Confinement can suck. But being safe and alive doesn't so we deal with it. “First world problems” I tell myself. Having said that, confinement prompts some of us to invent tasks. One of those on my list is dusting a small closet in which I keep my coats, old shoes, and other stuff that I don’t use daily/seasonally. That’s when I saw my travel pouch with all my tiny bottles of shampoo, deodorant, moisturizer, toothpaste etc. There will not be any traveling this year. None of the usual excited planning our annual trip to Catalina. I took out all the bottles and decided to use them. No sense keeping them until . . . the virus is no more life-threatening? I felt quite sad.
In addition to doll-making, sewing handbags, making jewelry and painting landscapes by numbers, I now make To-Do Lists every day with nonsense tasks such as: water the plants just to remain relevant to myself!? I laughed, because I had been doing that too! I am finding many of my friends – especially old ones like myself – are doing the same just to remain motivated and sane! It is sad and funny at the same time, since during our busy non-virus days these To-Do items would have had no need for written reminders! Here are samples of entries on my list:
1. Change Sheets.
2. Wipe down Fridge/Reorganize Freezer
3. Reorganize Closet
4. Reorganize Pantry
5. Dust Bookshelves (And remind myself of all those delightful books that I have read!)
6. Sauté Cilantro and freeze ( It always comes in handy for that dish, or soup that needs it)
7. Check in on my sons. Remind them of when they used to......... (I am always talking to my children in my head anyway)
8. Comb the kitties with their special comb.
9. Tweeze eyebrows (it seems that the older I get the more facial hair I grow, and the more men age, the more their ears grow! What’s up with that?)
10. Prepare Menu/Shopping List for next week (that’s always a fun task to do.) For others, it is a ritual in which they relate what were their thoughts that day and how they were feeling)
11. Clean bathroom (on almost everyone’s list!)
12. Making meals and freezing them.
13. Wash Masks!!!
14. Another No Makeup Day! Yay! So do either a deep moisturizing or a mud mask!
15. With a backdrop of disease, raging fires, hurricanes, joblessness, poverty, homelessness, insecurity, and peaceful protests. We all know that this upcoming election can go either way. The dangers in this election are obvious, terrifying and dangerous for the whole notion of Democracy! I am just praying for people’s common sense and hoping that they won’t succumb to their base emotions, zealous instincts, or tribalism. Sadly, the world's prophets, philosophers, poets and may not be able to put us together again. Yes, we are the proverbial Humpty Dumpty trying not to fall. Can we will correct course?
16. Hope! Hope! Hope!
13. Wash Masks!!!
14. Another No Makeup Day! Yay! So do either a deep moisturizing or a mud mask!
15. With a backdrop of disease, raging fires, hurricanes, joblessness, poverty, homelessness, insecurity, and peaceful protests. We all know that this upcoming election can go either way. The dangers in this election are obvious, terrifying and dangerous for the whole notion of Democracy! I am just praying for people’s common sense and hoping that they won’t succumb to their base emotions, zealous instincts, or tribalism. Sadly, the world's prophets, philosophers, poets and may not be able to put us together again. Yes, we are the proverbial Humpty Dumpty trying not to fall. Can we will correct course?
16. Hope! Hope! Hope!
What's on your list?
