Rosetta Marantz Cohen
I've been keeping a (almost) daily visual journal of the pandemic in Noho since late March.
Below, you can see a few examples of the art that Rosetta Marantz Cohen created during 2020. To see the full book of her experiences, click here to download.
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Paul Griffin
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...images were made with an analog pinhole camera on April 26th which happened to be World Pinhole Photography Day which I have been participating in since 2007. For this year I wanted to make a statement about the pandemic. |
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Donna Kurkul
To read Donna Kurkul's thought's from earlier in the pandemic, click here.
In March 2020, I was SO happy that the world ground to a halt. Less noise and pollution. Peace. Except for an annual spring vacation life is basically the same. We keep to ourselves as we usually do, while occupied with our myriad interests and communication with family and friends. My health status requires that I wear a mask to protect myself. I never felt uncomfortable when people stared at me because long before Covid, mask wearing was commonplace in Asian countries. I am glad that folks now realize how easily they spread germs and viruses!
The pandemic leveled the playing field as people focused on basic needs of money for food, shelter and to maintain health. A reckoning of sorts occurred as rancor and dissent compelled folks to experience an awareness of cyclical historical truths and untruths plaguing humankind: xenophobia, racism, religious persecution, inequity, and inequality. However, the pandemic demonstrated good will of those who sacrifice their lives to assist those in need as many gained an awareness and appreciation for individuals critical and essential to our daily living!
Through it all the world is dynamically shifting and changing, but will it be better? The “Singularity” with emergent AI is here to stay. We live in a world of fusion technology and genomic epidemiology. With focus upon money and profit, created needs induce people to engage in behaviors while subjugating and dictating their lives. Marketing images suggestively persuade that one needs to have this, or look like that to survive, influencing followers who relinquish their SELVES to trends in social media, and the like. I do not need or want a camera following me around my home day in and day out. Or a digital home that can be compromised by an EMP or a hacker. I often think sadly that people have been dumbed down, herded if you will, living like gerbils on an economic treadmill. I make my own choices.
I take issue with articles touting that people are social and need to engage with others or that isolation is detrimental. Since childhood, I have thought how wonderful it would be to be a nun, a monk or hermit to live quietly, contemplatively, alone without all the chatter of the world vying to capture one’s attention. It is gratifying that during this past pandemic year some folks came to learn more about themselves and the natural world…to discover anew…to view their lives in retrospect…to learn to be comfortable with oneself. That is something I wish for humanity…to learn to be…to express gratitude…and to strive for PEACE.
So, a year later, I am contemplating these thoughts on my usual daily walk. Suddenly a large shadow comes over me. There are no clouds. Gazing up I see several turkey vultures gliding on air currents. Looking down to secure my footing in muddy ruts, I see a puddle glazed with paper thin concentric circles of the last remaining March ice. Magically, an iridescence appears…like the opalescence of Roman glass…rainbows of turquoise, orange, ultraviolet, rose, and lavender. I continue walking up hill and ponder Nature manifesting itself.
I remember my dad advising me when I was a child that fish can see you through the water. If you move, you will frighten them, and they will swim away. He said to me be still and hear the sounds and smells around you. And so, upon this rock I sit up here on the plateau having compiled my thoughts, meditating, experiencing nothing now except my own perceptions in the moment, feeling the warmth of spring sun, watching raptors coast above, sensing the breeze on my skin. This is heaven again, just a year later!
The pandemic leveled the playing field as people focused on basic needs of money for food, shelter and to maintain health. A reckoning of sorts occurred as rancor and dissent compelled folks to experience an awareness of cyclical historical truths and untruths plaguing humankind: xenophobia, racism, religious persecution, inequity, and inequality. However, the pandemic demonstrated good will of those who sacrifice their lives to assist those in need as many gained an awareness and appreciation for individuals critical and essential to our daily living!
Through it all the world is dynamically shifting and changing, but will it be better? The “Singularity” with emergent AI is here to stay. We live in a world of fusion technology and genomic epidemiology. With focus upon money and profit, created needs induce people to engage in behaviors while subjugating and dictating their lives. Marketing images suggestively persuade that one needs to have this, or look like that to survive, influencing followers who relinquish their SELVES to trends in social media, and the like. I do not need or want a camera following me around my home day in and day out. Or a digital home that can be compromised by an EMP or a hacker. I often think sadly that people have been dumbed down, herded if you will, living like gerbils on an economic treadmill. I make my own choices.
I take issue with articles touting that people are social and need to engage with others or that isolation is detrimental. Since childhood, I have thought how wonderful it would be to be a nun, a monk or hermit to live quietly, contemplatively, alone without all the chatter of the world vying to capture one’s attention. It is gratifying that during this past pandemic year some folks came to learn more about themselves and the natural world…to discover anew…to view their lives in retrospect…to learn to be comfortable with oneself. That is something I wish for humanity…to learn to be…to express gratitude…and to strive for PEACE.
