Hello, Friends. How are you? Does it seem like Friday to you? Are you feeling the relief of making it through another week? Any updates on school closings where you live? President Macron spoke earlier this week and said May 11th is the earliest schools will reopen in France. (School here ends the first week of July, so that would still give a couple of months of learning.)
Something new for us: We tried a bit of gardening at the new house this week. Nothing major — we just dead-headed the hydrangea bushes. But it felt good to work outside. And we found the little nest above! Those eggs look absolutely pretend, right?
Now I need to figure out: 1) where I can buy stuff like a rake and some garden gloves while most stores are closed, 2) if there’s a community composting spot where I can drop off clippings and leaves and other yard waste, and 3) what we can reasonably do to improve the garden this summer, even though we’re not living in the house yet.
Maybe we can plant something? Figure out a path and some ground cover? The interior of the house is definitely the priority as far as work projects go, but if there’s something small we can do outside, I would be open to it.
Ready for some weekend reading? Here are a few things I’ve wanted to share with you:
-Coyotes, bobcats and bears: Wildlife is reclaiming Yosemite National Park. I love Yosemite so much.
-“This tight correlation suggests that if the US were testing more people, we would probably be seeing an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. And combined with the high test-positivity rate, it suggests that the reservoir of unknown, uncounted cases is still very large.”
Oh my I desperately want widespread and frequent testing. It’s so hard to get a picture of what’s actually happening, and to make a game plan for what to do next, until we know who has covid-19 currently, and who has already had it. If we had that knowledge right now it would change everything.
-In an excerpt from his new book, Bill Buford writes about his time as an apprentice in a boulangerie in Lyon.
-Gross. How Some Rich Americans Are Getting Stimulus ‘Checks’ Averaging $ 1.7 Million.
–Our steamer didn’t work with French voltage, so we left it with our kids in California, but I miss it and am ready to replace it. They’re relatively inexpensive (under $ 20), and so easy and satisfying to use.
-Epidemiologists estimate that if social distancing had started even one week earlier, it could have saved the lives of thirty-seven thousand people, sixty per cent of those expected to die.
-Which grandparents do your kids feel closer to?
-Yikes. All 12 jurors from the Roger Stone trial told the court today that they feel harassed and afraid for their lives, especially after President Trump and right-wing media figures criticized them for convicting Stone of seven federal crimes.
-Much appreciated words of wisdom.
Here are some tweets I saved for you:
-Thank you Activist Barbie.
-Hah! Raise your hand if you need a haircut.
-A thread on the pandemic in rural America.
-Is this true about the bacterial enzyme? That seems like good news.
-The minimum wage isn’t livable and hasn’t been for years.
-Again, where are the tests?
-What are you thoughts on America as a punchline?
-How does this sound to you?
-Hahahahaha. Very relatable.
-An unbelievable story and my favorite response. I’d sue everyone.
I hope you have a really good weekend. I’ll meet you back here on Monday. I miss you already.
kisses,
Gabrielle
