Hi my Friends,

I wrote this post a couple of weeks ago, but got distracted and never hit “publish.” Sadly, it’s still appropriate…..

I hope you are home safe and healthy. Our lives have been uprooted, what used to be our normal way of life is no more. But the world keeps turning, the sun rises and sets each day, and there is still beauty to be found, there is still hope. I know many are struggling with the loss of loved ones, lost jobs and loss of enthusiasm. For that I am truly sorry. I wish I could make this all go away, restore everything to before Covid….But that’s not the case. And while I’m thankful that we are good here in the sanctuary, I’m also keenly aware that we are lucky, our lives have not been totally upended by the “Stay at Home” orders and we have not lost our home, nor income. We are blessed to be in the financial condition we’re in and will be donating our stimulus checks to local charities when they arrive. Boredom has not hit us as yet but I know many are getting a severe case of cabin fever, have high anxiety levels and some are dealing with the whole home school thing while also trying to work from home. That’s a lot. Before you begin pulling out your hair, or if your house has been deep cleaned so many times you’re now down to the studs, I’m offering a few suggestions.

Here’s my List of 20 Things You Can Do to Maintain Your Sanity

Yes, I know you’ve heard PLENTY of suggestions, many of the following you may have already tried and mastered, but maybe there will be a nugget in mine that will spark an idea…. so here goes:

1. Learn a  new language or brush up on your high school spanish or french…. take a class in a subject you’re interested in, check with your area universities to see what’s being offered, or just take one of the free classes available on-line.

2. Learn to crochet or knit. Or embroidery. Embroidery is making a comeback. (yes, it’s true). There are  many YouTube videos and tutorials on-line. Miss Mustard Seed has a beginners class for knitting, or maybe it’s crochet, I don’t know…. it’s something with yarn. Google her. (Clearly I am not taking this part of my own advice.)

3. Take a sewing class.  Learn to make your own masks, then give them to friends and donate the rest to charities , some of our local organizations for the homeless have a need for masks, as well as health care professionals who are wearing homemade masks over the 95’s to make them last longer. Google is your friend for information ….  There are tons of mask making tutorials on-line. You can order supplies as well. (My neighbor did this and I can’t begin to say how touched I was to receive two of her masks for me and my Mr B.)

4. Improve your photography skills with free on-line classes…. ( or paid) everyone’s skill level is different, so just search  until you find one that suits you.

5. Cooking classes. There are hundreds. (I will not be watching them. Because. Kitchen. And cooking. ugh).

6. Learn floral arranging (Because beauty! and you can be the host/hostess with the mostest for weddings and parties and stuff…. after the pandemic).

7. Deep clean each room of your home (in progress, for the second time, apparently I’m a glutton for punishment). And then do the outside, Spring Cleaning! yes!

8. Read. Rediscover your love of reading. (or develop a love for it. You can travel anywhere without leaving your comfiest chair.)  I’ve read 15 books in 6 weeks, (edited, now 20 in 7 weeks) plus reread 3 old favorites. My love of  reading began in elementary school, and I’ve never strayed. For me, reading is fundamental. I’m sharing some of my books with my neighbor, who is rediscovering her joy of reading. (Sanitized and left on her porch #notspreadingmycooties)

9. Sort, label and organize your boxes of photos, your children will benefit from this someday. I’m doing this. It’s a work in progress,  and slow because I have literally HUNDREDS of photos I took, plus those of my Grandmother, Great Grandmother and Mom who did not get the memo about noting who is in the freakin picture.  I loosely organized, but need to do a more detailed organization and put some albums together. I’m really looking forward to that. (I LIE)

10. Join Ancestry and join millions of others who are searching their roots. I found it to be addicting, and have thoroughly enjoyed spending the time learning about my family history.  I now have binders of records and photos and copies of military records, marital records, census records and pictures of cemeteries and headstones. (And now have more piles of papers and notebooks and crap to organize.  Mr B said I enjoy living in chaos. And that I love piles. of. things. And the word hoarding may have been said.)

11. Plant a butterfly/bee/bird garden. Almost everywhere is experiencing spring now, and being outside digging in the dirt is so therapeutic. Do some research on your planting zone and native plants for your area. Use both nectar and larval host plants, plant shrubs for shelter for birds and put a birdbath out, making sure to clean it weekly. Add a bird feeder and use a seed or seed mixture that will attract your native birds. Suddenly your yard will burst with life and song and will be a haven for both you and the critters to visit.  No yard?  Even a balcony  can become a haven for butterflies and bees, you don’t need a large yard, just the right plants.

12. Join a Facebook group that supports your favorite hobby or interest. Make new on-line pals.There’s a group for every interest. Not kidding.

13. Walk or go bike riding. Get fresh air, it clears the mind and restores the soul. Maintain your social distancing. Dance like no one is watching, because no one is. (unless it’s your kids, then ask them to join your for a dance off and sing along party.)

14. Listen to a new genre of music you thought you didn’t like. You might be surprised.

15. Foster a pet. Many shelters are in need of both supplies and foster parents. You can save a life. And maybe save your sanity. Pets help us in so many ways and fostering means you get all those benefits without the long term commitment that pet ownership requires. You’ll also be helping that animal become a better candidate for its future forever home.

16. Purge, clean and organize your collections. Keep only what you love. Put the rest somewhere safe until this is over and you can make a trip to the donation center. Or just do the drive-up drop-off thing. Check with your thrift store to see if it’s open and accepting drop-offs.

17. Rearrange your furniture. Shop your home, move things around and use those newly purged, clean collections in new ways. Instant refresh!

18. Paint a room. Or more. Lowes, Home Depot, and other hardware stores are considered essential businesses, so don your mask, maintain your distance and pick up a gallon of paint.

19. Redo a piece of furniture. Have something that needs an update? Now’s the perfect time. (this is an on-going state of affairs here. There’s always something that needs an update. But don’t ask Mr B’s opinion, he thinks everything is OK just the way it is… I wish I could insert an emoji here).

20. And finally, you can binge Netflix and/or Amazon or Hulu or whatever streaming company you have. Find a new series, or two or three, I recommend Ozark, The Last Kingdom and Outlander. Or Tiger King, if only to confirm that you are not nuts. And that wild animals deserve to be left…. well…. wild and …. free…. and protected. Just sayin.

And because I’m very generous, here’s a bonus idea: Did you know you can tour some of the world’s most famous museums?? Yep, check out Google’s Arts and Leisure collections, there are many of the world’s best museums offering virtual tours

That’s all I have. Pretty sure most of you have contemplated some, if not all of these. But I needed to write something because organizing those photos is more than I can handle today. Maybe there’s something you hadn’t thought about doing. If so, I’ve justified my existence. You can thank me later. I didn’t include links on purpose, there are so many on-line activities, classes and tutorials, I’m not kidding when I say Google is your best friend right now. Use him wisely.

Be safe. Be smart. And Stay healthy. The world is still beautiful. This will pass and we will come together stronger than ever and better prepared for the future.