So, a year later, I am contemplating these thoughts on my usual daily walk. Suddenly a large shadow comes over me. There are no clouds. Gazing up I see several turkey vultures gliding on air currents. Looking down to secure my footing in muddy ruts, I see a puddle glazed with paper thin concentric circles of the last remaining March ice. Magically, an iridescence appears…like the opalescence of Roman glass…rainbows of turquoise, orange, ultraviolet, rose, and lavender. I continue walking up hill and ponder Nature manifesting itself.
I remember my dad advising me when I was a child that fish can see you through the water. If you move, you will frighten them, and they will swim away. He said to me be still and hear the sounds and smells around you. And so, upon this rock I sit up here on the plateau having compiled my thoughts, meditating, experiencing nothing now except my own perceptions in the moment, feeling the warmth of spring sun, watching raptors coast above, sensing the breeze on my skin. This is heaven again, just a year later!
Eileen P. Kennedy
2020
This year I learned
how woodpeckers don’t migrate
and peck at your window if the feeder is empty.
How my hair can grow down to my shoulders
without a haircut.
How my emotions range
from the ridiculous to the ridiculous.
How three meals at home,
day after day, is boring.
How sweats can be both pajamas
and day clothes.
How Dong, my cleaning woman,
won’t take money offered without cleaning.
How to pray for my loved ones
even though I’m an atheist.
How Joan of Arc felt
when she heard voices she couldn’t understand.
How not to cry on Zoom
when my child asks me how I am.
how woodpeckers don’t migrate
and peck at your window if the feeder is empty.
How my hair can grow down to my shoulders
without a haircut.
How my emotions range
from the ridiculous to the ridiculous.
How three meals at home,
day after day, is boring.
How sweats can be both pajamas
and day clothes.
How Dong, my cleaning woman,
won’t take money offered without cleaning.
How to pray for my loved ones
even though I’m an atheist.
How Joan of Arc felt
when she heard voices she couldn’t understand.
How not to cry on Zoom
when my child asks me how I am.
S.C., 17
My Story
How has your life changed since the pandemic started?
As a highschool student personally I wasn’t immensely affected, at least in any majorly negative way. The transition to online school had a rough start but formatting assignments and using technology was never an issue. Communication has proved difficult at times as to what methods to use and when but thanks to online class meetings I am usually always able to get an answer to a question of mine. For most of the world this is a terrible time, however in my case I haven’t experienced many of the troubles so many others do. It serves as a good reminder that even though I may face challenges I am still immensely privileged and well off compared to so many others. The pandemic has given me a lot of free time, overall class work is more lenient in terms of the amount of work and teachers are very lenient with assignments. I was homeschooled until 5th grade so my ability to manage and complete work without teachers or classrooms is proficient enough that I find myself able to have a lot more freetime and control. Not to say this hasn’t caused issues however as an introvert my lifestyle of staying home hasn’t really changed. Most of my friendships, even with people I know in real life, mostly exist online playing video games or chatting online anyways. Extra free time has allowed me to walk my dog a lot more and the fact that I am home all the time means that for dogs in general this is a very exciting time.
What have you discovered about yourself or your community since the
pandemic hit?
Northampton is a very interesting place, it has a lot of diversity and acceptance and I believe that shows a lot as to how we as a community have handled the situation. Northampton was quick to react to the pandemic however there were no enforced regulations put in place, rather highly recommended actions we should take. I find this interesting as it speaks to the free will of Northampton that we each as individuals should be able to have some freedom during this tough time however it is still important that we have expectations placed on us, which are much better than requirements.
Has it affected how you see the world?
Not to the extent one may think. I’ve always been fascinated with certain parts of history and human behavior. Because of this I’m not surprised by the hoarding or the spread of a pandemic as these are things seen many times before. History rhymes and humans never change as said so many times before. Despite centuries of development and changes we still live on the same planet, and we still consist of the same matter that has made up humans for thousands of years. However it is also clear we are better suited to handling such events now than ever before. Although some of our behaviors remain consistent, the technologies and systems we now have allow us to communicate with each other and control the spread much more effectively. It is still a new experience for me and it has helped me realize again how fortunate I am to be so free and well off during this time and in general.
What would you like to say to a future generation?
It is always hard to get this point across however I would like to say, never take anything for granted. The rights and protections we have in our day to day lives may not seem perfect or reasonable at all times, and of course there is always room for a lot of improvement. However despite us achieving moon landings, creating automated factories and levitating frogs (achieved through electromagnetism). Most of the world doesn't even have access to clean water or proper shelter. Let alone the immense luxuries of modern healthcare, cars, books, phones, the list goes on for miles. Some have said it's important that we experience hard times as it reminds us that no matter what, we aren’t invincible, things can always fall apart and we as people are still just humans. Many take things for granted because it is just what they are used to, it's something that has never changed in their life, and why should it? But if there is one thing we should always know, it is that the only constant is change.
How has your life changed since the pandemic started?
