Sunday, April 19, 2020

Life: It Goes On - April 19

Happy Sunday! It is Sunday, right? I'm still working, albeit from home, and I'm still losing track of what day it is. I don't know how those of you who aren't working right now are keeping track!

The temperature in my backyard read 75° yesterday so I started moving more of the fifty or so plants I have in boxes in my kitchen into pots outside. It's too early; I know it's too early. But I needed to be doing something outside. And I needed some of that clutter out of my kitchen. So I'll probably spend the next three or four weeks checking overnight temperatures to see if they will need to be covered for the night. It's worth it - I love looking out and see that sign of spring in my yard.

Last Week I:

Friday, after the sun
came out and the snow
started to melt.
Listened To: I finished Gigi Levangie's Been There, Married That, which was the perfect read-while-you-work book, just as Erik Larson's latest, The Splendid and The Vile became available. It's a long one and I'm not sure how I'm going to find the time to listen to it without any commute. I'm only 30 minutes in to it so far and have only 9 days to listen to 17 more hours. We'll see how this goes both time wise and with my ability to focus on a long, nonfiction book right now.

Watched: Thursday we watched 6" + of wet snow fall. It was beautiful and the streets and sidewalks were warm enough that they stayed pretty clear. But, damn, it's the middle of April - it's not supposed to do that. Luckily, it being the middle of April also means that by the end of Friday, almost all of the snow was melted and things were drying up.

Read: I finished Paulette Jiles' Simon The Fiddler, which I loved; now I'm back to Kate Atkinson's first Jackson Brodie book, Case Histories, which I'm reading as part of a group read. I also started Sue Monk Kidd's new book, The Book of Longings.

Made: I would love to be able to tell you that I'm cooking up a storm these days, what with having extra time everyday now that I only have a one minute commute. But I haven't been terribly creative. We have been eating a lot of salads, I slow cooked some delicious pork chops, and we've been playing with ramen recipes. Mini-him is the one whose really busting out his cooking skills - he made bolognese sauce one day this week and he and his girlfriend have made several Japanese meals. So proud of my boys' mad kitchen skills!

Enjoyed: A social distancing dinner last night. We picked up Greek food then met in a school parking lot (parks here having been closed). It was a little weird, but, basically, a picnic. We're planning to do it again next weekend. Like everything we're having to do differently right now, we learned some things that will make next time better.

This Week I’m: 

Planning: We may have passed the end date of 40 Bags In 40 Days (and I'm both proud and horrified to say that I did hit the goal of 40 bags!), but my work will continue. I have never finished my work in the basement and I'm bound and determined to stick with that this year until I am done. It sounds morbid to say, but if the worst were to happen to me with this virus, I want to leave things in such a way that my family will easily be able to find anything they need.

Thinking About: Other ways to actually see people without putting any of us at risk.

Feeling: Tired of being afraid.

Looking forward to: 2021. Surely by then we will be able to go to sporting events, eat out, and hug each other without fear.

Question of the week: As you can see, this virus is on my mind a lot, although I am finally able to turn it out for long periods now. How are you all finding ways to keep your mind occupied and keep in touch with the people you love?



8 comments:

  1. Love that picnic idea! I think one of the greatest things to come out of this stay home period is creativity. There are some seriously amazing ideas out there! I've tried things I never had time for before and I'm loving being with my kids and being able to work. As an introvert, I find this all good. Now if only we could step out without needing to over-prepare and be able to meet people when and where needed.

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    1. I'm absolutely amazed by how creative so many people have been through all of this in so many ways!

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  2. I think I'm gradually learning that I don't need to be updated on the news many times a day. Have just about weaned myself off of it except for once a day. As to family, friends, etc., well, I pick up the phone and call so much more than I used to. Many are still working - some from home - some at wherever they normally work. We have a daughter who is a nurse, a sister-in-law who works in a doctor's office, two elementary school teachers figuring out the online thing, a nephew in the third year of med school (who is relieved to not have to be working with the sick right now), and my husband and a bunch of friends who are working from home. I've been walking a lot in our neighborhood and I'm the one that goes to the grocery store now and then for supplies. It's OK, but I will be glad when we can be a bit more like 'normal' - whatever that will be. Take care and hope your week this week is peaceful and as stress-free as possible.

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    1. I just wish everyone would just wear masks - it seems like that, along with hand washing and sanitizing, would provide almost all the protection we need to stay safe and allow us to do most things we want to do.

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  3. Glad you were able to do some social distancing potluck! What a great idea. I have plans for a social distancing coffee date tomorrow. I hope 2021 is better but still worried... Glad your son is breaking out some cooking! I wish mine were old enough to do that! It gets hard thinking of things to cook. We just started our spring cleaning this weekend and have plans to keep us busy for quite a while. Good luck with your basement and reading this week! It looks like the temps are just gonna keep getting warmer! May you and yours stay safe and healthy this week!

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    1. I had my daughter cook one night this week. Mind you, sees 25 and has lived on her own. We had spaghetti with butter and parmesan. That was all; no fruit, no veggies. Your son could probably do at least as well as that! But I learned long ago not to say anything when my kids did things around the house, even if it's not exactly what I would do.

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  4. As the days go by, I find myself less patient with people who post ridiculous things on social media in regards to this safe at home order. I am so upset with some people that I do not want to know them anymore. This pandemic has made it clear to me what I already knew. I'm just have more time to ponder it.

    I like your car picnic idea. Greek food sounds good.

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    1. You know, I had just given up on trying to talk sense into people about politics. But now I really can't keep my mouth shut; those people who keep saying it's no big deal don't seem to care if you and I die from this because they couldn't be bothered to stay inside for a month or so and to wear a mask when they go out.

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