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Letters from the Homefront: ‘My Self-Isolation Quarantine Diary’

The following “Letters from the Homefront” account is part of our new initiative, Collecting in Quarantine. Inspired by the poignant letters in the Maryland Historical Society collection documenting past adversities from the Spanish flu of 1918, to the Annapolis yellow fever epidemics of 1793 and 1800, MdHS is calling on Marylanders to send their personal stories of how the pandemic is impacting their lives.

Interior scene. Liquor store display
Today’s contributor thinks we all need a laugh (and maybe an alcoholic beverage) in these difficult days. Interior scene. Liquor store display, photograph by Paul S. Henderson, December 1949, HEN.00.A1-050. Paul Henderson Photograph Collection, Baltimore City Life Museum Collection, H. Furlong Baldwin Library, Maryland Historical Society.

April 10, 2020 – On this day, Claire writes:

Day 1:  I can do this!  I have enough food and wine to last a month!

Day 2:  Opening my 8th bottle of wine….I fear wine supplies might not last!

Day 3:  Strawberries…some have 210 seeds and some have 235 seeds….who knew?

Day 4:  8:00 pm, removed my day pajamas and put on my night pajamas

Day 5:  Today I tried to make hand sanitizer and it came out as jello shots!

Day 6:  I get to take the garbage out.  I am so excited, I can’t wait to decide what to wear!

Day 7:  Laughing waaay too much at my own jokes!

Day 8:  Went to a new restaurant called “The Kitchen”.  You have to gather all the ingredients and make your own meal.  I have no clue how this place is still in business.

Day 9:  I put liquor bottles in every room.  Tonight I am getting dressed up and going Bar hopping!

Day 10:  Struck up a conversation with a Spider today, seems nice.  He is a web designer.

Day 11:  Isolation is hard.  I swear my fridge just said “What the heck do you want now?”

Day 12:  I realized why dogs get so excited about something moving outside, going for walks or car rides.  I think I just barked at a squirrel

Day 13:  If you keep a glass of wine in each hand, you can’t accidentally touch your face.

Day 14:  Watched the birds fight over a worm.  The Cardinals led the Bluejays 3 to 1.

Day 15:  Does anyone else feel like they have cooked dinner about 395 times this month???


Please note: The views, information, and opinions expressed and shared on the underbelly through the Collecting in Quarantine project do not necessarily represent those of the Maryland Historical Society. Our staff does not verify for accuracy the information contained within these submissions. We also do not edit the content beyond minor modifications for formatting or to remove personally identifying information, if applicable. Just like the historic letters in our collection, each letter presents the writer’s own perspective. The primary purpose of this series, with the permission of contributors, is to share and collect the experiences of Marylanders living through the COVID-19 crisis at this moment in time.

To learn more about the Collecting in Quarantine project and how to share a story of your own, click here.