We have certainly had a strange life during these past two years with varied circumstances. At first we were in uncharted territory since Covid started up. Are you still spending a lot of time at home? How did you keep your sanity when it was at its worst? Do you have children? Are you by yourself? Please let me know in the comments if you like. If you want to keep it private, say so and I will not post it.
I have always been a happy person who could roll with the punches of life. I went through an abusive marriage and a sick husband who needed my help and care. And managed to maintain a large or at least medium amount of my sanity. But this Covid virus scare got to me at times.
During the times before the vaccines came out, I isolated myself, as many of you probably did. I wanted to protect myself and to protect others as well. Since anyone, including me could unknowingly have even a very mild or asymptomatic case of Covid 19 and be contagious. I missed seeing my grandchildren and sons and their wives (daughters).
Since I am over 70, I am a senior citizen so I continue to take extra care to protect myself. At first my housekeeper got my groceries weekly, instead of monthly cleaning my home. But now I do go to the nearby grocery stores with a mask on.
Are your days better now that we have vaccines to help protect us? How do you spend your days? Do you have hobbies or read or paint? I write these blog posts when I can focus on them. There have been a few times when I didn’t want to do anything that invovled my brain. I felt rather unfocused and unable to do a lot mentally on occasion, which I have read is a side effect of the times we are in. But I wanted to reach out to any of you who wanted to share what’s going on in your life now. How are you adapting? Keeping sane, focused or at least content?
I found that a routine is a good thing. It gives a bit of security in unsettling times. So after I feed my cat, Norie and let her out on the screened in porch, I eat my breakfast while finding great inspiration, knowledge, delight, and joy by watching YouTube in the morning. You can teach yourself how to do anything on YouTube: Belly dance, tango, paint, fix a scratch on your car, whatever! For about an hour I enjoy a variety of videos on YouTube.
Eckhart Tolle is a fascinating speaker on spirituality. For equally enlightening listening I enjoy Fr. Richard Rohr and his uplifting messages. Also TED Talks has collections of speeches on every subject imaginable about our minds and lives.
Then I catch skits and excerpts from the old Carol Burnette Show, especially the ones with Tim Conway and Harvey Korman. I still laugh watching those two together. James Corden and other comedic excerpts from shows recent and past, all help get me going. If this doesn’t make you laugh nothing will. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nF_C3bO8WZ0
Often I talk with one or two of my Facebook friends whom I enjoy catching up with every few days. During the morning or possibly better, the afternoon, remember to call your elderly friends who may be home bound or isolated because of the Covid 19 virus. The days can be very long with no spouse or family nearby.
Before Covid I ran around every few days shopping, looking in stores, visiting with friends, eating lunch out in a restaurant. For a while after the epidemic started I picked up food for lunch or supper and brought it home to eat. On rare occasions I ate lunch with a friend at a restaurant which has outdoor seating or socially distanced tables. I go during off hours so there are even fewer people than during lunch hour.
I have plenty of clothes so I really don’t need to shop except I do miss the colors, fabrics, people, interesting items on the shelves and just being somewhere different from my home. I also run errands like taking the recyclables to the recycle center.
The rest of the day has many possibilities. Before the day gets too old or in the afternoon, I try to walk around the 0.2 mile parking lots between my building and one up the hill. Exercise, especially walking, is good.
While walking I started a new hobby which you may enjoy. I use my cell phone to take pictures of birds and leaves of trees and look them up on phone apps for bird song identification as well as tree and bush leaf identification. It helps make me feel connected to nature to know who the trees and birds are.
I also go through my belongings, jewelry and closets. If I haven’t worn or used something in a long time, or if it doesn’t “bring me joy” I donate it. There are plenty of other people who could use it or may want it. Decrease the clutter and simplify your life.
During the middle of the day and bedtime I sometimes watch several shows that I enjoy and learn from. Watching “Queer Eye” is so inspiring and I love how the 5 gay guys help people. They teach them to understand why they still live with their parents at 35; never clean up their home; dress in styles that died out years ago; have taken no care of themselves; have poor self-esteem, or who are gay and are afraid of being judged.
They help these people with so much love and compassion that I often learn something that applies to my own self image or attitude. They give makeovers to the one chosen, fixing: their hair, make-up, clothes, home, their attitude and even their cooking skills.
I have a cat, Norie, who entertains, provides therapy when necessary by making me laugh, inspires me to photograph her, and snuggles behind my knees at night. Norie also gives me exercise by letting me know when it is time to put food in her bowl (or freshen up the wet food with some water when it has been out for more than two hours!). So I HAVE to go fix her food appropriately, which gets me up out of the recliner.
Remember to meditate and let God know how you are. One important thing to do is to remember all that you and your body have been through and be kind to it. And be thankful you are still alive, that you have what you need. A thankful heart helps much towards increasing the joy of each day.
joyful2beeblogs 
I think you are doing well to keep occupied and find interests in life. I do the Eldergym online in the morning and midday go to ride my horse. I get home mid afternoon and if the weather is hot I got for a swim. Then dinner and blogging! Stay well Joy!
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Hello, Anne. I never heard of eldergym. sounds like something I need to check out. Thank you! I bet you are enjoying your horses even more now with more time. Thank you for letting me know how you are. I hope you are doing well and staying well. Hugs!!
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In the end everything is going to be OK.
If is not OK, is not the end… John Lennon???
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Love it! He was very wise! Hugs!
