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.
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| 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.
