well x
I hope you and family are still healthy. I’m a longtime fan of your books and blog.
Just spent two days binge watching The Romance of Tiger and Rose- good stuff. I lived 2 years each in China and Korea, so it was good to have an excuse to return to a drama.
Dear Ilona,
My sincerest hope and prayers that you, your family and friends get through this with the least amount of heart ache.
There are so many things to fear, whether it is the health of our loved ones, the bank balance and debt, and even if someone might get deported to an even more dangerous situation. I know that there are so many people less fortunate than me, and I remind my self that despite everything, I am actually OK.
I am attempting to get through this by keeping my thoughts on the present and avoiding thinking about the looming future. I get through by trying to accomplish something everyday, even though it might be embarrassingly small. I try to keep my kids entertained and educate them at home. I try to reassure, comfort and support my wife, and accept it in return, even when I am so worried. I try to keep a positive outlook despite everything, and it is a struggle.
But there are several things that help me cope, and books are definitely some of the best. I can’t count the hours of happy distraction that books have given me, despite how hard it is to relax enough to read. Among the authors I follow, you are perhaps my favorite.
I can’t thank you enough, Ilona.
As a book addict, perhaps I am biased when I give my opinion that your work means so much to so many people. I want to add my voice to your many fans who have already expressed how your work is helping them cope.
I hope that it might help brighten you day. You certainly do brighten mine.
A little late to comment but for me coping started during the evenings with Briarpatch on Hulu (where can I get Jay R. Ferguson’s dance at the end of episode 2 on a loop to watch????!) Cavit Pinot Grigio, Josh Cellars Sauvignon Blanc and La Vielle Ferme Rose’ and coping overnight with melatonin! I also found this lady’s blog helpful. Link below.
My rant: It’s so weird when it seems 70% of people won’t wear masks and act like there is no COVID. They get in your space and even touch you.
Part one: https://cindyknoke.com/2020/03/14/anxiety-management-during-pandemic-days/ Part two: Hope on The Horizon: Pandemic Anxiety management II
Well the above link does not work. It’s in her March archives. https://cindyknoke.com/2020/03/27/pandemic-anxiety-busters/
I understand what your area is going through. I live in one of the former NY hotspots. It was…surreal. I hope we don’t go through that again.
I found it helpful to not watch TV news. I went straight to two particular sources on the internet and that’s it.
For political news, I read Heather Cox Richardson’s daily news summary-she’s a political historian, not a journalist. She’s on FB, Twitter, and an email subscription on Substack.
For coronavirus news, I watched Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s daily updates. He doesn’t need to do the daily updates anymore, but I still find good information for my area.
I only had two people in my family get coronavirus. I thought they would end up in the hospital due to their age and state of health, but they thankfully made it through at home.
I do everything I can to not let anxiety get the best of me. It’s not easy. I too get physically ill and depressed from it.
I decided to get on the Bake Bread bandwagon during my work furlough. It was a messy experience, but when the dough doubled in size I was in awe:) When I took two huge loaves out of the oven and saw my large, imperfect-looking, but delicious-smelling, fresh baked bread, I was over the moon!!
It took me over 4 decades to learn that I am allowed to find joy during times of darkness. It is the only thing that makes life worthwhile.
Feeling grateful is also another good thing. I make sure to acknowledge with my whole heart all those things that keep me feeling happy to be alive. Reading your books is one of them. Thank you and God bless you and your loved ones.
I would also be interested to hear about a mask pattern that fits nicely. The best I’ve found so far is the Super Hero Mask from IThinkSew.com (https://ithinksew.com/Products/Details/2918). They have some newer designs I’m looking forward to trying though.
I also wanted to mention that I found a filter fabric available to consumers that looks promising. I saw it mentioned in a Business Insider article (https://www.businessinsider.com/filti-mask-material-filters-particles-9-times-better-than-cotton-2020-4).
You can buy it here: https://filti.com/product/filti-face-mask-material/
I appreciate that it is 3rd party tested and actually meant to be used as a mask filter. I have enough health issues that I am much happier having a mask that has a shot at protecting me as well as protecting other people from me.
The other filter fabric I looked at was a washable nanofiber one IThinkSew had tracked down from South Korea. I liked it, but couldn’t justify the shipping and it is out of stock most of the time.
Reading, re-reading and listening to Ilona Andrews books is a large part of my coping strategy, so I’m happy to have found a little bit of at least potentially useful information to give back.
