masks

B. uncovered a couple of old dust masks and I used one when I went out. It had one rubberized band around the back so it was easy enough to put on. And except for a tendency to shift up into my eyes it was easy enough to wear. They're supposed to be single-use masks, but we don't have a supply, so I used it for more than that. Just tried to be careful about how I touched it.

We do, however, have a supply of rubber gloves. I bought a box at the pharmacy some time ago for medical purposes, but they turned out to be too small for me, so I bought another at a hardware store (the kind intended for painters, etc.) I gave B. the first box, since she has smaller hands, and I took the second. This has been great, not just at the grocers but when I needed to pump gas, and since having the smell of fuel on your hands is a constant problem there, I may continue using the gloves for that after this is all over.

Then our nephew's grocery delivery* included another bag in the form of a care package from his mother, which included chocolate Easter bunnies and ... a pair of homemade fabric masks. I looked at these and wasn't sure how to tie it. It had two loose strings dangling from either side. I thought you were supposed to tie the two on each side together with a permanent knot and loop it behind your ear, because I've seen masks with rubberized bands that work that way, but that would require careful calibration of string length to keep it from falling off, and I didn't think I could do that without help. Turns out, B. explained, that you tie the pairs on opposite sides together behind your head with a shoelace knot, and untie it when taking the mask off, which is still difficult but much less so than the other idea.

We tried wearing these while taking a walk yesterday. We looked like a pair of Butch Cassidy-era train bandits. Which adequately explains why some people of color say they won’t wear homemade face masks. In the midst of adversity, another example of white privilege, sigh.

*I forgot, when posting on that, to mention specifically that his equally estimable wife accompanied him, which is why I wrote "them" when writing of the delivery.