As a highschool student personally I wasn’t immensely affected, at least in any majorly negative way. The transition to online school had a rough start but formatting assignments and using technology was never an issue. Communication has proved difficult at times as to what methods to use and when but thanks to online class meetings I am usually always able to get an answer to a question of mine. For most of the world this is a terrible time, however in my case I haven’t experienced many of the troubles so many others do. It serves as a good reminder that even though I may face challenges I am still immensely privileged and well off compared to so many others. The pandemic has given me a lot of free time, overall class work is more lenient in terms of the amount of work and teachers are very lenient with assignments. I was homeschooled until 5th grade so my ability to manage and complete work without teachers or classrooms is proficient enough that I find myself able to have a lot more freetime and control. Not to say this hasn’t caused issues however as an introvert my lifestyle of staying home hasn’t really changed. Most of my friendships, even with people I know in real life, mostly exist online playing video games or chatting online anyways. Extra free time has allowed me to walk my dog a lot more and the fact that I am home all the time means that for dogs in general this is a very exciting time.
What have you discovered about yourself or your community since the
pandemic hit?
Northampton is a very interesting place, it has a lot of diversity and acceptance and I believe that shows a lot as to how we as a community have handled the situation. Northampton was quick to react to the pandemic however there were no enforced regulations put in place, rather highly recommended actions we should take. I find this interesting as it speaks to the free will of Northampton that we each as individuals should be able to have some freedom during this tough time however it is still important that we have expectations placed on us, which are much better than requirements.
Has it affected how you see the world?
Not to the extent one may think. I’ve always been fascinated with certain parts of history and human behavior. Because of this I’m not surprised by the hoarding or the spread of a pandemic as these are things seen many times before. History rhymes and humans never change as said so many times before. Despite centuries of development and changes we still live on the same planet, and we still consist of the same matter that has made up humans for thousands of years. However it is also clear we are better suited to handling such events now than ever before. Although some of our behaviors remain consistent, the technologies and systems we now have allow us to communicate with each other and control the spread much more effectively. It is still a new experience for me and it has helped me realize again how fortunate I am to be so free and well off during this time and in general.
What would you like to say to a future generation?
It is always hard to get this point across however I would like to say, never take anything for granted. The rights and protections we have in our day to day lives may not seem perfect or reasonable at all times, and of course there is always room for a lot of improvement. However despite us achieving moon landings, creating automated factories and levitating frogs (achieved through electromagnetism). Most of the world doesn't even have access to clean water or proper shelter. Let alone the immense luxuries of modern healthcare, cars, books, phones, the list goes on for miles. Some have said it's important that we experience hard times as it reminds us that no matter what, we aren’t invincible, things can always fall apart and we as people are still just humans. Many take things for granted because it is just what they are used to, it's something that has never changed in their life, and why should it? But if there is one thing we should always know, it is that the only constant is change.
Emily D., 15
The COVID-19 Pandemic is unlike anything my generation has seen. I was born after 9/11, and no major travel shutdown has occurred for this long of a time in my lifetime. I have been home for a little over two months at this point, and it’s making me realize how much I interact with other people on a normal day. The first official week of quarantine, I was craving human interaction with people other than my family, but as time has gone on, my introverted self has been very content with not having social obligations.
One of the biggest struggles for me personally is the inability to travel and see new places. My dad and I go on drives almost every weekend normally, and it has become easier to drive with less people on the road, but harder to go anywhere far because we can’t stop for the bathroom or a drink. I love to travel so much that staying home has made me fantasize about all of the places I can go once things start to open back up.
The amount of people I see on a normal day has become apparent as I don’t see them now. I was looking back at old pictures and videos from school, vacation, and just hanging out with friends, and it is insane to me, the amount of people we see and don’t even think about it. Something I was thinking about was concerts. The amount of people you come in (very close) contact with at concerts is crazy, and it’s not something anyone thought anything of before this pandemic.
Over the summer, I go to two weeks of summer camp in Goshen. One of the defining factors of my camp is the high number of international counselors and campers. Last summer, I had counselors from Scotland, Ireland, Australia, and Sweden, just to name a few. Camp is set to start on June 28, and they haven’t closed yet, however I would not be surprised if we get the email in the next few weeks. I have been going to this camp for 5 years, and I really look forward to it every summer. I am hoping I still get to go, but I don’t have the highest hopes.
Something I have been loving to do while staying six feet apart from others, is going on bike rides. Thinking back to the first bike ride I went on during official quarantine, I remember crossing my road, and seeing barely any cars, despite it being around 4 pm. Usually the road is very busy at that time, with people coming home from work and such, but I remember seeing maybe two cars on the road. The bike path in Florence was very empty as well, with a couple people here and there. And as a teenager, everyone who I passed would move as far off the path as possible and turn their heads away from me. I remember thinking, “Am I really that scary? And are people really that scared of getting the virus?” But as I keep going on rides, people are getting friendlier on the bike path, realizing that we are all in this together, as a society.
Tim Patterson
Well, basically what I can talk about is the pros and cons of this experience and I didn't get the chance to weigh the pros and cons. But believe it or not, this is a good opportunity for the homeless, because we’re not given a shelter like this with a place to sleep with free food normally.
