Cooking, Cleaning, Woodworking, Walking and Zooming

Today I thought I would share some randomness from our time "staying home".
 But first, a virtual vacation because we all need a little vacation and a "reason to believe"..to quote Rod Stewart.

Spring is proof that life goes on!
Brought to you by Texas wildflowers!

-I feel like we are living our farmhouse life in some respects.  Aside from the one time a week we order take-out to support one of the restaurants we hope survives this pandemic, we cook and eat at home... just like everyone else right now.  Every summer at the farmhouse I do a lot of cooking and eventually I get to that point where all I want is to go out for dinner and let someone else do the cooking and cleaning for a change.  Covid-19....I'm there...I want to go out to eat...with some friends.

-Has anyone else noticed how often the dishwasher needs to be run/emptied while we are cooking and eating all these meals at home?

-One of the side effects I have noticed while "staying home" is my sudden craving for baked goods.  What is up with that?  Yes, maybe I am eating away my anxiety and killing a little time but now I've added anxiety about the weight gain and the bad habits I am developing.  Why haven't I developed a salad craving?

My version of
California roll salad
(sans rice)
for lunch.

With a banana coffee cake chaser!
Highly recommend!
The house smelled like
bananas foster!

-While trying to make the hours pass and the days go by faster so this can all be behind us, many of us are using this time for our hobbies.  TJ is in the process of refinishing every piece of wood furniture we own.  He refurbished an old (I mean really old, like on its third life) wrought iron park bench.  The wood was all rotten and broken and the wrought iron was peeling and rusting.  He did the woodwork and I painted the iron.  We also relocated it to a more prominent location in the yard since it was no longer an embarrassment.

The "new" bench in its new location.

Broken slats replaced and a fresh coat of varathane
just in time for patio season...at home.

The next target of TJ's woodworking-keep-busy spree.

-I have taken this time at home to go through my closet and wear some of the clothes not in my regular rotation.  You all know you have your "go to" favorites and then there are all those clothes that you haven't gotten rid of but haven't worn in a while either.  I am wearing them and if by the end of the day or a couple of hours I just don't like it anymore, to the donation pile it will go.  These clothes are going to have to earn their way into the closet.  If it isn't good enough to wear while we "stay home" it isn't good enough to keep.  The pile is growing!

Fancy Friday....this top is trying to earn its spot in the closet!

-One of my neglected hobbies is sewing.  I am beginning to wish I was one of those people who hoarded fabric.  I am not and therefore I have no fabric to smock or sew....moving on to the next hobby.

-Things are almost to the point that I am seriously considering beginning a home improvement project.  The dated wall paper in the bathroom upstairs is starting to peel off the walls.  I am thinking of tearing it all down and painting the walls.  I figure if it is already peeling off the walls it can't be that hard to take down at this point...right?  I am afraid...very afraid to begin... for fear it will turn into Pandora's box!  Stay tuned.

-I had an interesting dream last night.  In the dream I was hosting a meeting, but was totally unprepared.  I was wearing workout clothes, my hair had that post workout disheveled look, I had no make-up on and had just finished a run.  I had no idea how to make coffee using the percolator in the dream. FYI, being a tea drinker, I can't make coffee in real life either! The coffee looked like clear, slightly brown water.  I could not find a decent mug for anyone to use.  The house in the dream was my house but was not my house if you know what I mean.  The people at the meeting were a mix of my book club, my golf friends, and my bunco friends.  You do not have to be a professional to figure this one out!  I miss my friends, I miss book club, I even miss LGA board meetings!  Plus, I am losing my hosting skills and should probably get out of my workout clothes!

-Walking down the street to our mailbox has become a very big event in my day. So much so that I am starting to do some online shopping, for clothes that I will have nowhere to wear. On the plus side, I am making room in my closet for some new residents.  You know...just doing my part stimulating the economy and giving myself something to look forward to in the mail.  Its the little things!  I walk down hoping to see one of the neighbors outside and share a brief conversation...from a distance.

-My feet have a new Covid-19 "look".  My bi-weekly pedicure is two weeks overdue.  This has resulted in my new minimalist clean look which is accented by the lovely sock tan I am sporting as a result of my daily mental health walks.  Not complaining, my nails could probably use a breath of fresh air...plus, who is going to see them anyway?!

-I miss church!  I find myself just a bit disappointed every Saturday night when I go to bed and catch myself having to rethink my Sunday plans.  I feel like my battery recharge has been taken away.  My weekly reset button has gone remote.  My Sunday ritual has changed from going to church to taking a four mile walk, listening to mass being streamed.  There is something to be said for inspiration in my ears, nature in my eyes and fresh air in my lungs.

-Speaking of the virtual world.  I never knew how satisfying a Zoom happy hour, trivia night or family chat could be until now!  Just seeing other humans and sharing this madness brings comfort and perspective.  We are all in this together and everyone else is just as tired of "staying home" as we are.

-My daily walks, runs or bike rides are my sanity!  I have added more miles just to pass the time and offset the baking habit I've developed.

-At the end of each day I say to myself,  "We've made it through another day!  We are one step closer to it being over."  This is not necessarily a great mindset to go through life with but for now it is all I've got.  What are we going to watch on TV tonight?

-So life goes on down here.  We don't necessarily like it but we are doing it.  Most days are fine, as long as the sun shines and I can get outside.  My attitude will change if it rains for more than two days in a row or the unrelenting heat and humidity of Houston eventually descend upon us.  I pray every day that the medical professionals dealing with this virus can stay safe and treat their patients as they need.  I pray for those trying to find a vaccine and treatment for this virus to be successful.   I pray for those who have the virus, that they recover.  I pray for Covid-19 to go away and I thank God for my family, my friends and for life.
Stay home and stay safe!