Cornelia James

The second novel in The Italian Shoes series has taken a while to finish! The main character Monsignor Giancarlo stole the show in the first book and would once again like to take over in this novel. He tends to have a mind of his own and is very vindictive. These tendencies are his own undoing. If you have not read The Italian Shoes get yourself a copy on BookBaby. com, so you can keep up with this man of the cloth and how he turns against his beliefs and the Roman Catholic Church. Maggie Carruthers escaped Giancarlo’s evil plans in Rome. Will he be able to catch up to her in Aruba? Will the newlyweds Joe and Maggie live happily ever after? The answers are coming soon in Falling From Grace this spring.

I have not been on here in so long. I was busy writing my book and then Covid happened. So I thought I would catch my future readers up to speed. Covid made me want to hibernate in my home and not socialize at all! I did not want to go on my website or do much of anything except write in my journal. So I will share some of my thoughts with you at the time…………………..

Well, I do not know what happened to my brain! It is usually a very rational and calm organ but it hasn’t been in the last four weeks. It began one afternoon as I sat down for my usual three o’clock rest. I sat back in my wing chair, propped my feet up on the hassock and picked up my knitting for a baby blanket. I snapped on the remote to CNN. I thought I would catch up on the news. I recently had begun to wonder, what was fake news and what was real? I had a feeling lately that it depended on the agenda of each station. Headlines today mentioned Covid-19 virus was hitting China hard. I didn’t give much thought to that. I didn’t know anyone in China. (Knit one, purl two)

As I went on, my fingers were flying faster than my mind! Then the red ticker tape across the bottom read Disney Shanghai and Disney Hong Kong to close indefinitely due to virus! This got my attention! Uh-Oh, I thought this will effect Disney stock. My fingers flew faster. This company never closes for anything! I switched the channel to find something more pleasant. That is what I do, I always put the unpleasant on hold until it effects me. (Knit one, purl two)

Next, the outbreak came to Italy at a devastating rate. The Italian medical community had more doctors and more hospital beds than parts of the U.S. for this type of thing and yet they had failed to contain the epidemic. I sat messmerized by CNN each day as they reported on the virus and little else. (Knit one, purl two)

The news from day to day brought more updates…..Cruise ships stranded without a port for home. California had begun the same frenzy. Airports could barely keep up with the thousands who wanted no port in this storm but wanted to get home. Oregon started showing cases and then New York. By now President Trump was my daily soap opera to listen to between twerelve and one o’clock. Something visibly happened to his personality between the first time he was televised on this subject with a dismissive attitude and the second day his vocal tones changed to a more serious note and his face looked beleagured from his knowledge of world events unfolding. Governor Cuomo seemed to be more serious and heartfelt long before the President or maybe it was just because his state had been hit hard! (Knit one, purl two)

I didn’t think I would ever get that blanket finished! Each time the news came on things got more serious or dire! Restrictions were a longer list every day! Grocery store lines had become way too long for my arthritis, so I began to order online and pick up. This got even crazier as I waited in my car an hour and fifteen minutes for someone to answer my call in the store from the shop at home department and bring the groceries out. I brought the bags home and to my dismay they had a bag from a different order in with mine.The bag contained two huge bottles of detergent. I called the store and said I would return them tomorrow. The girl could not believe I would do this. I hung up perplexed. The next day, I went to another store for seeds for my garden before returning to the grocery store. I pulled into the same spot and called for the girl to come out.

“I can’t believe you are doing this,” she said. “It speaks of the kind of person you are.” As I pulled away I thought to myself, I can’t use this brand with my skin anyway. (Knit one, purl two)

As the days went on I dutifully picked up toilet paper and needed prescription meds along the way. I noticed the shelves and the inventory were becoming less and less full.