In the past, a homeless person’s life consisted of going to sleep in a shelter, and hopefully you’re allowed to stay in a dry shelter, as opposed to a wet shelter, a place where people can be intoxicated, where it is stressful for people there who don’t want to be around it or are trying to stay clean, stuff like that. In this case, we have a shelter that is somewhat monitoring the people that come and go, people that are intoxicated, aren’t usually allowed through the doors if they are suspected in that condition. That's a plus. Obviously that’s a negative for people that struggle with addiction, suffer from a disease and are punished because the situation they bring to the shelter and it's frowned upon.
This is open 24/7, we’re given three free meals a day, and obviously everyone complains about the food, but they understand that regardless of the taste, it’s free and they appreciate it. The thing is why emphasize why it's so important, a general schedule for a homeless person is wake at 6, leave at 7, from 7 [AM] to 9 [PM], you’re on the streets trying to figure out how to spend the day. It's good for the elderly, the sick, the tired, the people suffering from medical situations, they can lay on a bed. It’s bad for them because they can’t get any medical attention. Medical attention is available here, food, nourishment, counseling, and people that are working here are trying to help best with their needs. So everyone is stressed, and are asked to work with scraps.
The negative things, housing is put on hold, and that’s critical, everyone is in need of it, personally my attempts at securing housing, I’ve come up against landlords that are unavailable and it’s put a big wrench in the whole process; you can’t meet the housing authorities. In this homelessness realm, everything moves at a snail's pace anyways, and to have slowed down even more gives an indication how bad things are when you need a place to live, All those elements have been unproductive or put on hold.
Everybody here is provided some sort of entertainment to try and lift people’s spirits, because we don't know what's going one, and it's depressing, the information has trickled down really slow. Another thing that kind of comes to mind, a positive thing that happened in the midst of this, transportation is now free. PVTA waived the fees on the transportation buses, and that’s really helped people out. So in light of all the terrible things going on, people losing jobs, people dying, there've been so many positive things that have come out of it.
But overall, housing, the main problem with [the homeless] has really been slowed down. Whether you’re in [the shelter] temporarily or been [in the shelter] for a long time, you need access to housing, and that hasn’t been made available because of the virus. Aside from all the negatives, there’s been some things that have worked in our favor. Another positive thing, I guess, is the funds for people that are attempting to get housing, for people that need social security payments, I was told recently that funds have resupplied. There’s money available, less resources to access for housing.
That’s all that I can really comment about, because that’s what being homeless is like, everything revolves around housing, anything that moves that along quicker is a blessing. The other day I was talking to a women from Way Finders, who was saying that an application was incomplete, and it they can’t get it because the mails been slowing down, but she said she doesn’t know why they’re accepting applications, because it takes five years to qualify to live in something like the Live 155 building. Everything reflects on the pace that things move in this world. Everyone who works here is trying their best to move things along as fast as they can. They have limited resources too. There’s a lot of aggravation for that reason. They get aggravated with us and we get aggravated with them, so it's one big bowl of aggravation. But everyone is trying to get along.
I don’t want this epidemic to get worse, but unfortunately, going the way it is, it's keeping the shelter we’re in open longer, because normally the cot shelter we were staying in would’ve been closed May 1st, and they don’t come up again until November 1st. That’s definitely a blessing in disguise. There’s pros and cons, and I don’t know which ones outweigh the others. But personally, the closest it's gotten to me is my brother's girlfriend's best friend's father passed away because of it. Everyone was tested tuesday, it was very positive, only one person tested positive and they are quarantined now. I do like the fact we can come back at 9:30 every day and we can do what we need to do outside. You know, I don’t want to say, yeah I hope this lasts a lot longer at least I’ll have a roof over my head and three meals a day, medical attention and whatever, but it's hard to say whether I would like it to end tomorrow so I can get thrown out on the street. You would have to be homeless to figure out that question for yourself, but I don’t really know. I guess that ends what I have to say about this.
Kevin Hodgson
a poem written right after a visit back to my classroom (in Southampton) following the sudden closure...
Empty Classroom Still Life
by Kevin Hodgson (Sixth Grade teacher, William E. Norris Elementary School, Southampton - written on April 4, 2020)
I am here
wandering through this Still Life -
this classroom, our community,
this place of connection and caring,
this school, where we gathered together -
my eyes catch the vacancy:
a scene, frozen
in abandoned books
in scattered pencils
in forgotten papers
in steel chairs leaning
at odd angles against uneven desks
and in chatter, too, all your words like
ghost images still languishing on air
you should be here, too
All this and more, we left behind
on that Friday, the 13th of March,
in the year of the Great Pandemic,
this visual sculpture before me
just another unlucky reminder
of what our world was
before it was not
I leave it behind
Empty Classroom Still Life
by Kevin Hodgson (Sixth Grade teacher, William E. Norris Elementary School, Southampton - written on April 4, 2020)
I am here
wandering through this Still Life -
this classroom, our community,
this place of connection and caring,
this school, where we gathered together -
my eyes catch the vacancy:
a scene, frozen
in abandoned books
in scattered pencils
in forgotten papers
in steel chairs leaning
at odd angles against uneven desks
and in chatter, too, all your words like
ghost images still languishing on air
you should be here, too
All this and more, we left behind
on that Friday, the 13th of March,
in the year of the Great Pandemic,
this visual sculpture before me
just another unlucky reminder
of what our world was
before it was not
I leave it behind
Tina Meyer
Natural Selection
4/7/20 (during COVID-19 confinement)
I cry “foul”--the blue bells are paying no attention
to social distancing;
why there must be one hundred of them in
this tiny patch of grass.
