CORONAVIRUS

Sheesh!!! I guess we’re all in the same boat…well not really since we’re supposed to stay six feet apart from any other human. You know what I mean though. Absolutely nothing to do that is outside our homes. Yes, we can go grocery shopping on an as needed basis, but I imagine everyone is pretty much like me. You wait until you absolutely have to go (out of milk) and then dash in and dash out, using hand sanitizer again and again and then washing your hands when you get home.

          I don’t know how many of you saw the article or televised report about the young man, Avi Schiffman, who lives on Mercer Island. He’s 17, has been coding since he was seven and put together the Coronavirus Dashboard. You can find it here:  https://ncov2019.live/data. 

It’s an amazing piece of work, at least in my opinion, and he updates it on a regular basis. In the upper right-hand corner, there’s a little red button that says, “Buy me a coffee.” I haven’t done it yet, but plan to.

          I honestly don’t know if this accumulation of facts is reassuring or frightening. I’m trying to go about the business of living without actually living beyond my front door. Even though I have email, Facebook and my phone, I’m finding myself feeling a bit cut off from life as I knew it. No meeting friends for lunch or dinner or a drink. No deciding at the last minute to go to a restaurant for a meal on my own. No deciding to go to a movie unless it’s on my own television. I’ve a feeling if it lasts until June or July which I’ve heard mentioned, I may be depressed enough to want anti-depressants.

          On the plus side, however, is I now have all the time I want to do the things at home I’ve put off c I was too busy. Of course it’s also on the down side, since when I was so occupied with outside activities, I could excuse my inability to buckle down and get the job done because I was simply just too committed to other stuff. Now, there’s no excuses for not doing projects I’ve put off for days, weeks, months…years???

          So far, I haven’t delved into a book to while away the time, but I could easily do that. The library may be closed, but I can get books on my I-pad. I also haven’t turned to the television to binge watch shows that my friends and family have told me are absolute must-sees. Before coronavirus, I was much too busy to read and/or watch TV.

          Another desirable event, at least this week, is the weather.  The first day of spring is on Thursday and it’s supposed to be 60 degrees. On Friday it’s supposed to be 61. That’s get out there and muck about in the dirt weather. I just may get all those Mexican grasses transplanted from where they are to where I want them. I may also get all the various other big grasses cut back so they can proceed to grow for this season.

          A woman I know said that she makes a daily list of things she wants or has to get done. I begin a list each Sunday and add to it through the week. Out of 13 things currently on the list, I’ve completed six. I’ve also worked on three of them that are a daily chore, i.e., physical therapy, walking and John’s bedroom. Today, I’m three for three when it comes to those. So, I guess I’ll add grass transplanting and grass cutback to the list for later this week. That just leaves four left that I haven’t yet done, although one of them is almost complete.

          Depending on when coronavirus disappears and I can return to the normality of my previous life, if that happens, I should have completed a whole bunch of projects. Maybe all my windows will sparkle from cleaning, all the floors shine, the dust be totally removed, houseplants repotted and showered, John’s bedroom ready for repainting and redecorating, garage sale items priced and boxed…the list should be endless.

          I hope all of you who are reading this are healthy and as happy as you can be with where you’re located and what you’re doing. I’m making the effort, and I must admit that crossing off an item on my list definitely brings a big smile to my face. What are you doing that brings a smile to your face? Any suggestions for activities I could add to my list?