Let me start by saying, I pray that you are all safe. I hope you’re maybe even enjoying living life at a slower pace for a little while. I realize being cooped up at home is lasting longer than any of us anticipated, but, it is what it is, so we might as well make the most of it!
With that said, let me share with you what I have been up to while sheltering in place. Like many of you, I’ve kept in touch with all my kids and grandchildren with FaceTime. I was even able to see my granddaughter take her first steps! Technology is amazing!
Of course we have all been on Pinterest looking for things to do. I organized and labeled my pantry and fridge. I even reorganized some pictures and put them in frames. I’ve sold a few things on eBay and Poshmark. My son has even been teaching me, through text messaging, how to do currency trading.
One day, my husband and I were really getting stir crazy so he convinced me to join him in copying a funny Facebook post that was going around: that’s when you know you’ve been cooped up way too long!
Another day, we jumped in the car and went for a drive in search of the bluebonnets, and found a few! We also took a longer drive, on a different day, to Possum Kingdom Lake State Park; it was one of those “must-do Texan things” we said we would do one day!
I watched a YouTube channel by Six Sisters Stuff. She makes videos demonstrating the finer points of using a pressure cooker. In one of the videos, she makes 5 different meals that you can freeze for later then just dump in the pot and walk away…dinner is done! This was perfect timing for cooking at home since we’re not able to go out to dinner right now. I spent a couple of hours preparing them, made 15 meals (3 of each one), and they all turned out delicious!
We also have a nurse in our neighborhood asking for homemade masks for the in-home nurses. So, once again, I went to YouTube and merged two different videos to make the kind of mask they needed. It has a wire inserted for sealing the mask around the nose and an inside pouch to insert some type of filter. I’ve read of people using dried out baby wipes as filters. It felt gratifying to know I was doing something productive with my time and helping others.
Last but not least, I’ve been working on my temperature blanket. It’s getting so big already and I’m only a quarter of the way there! One challenge that I never anticipated was the store being closed when I needed more yarn! Luckily, Michaels and Jo-Ann’s have online ordering and drive-up store pick up! Now I am all stocked up!
These are just a few examples of things I’ve done to keep busy and stay positive. I only watch the news an hour a day for updates; much more than that and it becomes depressing. Please be safe and don’t let this situation bring you down. I would love to hear from you; let me know what you’ve been up to!
