Betsy Snow White Bibliophile

Tag: Pandemic 2020

  • Covid Chronicles: Diagnosis, Shock and Early Symptoms

    Covid Chronicles: Diagnosis, Shock and Early Symptoms

    I tested positive for Covid-19.

    On Wednesday I woke up with what seemed to be sinus drainage, typical for this time of year and not at all unusual for me. By Thursday it was falling into my chest and I had a wet sinus drainage cough, which is again not unusual, but because of the current issues I was sent home to contact my pcp. She thought all signs pointed to sinusitis, but ordered me a Covid test because it is basically required if you report a cough.

    So… Friday late morning I went to a drive thru testing facility for my pcp where they tickled my brain with a swab (this is what it felt like, weird but not painful). I was notified by my pcp that I had tested positive for Covid late on Friday night.

    I cried quite a bit and immediately went about contacting work, family and friends that I had tested positive. I also shut myself up in our master bedroom away from my husband and our pets. Seth went Saturday morning to get tested as well, and he was negative which made my full quarantine even more necessary.

    So, today is technically day 4 since my diagnosis, but day 7 since my first “symptom” began. I still have a bit of a cough. I have also lost my sense of smell and taste. I took a bath with a witchbaby bathbomb which I know smelled amazing and I couldn’t smell anything. That is disheartening to say the least. Especially knowing that it may never come back.

    I am in quarantine for at least 10 days, possibly more. Right now it seems like I have a mild case and I am hoping it stays that way. I am resting, a lot. And I am watching too many Christmas Movies because they make me feel better.

  • Thoughts on Halloween Season 2020

    Thoughts on Halloween Season 2020

    This year it is hard to find my full Halloween spirit. Halloween is my favorite holiday, but I am just not feeling the spooky spirit as much this year as in years past. I know there are a lot of reasons that it is harder this year: pandemic, about to start a new job, water heater replacement suddenly, oh and did I mention a pandemic.

    Yesterday my manager wandered over and told me that she saw someobe who was challenging my place as queen of Halloween at work because she was wearing a Halloween dress, with leggings and socks; I was wearing a pair of jeans and a goldenrod blazer. It made me think about how I have not been wearing a lot of my Halloween stuff this year. It seriously hadn’t occurred to me until she brought it up.

    I am going to try to find my Halloween happy this week and next. I have a Halloween party on Saturday that I am pulling together a costume for which is getting me into the spirit a bit. I am also going to be pulling together looks for a couple of witchy meetups and Halloween shows, so I predict the spirit beginning to show itself soon.

    I really hope so. I miss casually spooky me. 🖤👻💀🕷🦇🎃🔮

  • Isolation Chronicles: Zoom Parties, Trivia and Porch Visits

    Isolation Chronicles: Zoom Parties, Trivia and Porch Visits

    The Ohio stay at home order has been extended to May 1, so we are sitting tight at home for at least a few more weeks. I can say that I think my anxiety is either leveling out or I am just getting used to it. Neither is probably great, but…it is what it is. I am working from home 87.5% of my week I am working at home now (Seth helped me with that math. I go into work for 5 hours in the evening on Friday.) I still get my Wednesdays off though, so that is a positive.

    Last Wednesday I was part of an amazing event hosted by Joanna DeVoe, Molly Roberts, Cris Ashburn, Joey Morris and Jessi Huntenburg on Zoom. It was an April Fools Day Witchy Town Hall and we wore costumes (tiaras, ears, flower crowns and fun glasses), talked about books, and had witchy trivia contests. I was the lucky winner of a call with Joanna DeVoe and a prize from Joey at Starry Eyed Supplies. I also put an offer out to send more Snail Mail messages and got several replies, so I will be writing more letters on Wednesday.

    I am so excited about the call with Joanna. I have been watching her Youtube and listening to her podcast for a long time as well as supporting her Patreon and chatting with her on Twitter, so getting to have a coaching call with her is an amazing gift. Our call is set for the 15th and I am beyond excited to chat with her about where I am headed and how to get there. She is such an absolute ray of light in this world and I feel blessed to be connected to her.