So sorry for your stress. I live in upstate NY so it hasn’t been as bad here, but I work for a newspaper and saw the AP news articles beginning in January and February and it’s terrifying when you can’t do anything to help. My husband is an LPN in a nursing home and works on the isolation unit for patients who are positive for COVID but only mildly ill. It is so frustrating to go to a store and see people walk around without masks and break every social distancing rule. It has helped to be able to go outside and listen to the birds and watch them at the feeders and watch the squirrels and chipmunks steal the seeds. Our cats and elderly dog are always a good for a laugh. I also limited my news input to what I have to read for work and the local weather. Not watching the national and world news helped a lot. I have to keep telling myself that it’s okay to take a brain break and just stare at my flowers for a while and it’s okay not to get everything done that I planned to. I think everyone is stressed and anxious. Please take care of yourselves and thank you for the lovely distraction of Ryder. I look forward to new installments popping up. Dobre den
Thank you so much for the update. Please, please stay safe. When I say that you’ll be in my thoughts, I really mean it. I’m sending happy thoughts and sanity to your family. And we all devour the Ryder chapters. No worries there.
Blessed be to you and yours! I hope that you are well!
Are they (the college students) nuts? I know that extroverts need to be around people, but what happened to consideration for your fellow man?
Here in Omaha, Nebraska they did not have the Summer Arts Festival, but went virtual.
A lot of businesses have closed their doors forever! All to protect their friends and families! The barber shop in our suburb just opened its doors a week ago and will only let three people in at a time! The restaurants are open but they only let half as many people in as before and you can’t sit in the waiting area but in your car. The staff phone\text you when your table is ready.
A friend of my college aged daughter was caring for her grandmother and living with her MOVED out the very next day to protect her because she worked in a half way house\care facility part time.
I am loving The Romance of Tiger and Rose. Thank you.
Bless your souls! My family and I have not stopped isolating because my husband is vulnerable and people are inexplicably rebellious about wearing masks that help protect others. So we stay home. I am Gen X and grew up on a farm so social isolation isn’t that big of a deal for me, but the stress of wondering if my husband will die is huge. We have decided to homeschool next year, and I am not returning to my inner city classroom. It breaks my heart, but there is no way we could protect him if we go back to school where we absolutely would be exposed and bring it home to him. I try to remember to extend grace to the people who are getting out and not wearing masks, but I am so angry. They are inconsiderate and selfish, or just plain ignorant, and they could kill my husband. So I stay home and off Facebook.
I have had a hard time reading, too. It comes and goes in waves. For a while the only thing I could read was science fiction because for whatever reason fantasy felt too impossible. At least with science fiction I could imagine a future beyond this one.
Thank you for writing and sharing this blog post. I am having a difficult time with the isolation and uncertainty of quarantine, too. It helps to know I am not the only person whose coping mechanisms are failing.
Oh, man. I assume you’ve already watched Nirvana in Fire and The Untamed, but if you haven’t you might really enjoy them! The Viki subtitles are FAR better than those on Netflix for The Untamed, btw. Hope you can enjoy!
In the spirit of respecting the apolitical tone of your blog, I won’t star pointing fingers. However, I would just like to say I honestly commiserate for you and for your fellow 328-million citizens for living in a place where, somehow, people in power put their own self-interests before the protecting the health of the general public, which is paramount to their mandate/the reason they have been given power by the civil society in the first place. That Gramsci quote you used a few chapters ago is indeed accurate. However, as long as we keep our eyes open, there is hope for an end to all of this.
Hang in there, you are not alone.
😄Loved the trailer!
Prayers & well wishes for you in this pandemic. I live alone in Detroit but I play piano for church on the weekends which has been the bulk of my human interaction for months. I also try to shout out at my neighbors (across the street, sidewalks, & driveways) while working in the garden.
I’m sorry things are awful over there, I can’t even imagine the stress… You guys have lovely daughters, but you already know that. Thanks for sharing a new drama! Sending you good vibes and good health 💓
If love and approval from a stranger help make things more bearable – know you have them.
1 – on Coronavirus – this podcast epidsode was particularly interesting (once you deal with Michael Barbaro’s weird pausing habit) in that the expert talks about how this disease is actually vascular instead of simply respiratory, which is why you get people having other symptoms like kids getting covid toes, etcetera.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/06/podcasts/the-daily/coronavirus-science-indoor-infection.html
So much for comparing it to the flu!
They also had another episode where they talk about how pedantry in the medical science field over the term ‘asymptomatic’ caused delays in warnings about how the virus can spread before symptoms show getting out to the broader public.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/09/podcasts/the-daily/asymptomatic-coronavirus-spread.html?action=click&module=audio-series-bar®ion=header&pgtype=Article
2 – on ‘The Romance of Tiger and Rose’ – WETV, aka Tencent, which is the originating channel, has already finished showing it. Their english website is:
https://wetv.vip/en
You can watch it free, don’t need the VIP subscription service.
Just reading through other’s comments re: asian dramas. I already made suggestions a few weeks back on this post…
https://ilona-andrews.com/2020/emerald-blaze-netgalley/
…so I’m not gonna repeat those, but for some reason I didn’t recommend ‘Story of Ming Lan’, which is weird, because it’s brilliant. I’m guessing Ilona might’ve already mentioned watching it.
But, while I’m here, another series I’ve watched since is ‘Rookie Historian Goo Hae Ryung’ which was quite entertaining.