SHELTER IN PLACE PLUSES???

         The Coronavirus Shelter in Place order does have some definite pluses, at least as far as I’m concerned. No one can come visit, so there’s no need to tidy up, vacuum, dust, clean the bathroom or any of the other household chores I’d normally do rather than have family and friends find out just what a slob I really am.

          There’s also no need to get up and get myself together so I can walk first thing since we’re not walking. No need to shower and dress because I’m not going anywhere. Instead, I’m sitting here hours later still in my robe and nightie, my hair uncombed, my face unwashed and my teeth unbrushed. I have eaten a bowl of cereal and it’s about time for my second latte. I can actually stay this way for the entire day if I want to because no one is going to see me.

Couldn't find with dogs

          Just this morning, I got up a bit before 7:00 am, put the dogs out and made myself a latte. I watched Good Morning America for about 20 minutes to find out the latest on the pandemic. Then, the doggies and I had cuddle time on the couch for more than an hour…it was after 9:00 am when I finally stopped dozing and got up.

I took a break from email, Facebook and the keyboard a while ago and was looking through a magazine. I had to laugh. There was an article about little homes. One of the commandments went:

“You shall tidy and organize daily. A house does not keep itself: The secret to a happy home is for everything to have a place and to do the work to put those things back in their place.”

          Looking up from the magazine, I surveyed my room and everything that needed to be put to rights. It was obvious my house is not keeping itself. It was obvious I wasn’t keeping my house.

          So, I got busy, back here at the keyboard, still in my nightie and robe…I won’t tell you just what time it’s become, but my mom and grandma would be terribly ashamed of me if they only knew. Let’s just say I ate my leftover homemade pizza for lunch.

          Of course, there is a part of my that feels lazy and guilty, especially when I think of the women who trained and raised me. I’m not sure mom and grandma ever had a day like this where they accomplished nothing…zip, zero, zilch. Then, I thought that perhaps that wasn’t so, that once they became older, they had days where they didn’t have to do anything. You see when I think of them, I think of myself as young and them as old. The truth is I’m as old now as they were then, so maybe they wouldn’t be quite so disappointed in my inability to be more goal oriented.           

          It’s not like I’m not trying, however. Every Sunday morning, I begin a weekly list of things I either need to get done or want to get done. The list from 3/15 still had three items on it that I didn’t do and haven’t done. The one dated 3/22 has two items not checked off. I saved the list from the week before because I thought I’d get it completed, but we’re closer to a new Sunday than we are to the old one.

          There were things that happened the weeks of 3/15 and 3/22 that I didn’t put on the list, i.e., two afternoons working in my garden; sold El Burrito, straightened up more of the garage, made a trip to Costco with my granddaughter, made a second trip to Costco for an I-pad, did laundry and grocery shopped. All of those were huge and should have been on the lists. Maybe I should add them just so I can check them off and feel accomplished.

 Menu planning also isn’t a necessity beyond deciding what I’d really like to eat. I know in my younger days that would have meant lots of sugar, chips and way more prepared food that tasted wonderful but probably wasn’t all that good for me. Instead, I find myself in the freezer deciding what I should thaw or sorting through the containers of food prepared earlier this year to see what sounds good. I’ve also been making a huge salad one day, eating half then and the other half the next day. Truth be told, I’m probably eating better now than I was before I was told to stay home. At least I’m cooking for myself…maybe I should add that to my lists too.

          In any case, I tell myself every night when I’m getting ready for bed what I’m going to accomplish the next day.  Guess what, apparently, I’m not listening when I tell myself that because nothing is happening…nothing, nada.  I’ve even tried to tell the doggies, but they really don’t care. In fact, they hate the vacuum, love messing up the blankets I put on the couch to keep their fur off the cushions and would happily get into any of the trash bins and make a mess. Whenever I go to the kitchen, they think I’m there just to make sure they get something to eat. They aren’t the least bit supportive when it comes to reaching my goals.

          I also think I’m spending enough time at this computer to qualify for unemployment if someone were paying me. That’s something else that seems to have taken over my life. I read my emails, look at Facebook, post my blog and then write more blog posts. I believe I mentioned last week that I was going to use my writing as the carrot before the donkey. Guess what, that idea failed…apparently this donkey believes she doesn’t need any dang carrots.

          Tomorrow is a new day…another Friday. Another week is almost gone and there’s two incomplete lists on my desk. I sincerely hope I listen to myself tonight and get busy once I get my lazy ass out of bed tomorrow. Maybe what I need is for one of you to call and tell me you’re coming to visit. I bet my lists would be far beyond complete…I’ll bet if that happened, I’d get so much done I’d be able to take all next week off.