Our main Covid-19 thread is getting so large, I thought perhaps one devoted to our mental and physical health might be a good idea. So, let us know how things are going.
Well, I just snapped at the inhabitants of a fish tank that it's not feeding time. And Andrew Cuomo said he yelled at his dog. Are we having fun yet?
Today our church had its first ever Sunday liturgy online which was a new experience. for our family.
My 20 somethings did yoga again on the grass together outside and played with a very happy dog. They also discovered our very old Wii and are reintroducing themselves to a childhood past-time. Well, we all were actually. haha. My 10 plus year old name on Wii name is Killer mom haha. I have begun writing in my journal finally and will try to continue to document life during this unique time we find ourselves in. I also weeded in my back yard and my husband gardened so we all had some time in the sun outdoors. WE haven't eaten in a restaurant or had any sort of prepared or take out meal in
We are making tacos tonight. I have all the ingredients and it will be a change from eating vegetable soup from the large pot I made the other day( we eat other things of course but that soup has been a staple). Yesterday we made pancakes and eggs together and had some fresh fruit. We like cooking together so that is a nice family bonding experience. My oldest is watching a movie with her boyfriend who lives across the country via the internet. The things we can do.
We are kinda boring right now.
I'm swinging between extremes of anxiety and hopeful calm. Right now I'm fairly calm, but give me a few hours and I'm sure I'll be back the other way!
Well, I just snapped at the inhabitants of a fish tank that it's not feeding time. And Andrew Cuomo said he yelled at his dog. Are we having fun yet?
I had a mild anxiety attack on Friday. I wore a mask grocery shopping from a carton we had picked up back in January . My first time wearing one and I felt like I was scuba diving or snorkeling. I was the only one in the store wearing one and it was interesting seeing people interact with me. Some moved around me but one man was being very friendly like trying to make "me" feel while shopping haha. ( That is usually a me thing do, I always interact with people when I am out and about).
But shopping was very stressful and when I got home I was still stressed for most of the day. I wonder how long it will take for me to yell and my family members or at our dog.
@sistermoon and @lovendures, I understand about the anxiety. As I mentioned under the Covid-19 thread, I awoke yesterday feeling awful and was convinced that I had the virus. After a few hours and taking my temperature a zillion times -- it was below normal -- I realized that it was an anxiety attack. Tuning into my body and listening to Cuomo's press conference calmed me down.
My husband and I went grocery shopping this morning during "senior time", when the store opened one hour earlier for us geezers. What I especially liked is that the store closed 2 hours earlier the night before, so that they could clean and disinfect everything. The employees all wear gloves and have large plastic guards in front of the checkout. I still wore my own gloves and fastidiously washed my hands when I arrived home. I also wiped my shoes with disinfectant. Still I did feel some anxiety when I was in the store -- not just mine, but those around me.
It doesn't help when you hear things like 50-80% of the population will most likely be affected by the coronavirus. I'm taking this virus very seriously, and I don't need to be hit over the head with such projections.
So ... I spent some time making a hearty stew and watching funny old movies. One film I watched that I love was The Man Who Came To Dinner. I will close with one of my favorite clips from the film:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lZSwZPnCHY
@deetoo. That is a great clip! Thank you!
I have not seen cashiers with any plastic guards. That is awesome!
My husband and I remain well. We went out to the desert today and did a fairly serious 2 hour hike. We found a trail we know and like and were the only humans on it and even the only car parked near it. I'd share the pics with you all, but there's no way to do that on this platform. We did stop at the visitors center for this very large park, and we picnicked inside our car because the center was as crowded as a typical Sunday. I was gobsmacked. Whole families were walking around and letting their kids run around sneezing all over the place, touching everything in sight, etc. No one was wearing a mask, gloves, or practicing social distancing, so once we had our pee break, we hightailed outta there to higher, more secluded ground. It was super pretty, good exercise, cacti in bloom as was white sage and even the ocotillos had flowers (they usually look like dead sticks), and the air was quiet except for the considerable buzzing of the bees who were very busy (it was a background hum, that's how loud it was). We ended up not bringing the chihuahuas along, but we found other secluded parks on the way home we can take them to at another time.
Meanwhile, "back at the homestead" - my daughter and her BF split their time between his mother's house, our garage, and they both work (auto service = essential service). I had to tell her that while I understand, this means they can no longer come into the house for more than a minute or two, especially not to use the kitchen or bathroom. We can't do family meals anymore either, but I told her I'm happy to include them in meals, but they'll have to come collect them at the back door and eat in the garage. We may be able to "eat together" on the back deck at some point, as long as we're far apart and it's sunny. The streets here in my city are packed like it's a holiday. People are all out and about. No one is paying attention. We do order in - I send hubby to go pick up, and the rule is - it has to be something that can be nuked upon arrival at home (so no salads), that way we can kill any germs from asymptomatic food service workers. I had killer tacos tonight - cauliflower molé and grilled shrimp, and he had a California Surf Burrito (burrito with steak, shrimp and french fries inside). Yummers. After the hike I was too tired to cook anyway.
My husband continues to gripe when I make him wear gloves when we leave the house and are in public. We do have a few masks, because I stocked them a couple years ago as part of our emergency kit, and I'm going to wear one the next time I shop, he thinks I'm being ridiculous. He is well able to work from home, and his boss has reassured everyone in their [software] company that their jobs are safe, but he's in sales and it's getting harder and harder to get anything done, let alone to close any deals. Meanwhile, he found out that many people in his prior two jobs have been furloughed, so we're grateful for that. We're grateful for a nice outside space out back, but my allergies preclude me from doing any real gardening or spending too much time out there.
In a related story, the landscaper did deliver me 2 herb plants and 5 packs of nasturtium seeds, so I planted those yesterday. It's going to rain again tomorrow and then 1 more time later this week, and then it looks like we're heading into our season change, so it will be dry and sunny and warmer going forward.
I'm choosing one friend to call and have a phone visit with every day. And as much as FB remains a cesspool, it is nice to be able to go on there and check in on people I'm not as close with, or people who I am but who are far away. I'm grateful to not really be suffering from cabin fever, and even though my hubby can get on my last nerve, we do make each other laugh every day. My dance instructors are giving links and putting up videos so I can dance a bit at home.
So for now, we're ok, and hoping beyond hope that Americans get over their libertarian and cavalier attitudes and look at the bigger picture rather than at their insulated, entitled lives. I despair of this a lot, and coming on this forum helps quell that despair.
Much love to all of you.
Namasté
After two days of alternating between high anxiety and depression, I am back on track, chill even. My dog Benny developed Coronavirus anxiety disorder while I was stressing and became very anxious and needy himself. So I spent some time today pinned to the sofa by an over large Bernedoodle.
I've been exercising like a maniac every day, walking, bike riding and home yoga. So today I took a break from that and worked in my garden, dividing and transplanting primroses into window boxes.
We see our neighbors as they head out to walk and everyone is always eager to chat at a distance, compare notes on online shopping and talk about all our crazy dogs. One neighbor told us about a secluded beach nearby where we can take our dogs for a swim.
Then my husband and I listened to music and read this afternoon. Very quiet day, but peaceful. Other than watching Gov. Cuomo’s press conference today, we avoided the news. For a diversion, we watched Tiger King on Netflix. It’s disturbing and insane, so we binged three episodes straight. I will never look at people who collect big cats the same way ever ever again.
Welp I just woke up with a sore throat so I'm back on the anxiety train again. Choo choooo!
(So far it's only on one side of my throat, not both, and I've been gargling with salt water since about 4 am when I woke up and discovered it. So fingers crossed it's just a sore throat and not a harbinger of worse.)