Conversations in the past 6 months have been about one of two things: Covid-19 or politics. I am so sick and tired of talking about both of those topics. No matter what is said it has not changed our current reality. As a change of pace, let’s focus on something fresh in today’s post.
Let’s face it, life is going to remain closed (or semi-closed) for a while. As places try to re-open, I am hesitant to make a habit of going ‘out’ in fear of getting sick. I choose to remain sheltered in place as much as possible. Thanks to having to be home due to my personal choices, I have had to get creative in keeping myself busy. How about you? And what new things have happened in your life?
As for me, I began the long arduous process of cleaning out my house. I have lived in my house for 13 years and have so much stuff that I have not looked at in years. It is a perfect time to purge! Every week I fill the garbage and recycle bins. And once they are empty, I start again. I go room by room, closet by closet, drawer by drawer. Some days I get a lot accomplished, others not so much…and that’s okay. I am making headway. I even collected 10 grocery bags filled with old documents and took them to be shred. $60 and 15 minutes later, I felt very free and light!
I’ve always been a cook but never a baker. In the past several months I have perfected baking banana bread (although never bake when there is a storm and you must seek shelter in the basement. It is inevitable the loaf will end up dry as a bone, over-cooked while tornado sirens blare in the distance.) My mom also taught me how to bake challah and my first endeavor turned out pretty well. Yum!!
My canasta skills are becoming quite proficient as I play online several times a week. Most recently, my friend who taught me canasta is now teaching me how to play pickleball. That, too, is a very fun game, especially for an ex-tennis player who no longer has the agility or joint mobility to play tennis. I just ordered my own racquet on Amazon and cannot wait to use it.
Thanks to Zoom I have been able to join my brother’s Shakespeare book group. He usually hosts it at his home in Albuquerque but with the pandemic, everything went virtual and I can now happily be a part of the group. It is so fun! Our father always quoted Shakespeare and got us ‘hooked’ when we were young. To revisit the plays and discuss with others is thought-provoking, enlightening, and quite enjoyable. My only regret is that I did not think to invest in Zoom before the pandemic. I guess my crystal ball was on the fritz…darn!
Finally, I am watching more television than usual, catching up on my Netflix and Amazon Prime queues. I am also trying to read more and am now ensconced in Macbeth, the Scottish play, for my Shakespeare group. I try to spend more time on my treadmill or walking outside when weather permits so as not to gain the Covid-19(lbs.). However, where I used to do weight training has gone out of business and I’m hesitant to walk into a gym until there is a vaccine so my muscles will have to suffice with what I am able to do within the confines of my house.
I look forward to hearing what new things you have tried and/or what old things you have revived in this time of being housebound more than usual. Please share here on my blog. In the meantime, be safe and healthy!
Be Present | Be Purposeful | Be Well
Leave a Reply