xt7d7w676r82_119 https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7d7w676r82/data/mets.xml https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7d7w676r82/data/2020ms084.dao.xml unknown 346 Megabytes 189 digital files archival material 2020ms084 English University of Kentucky The physical rights to the materials in this collection are held by the University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.  Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. In This Together: Documenting COVID-19 in the Commonwealth Collection Coronavirus infections -- Social aspects -- United States -- Kentucky COVID-19 (disease) Epidemics -- Kentucky. Diaries -- United States -- Kentucky. In This Together - Paula Steenken COVID-19 reflections text In This Together - Paula Steenken COVID-19 reflections 2020 https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7d7w676r82/data/2020ms084/Digitalfile_2020ms084_111/Multipage312.pdf 2020 April 23 2020 2020 April 23 section false xt7d7w676r82_119 xt7d7w676r82 Libraries

Special Collections Research Center

In This Together

Documenting COVID-19 in the Commonwealth

Name: Paula Steenken
Date of Submission: 2020 April 23

Biography: I was born in Kentucky in 1951. For my husband's career we lived in a number of
different states over the years but we moved back to the Lexington area in 2014 to be near our
grandchildren. Our son and daughter-in-law both work at The University of Kentucky as a law
librarian and archivist respectively. My sister also works at UK as a pathologist and director of
the tissue bank.

COVID-19 Experience: Sheltering in place during this pandemic has had both good and
unfortunate consequences for me and my family, though overall we are thriving. Our
compassion goes to all those who have lost family members, jobs and incomes during this

crisis. My husband traveled extensively on business every week for his pharmaceutical company
until the Corona Virus restricted him from doing so. In early March he attended a symposium in
Colorado and was later notified that the area he was in had a spike of Covid 19 cases at the time
he was there. Two days after his return home he developed a cough and a low fever. There were
no available tests at that time for his mild symptoms and he was better in just a few days. We
quarantined ourselves and have continued to shelter at home since then. My husband and I are
both enjoying this opportunity for him to be home for such an extended period of time. Being
together has been joyful and, in one sense, is a lovely preview of what retirement will be like in
the near filture. What we both agonizingly miss is gathering with our family, especially our
grandchildren. We have 2 grandchildren in town with whom we have just begun to have yard
visits that include social distancing. We miss their hugs! Our other grandchildren are all in
Texas and we Face Time regularly. We had to cancel a visit to see them in mid March. I have
initiated a weekly Art Show to stay engaged with our grandchildren, aged 21, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, and
1. Participation is also open to their parents. At a designated time we all post our creations on
Instagram and post comments on each others' works of art. So far we have created self portraits,
pet portraits, Easter bonnets or bunny ears, Indian ponies, and photographs of Springtime. To
motivate one of my out of town grandsons to read more, I am in a book club with him which we
conduct on Face Time. The adult Book Club of friends that I host at my home monthly is now a
zoom meeting, which we all agree is not as good as meeting in person but is certainly better than
not meeting at all. My husband and I enjoy driving around the beautiful Kentucky countryside to
see the horsefarms with their grazing thoroughbreds and Spring foals. The blossoming trees and
flowers remind us that there will be a new beginning for all of us...this pandemic will not last
forever. For the time being, we have canceled multiple domestic and international trips this
Spring and Summer. A quote by Winston Churchill during World War II can also be applied to

 Libraries

Special Collections Research Center

the Covid 19 experience of today: "It would be foolish to disguise the gravity of the hour. It
would be still more foolish to lose heart and courage."