Stylin' with Masks

Halloween is still months away, but like most people, I’ve accumulated an assortment of masks as part of my COVID-19 prevention repertoire.

As it turns out, the one I figured I would probably never wear is the one I’ve had the most fun with! Seen at left, it was sewn by a neighbor in Seattle.

Yes, I look like a pediatric dental assistant with unicorn kitties all over my face. But the mask fits well and prompts more smiles and conversation than any of the others, which I see as the second-most-important benefit of mask-wearing.

I also occasionally rock:

• A multicolored fabric mask with the Periodic Table of Elements on it.
• A muted floral print mask that looks like it was once a curtain.
• A mask I hand-crafted using old white t-shirts once fated to become cleaning rags. This one also covers my neck, and makes me look the most like a bank robber.
• My most thrilling discovery in years: an actual N95 mask. I found it while digging around in my laundry room cabinets for something completely different. It was purchased long ago for a home painting project, but never used.

Frankly, I have felt guilty about not donating the N95 mask to a healthcare worker. But I’m in the “higher-risk” age group – unfortunate but true – so I figure I need to hang on to it just in case things get worse.

I’ve saved the full-page pattern and instructions from the newspaper in case it becomes necessary to add to my mask wardrobe. Here are a few others.

Meantime, in an informal poll of virtual coworkers, the unicorn cat mask won handily as the favorite.

“I know people who would start a bidding war for that mask,” said one.

That’s a good thing to know, since my $1,200 stimulus check hasn’t yet arrived.