What Would Jane Austen Do?

In a pandemic, that is. I imagine her life would look a lot like mine does now, only without WiFi or streaming TV. My typical pandemic day? I get up early, usually before it’s light out, do my yoga, get something to eat, and start writing. I write straight through till the day, taking breaks for lunch and a walk later in the afternoon. The only difference between my current schedule and my pre-pandemic schedule is that my husband is now also my work husband, as he’s now working from home. He’s a TV reporter and these days Zoom is his friend and he reports live from our living room.

I didn’t commute to work before the pandemic. I make my morning tea in a pot rather than a mug from a break room. I can take a bathroom break without worrying about the lack of privacy if someone else is in the next stall. I can eat peaches, like J. Alfred Prufrock of the e.e. cummings poem. And these days, I get to hear the words “I love you,” from my husband more than once a day. (Usually after I’ve fixed him lunch.)

I’m sad about what’s happening in the world. I feel incredibly lucky not to have been afflicted by any the ills that have afflicted so many others. I pray for those who’ve suffered and thank God for his blessings. My life is good, and that’s the greatest blessing of all.

On the book news front: Those of you who have been patiently waiting for my next book, you’ll be happy to know it’s finally done and I’m hard at work on the next one. I’ll let you know when I have a pub date.

One last thought…They had plague and pestilence back in the days of Jane Austen, but imagine what the folks back would have been thinking if they could have seen into the future. I picture them scratching their heads, wondering what the heck the term “social distancing” meant and why the people wearing masks weren’t going around robbing other people.

Stay well, my friends. And God bless.