My Social Distancing Experience

The past couple of months have been interesting. What have I learned/done during my time of social distancing?

  I learned that I can work from home. I made a daily plan,stuck with it and literally crossed off my accomplishments from my list daily. I learned that    I actually concentrate better when I’m not chatting with co-workers!  My new daily morning routine involves rolling out of bed and stumbling to my computer. I do get dressed, but I take my time. It will take a week or so of practice when we are back to the normal work situation. 

  I had one of my best birthdays ever. Between my friends, family, and kids, it was a very special day. 

  I ordered gifts for others online. It was actually much simpler than scrambling to find something at the last minute.  I ordered small Easter toys, baskets,  and candy for grandkids. I put thought into birthday gifts for my sister and my friends, and ordered them in plenty of time for their birthday. I actually listened to my husband and ordered his Father’s Day gifts. 

 Even though I missed two concert events that I was really anticipating, I learned to enjoy free online home concerts from some of the country singers that I used to like. I streamed a couple of Broadway plays and enjoyed them from home.  I watched American Idol contestants performing from home and it was fun to see a local kid as the runner-up. 

  My husband and I worked to get things done around the house for ourselves. We painted our bedroom, ripped old carpets out and got new carpet.  My husband did most of the work. He built us a cute little deck/hideaway at the side of our house. We’ve spent time out there daily, away from our phones, just sitting and visiting. He also installed a new (to us) dishwasher. After a year of handwashing dishes and jenga stacking the dish drainer, this is a real treat.

Speaking of Treats..

I’ve treated myself.  I bought two new sets of sheets.. GOOD sheets. Normally I just buy the cheapest sheets I can at Wal-Mart. This time I did research, I read reviews, and I bought sheets that feel like heaven. 

I ordered myself some special shoes for my feet. I’ve had a bunion problem for years in my right foot that is very painful. This is one of the reasons that you don’t catch me wearing cutesy shoes, it just hurts too much. These shoes I ordered are made specifically to help with bunions. I haven’t received them yet but I’m excited to see if they help. 

I pissed people off. Most people would say that’s not a good thing, but for me it actually is. When I was younger, I would speak my mind and not really care about it. As I’ve aged (and matured I suppose), I’ve avoided confrontation at all costs. I don’t speak my mind politically, and the one time I did a couple of years ago, I of course was seen as the “bad guy” because that person wasn’t used to me outwardly defending my political views. I’ve always tried to see both sides of every story and I try to be the peacemaker. But during this COVID19 situation, I must be feeling frustrated.. or bold..or bored.. because I’ve managed to piss a few off. I even got blocked from the guy that used to do a local news page (and no, it was nothing political). He thought I was “friends with” someone that I defended in a comment.. so when he blocked this woman’s entire family, I was included. Little does he know that I have never met the woman in my life.. I was just standing up for something I believed to be wrong.  There were other instances as well, that I won’t get into..but I will say that I have made the decision to get back to the person I used to be and speak my mind instead of holding things in. I didn’t intentionally set out to piss people off, but it is what it is. I’ve accepted the fact that everybody isn’t going to like me, and that’s okay. 

I tried new recipes(when I could find the ingredients). Some were decent, and some were flops. Some I loved, but my family hated.

We got a new grandbaby, and she’s a beauty!

I’ve developed two new addictions. One is Outshine frozen fruit bars, and the other is a guilty pleasure. 90 Day Fiance (before the 90 days). It is one of those trainwreck shows that pulls a person in, never to let go. My husband is addicted, too (although he’ll never admit it).  🙂

During this time, I haven’t worried about writing my blog. It has been almost two months since my last new post. My domain renewal was the first of May, and I struggled with the decision of whether to renew or not..just unsure of whether it was worth the money it costs me to keep it going. 

Ultimately, I decided that I need my blog. I may not post often anymore, but it is there if I feel like expressing my feelings. It is there if I want to post a recipe. It is there if a friend needs to express their feelings.  For at least another year, Cookies and Cursewords will be here.  

What have YOU been doing the last couple of months?