Writing Our Lives 2020 Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Auburn University Auburn, Alabama Writing Our Lives 2020 Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Auburn University Auburn, Alabama Contents Writing Through Pandemic Terry C. Ley Introduction…………………………………………………………… 1 Wendy Cleveland COVID Journal Entry – September 19, 2020 …………….. 2 Charlotte LaRoux Coronavirus Journal – April 13, 2020……………………….. 4 Sandy Halperin Clover Days……………………………………………………………... 5 Margaret Craig-Schmidt Breaking the Silence of the Pandemic……………………….. 6 Terry C. Ley Thoughts While Sheltering in Place…………………………… 7 Ken Autrey A Pandemic of Our Own……………………………………………. 9 Gail McCullers “Thank You, Dr. Seuss!”…………………………………………….. 11 Betty Corbin The Last Lot in the Cemetery…………………………………….. 12 Crystal Rogers Vaccine Advent Calendar – 35 Days…………………………… 15 Class Members Superheroes Among Us………………………………………………. 17 Class Members Our Read-Like-A-Writer Scavenger Hunt…………………….. 19 Muhammad Ali Elimination of Trivium……………………………………………….. 20 Ken Autrey Dad’s Storytelling…………………………………………………………21 Wendy Cleveland On a Wing and a Prayer……………………………………………….. 23 Dandelions and Fruit Flies…………………………………………… 25 Betty Corbin An Old-Fashioned Grandmother…………………………………….28 Margaret Craig-Schmidt Echoes from Mama………………………………………………………..30 Debbie Cunningham Frog Kicks and Friends………………………………………………… 71 Gabi Darch The Importance of the U. S. Constitution……………………….. 33 Trip to the Airport……………………………………………………….. 74 Patty Disque Interesting People in Arizona……………………………………….. 34 More Interesting Arizona People…………………………………… 36 The Right Time to Learn This Lesson…………………………….. 38 Dennis Drake Confessions of an Ice Cream Glutton……………………………… 39 Sandy Halperin The Right to Vote, Especially the 19th Amendment…………. 41 Gerald W. Johnson Remembering is Hard…………………………………………………… 43 Advice to Dr. Seuss……………………………………………………….. 44 The Strawberry Bunny and the Collective Human Spirit…. 47 Norma Kappelman An Unforgettable Sunday Drive……………………………………… 49 Charlotte LaRoux A Chance Encounter………………………………………………………. 51 All My Great Loves Are Bald…………………………………………… 53 Bill Lee Yes, I’m Racist………………………………………………………………. 55 Black Citizens Vote in Lowndes County, Alabama…………… 56 A Wedding to Remember………………………………………………. 57 Terry C. Ley Rooms with Class………………………………………………………….. 58 Child of The Depression………………………………………………… 61 Becca Little My Most Memorable Christmas: The Christmas of the Flaming Orb……………………………………………………………. 63 Gail McCullers A “Dab” of Sugar……………………………………………………………. 40 The Closet Speaks…………………………………………………………. 66 Charles Julian McDonald “Coffee Spoons” – The Lost Poem…………………………………… 67 Scott Melville Dental Work…………………………………………………………………. 70 Our Cherrywood Stereo System…………………………………….. 72 Judy, Judy, Judy, and Getting Jiggy………………………………….. 73 Charlene Redick Late Apologies………………………………………………………………. 75 Election Day at Dawn…………………………………………………….. 77 Defying Gravity…………………………………………………………….. 79 Jim C. Rose Engineering Stinks………………………………………………………… 81 Writing Our Lives, Slowly………………………………………………. 83 Mary Ann Rygiel The Girl Who Loved Horses…………………………………………… 84 The Color of Blue………………………………………………………….. 86 Favorite Flavors…………………………………………………………… 88 Steve Schmidt Sad Mourning Doves……………………………………………………. 89 Char Warren What Things Do You Think You Cannot Live Without?...... .. 91 What Famous or Well-Known People Have I Encountered in Real Life?....................................................... .…93 My Favorite High School Teacher…………………………………… .95 Bill Wilson Piano Lessons………………………………………………………………. 96 Annie’s Piano Room………………………………………………………. 98 Ann Gephart—Who Lifted Me Up……………………………………100 Ralph Womer, Jr. A Fantastical Story………………………………………………………… 102 Take Your Lessons in Life Where You Find Them…………… 105 Writing Through a Pandemic 2020-2021 Terry C. Ley For the first time in fifteen years, Writing Our Lives was not a curriculum offering for members of OLLI at Auburn during the Spring 2020 term while we were trying to decide how to carry on with our memoir-writing class during the pandemic. As instructor, I hoped that the forty or fifty seasoned adults who normally enroll in the class would fill some of their “down time” by writing their life stories. I suggested that they consider keeping journals or diaries during what would undoubtedly be a historic period, and several of them met that challenge. When I invited them to contribute to this packet, several writers submitted the pieces that you can read here. You will see excerpts from journals in several different forms and stand-alone pieces related to the pandemic in a variety of ways. Some wrote nearly every day; others wrote occasionally. One decided to write poems that emerged from ideas springing from her sheltering at home! Like many others, eventually we turned to Zoom as a means of teaching and learning, and we found it a reasonably productive, but temporary substitute for face-to-face instruction. We look forward to our return to our former home, Pebble Hill in Auburn, where we enjoyed academic and social fellowship that is hard to duplicate on-line. Meanwhile, several members of OLLI at Auburn continue to record their impressions during these unique and challenging times. 