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From Gerry Milligan... With all of the conflicting information concerning the Corona Virus (Scientists [who are untrustworthy to repuglicans] tell us it will come on very strong while the great prevaricator says it is a democratic hoax [is there a limit on how many hoaxes can be accused by one administration]), my question is what is your church, and you personally, planning to protect yourself and your congregation? At my advancing age and weight, I am a candidate to be infected.

Starting Sunday we will ask people not to shake hands during the passing of the peace/greeting time. We will make sure that sanitizer is available in the narthex and encourage people to use it as needed. And all of our communion servers (it is communion Sunday tomorrow) will sanitize their hands before serving the elements. (We actually have done that the entire almost three years I've been here with communion.)

We commune via a common cup and intinction so it is important that the person handing out the bread has clean hands.

Honestly I think the chances of anyone in Iowa getting Corona right now are slim. But, we are doing this more because it is also flu season as well as to make people feel safe. We actually didn't shake hands for a few weeks last year during a major flu outbreak in the area.

My sister and I are reconsidering a trip to Santa Clara County March 25 thru April 2. That is where our brother lives and where we grew up. My sister has not been back there in 30 years. I feel it will have to get far worse to cancel the trip. My sister is more frightened.

Aside from that, my wife has told me to wash my hands 30 seconds or more with hot water.

Hope you've all got lots of hand sanitizer stockpiled. There is none to be had in or near Seattle.

There are still a few baby wipes in the stores, but hand sanitizer, face masks, and bottled water are scarce to zilch.

I'm hoping to attend the Olympia All-Day Sacred Harp Singing next Saturday, but am increasingly concerned it may be either impossible (because large gatherings may be deprecated by the health people) or inadvisable (because although I'm not terribly scared of this virus, I fear Mrs. H's immune system might not be so well armed). We'll see. King County just had the first COVID-19 death in the USA, and it was a case of unknown transmission route.

Has it occurred to anyone that the largest mass gatherings these days are political rallies? What better place to pass a virus, even more close contact than church might provide.

From Gerry Milligan ... Yesterday (first Sunday of the month) our church observed the Lord's Supper. What do you do when the body is passed? In typical Baptist churches, this is represented by broken up crackers on a plate. Who and how are the crackers broken up? What about all of those hands selecting a broken cracker from the plate? The blood is represented by the small disposable (or reusable) thimbles of grape juice. I had no problem with the blood but refused the body as it was passed. As a health-care professional it is worrisome. Fortunately if what the white house says is true, next month when we again observe the Lord's Supper this should not be a problem (that is, if you believe that).

From Gerry Milligan ...Sorry for the slur, old habits die hard. I am trying to improve. I had just "cut and pasted" this from something I had written to some of my family who are as extreme as I am, only is the opposing party. I WILL DO BETTER!!

Attendance this morning was 23 ~24, about three less than last week, in spite of all the fears and dissuasions. Passing the peace was mostly by elbow bump.

Well I went to bridge today after my partner talked me into it. We did terrible.

The “director” had a big bottle of hand sanitizer that she asked people to use as they saw fit. A couple of people used the sanitizers between every hand but most ignored it. I used my own bottle every round (4 hands in this case).

The Director also said the the ACBL may cancel a National Tournament in Columbus Ohio March 18-29.

I know this is more than you ever wanted to know.

At Song Circle last night, there were several good songs about things like washing your hands, and one really hilarious one about Ebola. Before I left, I led the group in singing the notes and the words to , an adaptation of the popular Sacred Harp closer PARTING HAND.

I have quit playing bridge although last night our Club President declare “games on” this week (14 sessions) with extra hand sanitizers, no food table (just canned soft drinks and bottled water).

Our trip to California (Santa Clara county) is postponed (Southwest Airlines offered a future flight to be used by Dec 2020)

We have cancelled our cruise (round trip from Venice to Istanbul, etc.) on July 9 (Holland American has offered future cruise credit $600 in our case).

We have not cancelled our cruise to Australia/New Zealand starting on Nov 9, but probably will before full price payment is due.

Our travel insurance (Allianz) is not applicable to epidemics or pandemics.

I’m staying at home playing games, reading books, walking, posting on BL, pressure washing my back patio (maybe driveway). My breathing and oxygenation is somewhat compromised from a surgery I had in college - left me with 70% lung capacity and typical blood oxygen levels of between 90- 97%. So my wife is going to get groceries from here on out. She is also helping with food “backpacks” this morning at our church to be distributed to families at MLK Elementary School.

My son in law is under self- quarantined for 12 more days at home due to his regular attendance at large concerts (Casting Crowns or Luke Bryan) - he was sent home last Friday. Future concerts are no doubt stopped until ?. We will help with any financial shortage that they see, though he may get some federal aid for loss of job. My daughter is not allowed to drive for 5 more months due to fainting spells-they use grocery/GrubHub delivery systems.

My sister has possibly been compromised (prayer mtg at Rehab center last Monday, church senoir trip to 50’s concert Saturday, and her church service yesterday). So she should self-quarantine at her apartment for 14 days. She too could get federal aid (it seems to me) since she is a substitute teacher.

I offer these actions our family is taking as a an example of what I believe to be responsible actions. It may be overly stringent but I'd rather be "safer than sorry".

Our church is shutdown for two weeks and the governor is now suggesting schools close for four weeks. This could be a long siege. I'm concerned some smaller churches could go broke if they have to close for a month or more.

Yesterday, Television Religious Personality, Kenneth Copeland, announced that the Coronavirus is God's punishment on Americans for hating Trump. Do you ever wonder why young people are rejecting Christianity when this is what they see?

The Chinese Virus and Kung-Fu Virus names are their not so subtle appeal to his base's suspicion of everything foreign.

I wonder how Spaniards feel about all the comparisons of COVID-19 to the "Spanish Flu of 1918", and what they call that one.