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Reblogged this on cancer killing recipe.
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Thank you Oceanna65. Dellighted that you liked this post so much!1 I hope it helps someone else see that they can make it and give them some survival strategies. Hope you are doing well!!
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Oh and we got a new kitten. Nothing like a kitten to bring you joy and distract you from your troubles.
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I totally agree! They are so mischievous, energetic and just plain adorable!! Good for you! Thank you for commenting,Tumbleweed! Take care.
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it sounds like you’ve found a nice rhythm to life, and i’m glad for that. you sound positive, and know there will be some down times, but at least you are staying safe and healthy and it won’t be forever. (even though it might feel like it on some days). i live alone as well, see some of my family at a distance, walk every day, read, write, blog, watch movies, and i’m working on getting rid of things i no longer use, as you are. i think this time has slowed things down and made priorities change a bit, hopefully some of that sticks with people after.
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We are both adapting as well as we can. I miss hugs from my family and grandsons. I am thankful for the attention my cat gives me sometimes. LOL. But I know she loves me. It is a different life we are living. I don’t know if things will ever get back to what we considered normal. I hope it does. At least so we can see our families without fear and shop and eat out lifke we used to. But I am thankful that I have what i need and more and that will suffice for now. Thank you for commenting, Bet. It is always good to hear from you. Hugs. Take care of yourself. Are you on Facebook?
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Housekeeping and cooking takes most of my time. I do zumba, blog, and social media most afternoons. I used to be active in church, but can’t do that now. Waking up at dawn, I do get anxious about the pandemic, but I tell myself to trust the Lord.
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Thank you for commenting, Bougainvillea. My German sister in law loves Bougainvilleas! So I knew where you got your name. Sounds like you have a healthy lifestyle! Good job! Staying healthy is key to getting through all of this Covid stuff. Hugs and best wishes!!
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Very well said mam…
YOU ARE 69 YEARS YOUNG…
And i must say, You click beautiful pictures…
Have a good health…
These circumstances are going to leave us very soon…. 😊😊😊
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Thank you, sweet lady. I appreciate that compliment. I pray it will go away soon too! There is already too much suffering in the world. Hugs and thanks to you!
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Sweet lady? 😂😂
Btw…
A big hug to you.. 😊😊
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Hai Anna, 1st visit your 2nd blog usually chat in 0neanna65 🙂 I’am happy to see you doing awesome, like usual! Its always your blog I visit each time I open my blog. About my day, I also doing self isolation since I got this covid19, Have been 2x swab still positive, So far I’m alive by doing all positive activity. I start open my blog to write, I will start sharing my day, soon in a post. I do volunteer in writing for e-magazine in my country, I live more healthy by sun bathing for 15-20 minute, I eat very healthy all fruits, a bit vegetables and tofu. Because I always puke when I eat rice, meat or anything beside fruits. I consumed more multivitamin, vitamin C and vitamin D. Practically I live almost a normal life, I just want to say My life is a bless, I’m still alive even during isolation since 13 July until now. Ahh my doctor periodically check me by whatsup message and will come to check me for 3rd times swab 🙂
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Anna, God bless you and help you stay healthy. I didn’t know you were such a follower of my blogs! I am so honored! It means so much to me that someone in another country reads my blogs regularly. I apologize for the repeats. With the stresses of the Covid virus floating around, sometimes it is hard to concentrate. May God touch you and send an gel to be with you during this stressful time. Take good care of yourself and let me know how you are doing please. If you are on Facebook message me or write on my page here. Whatever is convenient for you. Love and hugs to you!
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I am going to start by telling you how cute Norie is and that picture oh goodness with those toes all spread out lol I love it! Now as for life around Covid ( It sucks the life from me at times ) I am unable to wear a mask so for a very long time until just a short time ago when places are starting to get sick of all the mandates the world was closed to me. I have started finding places that say come on it we will not discriminate so life is little by little starting to open up for me. People have been very kind to me other than a couple a long time ago at the start of all this. When you can’t wear a mask life can be hard and at the start, I never left the house No reason to when you can’t go in anywhere so my husband would take me for long drives to get me out of the house because I needed to be outside it helped with the crying. Then I found the farm and started to volunteer and being outside and around horses and other people that were fine with no mask my world felt normal for a change. And just today I found another place that had no signs saying mask required so I asked and I was told I was welcome without a mask. For a long time either my husband or my boys did all my shopping even if it meant they had to go in and get fabric or thread I needed they have been such a blessing for me. So that has been my life and I am happy it is starting to open up for me. I pray every day that the Lord will help our world not just about covid but with everything else going on We need the Lord’s help. Have a wonderful night God Bless.
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Myrosagirl, I am so sorry you had to go through all of that. I was terrified of catching Covid and also went out very little. My two nurse friends wanted to eat out so we parked our cars with one in front ways and one backed in to give us 6 feet distance. I tried to keep busy but I “hit the wall.” I was bored and restless. I walked and found peacefness in nature. Trying to identify the birds and loving my cat. I am so happy for you that you had a loving family to help and support you. I am just as happy for you that you got to be around horses!! I wish I could! I see you and I have similar faiths and beliefs. I pray that this Covid will be over soon and our country can heal and come out stronger. Love to you and your sharing with me.
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I am a born again Christian and I put my faith in the Lord and no one else. 🙂 ❤
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I could tell. I am devoted to helping others and showing God’s love for everyone of us. Hugs!!
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