And just look at the Robins --
Chasing each other around as if everthing’s normal!
Obviously, no one told the trees;
every bud looks ready to bloom any day now;
not 6-feet of distance there!
And what’s up with the canines?
Every pooch I encounter comes running up to me
looking for a pat on the back as if were’ old friends.
Did no one tell the dogs?
The bees have the audacity of
flying flower to flower
(without washing their black, furry legs
between blossoms),
and the flowers don’t seem to mind
in the least..
tilting their soft, yellow faces up
as if to say, “come and visit”.
It’s outrageous.
Nature is joyously circling the Maypole once again,
dancing under the Pink Moon,
performing her vernal magic with effortless flourish,
as she lifts an eyebrow at our stilted movements
and stuttering steps; masked and gloved,
we must all look like such, unnatural fools to her.
She’s probably thinking that we humans
have finally gone ‘round the bend.
And maybe,
she’s just pointing out the way.
Dixie Brown
I’m trying to wrap my head around the new notion that going to the post office to mail a package might be taking my life in my hands.
My first and only granddaughter, whom I’d planned to visit during spring break, will be turning 10 months soon, out in Minnesota. I’m so sad to be missing what may be many months of her babyhood. At least I can send her things. But here on the ground I’m getting skittish about way more than planes. Because I’m 68 and have asthma, and because my next-door neighbor has COVID, and let’s throw this in: because Boris Johnson just went into intensive care across the pond, going to the post office scares me.
But a young friend assured me that the Hadley P.O. is virtually deserted. I wouldn’t see a soul.
I wanted to give my grandbaby a book, but all bookstores are closed and I didn’t feel like supporting Amazon yesterday, so I went down in my basement and retrieved various ancient Golden books. I got distracted by interesting evidence of inflation. Mine, from the 1950’s, set my parents back 25 cents. My daughter’s, from the 1980’s, cost me 89 cents, and one waiting upstairs in my daughter’s old bedroom for Emma’s next visit had cost a whopping $4.99.
Although I have stacks of Golden books, it gave me a pang to choose a few for Emma. I’m very selfish when it comes to books, and devious. As the youngest of four kids I quietly stole all my older siblings’ books when they went off to college, so I have an exceedingly fine collection.
But these are terrible times that call for noble gestures, so I steeled myself to part with four of my finest. Okay, I gave her my least favorite ones. The Poky Little Puppy was a no-brainer. Emma has already ingested most of her Pat the Bunny, and I’m okay if she soggifies Poky with her still-toothless gums. I chose my daughter Heidi’s Heidi, abridged to a shadow of itself, a Sesame Street one and Emma’s brand new, reissued Scuffy the Tugboat with its wonderful illustrations by Tibor Gergely….
It was indeed deserted: no cars in the parking lot, one clerk behind a big screen of plexiglass that didn’t used to be there. Perky announcements in English and Spanish, on 8x11 sheets of paper, were taped all over the place.
“Stepping up our game!” one announced, and continued: “Our SSA’s are incredibly valuable and we want to keep them safe.” The sheet was illustrated with cute footprints, like those on the cover of a Sherlock Holmes mystery paperback, which encouraged me to “Step Back,” after placing my packages on the counter, so the clerk could then “Step Up” and weigh them and tell me my mailing options after I managed to “Step back” again, safely six feet from the plexiglass screen.
I had my miniature bottle of hand sanitizer at the ready, and yes, I touched the screen with the tiny tip of my baby finger in answer to each prompt and carefully sterilized my credit card after I swiped as well as both hands. I did this out in the parking lot, clumsily spilling some of that precious liquid gold.
Maybe it’s available again now, in some pharmacy near me, but I’m scared to go into a store, and what if someone mugs me to nab whatever I manage to find? You can’t be too careful. Before UMass had to send all students and faculty away, the very last time I visited the W.E. B. Du Bois library, their industrial-sized bottle of hand sanitizer was cabled and padlocked to the circulation desk.
It’s a new world all right, but not, in my case, a very brave one.
Photo credit: Dixie Brown
Throughout this page and others, we will be posting haiku submitted to the Montview Neighborhood Listserv.
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This old bike
Has never navigated Such ghostly traffic -Mac Everett |
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Down by the dike, Day Care has gone.
The ducks miss the wee ones, So do we -Bill Ewall |
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Our proper distance
Suddenly overrun by Galloping woodchuck -Mac Everett |
BJ Simonzi
What a time we are facing! I’d love to share my personal story with you.
After a long career as a B2B professional sales rep, I was able to turn my hobby into the business that I love in 2014.
