Coronavirus

An Afternoon in Bed

Peggy Rice3 Comments

The experts are saying that whatever you’re feeling in the pandemic, it’s ok. Give yourself some grace – your random wild feelings are normal. Mine put me in bed this afternoon. And I’m ok with that.

I had a productive morning. Swept the bathroom. Scrubbed the shower floor. Watered the outside plants. Wrote a little. Had my coffee and quiet time.

But around 11:30am, my tummy got rumbly. Not sick, just not well. And my mood declined. So I laid down. Then I thought I might be hungry, so I ate. And laid back down. Then I thought some cola syrup sometimes helps, so I got a Diet Coke. And laid back down.

I never did nap, though my eyes were closed some of the time. The bedroom windows are open, so I listened to the sound of our outdoor fountain bubbling. And the birds singing. The sun came and went behind clouds – I could feel the temperature drop with each shaded moment. Then warmth again.

My tummy is mostly better. But now I have a cat curled up on my lap, so I’m still not going anywhere.

I haven’t had an extended bad mood during this coronavirus, though the last three days have been a little rough. Hard to put into words what I’m feeling. I’m not down. Maybe just bored. And tired of the whole quarantine thing.

As I lay here in bed, I ponder. There’s divisiveness again – people wearing masks are being hassled. What happened to “We’re all in this together!”? We started out with a shared experience, but it is devolving. People are getting tired. And fed up. And angry. Which leads to choosing sides instead of unity. Instead of community.

And that won’t defeat the pandemic, and only serves to separate us more. In a time when we need to be kind and grace-filled with each other, extending patience and understanding.

It’s enough conflict to make me take to my bed for the afternoon!

What to wear in a pandemic?

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I’ve gotten very lazy in my clothing choices during this stay-at-home order. I’m in my pajamas – nightgown and sleep pants and bathrobe – until 11am, except Wednesdays when I have a 9:30am Zoom call – then I’m fully dressed!

On other days, as noon approaches, I change into clean undergarments and my comfy clothes. I own two pairs of yoga pants – one pair is capris, so it’s a little chilly in CO to wear those yet. I also have a pair of plaid pajama pants. I have leggings, too, but they’re in a different drawer and I forget to choose them.

I pick a complimentary sweatshirt. My plaid pants are burgundy; my yoga pants are black. So just about any top I have matches.

I always do my hair, but don’t wear makeup much anymore. In fact, only at my telehealth appointments with my therapist. I guess I’m still trying to make a good impression!

One problem with my comfy clothes as opposed to my jeans is the “stretch factor.” My yoga pants aren’t nearly as tight as my jeans. This means I don’t feel the constriction when I’m eating – it’s easy to overdo it in the calorie intake, because there’s no pressure in the waistband!

I also wear a poncho, almost every day. It adds extra warmth, even over a sweatshirt. I have a two-tone blue one, or a paisley one that’s brown/burgundy on one side and black/burgundy on the other. So I always have a cape that coordinates, too.

I wear socks and slippers, and still my toes get cold. When this pandemic is all over, I may need to buy a new pair, as these are getting pretty worn.

I do wear my jeans (sometimes my yoga pants, never pajama pants) – when I walk the three blocks to the mailbox. And I wear my jeans when I go to the grocery store. And I put on real shoes.

I suppose all of this is better than staying in my pajamas all day, as tempting as that is. Changing clothes gives me a sense of normalcy to an otherwise crazy time.

Coronavirus Boredom

Peggy Rice2 Comments

I’m bored. I’m sure I’m not the only one.

This pandemic has us stuck at home, when many of us are used to being out and about. Whether it was Bible Study or errands, I could usually find a way to be out of the house most days. In fact, I treasured the days when I didn’t have to go anywhere, and could stay in my pjs until noon!

But I’m tired of it. I want to leave my house. The daily walk to the mailbox (3 blocks away) isn’t what I mean. I want to be where people are.

I’m trying to keep busy here at home, but find myself playing games on my phone to pass the time. I should be reading, or working on my book. I was knitting until I ran out of yarn for my blanket project; it will help, I’m sure, when my order arrives.

I’m hoping that this seclusion doesn’t spark a depressive episode. So far, I’m okay. I’m not terribly anxious, but occasionally sad. But I’m concerned about all of this time on my hands. And where do my thoughts go? I don’t want to spiral into negative thinking – that’s the gateway to depression for me. I keep checking my WRAP to make sure I’m staying mentally well. So far, so good.

I’ve used Zoom and FaceTime on a few occasions. The connection was bad on the day I chatted with my kids, so we ended up with just audio. And the point was to see their faces, so that was disappointing. We’ll try it again – maybe tonight – to play a game. That worked several weeks ago, and was lots of fun. That would boost my spirits, I’m sure.

I cried yesterday when I realized that my son lives 20 minutes away, and I didn’t get to see him for my birthday, nor will I for Easter. I had – unbeknownst to me – gotten my hopes up that he and his girlfriend would come over this weekend. We could social distance around the kitchen table. But he didn’t think it was wise – I’m sure he’s right – and so I cried. And I cried again today.

And crying is okay. In fact, everything I’m feeling is okay. This is uncharted territory for almost all of us, and change brings strong emotions. So I’ll let myself cry when I need to. And I’ll keep trying FaceTime to see my family “in person.”

Open Haiku

Peggy Rice1 Comment

Based on the WordPress Discover Prompts – “Open.” A Haiku.

 
I’m sorry to say

I awoke feeling sadness.

Just being open.

I’m sorry for us

In this unprecedented

Time of pandemic.

Those who are alone

or lonely or sick or scared.

But God is Sovereign.

He is with us all.

He understands our frailty

and offers comfort.

He loves us deeply

and encourages us to

not be afraid now.

So I feel sadness

for those who are struggling

but God understands.