This weekend I saw this video. It teaches you how to make a face mask without sewing, which really came in handy because my sewing machine is in storage and with all of the social distancing and staying at home going on, it is completely out of reach. I made masks for everyone in my family for our walk today. I had to do some improvising because the elastic bands did not work for my husband or my kids. I guess they all have the same ear structure. I used one of my husband’s old shirts, made of light yet tightly woven fabric.

It took a bit of getting used to. The weather was cool outside but the mask was warm to me at first. Since the kids are teens and young adults, we kept the walk long enough to get exercise yet short enough not to get too uncomfortable for them, but then I think I wound up being more out of sorts than they were. I was determined to stick with it, and toward the end of the walk I wound up being completely at ease with the mask.

The person in charge of education in our state is pretty sure that the kids will not be returning to school this year. I have been preparing for that possibility, mentally and otherwise, almost since I heard that the schools would be closed, but there is a feeling of loss upon hearing the words.