Coping with COVID: Taking time for the little things

“In order to see the birds it is necessary to become a part of the silence.” – Robert Lynd, writer from Belfast, Ireland

Baby birds survive tornado-strength winds

Because of being stuck at home, Yuanyuan Sui (application developer, Application Development) began discovering more interesting things around her house. Two weeks ago, she found a nest with blue eggs in a bush. The color was too pretty to be true. Then about five days ago when she checked back, the eggs hatched. She’s been checking on them almost every day since. They even survived the tornado a few days ago.

Digital puzzles at the Virtual Community Hub

Dawn Francis-Chewning (educational analyst III, student digital life) has been enjoying the digital puzzles offered by the Carlos Museum at Emory’s Virtual Community Hub. The hub was created as a place where “you’ll find a place to connect, whether it’s joining the Buddhist Club for weekly meditation sessions or attending a virtual symposium or webinar. Explore how others are processing this unprecedented experience by visiting the Student Artist Virtual Gallery. There is even a place to record your own thoughts by writing a “Note to Self”—a reflection that will be kept in a “digital time capsule” and emailed back to you a year from now.”

To more easily find the puzzles, go here.

Helping front line workers

James Proctor‘s (network analyst, NOC) wife Lisa is the President of the Peachtree Corners Business Association (PCBA). They launched of a new Feeding the Front Line Program to provide meals to workers on the front line. Meals are prepared by restaurants in the community and go to support front line workers including those in healthcare, EMT, and first responders.

During the week of April 12th, meals were delivered to doctors, nurses, lab technicians, and other staff at Emory Johns Creek Hospital and multi-shifts at Gwinnett County Fire Station 4 in Peachtree Corners, GA. Additionally, throughout the month, and potentially longer, other front line workers will be supported. Firebirds Wood Fired Grill in Peachtree Corners generously donated hot meals for all 3 shifts at Gwinnett County Fire Station 4.

Pumpkin finds a home

This happy story from Jen Doty (research data librarian, RESC):

“At the end of February, our family was without a pet for the first time in almost 20 years. So we adopted a new cat from Furkids, an orange tabby named Pumpkin. He’s settling in well, and has become our daughter’s favorite remote learning classmate.”

What Book are you reading?

The following is a list of books being read by your fellow co-workers during the pandemic:

• 21 Lessons for the 21st Century, by Yuval Noah Harari
• Acid for the Children, by Flea – being read by Steve Bransford (video producer, ECDS)
• All I Ever Wanted: A Rock ‘n Roll Memoir, by Kathy Valentine – being read by Sarah Quigley (head of collection processing, Rose Library)
• An American Marriage, by Tayari Jones
• The Asylum series, by Madeline Roux
• Behold the Dreamers, by Imbolo Mbue – being read by Dawn Francis-Chewning
• Book in the Boat, by Daniel James Brown – being read by Sam Tasanasanta (PMO manager)
• Crucial Conversations, by Kerry Patterson, et al – being read (again) by Chad Street (network engineer, Network Monitoring )
• The Golden Compass, by Phillip Pullman
• Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood – being read by John Nemeth (clinical informationist WHSCL)
• Jack Reacher, The Midnight Line, by Lee Child
• The Last Odyssey, by James Rollins – being read by Jay Flanagan (manager, enterprise email and messaging)
• The Lost Conspiracy, by Frances Hardinge
• The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern
• On Romantic Love, by Berit Brogaard – being read by Saira Raza (business librarian, GBL)
• Pandemic, by Sonia Shah – being read by Wade Moricle (marketing and communications specialist, CCR)
• The Shining, by Stephen King
• Silver Sparrow, by Tayari Jones
• Small Wonder, by Barbara Kingsolver
• Switch, by Chip & Dan Heath
• Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson – being read by Lisa Hamlett (applications support analyst II, LTDS)
• Tuxedo Park: A Wall Street Tycoon and the Secret Palace of Science That Changed the Course of World War II, by Jennet Conant
• We Are Never Going to Meet in Person, by Samantha Irby – being read by Clare Barton (application support analyst, LTDS)

1599 still in bloom

Garrett Southwell (lead applications developer, Enterprise Applications) took another photo of the cherry trees in front of the 1599 Building.

Dad Joke of the Week

I wanted to go on a diet, but I feel like I have way too much on my plate right now.