Governor Murphy was beginning to talk about sheltering in place. I began to look at things differently. Having one daughter working for the State and having a toddler in daycare worried me. Having a second daughter seven months pregnant and high risk only added to my angst. But the worst was watching my husband go to work every morning. I waved goodbye as I saw him leave for the front lines of illness as a doctor. Doctors and staff had begun to call out from his clinic since some of them had compromised immune systems for one reason or another. I worried that he would be the last man standing literally! While I stayed home and picked up my knitting! (Knit one, purl two)

Haven’t been able to knit or purl one in last three months. Trying to maintain a somewhat “normal” household. Keeping up with regular housekeeping and grocery purchases has been like playing a game of hide and seek, only seeking is real. Trying to stock up on some extra cans of soup or beans wasn’t hard but paper products and Clorox items took up half my day on the internet or going to the stores. Napkins had become extinct. Twelve weeks in I found napkins on the grocery store website. After waiting eight days for a pick-up reservation, I got them home opened the bag and looked carefully. I discovered the manufacturer had taken paper towels and cut them in half in the factory and folded them and packaged them as napkins! If anything they were awkward! I tried to purchase some items for baking. Sugar and flour had dropped in weight to 4 lb. bags or 1 lb. bags from their usual 5 lb. bags. Hershey’s cocoa in the box for baking was not only obscure but when I called stores, they had no idea what I was talking about!

Took a drive to Costco. At first glance it seemed like they hadn’t been effected. It appeared like they had the same volume. But they didn’t, it was a magic show. The salmon normally displayed in 3-4 cases was intermittently displayed with every other case filled with cartons of strawberries. Displays of beef were fine but pork was low. And, guess what? Yes, you guessed it, no toilet paper! Really? And, of course as always when you go to Costco you buy 3 packages of pasta, tomato sauce, scores of crackers and umpteen boxes of frozen items that I can not remember now! Shopping in these grocery stores or pharmacies became my only excursion! Once home time for my wing chair! (Knit one, purl two)

We wrestled with ordering take out from restaurants. We asked each other, do you think it is safe? Do we pick up the order? Do we have it delivered? Do we take items out of the bags and then wash our hands? Do we slide the food onto plates and then microwave it for an extra step of protection? All of these decisions were making life a nightmare!

Friends and relatives could not leave states where they were. Their supplies were running low, so why not mail them some items. A visit to the local post office was a conundrum. Stand in line, use masks, and gloves, but how do I pay? With a card? With cash? No, I said, I do not want change back! Who knows whose money it was? Were they sick, etc? Then you want me to use my card and stick it into the chip end. Other chips went up that hole! Great, now I take the card in my gloved hand and put it on the floor of my car. I throw the pen and gloves in the garbage can. I put my keys in the ignition and drive home. In the driveway, I take a napkin from my glove box and carefully carry my credit card into the house. I clorox wipe my card and keys. Then I go back to the car and clorox the steering wheel, door handles and the house front door handles. Then I come in and scrub up my hands and arms. Whew and it is only lunch time!

I later decide to go to the pharmacy. I needed ladies products, antacids, tylenol and balmex. Walking into the pharmacy with gloves and masks was okay, but looking at the shelve I felt like I was in Russia in the days of rationing. One item maybe two was on each shelf for the item wanted. That fact in itself, led people’s thoughts to hoard. I tried to buy diapers for my grandson. They were very limited and none in his size. They had chips and Entenmann’s goodies at the check out line. Not a good place to be for me! I put my items for purchase on the counter as the donut box called my name.

