‘You’re not stuck at home. You’re safe at home.’ The Woman’s Club Times of Danbury/New Fairfield Volume 1, Issue 3 April 10, 2020

Covid-19 News

Picture ID (copy only) List of Current Meds List of all allergies List of medical conditions List of dietary restrictions List and numbers of next of kin

Cell phone & charger/labels External battery Ear Bud headphones Danbury looks peaceful, giving hopes of better days ahead. This photo, shared by Nancy Coraggio, was taken by her Reading glasses/label the case son-in-law recently. Reading material Socks Extra underwear Going to the Hospital?—Submitted by Kathy Paper tablet/pen Krieger from her brother-in-law In this time of uncertainty, our group of Com- Toothbrush/paste munity Emergency Response Teams in Mon- comb/brush mouth County in New Jersey has come up lip balm with a list of items that you should have in a soft ear plugs large zip-lock bag, small duffle or backpack, eye-mask should the event arise that you would need to hand lotion go to the hospital. Once in the hospital, NO Hearing aids/batteries ONE may visit you and bring you these items, denture cleaning supps so they may be of great importance to you during your stay: If you have all these ready to grab - your stay at the hospital will be more comfortable and Insurance card you'll be much more at ease. Health Care Power of Attorney Stay well and Stay home!! Optional DNR Living Will COVID-19: CT Attorney General Warns of Stimulus Checks: Who Is Eligible and How Scams Exploiting the Pandemic Much Will They Be?—AARP Connecticut Attorney General William Tong is Summary—Federal lawmakers enacted a $2 cautioning residents to be wary of opportunistic trillion economic stimulus package on March scammers looking to take advantage of the pan- 27 that will send most Americans checks of up demic. to $1,200, as a way to put money directly in “Unfortunately, people are trying to take advan- the pockets of families struggling to manage tage of their neighbors,” Tong said. “Now that the federal government has passed an economic the economic fallout of the coronavirus pan- stimulus package to bring relief to individuals and demic. businesses, ’s important that we remain vigilant Called the CARES Act, the legislation will of bad actors.” give single adults who reported adjusted gross The statement came after the federal government income of $75,000 or less on their 2019 tax enacted a $2 trillion economic stimulus package in returns a one-time check for $1,200. Married response to the outbreak. couples who filed jointly will receive $2,400. "Remember, the government will never charge you Families will get an additional $500 for each in order for you to receive a check. If you receive child. an email, call, or text asking you for personal in- If you receive Social Security benefits for dis- formation or money in exchange for your stimulus ability, retirement or Supplemental Security check, it's a scam." Income, you are eligible to receive a stimulus Follow these tips to prevent falling victim to a payment. Only individuals whose annual ad- scam artist: • The federal government will not ask you to pay justed gross income exceeds $99,000 will not money upfront to receive a stimulus check. No get a payment. fees. No charges. The IRS said on March 30 that the distribution • The federal government will never call to ask of stimulus payments would begin “in the next for your Social Security number, bank account three weeks.” For full information, go to: or credit card number. Anyone who asks for this personal identifying information is a scammer. https://www.aarp.org/politics-sciety/advoca- • No matter how the payment is disbursed, only a cy/info-2020/coronavirus-stimulus-checks. scammer will ask you to pay to receive it. html?intcmp=DC-POL-ELC-R1C2

Restrictions Are Slowing Coronavirus Infections, the ther- mometer says so. New data that comes from a thermometer is confirming in real time that distancing restrictions are slowing the rates of infection across the U.S.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/30/health/coronavirus-restric- tions-fevers.html?referringSource=articleShare

A reminder that Access Health CT has extended the deadline of its new special enrollment period that was created due to the exceptional The Thermometer circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. The new deadline to enroll is April 17. This is to cover those that have lost jobs and therefore, their healthcare. To get covered you must call 855-365-2428 “Safe Store Rules” went into effect last week for groceries and other retail establishments. These include: • Occupancy capped at 50% of store capacity. At entrance, staff will maintain a count of the number of cus- tomers entering and exiting stores. • Clearly mark 6’ spacing lines on the floor at checkout lines and other high-traffic areas. • Have aisles be one-way in stores where practicable. .Communicating that there should only be one person per household during shopping trips, whenever possible. • Allow “touchless” credit card transactions. If not possible, sanitize credit card machines (including pen) regularly and consistently. • Cart and basket handles sanitized between uses (by staff). • Wherever possible, employees will wear gloves and face masks at all times that they are interacting with customers and/or handling products.

