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My “Mass Observation” Journal
in the time of a Pandemic. January 2020-February 2020- more to follow…
Mass Observation was a United Kingdom social research organization found in 1937 (Wikipedia). There had been some concern that the opinions of people of the UK and their problems were not getting to the national press and that there should be some record. An archive of what was written is housed at the Univeristy of Sussesx. The journal of “Housewife 49” (Nella Last) was turned into published books and dramatized on British television.
The Beginning of the pandemic was in December 31, 2019 when Chinese officials found an odd pneumonia cluster of 40+ patients in Wuhan — most connected to a seafood market.
My daughter and husband had traveled to New York state to spend Christmas with family there. I’d decided to spend Christmas at home. The long trip in a car irritated my back and fibromyalgia issues and I promised that I would be there for our grandson’s 16th birthday in March.
Christmas was alone with cats and dog and books — I did well. New Years Eve, both were home, and we were all early to bed and on January 1 Morgan and I spent the day reading in the den — Heather cooking and getting stuff done for her return to Lehigh University at the end of the month.
