In the years that I was in church music, Holy Week was known as Holy Hell Week in our household, in that we had nine choral services to perform in the time between Palm Sunday and Easter Day. None of the services was identical; each had its special chants, hymns, anthems and motets—the choir probably sang over 30 pieces of music in the one week, and I had a bunch of organ music to play as well. In the midst of it all, my husband Carl Crosier was absolutely insane to cook a dinner for the 45 participants in the choir and clergy on Easter Vigil, in between the choral rehearsal and the service!

A couple of years, Easter coincided with April 15, Tax Day, and Carl had the added burden of preparing tax returns for his clients in addition to doing all the music for Holy Week!

This year, however, with many churches closed due to the coronavirus outbreak, I found myself sewing cloth face masks all week. Instead of playing music, I was sewing.

It reminded me of the time, many years ago, that the girls of St. Andrew’s Priory were presenting the spring musical. I was the piano accompanist, and when the director found out that I knew how to sew, pulled me off the piano and assigned me to sew costumes instead!

So on this Good Friday, I found myself standing in line back at Fabric Mart, to pick up some more supplies for sewing masks.

I arrived before the store opened, and was shocked to see that the line was TWICE as long as it had been the week before. That time, it had taken three hours to wait patiently in order to enter the store in this age of restrictions and social distancing .

As before, I took the last stall in the parking lot which was partially covered by a blue tarp. A woman knocked on my window, warning me that a homeless person was underneath. As I was waiting, a rather young man emerged from underneath and went behind the dumpster to relieve himself. I was only about ten feet away and felt embarrassed for him.

Some of my readers, when reading last week’s post about standing in line for three hours, questioned why fabric stores were still open, thinking that they were not essential businesses like grocery stores and pharmacies.

As it turned out, at 4:30 that afternoon, the City of Honolulu ordered all three Fabric Mart stores to close, considering them nonessential. This, in spite of the edict for all residents to wear a face mask when away from home, seemed unfair and not rational.

I was feeling relieved that I had made it just in time. This time the line had moved faster, as it took me only two hours to move through the line and make my purchase.

As the Honolulu Star-Advertiser wrote:

A flurry of protest quickly arose among hundreds of Hawaii residents and others against Caldwell’s order that fabric stores close down because they are not considered essential.

As of 2 p.m. Monday afternoon, more than 500 signed a petition launched by Honolulu City Council candidate Jacob Aki, asking that fabric stores such as Fabric Mart be considered essential for those who are sewing face masks to protect others during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Many said they needed to go to the store to inspect the fabric in person, in order to make a purchase. Others said stores such as Fabric Mart had already been limiting the number of customers inside, and reminding those in line to practice social distancing and to remain six feet apart.

Today, however, the City reversed itself and declared that fabric stores were essential businesses after all. But Mayor Kirk Caldwell said that there would be no more long lines outside the store—sales would either be online and customers would be mailed their purchases; or only two customers would be allowed into the store at a time, to ensure social distancing. He also suggested that the store deliver the fabric to customers sitting in their cars—however, Fabric Mart said it might come up with an appointment system.

In any event, I got my fabric in the nick of time, and to date have made 78 masks, nearly all of which have been given away. Here are some of my latest creations.

Here’s a new hymn for Easter 2020, with words written by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette, sung to the tune AURELIA (“The Church’s One Foundation”).