Activities at Home Kathy Krieger—Recently Read and Recommended

Rainey sent me a list of books she has recently read or reread. I liked this idea so much that I added 4 books of my own. What have you read recently that you think our members would enjoy? Let me know. Kathy

From Rainey: Kathy's list: I find books are wonderful companions. Hugs, Rainey 1. Still Life with Breadcrumbs by Anna Quindlen 1. Still Life by Louise Penny first of a great series 2. The Dutch House by Ann Patchett 2. A Great Deliverance by Elizabeth George 3. Three Wishes by Liane Moriarty 3. The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley 4. Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison 4. The Lighthouse Keeper's Daughter by Hazel Gaynor 5. Cover Her Face by P.D. James 6. Educated by Tara Westover 7. The Lake House by Kate Morton 8. The Kill Artist by Daniel Silva (My “all time” favorite)

From Bonnie Moran:

Flick Chicks

Since we obviously aren't going to be able to share each other's company at the movies anytime soon, how about sharing the names of the movies that you are watching at home?

If there's interest, we could suggest a particular movie for folks to watch, and then conduct a session for those interested in discussing it together. Contact Bonnie Moran with your suggestions. From Janet Jabieski and Nancy Coraggio— Let’s Have Some Fun! Nancy and I have decided to auction off an item from the Silent Auction, it could be very well needed in this time of having to stay home. Below there are photo- graphs of a Crate of Games perfect for you or your grandchildren, being they are not in school and proba- bly getting bored. The value of the Crate of Games is over $100.00. We will start the bidding at $30.00 and the best offer wins! The crate was put together way before the virus hit, but MASK Project: From Barbara Lobeck it will be wiped down and delivered to your doorstep. The bidding will start on Friday, April 10th. Send your Regional Hospice and Danbury Hospital are both offer to [email protected] (Janet Jabieski) and nan- accepting cloth masks, and are very much in need of a [email protected] (Nancy Coraggio) the bidding continued supply. If you are willing to sew masks for will end midnight April 13th. The winner will be no- these facilities, let me know and I'll send you the web- tified by Janet or Nancy and will also be announced in sites of the "style" they prefer. The Woman’s Club Times of Danbury/New Fairfield, Anyone who has material to donate to our sewers, I'll April 17th edition. give you names of our Sewing Bees, who continue to The money raised will go towards the Roger’s Park produce many colorful and filter adaptable masks. Middle School Weekend Food Program. Thank you in advance for participating and good luck. Scientists report on various materials they've studied, Janet and Nancy which are most effective for blocking out-going AND in-coming germs. Here is a summary: • Two sided cloth material masks need a filter placed for increased effectiveness • Hold the material up to a bright light. If you see the fibers and light easily passes through, it's not effec- tive. Dense weave is best, and quilting material very effective (70-80% effective). 600 count pillowcases and flannel are good weaves. • Filter materials for your personal use (DH and RH will insert their own filters): HEPA furnace filters are 75% effective vs. N95's are 95 %. Basket type coffee filters, using 3, are 40%. Vacuum cleaner bags are very effective (check no fiberglass). You also can wear 2 masks at a time! Do not use just a scarf or bandanna, too loose for protection. • No sew masks: look online for many possibilities, including the CDC.

NIAID is now saying everyone should wear a mask when you go out. So think about your family and friends when you consider making masks or are gath- ering the above materials.

Stay safe and be well, Barbara Lobeck [email protected] Pictures are of the same crate, before & after decorating And the People Stayed Home by Kitty O’Meara And the people stayed home. And read books, and listened, and rested, and exercised, and made art, and played games, and learned new ways of being, and were still. And listened more deeply. Some meditated, some prayed, some danced. Some met their shadows. And the people began to think differently.

