By Sima Auerbach

When the pandemic started, I was bored and so I started looking at my house. I upholstered my dining room chairs, rearranged furniture, spot painted, went through closets, etc. etc. 

I looked at all the clothes I haven’t worn in years and dressed each day – I took pictures and sent them to my grandkids with info like “this was called a pant suit.” We all had fun: I discovered I had 72 pairs of shoes I haven’t worn in years, as well as pocketbooks, so after house, clothes and shoes, I said enough.

I started thinking of my strange childhood and started writing. I’m filling up a notebook and thinking about using my parents’ stories of fleeing Russia, then Europe.... Jews fleeing is not an uncommon story. The pandemic keeping me inside physically has allowed my mind to go inward. It has been an interesting trip. I hope you, too, are exploring.