I needed a bit of peace and quiet this morning so, instead of doing my usual boring at-home exercise, I went for a walk all by myself. I dropped my husband off at an appointment and then wandered into a nearby park. It was supposed to rain this morning and it was grey and gloomy the whole time I was walking. Now that I am home the sun has come out. If that isn’t a metaphor for life lately then I don’t know what is. One of these days I am going to manage to have my actual camera with me instead of just my phone. My kids bought me…

On Sunday I had plans to meet up with a friend I haven’t seen in a year or so. I walked into my living room, all ready to leave, and my daughter glanced up, stared, and told me I looked really fancy. I was wearing jeans, a nice shirt, and a little bit of makeup. I’ll leave it to your imagination what I have been wearing lately that makes jeans and a shirt look fancy. The sad thing is I felt a little bit fancy. This is what a global pandemic has done to me. I am home now after meeting my friend and chatting like mad for three hours…

I am writing this on Monday, July 13, and thus it is the 5,246th day of the year. It took me multiple tries to write that sentence because I couldn’t remember what day of the week or what month it is. But I know absolutely it is the 5,246th day of the year because there is no way it is only the 195th day of the year. Google tells me that is true and I don’t believe it.  I think there are probably at least 5, 246 days to go before the end of the year too. I know, I am just a ball of optimism today. In an effort…

It is a strange life I am living these days. I am with people all the time but I never see anyone. I have all the time in the world and no time at all. I want life to go back to normal and I dread the return to a frantically busy reality. I love my family and love the time with them and I occasionally dream of running far away from them. I read all the news and scare myself with what is going on in the world and I, at the same time, feel like I am living in my own little bubble. I am content and I…

I have spent way too long refreshing the news. I have been pulled into a nostalgic vortex composed of baby clothes, photographs, and stuffed animals. Cleaning an attic is not for the faint of heart or the overly emotional. We have been for a few walks by the river. Unfortunately, too many of those walks have been ended with a stop for ice cream at the convenience store down the street. I have decided quarantine calories do not count. I have decided to start an exercise program. Yes, that does contradict the previous statement. I have started using Zoom. This is slightly anxiety-inducing for the socially awkward among us. When…