    On Saturday my Mom and Sister dropped by and we maintained a safe distance on our porch to have a short visit. They dropped off Seth’s Birthday present (his birthday was March 30) and brought us Soppapillas from Soppapilla Express in Newark. That is absolutely one of my favorite foods in the world and secures my family as completely awesome. They got Seth a Fitbit Versa and the boardgame Pandemic, which we all got a good laugh at. That night Seth and I played Pandemic a couple of times and played through Castle Ravenloft once.

    We are staying sane and keeping ourselves entertained. How are you faring in the isolation? Doing anything fun?

     

  • Day 10: Pandemic Pen Pals

    In the light of social distancing and quarantines I have begun writing letters to many of my friends. Some are prearranged Pandemic Pen Pals and others are just me writing letters to let people know I am thinking of them.

    I got an idea that I might want to write letters differently just for fun so one of the ideas I came up with was writing on a library checkout card and pocket. I was able to find some easily and started sending them out today. I am actually quite happy with how they are turning out. Not every letter I send will look like this, but I am absolutely in love with them.

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    Now I am trying to think of other interesting ways to send/ write letters for my lovely new pen pals. I found some paper I had bought several years ago that is pieces of maps that were misprinted, so I think I may write some on those. I am thinking about playing with some origami stars as well. I have already broken out my various seals for the occasion and my myriad color of pens. Who knew letter writing could be so fun?

    I haven’t written this many letters since I was in middle school. I used to write so many letters and lists and intricately folded missives between myself and my friends. I wish I still had them. When I was a teenager in a fit of pique I threw them all away. I regret that now that I am older and would love to remember that awkward girl.

    Are you a letter writer? Do you enjoy receiving letters? Were you a crazy teenage letter writer? Can you fold a letter in about a dozen different ways?

  • Day 9 of the Hostage Situation: Divination

    I love tarot and oracle decks. I have been reading since I was 16 and I have loved them ever since. I think they are a divination tool of such beauty, and each deck is unique with new insights to share. I am a bit of a collector when it comes to decks and I have well 6 right here beside me and an additional 8-10 more. I may be underestimating that amount as well. I might have a problem (nah!). In the last month I received a new oracle deck as a gift and I received a tarot deck my husband kickstarted for me as well. I am awash in new divinatory tools and I love it. I thought I would share my first impressions of both decks in case you were looking at them, or so you might want to.

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    Deck 1: The Literary Witches Oracle written by Taisia Kitaiskaia and illustrated by Katy Horan – The artwork for this oracle is lovely. The cards are divided into two types: The Witches and The Witches’ Materials. There are 30 witch cards with portraits of famous literary women and 40 material cards which are common images found in literary work like wolf, cauldron, white dress, etc. The deck comes in a sturdy box and has a guidebook that has basic meanings for each card as well as sample spreads. Here is a quick look through the guidebook.

    The cards are well made and solid, but a little large for my hands when it comes to shuffling. The imagery on the cards is gorgeous and lush for the Witches and beautiful but simple for the Materials. I love the idea of working with imagery as a divination tool and I look forward to using this deck. Here are some examples of my personal favorite Witches and some of the Materials I liked a lot.

    Deck 2: The Oriens Tarot by Ambi Sun – The imagery for this deck drew me right in when Seth showed it to me on Kickstarter and I knew I needed it. The artwork is stunning and comprised of animals and insects. The colors are lush. I have been waiting for this for a while. The deck came in a beautiful sturdy box, and I also got a reading cloth in the design from the back of the cards. The deck does not come with a physical book, but I was able to download a copy onto my computer and phone, and you can look at the meanings of the cards on the website.

    The sides of the cards are gilded in an amazing holographic silver that catches the light beautifully. The cards are of a nice thickness and fit really well in my hands. I could shuffle them all day if given half the chance. (I find shuffling super meditative and relaxing.) I am massively in love with the animal imagery and the beautiful colors. I am so excited to get into using this gorgeous deck. Here are some of my immediate favorite cards.

    Do you read tarot? Or do you collect them like me? What do you think makes a great deck? Do you enjoy oracle decks as well?