1 COVID Journal Entry September 19, 2020 Wendy Cleveland pandemic there was a 647% spike in It’s interesting to read about yeast sales, but as of August 29 that people’s hobbies during the pandemic. Since it began during the spring and number plummeted to only 82%. Women continued through the summer, there who spent time in the kitchen were also have been many opportunities to do dying their hair roots, working jigsaw projects around the house and yard. In puzzles, and knitting scarves. Lately their the first few weeks I noticed piles of sewing machines are silent, collecting brush stacked curbside in our dust as the predilection for domesticity neighborhood and around town. Home has waned and/or many of those Depot and Lowe’s were doing a booming originally quarantined have returned to business as people bought wood and the workplace. added decks or patios, outdoor spaces where people could safely congregate. With hair salons and barber shops reopened, there’s not as much demand for Gardening became a huge hit as Flowbee, advertised as “the best vacuum people decided to grow their own haircutting system on the market” (WSJ). vegetables, so they built raised beds and This gem allows you to hold a mirror in planted seeds or seedling plants, similar one hand and cut your hair with a vacuum to what people did in WW II when Victory attachment in the other. Growing hair Gardens became popular. The Wall Street instead seems to be the better alternative, Journal (WSJ) reports, “Six months later, and at zoom meetings you may not many people are admitting defeat” as initially recognize someone with long hair insects moved on to tomatoes or deer of a different color. When a young moved in and ate the squash. Using a woman from Idaho was bored staying at kiddie pool for a garden spot may have home, she decided to dye her blond hair contributed to failure, or perhaps an bright pink, but things didn’t go as abundance of clay soil with lousy planned. Instead of pink, the dye turned drainage resulted in wilted output. ‘My the roots of her hair bright orange. A tomatoes look like a Dr. Suess plant,’ said conditioner turned the tips pink, so then Doni Chamberlain from California. She she was two-toned. After three trips to netted three tomatoes, enough for ‘the two hair stylists and $1200, she decided world’s smallest, most pathetic caprese to go with jet black, which doesn’t go well salad.’” with her pale skin. She states, “I honestly look like a vampire” (WSJ). Using boxed Inside, people took to baking, with hair dye can often turn out poorly, so banana bread one of the favorites. What people often resort to wearing hats while better way to use those soggy, overripe the dye grows out. One woman observed, bananas. In the early days of the “My hair is so deep black, it looks like I’m wearing a bowl on my head. I’m going to 2 have bad hair for at least another year” One of my ways of keeping busy is (WSJ). reading. Since March I’ve read 31 books. I’ve completed a Santa Claus cross stitch In April, puzzle sales rose 370% in and have begun one with an Amish scene April, which is expected to continue as depicting the Lancasater County town of winter temperatures send people back Bird in Hand. I’m almost finished with a indoors. Interestingly, the most popular baby blanket for our niece who’s due in puzzle scenes reflect travel destinations January. During the spring and summer, I or the comforting scenes of “your cottage wrote several poetry prompts for the by the lake, and the ‘she’ shack in the back OLLI Daily, but my creative juices dried of the garden” (WSJ). up a bit, and it’s only recently that I’ve managed to produce a few new poems. When the lockdown began the I’m hoping that resuming OLLI classes Sunday New York Times created a new will stimulate more writing. For months I section called At Home that includes a was unable to exercise at the gym and daily selection of virtual talks, movies, began walking outside three miles every interviews, museum talks for the coming day. Then it got blistering hot, so I took a week. Helpful suggestions are given for chance and joined a new gym such topics as preventing chaos in the recommended to me by trusted friends. morning, repairing the car, Being physically active has made a big troubleshooting distance learning, difference in my mental attitude. Just choosing the right yard tools, and recently I met with friends on the porch maintaining peace in school pods. Each of a new coffee shop, where we shared week there are five recipes to try, three our COVID experiences, book titles, and crossword puzzles to solve, and one family news. More than ever, I am grateful creative paper project to complete. for the personal connections that give my world some degree of normalcy once again. 3 Coronavirus Journal April 13, 2020 Charlotte LaRoux Easter Sunday, 2020, will be a holy day we will remember for the rest of our lives. I miss the joyful collaboration of the Flower Guild team working to beautify Holy Trinity Episcopal Church on the Saturday before Easter.