“Take us home,” they said, “Your husband will like us.” And, I believed them as they hopped up onto the counter. The routine after getting home was the same now, I had to disinfect each item before I washed my hands! The items sit out for a day before I put them away. I try to find ways to use up my day. I enjoy writing but thoughts of fictional writing are less and less. I decide to knit hats for family members for Christmas gifts, but I find it gets on hubby’s nerves while we watch t.v. I try to learn to paint landscapes but I am not too good! Eventually, I send for jewelry supplies to make costume jewelry as gifts for family. I find I enjoy this, however, it is tiring on the eyes with all the little pieces. (Knit one, purl two)

Dr. Fauci on the news says things will get better as we distance from other people. Well, one day we went for a drive to pick up our car from its check up. Thousands of cars were in the Long Branch Beach parking lots. There was no way these people were social distancing, they weren’t even doing it on the sidewalks. The beaches were crowded. The number of virus cases will really climb in the next 2-3 weeks! It is time to think about buying a pool. But then you have to decide where in the yard to put it? Where is the water connection? Where is the closest point to join to the electric? What about the falling leaves? Oh! And, you need a fence! That means a survey! It needs chemicals and skimming and testing! (Knit one, purl two)

That would be a lot of work! We should pay more attention to the yard. So much time on our hands and so many container grown vegetables and flowers! Our yard has never looked better! Daily watering is beneficial not only for the plants but it gets me out in the air. New arrangements of patio furniture and a manicured yard had us ready for the 4th. of July. I felt guilty at times just sitting enjoying the cool breezes and the birds’ songs. It was almost as if time had stood still and then, at other times, I felt that we had missed an entire Spring just focused on dealing with the virus and our new way of life. Rumor had it that there was a second wave of Covid-19 coming in the fall. Do we get ready now? Will there again be hoarding or will it be worse? (Knit one, purl two)

We were such a rich nation. A nation that wanted for nothing. But it depended on which population you were or were aware of. We sent a great deal of aid to third world countries but we are not very cognizant of our own third world right here. When we are in a giving mood, November through January, we think of those less fortunate and we donate. And, it makes us feel good at that time of year. Then we even sing, “Oh! Come all ye Faithful, Joyful and Triumphant!” We give at this time of year to get that good psychological feeling. Instead, why not petition our law makers to give more to our own third world citizens so all can feel good, safe, and not oppressed all year long.

Most people who need help would love to stand on their own two feet and overcome all they have been through due to poverty or the need for a better education. Other countries can educate their young without the students having to pay high tution. Why can’t we? We have succumbed to organizations who really are not there for the education of the young but for the almighty dollar. The last thirty years our young people have been promised a bright future if they enroll and become tied to college loans. The amount of jobs that will pay our students enough to pay back their debts do not exist. The college administrators selling the snake oil know this. The high school guidance counselors guide students down the wrong lanes, as seen by the lack of healthcare workers available during this pandemic. Let’s stop the sugar-coating of opportunities. Invest time as parents, finding out where the real jobs are before telling our children the esteem-building catch phrase, you can be whatever you want. Sure, you can! If you still want to be in debt when you are sixty-five!

Let’s end this covert black mail hole for students. You can forgive billions of debt owed by business men and corporations! Forgive student debt! Restart tactics for drawing students to the right careers. This is what will make America stronger! We will be dependent on the next generation to care for us as we get older. How can they, when they can’t even live normal lives? They have to work two jobs to make ends meet. Wives also have to work. All of these factors have a bad influence on family life. Life as a family is no longer affordable. The only way a family can begin to make it, is to rely on the plastic cards. Another fantasy black hole to throw hopes and dreams into along with their hard earned money.

In reality, Covid-19 should have made us aware of what is really important! We have seen neighbor’s being helped by neighbors, when relatives were not allowed in hospitals. Nurses and doctors stepped in to help let souls release themselves. We need to do more for each other. We have had an awakening to what we should really be like and what is important. All lives matter! We need to reevaluate who we are, and what our children’s children will become! (Knit one, purl two)

I have spent the last four months recuperating from emergency abdominal surgery and a heart attack. The care I received from my husband and nurses has allowed me to return to an almost normal life.

These every day activities and thoughts drew me away from keeping up with my website. Things seem to have calmed down a bit the last few months or else we are used to a new way of life. Whatever the case, I am almost back to the person I had become, who will be writing on this website more frequently to bore you. – Cornelia