Quarantine diaries: Uncovering history while cleaning out a spare room

Kathy Mercier discovered new parts of her family’s history as she organized her home while in self-isolation.

While 'coronagizing,' Kathy Mercier discovered new parts of her family's history

CBC News · Posted: Apr 07, 2020 2:43 PM EDT | Last Updated: April 7, 2020

Kathy Mercier, a federal public servant, is allowing herself to get lost in newly discovered pieces of her family history while in self-isolation. (Submitted by Kathy Mercier)

CBC Montreal wants to know how you are living these days. What are you doing differently? Have you learned, realized or observed anything?

Here is our next instalment of our series, Quarantine diaries: Life in the time of COVID-19, written by Kathy Mercier.

I am actually enjoying the time at home. I have started "coronagizing," a term I invented for organizing while in self-isolation. My pantry is pristine; I've chipped away at the mountain of laundry, and I am working on cleaning out the spare room. In doing so, I have found a trove of old photos and letters.

My husband and I purchased the house that he grew up in, and it contains a lot of his parents' history, as well as his maternal grandmother's history. There are many boxes tucked away that we are still discovering.

A time like this is actually wonderful for this kind of discovery. I can take my time and flip through photos, books, letters and objects. There is no rush. I can allow myself to get lost in the past.