Part One
Quarantine Chronicles. It is the end of week 3. I am fine. We are all fine. At least we feel fine. We look fine. So far, we are all healthy and showing no signs of the virus. Mentally and emotionally, we are just taking it one day at a time. It is just the 3 of us sheltering at home. Fortunately, I can work from home. In his senior year of college, our son can complete his semester from the comfort of his dorm room, located on the second floor of our home. My husband is finding ways to keep himself busy in between work stuff.
Daily Routine during Quarantine
We have settled into a nice little routine. I am the first one up to start my day. My workday doesn’t begin until 8:00 a.m., but I have maintained my normal wake-up time of 6:30 a.m. (give or take a few minutes some mornings). Since I don’t have to worry about my hair or make-up or standing in my closet deciding on an outfit, I have more time free time in the mornings. After starting the coffee, I sit in meditation/prayer for about 10 minutes using the meditation app on my phone. By then, my coffee is ready, and I use the remaining time to read or catch up on social media.
The house is quiet; the sun is just coming up, and the birds are singing their morning song; it so peaceful and a great way to ease into my day. I have become quite accustomed to these mornings and will miss this time once we can return to work at our office. I know, I know, I could continue this practice, but I know myself well enough to know that I am not going to get up an hour earlier (5:30 a.m., ugh) to be able to sit and drink coffee in my quiet house before getting ready for work….it ain’t gonna happen.
Keeping the Days Fresh during Quarantine
I try to set little goals for myself each day. With the arrival of Spring, the afternoons have started to warm. I take advantage of the weather and head out for lunchtime walks. The fresh air and change of scenery do wonders for my concentration and motivation. I also try to read each day. I have a collection of classics that I acquired from my uncle after he passed. He was an avid reader, and I welcomed the opportunity to give his books a new home. And as I mentioned earlier, I try to incorporate meditation daily.
Months ago, maybe even a year ago, I bought a sketch pad and pack of artist pencils from Michael’s, intending to sketch out some ideas for my future tattoos. Well, that little project didn’t pan out, so the pad and pencils sat in a drawer. I pulled them back out during this time at home and have been doing some sketching and doodling. It has been very therapeutic to be creative and see how the drawings turn out.
Finding New Hobbies during Quarantine
Another goal of mine is to use my camera more. Our yard is home to a plethora of birds and flowers. This time of year, flowers are popping up all over the place. Since we are under the Governor’s Stay At Home orders, my backyard is my own private studio these days. We have a Downy Woodpecker that visits our bird feeder, and it seems to know every time I grab my camera, it disappears. I have made it my personal mission to capture its image. Not just a blur of a redhead nestled in between the leaves, but an actual magazine-worthy photo.
At 5:00, I finish up my workday. Some evenings I take my walk before dinner if I am not able to walk at lunch. We usually sit down to dinner just in time to catch up on the day’s news before we tune into Jeopardy. You see the stuff on Facebook and social media, which mix funny and fear. Then you watch the news, hear the numbers, the statistics, and Dr. Anthony Fauci, and never want to leave the house again. After watching the news, I wonder why so many people are still not staying home and heeding the warnings. I assume they are keeping up with the news or think they are invincible. Either way, it is out of my control.
Another thing that has occupied some of my time is my new hobby, beekeeping. We have bees! We are very new to this and so excited to have our own two hives. More to come on this later. I can’t wait to share.
Taking it one day at a time
In between new hobbies, work, reading, and fitness, we still have time for TV. Most of our evenings are spent relaxing on the couch surfing cable channels, or catching up on some of our favorite series on streaming services.
Setting daily goals and having little to-do lists in my head helps me maintain some sense of control during this new normal. There have been emotional days and very blah days, but for the most part, I have been able to embrace these days at home and cherish the time with my husband. It isn’t so bad when you get to spend all day with your best friend. We laugh a lot, which helps ease some of the fears that we are experiencing from not knowing what is next. There are so many unknowns right now, and that can be unsettling. We are doing our best to stay positive and just taking it one day at a time.
How’s everyone doing out there? What are some things you’re doing to get through each day? Any new talents discovered? Any goals set? Tried any new recipes? Please share in the comments.
