UMDJour370-S2020

Autumn falls out of her sailboat, which is actually a box.  Autumn peeks through her crib as she wakes up. Autumn prepares for a day of fun as the sun hits her face.  Autumn ponders the trouble she is going to get into later that day. Autumn shies away from her morning photo shoot. Ready to make trouble! Autumn acting goofy, just like her daddy.

Sidewalk chalk brings color to the streets of Three Willow Court. Capri (left) and Autumn (right) learn social distancing. Autumn inspects the tree bark in the Kling's front yard. Autumn and Capri learning friendship. Kids oblivious to the world around them. Animal crackers take a walk. Capri and Autumn look into the distance. Autumn shares her animal crackers with Capri.

On Friday, April 24, we started growing tomatoes in our backyard.  Every night my Mom and I cook dinner for our family. Although it is just four of us, my brother eats enough for two people. On this night we made an egg casserole. A fish, whose name is Jhoon, swims alone while its normal bowl gets cleaned. My dad has been working from home due to COVID-19. He usually has to drive 45 minutes or more to get to his office, so he is loving the zero-minute commute to his home office. Somehow I manage to avoid dish duty after we eat dinner. My mom complains about it every day. My Jour201 class has been meeting at our regular time twice a week. Today, April 28, we had Maryland State Police Spokesman Ron Snyder as a guest speaker. 

Children in Kensington, Maryland have taken to writing uplifting messages and COVID safety reminders in chalk at St. Paul Park. This one reminds park-goers to not sit too close on the park benches. Our indoor cat Athena is the most well-adjusted in the family to living a quarantined life. She lounges on the radiator cover and lets the sun warm her in the afternoons.  Last Tuesday at around 11:45 p.m., our across-the-street neighbors' house caught aflame. Out of respect for the family (who was standing in our front yard), I didn't take any photos of the fire itself, but once it was out I caught some pictures of the fire trucks outside our house. Neighbors, trucks, policemen and firefighters were outside and active until about 3 a.m. As an employee at an insurance firm, my mother Lisa is still considered an essential worker and is at the office from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every weekday. Here, she greets our cat Athena after getting home on Tuesday evening. ...

Although her treatment calls for her to rest, Soo Kim, a registered nurse, and breast cancer patient likes to keep busy by completing household tasks such as cleaning the bathroom. In this time of uncertainty, Rainbow for Hope attempts to lift spirits through their colorful bracelets. Their organization is focused on promoting hope during this time and a portion of their proceeds are donated to the American Nurses Association. On April 28th, the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds, a group of US Navy and Airforce pilots, flyover to salute the health care professionals of New York, Pennslyvania, and New Jersey. Soo Kim, a registered nurse at the University of Pennsylvania hospital, looks up and waits for her salute.  Due to her radiation treatment in her fight against breast cancer, Soo Kim is at increased risk of the coronavirus. Even when talking to neighbors, Kim maintains social distancing rules to help preserve her health.

Passover dinner is an annual tradition at my house. This year, the meal called for chicken, green beans, latkes and kugel. When the dishwasher opens after almost every dinner, Jackson races to try to lick off any food on plates and silverware.  My mom, Mimi Darmstadter, takes a break from her job as a life coach to play a quick game of Candy Crush. After playing the game for over four years, she has gotten through over 700 levels. Jackson stands at the top of the stairs, waiting for my stepdad to come upstairs. With the coronavirus keeping my stepdad working from home, Jackson bothers him throughout the day. As my mom reads a book for her life coaching work, Jackson rests next to her. These are their usual roles in the house: my mom, prioritizing her job, and Jackson, doing nothing. 

A man waits on line at a hot dog stand in Middletown, NY, while following New York State COVID-19 guidelines requiring masks to be worn in public. A pair of women putting groceries into their car outside the post office in Middletown, NY.  A mechanic works on a car outside an "Autozone" in Middletown, NY.  A reusable grocery bag used to carry materials to work for a resident in Warwick, NY.  A front entrance way windowsill and cabinet holding a plant and candles inside a home in Warwick, NY. 

The Gordon family sat down Sunday night to watch episodes three and four of the "Last Dance" Michael Jordan documentary on ESPN in their Highland Park, Illinois, home. Mimi the dog gets buckled up in her car seat before her mother and brother drive her around the North Shore suburbs of Chicago just to get out of the house. Mimi takes in the views of a sunny but chilly day around the Highland Park, Illinois, neighborhood from the comfort of her car seat. With restaurants' dine-in options being closed for the foreseeable future, James Gordon enjoys a hot dog with fries from Gene & Jude's in Elmwood Park, Illinois, from the passenger seat of his mother's BMW.

I dragged my framed stand mirror outside because I wanted to try a viral photo trend I saw on TikTok. I placed the mirror in a spot where there was good lighting and a beautiful natural backdrop. I then used my camera to take photos of my reflection on the mirror. Out of all the photos I took with my mirror, this was the best one. I didn't realize how difficult this TikTok photo trend would be and I really dislike how awkward I look and the fact that my clunky camera can be seen in the final image. However, I really like the bright blue sky and the leaves in the background. This self-portrait was taken during a lone 6:30 a.m. walk around my neighborhood on Saturday. I brought both my camera and tripod along with me and I decided to take some photos at different spots around my neighborhood. This photo was taken behind a small yellow apartment across my street. This is another photo that I took during my lone 6:30 a.m. walk around my neighborhood. This main road is lo...