Quarantine: Week 3
The pandemic continues to escalate. Massachusetts extended our stay-at-home advisory through the first week of May. Schools are closing for the remainder of the school year.
Mike and I take stock of all the positive things. We are both still employed. We can pay our bills and afford groceries. We have a home to hunker down in with a yard we can exercise in so we’re not cooped up.. And above all, we are healthy (although my allergies are kicking into high gear). We will stay safe here at home in our little sanctuary as long as we need to.
And it does feel like a mini sanctuary right now, as Spring arrives. Everything is turning green. Trees are budding. Flowers are opening. Our weeping cherry tree is about to blossom.
With the weather improving, we can get out and walk around, safely at a six-foot distance from our neighbors. We never saw much of them when we were commuting every day, but now at home we are finally taking stock of our little neighborhood. Like all the different dogs that walk by and this family who have goats on leashes!
With the lockdown extended, I decided it was time to stop working on the dining table. When you work and live and eat in the same room all day, it blurs the lines between work and home life. Separation between the two is a really healthy boundary. So I hopped on the internet and ordered up some office supplies.
Right before the pandemic, we had contractors scheduled to do some renovation work in the room we designated as our home office. We managed to get the hardwood floors in before the shutdown, but now it’s suspended in a state of incompletion.
Since who knows when the shutdown will end and renovations resume, I moved into our “office” anyway. This is my new setup. The Flash Writing Desk is a dead ringer replica of the Eames Swag Leg desk. 100% solid wood construction and absolutely beautiful to behold. The Carlton Task Chair is heavily inspired by the same designer.
Mike and I also made a flash run into our actual office building this week to rescue my desk plants and grab some office supplies. As we were leaving, I remembered another small business with take-out service we could patronize: Carl’s Subs. These cheesesteaks are so good they’re like a warm bear hug for your soul.
And then on the way home, we stocked up on all our favorite local beers and ciders. These guys are are all working super hard to stay open and take care of their employees, so we gave them our support.
And as always, we still prioritize mental health. We each stay in touch with our families through texting and I facetime my best friend for long talks and Zoom cocktails. We do jigsaw puzzles, invent new recipes, and learn new ways of having fun without leaving the house.
Like now is the perfect time to teach your significant other the French card game, Mille Bournes.
But equally as important as family time, is taking time for yourself. Every now and again it’s good to hop in the bath tub with a bottle of $12 champagne and LED votive candles and pretend everything outside the bathroom door doesn’t exist. 10/10, highly recommend.