My husband and I moved from CT to MA, bought a home and Wrap It Up Jewelry was born. I started my new life in MA by joining The Artisans of Western Mass …. A non-profit organization that helped to support Artists by giving us a place to network and exchange information. Then I was elected as President for one term, but at the end of that year, the organization had no choice but to dissolve. We were designed to operate with 10 Board Members ….. and due to difficult financial times, our Board was reduced to only 5 people trying to do the job of 10. We made the hard decision to shut it down, but the contacts I made by volunteering to take on the Presidential role was invaluable.
Since 2014, I made giant leaps as an Artisan and expanded by product line to hair accessories, embellished wine glasses and tableware …. Functional art! I was even published in an international trade magazine out of London called WIRE, under the category of “Ones to Watch” in 2019 and I was one of the featured Artisans on the post card for the very well established Little Drummer Craft Show. My Bohemian style of work was starting to get recognized and I had developed a nice little fan base who would follow me from show to show. One of the products I make is a fantastic handcrafted, hand hammered Hair Fork that has a slight curve to fit the shape of your head …. and people at my various shows would come up and let me know that someone had bought them one of my pieces as a gift and they wanted more. My business was starting to grow and thrive a bit even though the economy is still not thriving.
Now, all that hard work has come to complete standstill. All my shows until the Fall are cancelled. The hair salons and gift shops were I consign my work are closed and I’m trying to apply for unemployment but still have not been successful at getting help.
Unfortunately, jewelry tends to be an impulse buy, so my efforts at selling online have not been successful, but now with so many folks employed, online sales are a distant hope. After battling it out in the corporate world for many years, I was able to finally work my passion …. And now Covid-19 has pretty much ended my Artistic aspirations. I still spend time in my home studio, and ironically have yet again “upped the anty” in terms of creativity. The pieces I have produced recently are the most stunning that I’ve ever made, but I have no customers to sell them to.
I hope that when we get through this initial surge of sorrow, folks out there will realize that they need to stop feeding the huge corporations and buy locally and support your local artist, dance instructor, restaurant owner, farmer ….. you get the idea. My hope is that this tragedy is a teaching moment and that the change to come will be a good one.
Leslie Elliott
My husband and I have noticed changes in our lives since the start of the covid 19 pandemic, but the core of our lives has remained pretty constant. Since 1978, when we moved to the valley from Boston, we have grown a large vegetable garden, each season, in our yard. I seed flats on a heating mat, under grow lights, transfer them to our sunny porch when they're the right size, next transfer them to a cold frame, and, finally, out to the garden. Because the supply of fresh food is starting to come in now, we don't really worry about any food shortages at the stores.
My husband gets and cuts wood each week, which we use to heat our home in the cool weather. We have a wood stove, that we've used as our sole heat source for years. These familiar rhythms continue undisturbed.
We mostly cook our meals, from scratch, every day, although our weekly meal, that used to be at a restaurant, has been changed to take-out. I miss seeing the groups of people there. In fact, I miss that in general. I used to attend 4 group meetings at local senior centers. Now I exercise at home, alone, and my conversations are over the phone or online.
My husband still works 3 days a week at a local farm. He drives a delivery truck to nearby stores that they supply. But now he has to wear an N95 mask and gloves, and keep a 6 foot distance between them, when he meets with the managers.
I think we miss seeing our son, his wife, and our granddaughter the most. Our contact with them is reduced to a weekly phone call. It's good to hear their voices, but we miss the hugs and kisses.
The perennial flowers and blossoming trees are still doing their things at their usual times, as are the birds and small animals.These familiar things make me feel good when I see them. They don't seem to know life has changed, and it's such a hopeful thing to realize that life goes on beneath the stresses and confusion that we're feeling
My husband gets and cuts wood each week, which we use to heat our home in the cool weather. We have a wood stove, that we've used as our sole heat source for years. These familiar rhythms continue undisturbed.
We mostly cook our meals, from scratch, every day, although our weekly meal, that used to be at a restaurant, has been changed to take-out. I miss seeing the groups of people there. In fact, I miss that in general. I used to attend 4 group meetings at local senior centers. Now I exercise at home, alone, and my conversations are over the phone or online.
My husband still works 3 days a week at a local farm. He drives a delivery truck to nearby stores that they supply. But now he has to wear an N95 mask and gloves, and keep a 6 foot distance between them, when he meets with the managers.
I think we miss seeing our son, his wife, and our granddaughter the most. Our contact with them is reduced to a weekly phone call. It's good to hear their voices, but we miss the hugs and kisses.
The perennial flowers and blossoming trees are still doing their things at their usual times, as are the birds and small animals.These familiar things make me feel good when I see them. They don't seem to know life has changed, and it's such a hopeful thing to realize that life goes on beneath the stresses and confusion that we're feeling
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Julie Cavacco
I’ve been visiting families in their yards and reading books in Deerfield with the offer to go anywhere reasonable.
I’ve also written over 50 letters to kids and sent them a story I wrote.
I’ve written stories that include kids by name.
I created a page and have been creating short videos and projects on a new Facebook page which allows people all over the region access.
To get to TLC- Tilton Library Children’s Room search
@tiltonlibrarychildren
I included families in Northampton in the letters and stories.
