Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: coronavirus in cohousing

[fergyb2 (fergyb2]

     At Swans Market We have cancelled Common Dinners, upped our cleaning 
protocols, and are having all our meetings via videoconferencing via Zoom.  Our 
younger neighbors have organized a twice weekly shopping run so that we elders 
can just email in our list of needs and they shop for us.  At 7pm every night 
we stand in our doorways (which are 18 feet apart) and clap to thank our 
medical folk and first responders and then we all sing a song together, 
different one every night.  Solidarity in a time of social distancing.  A few 
days ago we learned that one of our original members  who had cancer and so 
moved to assisted living facility had died; so we gathered in our communal 
garden which she had lovingly tended for 19 years, and standing 6 feet apart we 
sang her favorite song and shared memories of her and toasted her with 
Lemoncello which she used to make, in memory of her fabulous cocktail party she 
used to throw every year.  When one of our younger members turned 3 we stood in 
our doorways and sang  Happy Birthday to her.  It feels strange but we still 
feel connected and are caring for each other.  As far as we know none of us has 
yet got the virus, but who knows so we try to assume we all have it.
   Bonnie,
  Swans Market Cohousing
  Oakland
Sent from my iPad

> On Mar 22, 2020, at 4:05 PM, Fern Selzer/US/CA/95003/NBC via Cohousing-L 
> <cohousing-l [at] cohousing.org> wrote:
> 
> Hi all,
>  I would like to hear what you are all doing in your communities right now.  
> I hope to go back and listen to the Zoom chat that happened but right then I 
> was busy just coping with all the things that are changing.
> Especially,  what are you doing to have fun and connect?   I am looking for 
> some ideas for things we could do in the courtyard or from our balconies that 
> would help us enjoy each others company.  Our balconies all face out on the 
> same courtyard.  We are all doing so much on Zoom already, I'd like some 
> other optionsAny ideas?
> How we have been doing so far:  We are just outside the SF Bay Area in Aptos, 
> California so we are in lockdown.
> Since we have so many social workers, teachers, and non-profit workers 
> amongst us, so far all are keeping their jobs and doing their work on line 
> so, it isn't an economic challenge as of yet.  Parents have not been letting 
> their children in the CH.   People aren't really getting tests in California, 
> so we must assume that some of us are carrying the virus.    Families make 
> their own decisions about how they will structure things inside the house, 
> but otherwise, everyone is staying 6 feet apart.
> We put cleaner and paper towels at various locations in the CH.    I don't 
> really think most people are using the CH at this point except for laundry.We 
> suspended having guests in the CH guest rooms without getting everyone's 
> permission, and so far no one has asked.We are having Sunday dinners, when 
> the weather is good, by sitting outside at least 6 feet apart and bringing 
> our own food and chairs.   We are conducting meetings on line or by phone.
> We are setting up the laundry so that everyone has a day every week, that 
> they selected, to do their laundry.   People are to stay out of the laundry 
> room unless it is their day.  We have 2 laundry rooms so we have enough for 
> every family to have one day.  Also, everyone is to clean all surfaces when 
> done in the laundry room.We still run into each other often so we can chat 
> from a distance.    I can't see my grandchildren now, who used to come over 
> all the time, so I have been loaning out some of their toys and books, for 
> the duration, to help our community children have a little more to do.   
> School will be beginning on line tomorrow so that should help.  We also have 
> been passing around humorous things that have been going around the internet 
> re coronavirus, sheltering in place, etc. Take care everyone......waiting for 
> the surge, let's hope its manageable.Thanks
> FernNew Brighton Cohousing
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