Week 11- Coronavirus

UPDATE-- for our latest Chronicle on Social Distancing, click here

Due to the Covid-19 outbreak, we (like many) are facing 24+ days of social distancing. If you have any questions, here is a place to educate yourself. We are all together on this one, and it is our responsibility to protect the most vulnerable amongst us.

First, the social distancing will have real consequences for many people and businesses. On the individual front we recommend increasing your contributions to local food banks and operations tasked with helping our neighbors who have food insecurity. This is especially important since many children rely on two meals a day from their school. We recommend Feeding America as a way to find a place to contribute. This is a stressful time for everyone, so please remember that an extra dose of patience goes a long way.

Second, many small businesses rely on a steady stream of income with very small margins. One way to help them and their employees, especially in the service, restaurant and retail industries is to buy gift cards right now. This gives the business a real revenue stream that they can hopefully push on to employees.

Third, time to try out some of the available streaming services. Most, including Disney +, Apple +, HBO Go and Netflix include a free trial period, so if you are in a binge mood you can knock out some incredible shows. We found this list helpful for ways to test out the various streaming services. For recommendations on shows  our latest favorites are:

- "Better Call Saul"

- "Beforeigners"

- "Killing Eve"

- "Barry"

- "Ozark"

- "Fleabag"

And remember, you can stream things that will affirmatively impact your mental and physical well-being too!  YouTube has a lot of exercise classes online, here are some that are highly rated. When you can't seem to turn your thoughts off long enough to fall asleep, search on YouTube for "guided meditations" that you find appealing. Additionally, Peloton Digital has more than just biking, there's strength training, guided runs, yoga and meditation. And you can get a free 30-day trial. ETA: Wait! Now it is 90 days free!!!

If you're lucky enough to have a yard or a window box, or live in an area where the ground isn't covered by snow, maybe plan or execute a butterfly garden and create a little beauty in the world! Come to think of it, this could be a great project to do with your children, no matter their ages!

Fourth, the reality is that you can't stream shows all day (although we may prove this wrong...), so picking up a good book might be just the thing for you. With e-books and electronic borrowing at many libraries you don't even need to break your social distance rules. And some libraries (such as those in Norway, are closed.) The modern books we recommend to anyone are:

- "Prodigal Summer" by Barbara Kingsolver

- "Lamb" by Christopher Moore

or if you're a little more lowbrow now might be the time to try books with a happy ending (this is directly from Leslie). 

But it might be time to tackle the classic that has been sitting on your shelf for the past decade. I see you, "All the King's Men". If you don't have a book like that, a good start for a list of classics is the 100 Best Books of the 20th Century by the Modern Library.

Finally, be sure to take care of each other and yourself. 

-- Nate and Leslie