And I started reading DHG in 1981 when I lived in Easthampton and just kept at it when I moved to Sunderland then Deerfield.
KJA
In these strange days of corona, little by little my focus on what is important seems to be shifting.
I am retired and will be 71 this year. When I was working, I used to be an important person, at least some people thought I was, and I had an important job with a lot of responsibilities, and people counting on my decisions. Now I’m not quite so important anymore. I was an airline pilot and I wore a snappy uniform with gold wings! Now I wear just shlumpy old clothes, who cares? But for my dog Moose I am still a topnotch VIP. And that is just fine by me. Now that this nasty virus has me home a lot more my status with Moose has skyrocketed. Every afternoon around 4:00, Moose comes to me with that look I know well by now: OK, it’s time. And because it is important to me to maintain my VIP status, I respond getting my hat, the leash, some treats, and off we go on our daily walk. We have a variety of trails to choose from on our walks and I know I am still important because when there is a fork in the trail he will stop, look at me awaiting my decision, and then jubilantly charge off on my chosen route. See, I still make important decisions, at least to Moose. So, I was an important person and now I still am, sort of, and the fact that my high status comes from a dog is fine with me. As I regard my furry friend Moose, he is as valid a judge of character and worth as any I experienced in the workplace. Maybe it’s a function of aging and my acceptance of things these days, but Moose’s validation of my importance to him, at this point, is all I need.
Dixie Brown
I’m used to seeing wonderful rock creations in Amherst’s Amethyst Brook Conservation area, but people have risen to new heights of creativity in the coronavirus pandemic. What’s particularly lovely about these installations is that they are, for the most part, anonymous. You seldom know who built them, and before long they get altered by rapid currents or perhaps children who can’t resist knocking them down. Soon enough, more appear.
About two weeks into our ongoing time of social distancing, large and small stacks of rocks grew in the bed of the brook. They looked very much like people, standing alone, but in each other’s company just the same. Two were pretty close. Perhaps they were in the same family. The one with its arms out would soon embrace the other.
But it surprised me to see, the other day, a pyramid not of stones but of toilet paper rolls, neatly stacked on a round table protected by an umbrella. They were in front of Brookside Cottage, a tiny house at the end of a short lane that cuts into the conservation land. What was the idea?
When I asked Christopher Stoney, 67, who has lived in the cottage since 2006, he said he’d found only a 20-pack when he went to Stop and Shop—way more than he needed.
“I stepped outside and put it all in the shopping cart and offered it to people. One woman was extremely grateful and asked if she could have two. I said yes. Another donated three more rolls. She thought it was charity. I realized I wasn’t going to get rid of them that way so I took them home and emailed my neighbors.” He referred to the toilet paper sculpture on his table as a “cairn.”
I was so pleased by the toilet paper story, and especially by his use of term cairn, that I felt inspired to ask him what he enjoys about his life on the banks of Amethyst Brook. As we talked, all kinds of hikers and dogs, large and small, went by.
He loves the little things constantly going on in the acres and acres of woods beyond his home. People leave little messages tucked in rocks and trees on the sides of the trails, they walk in the two spiraled labyrinths built years ago on the far side of the brook, they build cairns all over the place. He’s sure the builders want no credit for their creations, but instead want them to be “part of the brook, part of the nature of things, or perhaps prayers to the spirit of the brook.”
Stoney is calm in the midst of the current chaos. He’s decided not to worry about getting the virus, although he takes the usual steps of wearing a mask and distancing himself. For him, it’s more important to worry about unintentionally giving it to someone else.
Two small children went by on dirt bikes, then a man with three dogs. Stoney went on reflecting, contemplating this new world we’re living in, not agitated at all. A passerby beamed at the sight of the toilet paper tower, gave Stoney the thumbs up, but didn’t take a roll. Behind the little house the brook, oblivious to viruses, flowed on.
Photo credit: Dixie Brown
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Photo credit: Dixie Brown
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David Banta-Garcia
The COVID-19 crisis has really thrown me for a loop. Some days I was cooped up in my house, trying to maintain a daily routine and not succumb to laziness and stagnation. Other days, I walk out and still try to experience the outside world at a safe enough distance. I decided to take a stroll through downtown Northampton one day, and the town was surprisingly quiet. I could hear the birds chirping and the trees shaking, and only occasionally did I hear the sound of a car or person go by. Despite the somewhat apocalyptic atmosphere, everything was still there; the buildings, roads, bike path, trees, and the smallest of plants that usually go unnoticed. It’s interesting what you find without the usual hustle and bustle environment of city and town life. It reminded me that the world didn’t end, and this is just a small blip in the long run, yet it’s important to remember events like this for ourselves.
Jennifer Kellogg
Alone together. This is quite the oxymoron. One I thought I’d never experience. Yet, here we are…living it day after day. Throughout these last 6 weeks, I’ve come to learn that I am more of a “people person” than I thought. The idea that social gatherings are not encouraged and are practically forbidden, feels completely unnatural to me. After all, human beings are essentially pack animals. We are meant to thrive in the company of others. Unfortunately, I feel myself becoming more and more reclusive with each passing day.
