It’s been a perpetual Groundhog Day around here, some days better than others. Our stay at home order has been extended to May 1st, so I’m trying to take things one day at a time right now. I wish I could tell you that I’m being super productive here at home, but I’m really not. I’m kind of treading water. I miss normal daily life, and the beauty of a regular day. I think we all are, really. I find myself looking at movies and tv shows B.C. (Before Coronavirus), and think silly things like, “Remember when we used to go out to dinner and all sit together in a big group? Remember when going to a concert was no big deal? Look at how close together those people are. Those were the days. How naive we were back then. So blissfully unaware of what was to come.”
I know we’ll all pull through this. There will be a new normal to life after this. We will adjust and adapt like we always do. But boy, change is hard. There is some comfort in knowing that we’re all going through this together. In the meantime, let’s get on with a Weekend 5+1 (since I didn’t pull it together on Friday). This post contains some affiliate links.
Calypso
I think I’ve been living under a rock, never having discovered David Sedaris until now. But, oh. my. goodness. I have found a new favorite. Calypso has been in my wish list for awhile, and I finally bit the bullet and bought the audiobook. I’m so glad that I did. If you enjoy laughing out loud, David Sedaris is for you. I literally laughed out loud within five minutes of starting Calypso. David is a master story teller, writing about his life in such a way that he paints a vivid picture of the people and experiences of his life. I have since listened to Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim and am looking for another book to add some more laughter to my life. My only suggestion here is that you consider listening to the audiobook (I use Audible) because his voice lends so much to the stories that he tells.
Studio McGee at Target
I am a huge fan of all things Studio McGee, and often find myself drooling over their designs and remodels. They can do no wrong in my book. So, you can imagine how excited I was to hear that they have a new line at Target that we can all enjoy! Here are just a few things that caught my eye.
Striped Linen Upholstered Cube / Artificial Fern / Copperton Wood X Base Console Table / Belmont Shore Curved Foot Console Table / White Ceramic Lamp / Decorative Brass Figurine / Treeline Abstract Canvas / Yarn Dye Navy Pillow / Artificial Rubber Leaf Tree in Pot / Tripod Floor Lamp / Artificial Olive Tree in Pot
Brené Brown’s New Podcast – Unlocking Us
I have loved Brené Brown since I saw her viral TED Talk, and I stumbled upon her new podcast recently and really enjoy it. She has some wise words that really help in making sense of our current collective situation. I highly recommend it. She’s so real and relatable, and I love how she approaches this situation and helps bring us all back down to earth.
Her first podcast is here, and it’s called Brené on FFT’s (First F-ing Times). Talking about how doing things for the first time is hard and that we need to give ourselves some grace and remember that. And dealing with a pandemic is an FFT for all of us.
Adult Coloring Books
My mom was on the adult coloring book bandwagon way before it became popular, but I have to say, there is a certain amount of Zen that activities like these provide. It really helps to just focus on the task at hand and forget everything else that’s going on. We need this more than ever right now. Don’t forget the colored pencils.
Or there’s this option for today’s current climate:
Zoom Wine Night with Friends
I will say that one positive that I’ve garnered from this whole experience is that my friends and I got creative and did a Zoom happy hour this past week. It was so good for my soul. We had a rule that you had to drink if you said the words “Corona” or “Virus” and we held to it! Seeing their faces and talking like we do in person was just awesome. Bonus that many of us took the time to shower and actually put on makeup for this event! And we laughed ourselves silly once we figured out how to change our Zoom backgrounds…
My +1 for the week…
Gee, there are so many +1’s out there right now, it’s hard to choose, isn’t it? So, knowing that things are just awful in general right now, I’m going to be petty and complain about our wifi. I think with everyone going online, things must just be overloaded, because I swear, ours flakes out at least 2-500 times a day. How am I supposed to look at all of the funny Facebook memes without consistent wifi? How am I supposed to stream Ozark with my wifi dying on me midstream? With all of the crap going on right now, you’d think we’d all at least be able to have stable wifi. That’s all I’m saying.
Stay strong! Stay sane! Stay showering!
Jenny
6 Comments
Susan Hinds
April 5, 2020 at 4:08 pmHi Jenny. You certainly got it right with your “perpetual groundhog day” remark i feel the same way. Being productive isn’t easy most days at my house, but once i can get started the day goes a little faster& i feel better. I’m sure we are all trying our best at learning a new way of living. Hopefully it wont last too long. I enjoy your blogs & look forward to them. Thanks for being here for us.
Jenny
April 7, 2020 at 10:16 pmThank you for your kind words, Susan. It’s definitely a time that will be remembered in our collective history. I keep meaning to pull out a journal and write about all of this because I know my memory will fade with time (heck, it fades within minutes sometimes!). I’ve figured that some days will be good, and others won’t. You just have to kind of take them as they come and roll with it. What other choice do we have, right? I told my husband that even though I can’t control the situation, I can control how I react to it. I’m working on that!
Kathie Phillips
April 5, 2020 at 7:01 pmHi Jenny, we were having the same issues with wifi. We discovered my android phone was set on auto back up and was continually backing up everything I did to the cloud. Once we turned that feature off, our wifi starting working with no issues. Hope this helps.
Carrie
April 7, 2020 at 9:59 pmIf you like David Sedaris, you’ll likely also enjoy Jenny Lawson. You may have heard of her blog, The Bloggess. If not, please google “blogess beyonce the chicken” to get a taste of her style. I have laughed out loud in public many times reading her work. Laughter is the best way I know to get through this mess! Goof luck and good health to you and yours 🙂
Jenny
April 7, 2020 at 10:14 pmThe Bloggess definitely rings a bell, but it’s been awhile. I will definitely check her out again. Stay well!
Linda N
April 9, 2020 at 8:10 pmIt’s not been too bad here in Eureka, MO, a suburb of St. Louis, but my hubby and I are a retired couple living on 13 acres, we always have projects going. So we are always busy. I do miss just jumping in the car and going to any store. But we are healthy and happy, so can’t complain. ( I do miss the grands, though! We are doing Zoom and Echo Show.) I just feel so bad for the grocery workers and medical people who can’t stay home. They are our heroes.