And the people healed. And, in the absence of people living in ignorant, dangerous, mindless, and heartless ways, the earth began to heal.

And when the danger passed, and the people joined together again, they grieved their losses, and made new choices, and dreamed new images, and created new ways to live and heal the earth fully, as they had been healed.

How two poems about the coronavirus went viral by addressing spiritual needs Read about Kitty O’Meara, the creation of the poem and why she was called by Oprah Magazine, “the poet laure- ate of the pandemic.” https://religionnews.com/2020/03/27/how-two-poems-about-the-coronavirus-went-viral-by-addressing- spiritual-needs/

Member to Member

From Janet Junz: From Chris Squillante:

I was on my daily solitary walk around New Mil- Yesterday my brother asked Alexa what the weath- ford green and saw several chalk messages on the er was going to be and she answered - why do you sidewalk. I especially liked this one and thought I’d care? You can't go anywhere! share:

“The world came together as we all stood apart” From Bonnie Moran: We have started a new ritual. Every night after dinner we are sitting down for a few minutes together and browsing through old photo albums (or boxes of pho- From Barbara Smith: tos). We are looking at one album a night and taking a wonderful trip down memory lane. When is the last The US Mint just released the Connecticut version time you looked at your old photos? of the America the Beautiful quarters. See the coin at: Pandemic Humor I'm sharing this little quip from the NF Senior Center's daily newsletter: https://www.usmint.gov/coins/coin-med- al-programs/america-the-beautiful-quarters/ I see a baby boom coming in 9 months! They’ll be weir-farm-national-historic-site called C-19 babies and the #1 baby names will be “Charmin” and “Scott”.

Stay safe, Bonnie Just for Fun

Some of the best humor can be found on Facebook. Search for @humortrainofficial on Facebook • I didn’t even know my grandma had a gun until I coughed at her house.

• Ah, yes. Let me just fashion a mask out of bandanas. First, I’ll head over to the bandana drawer in my dresser, where I keep my myriad bandanas…

• My wife and I play this fun game during the quarantine, it’s called, “Why are you doing it this way?” and there are no winners.

Sometimes I wonder if all this is happening because I didn’t forward that message to 10 other people

It Took a Pandemic! Mary Lynn Howard: came into my house, told my dog...we laughed Hi—forwarding this one because I actually laughed a lot. out loud at some of them—that’s my “qualifier” for forwarding. So, after this quarantine.....will the producers of My 600 Pound Life just find me or do I find Diary of a Quarantiner them?

Quarantine Day 5: Went to this restaurant called So far, I've finished four books. That's an awful lot of The Kitchen. You have to gather all the ingre- coloring. dients and make your own meal. I have no clue how this place is still in business. Half of us are going to come out of this quarantine as amazing cooks. The other half will come out with a My body has absorbed so much soap and disin- drinking problem. fectant lately that when I pee it cleans the toilet.

I used to spin that toilet paper like I was on Wheel of Day 5 of Homeschooling: One of these little Fortune. Now I turn it like I'm cracking a safe. monsters called in a bomb threat. I need to practice social-distancing from the refrig- I'm so excited, it's time to take out the garbage. erator. What should I wear?

Still haven't decided where to go for Easter ----- The I hope the weather is good tomorrow for my Living Room or The Bedroom trip to Puerto Backyarda. I'm getting tired of Los Livingroom. PSA: every few days try your jeans on just to make sure they fit. Pajamas will have you believe all is well Classified Ad: Single man with toilet paper seeks in the kingdom. woman with hand sanitizer for good clean fun.

Homeschooling is going well. 2 students suspended Day 6 of Homeschooling: My child just said "I for fighting and 1 teacher fired for drinking on the hope I don't have the same teacher next year". job. I'm offended.

This morning I saw a neighbor talking to her cat. It Better 6 feet apart than 6 feet under. was obvious she thought her cat understood her. I