Every day feels like a vigil to the loss of social interactions. I worry about everyone around me. I check in on loved ones, weekly. But nothing is the same. I am a teacher and I miss seeing my students enter the classroom each morning, ready for a new day. I even miss the hustle and bustle of daily routines—not having enough time to complete a lesson or to explore unanswered questions. The ability to help solve a minor squabble between students, now seems like a well-intentioned gift. These days I spend my time constantly on the computer; juggling emails, virtual meetings, and searching for virtual learning assignments. I have not yet gotten up the nerve to attempt to “teach” a virtual lesson. In this plight, I do feel alone.
I recently took part in a project that I learned about from a colleague of mine. It is called the Heart Hunt Project. It is intended to provide a feeling of togetherness, while we are alone. By displaying colorful hearts in windows and on doors, passers-by can see them and know that “we are all in this together.” It is a way of spreading a little love to mankind, to show that we care. As I carefully created my hearts, I felt a connection to my students and the people around me. This activity proved to be very therapeutic in the face of my alone-together feeling. Perhaps I can pull this off, after all!
Throughout this entire crisis, my biggest concern has been with the social and emotional impact that it will have on people. Let’s face it, we have all been traumatized by this—some more than others. What will returning to “normal” look like? Will we become a society that can weather this storm and come through it stronger than before? Or will we succumb to paranoia and never feel safe in the company of others again? I am continuously in awe of our health care providers and essential employees. Displaying such courage in the face of such uncertainty is nothing less than admirable. I am renewed by the kindness of others when I see how many face masks have been sewn, how many free meals are continuously being delivered, and how much free entertainment is now being provided, virtually. The world really does feel like it has come together in this sense.
To future generations, I would say be grateful for all personal interactions—positive or negative. It’s these interactions that make us human. Appreciate those around you—grab hold and don’t let go! Be thankful for the freedoms we have in this life, for they can be taken away in the event of a pandemic such as Covid-19. If a pandemic of this magnitude were ever to threaten the livelihood of mankind again, take the necessary precautions to stop it! Take heed and don’t shrug it off like it’s nothing. Do what the experts advise. But by all means, stay connected, SAFELY. Trust in the resilience of the human spirit—alone together.
Throughout this entire crisis, my biggest concern has been with the social and emotional impact that it will have on people. Let’s face it, we have all been traumatized by this—some more than others. What will returning to “normal” look like? Will we become a society that can weather this storm and come through it stronger than before? Or will we succumb to paranoia and never feel safe in the company of others again? I am continuously in awe of our health care providers and essential employees. Displaying such courage in the face of such uncertainty is nothing less than admirable. I am renewed by the kindness of others when I see how many face masks have been sewn, how many free meals are continuously being delivered, and how much free entertainment is now being provided, virtually. The world really does feel like it has come together in this sense.
To future generations, I would say be grateful for all personal interactions—positive or negative. It’s these interactions that make us human. Appreciate those around you—grab hold and don’t let go! Be thankful for the freedoms we have in this life, for they can be taken away in the event of a pandemic such as Covid-19. If a pandemic of this magnitude were ever to threaten the livelihood of mankind again, take the necessary precautions to stop it! Take heed and don’t shrug it off like it’s nothing. Do what the experts advise. But by all means, stay connected, SAFELY. Trust in the resilience of the human spirit—alone together.
Jonathan Kahane
Catherine Gressler
I’ve had an unfortunate run: I fell and broke my back at the shelter, and have not been able to get medicine for immune disorder. Other than that, the staff at Service Net and the many volunteers have gone above and beyond to make us comfortable. I keep busy all day by reading, and the thing I miss the most is having a pet dog with me. I’m really hoping this won't last another month or more. I’m anxious to get back to get back to a least restrictive environment. I would say 99% of my shelter mates are kind and helpful people. The 1% get kicked out for breaking rules etc. they get themselves kicked out. I think the volunteers who work here everyday deserve recognition after this is over...a lot of amazing people have pitched in here not for fame or recognition, but just to help out. Everyday is different here, there’s different things to do, the weather changes, the news changes.
Anita Yates
What Now?
May 1, 2020
What Now? That’s a question that’s on everyone’s mind. How do you answer that when this pandemic has had a world wide effect on everyone? Domestic violence has gone up, some people don’t have a job to go back to, and loved ones have died. You just can’t pick up where you left off. I honestly don’t even remember where I left off. My husband’s job was furloughed, my father-in-law is in the hospital and my brother tested positive for the virus. That’s what’s going on in my world. All in all, I am very grateful and thankful. I trust and believe God that everything will work out. What will it be like when the children go back to school? We don’t know. Will there be lines at the grocery stores? Will we still be wearing masks when we go out? Is this going to be our normal? It certainly doesn’t feel normal. For me, I keep hearing the word reset. As I remain optimistic, I definitely see things on a different perspective. Love on your loved ones a little more. Don’t let the little things get to you. Become better organized and prioritized. What Now? I don’t know. I guess we have to just wait and see.