The Writing Life in Quarantine

It's become our reality. This odd, ever-changing and isolated existence in which we are limited in how and what we do. In my household, school was temporarily on hiatus while waiting out the COVID-19 outbreak. Unfortunately, that also meant my daughter's international trip with orchestra was also in question, and since then, the decision was made to cancel it completely. The trip was supposed to have been last week. The nine months spent preparing for her adventure has made it painful for us to mention it, as we have no idea if it will even be rescheduled for a later time and if when it does, if it would be before she finishes her senior year, which - gulp - is a year and a half away already! We shall be empty-nesters in the blink of an eye.

So what have I been doing during this quarantine? You'd think that for all the time I now have on my hands that I'd be writing book galore, and as much as I wanted to do that, I've faced all kinds of ill-timed issues. One being that my mind won't always cooperate with or without my family around. Then there are some aches and pains that seem to point to arthritis. And the biggest hurdle that frustrates me to no end is the irony of so many more people working from home has often jammed the server for Microsoft 365 so that I can't always save what I'm trying to type. To combat this, I've had to either wait it out or save to a new version and go back to the old at a later time. Not exactly convenient, and many a time my inspiration has waned as a result. As much as technology has made it easier to do a lot more from home and be in touch with others, it certainly has its draw-backs!

What I have been doing is...lots of coloring by number on my iPad. It calms my mind and reminds me of the many happy times I spent doing oil paintings by number as a kid. I loved those things! Surprisingly, I've not read all that much, although I get in jags and sometimes can't get enough of books, and at other times I switch to watching movies or shows or YouTube videos. This week has just been for coloring, some gaming, and household chores (as my energy permits). I also used my new Cedar-O mop on the kitchen floor with rave results, and between actually mopping and shooing the cat away from the floor and the bucket, it was quite the workout! I've had some really great conversations with family and friends, and went outside a bit to enjoy the sunshine.

Looking ahead is something I've thought less and less about doing these days. I'm living in the moments in front of me, and the Bible's wisdom on just that very thing has always been out of my realm of ability to do until now. Today has enough trouble of its own, I need to focus on what I can do now and not later. I appreciate that more than ever, especially when I start to feel blue. Oh, and there's coffee. Tea, also. Some days both, and lots of food I've felt in the mood for. Memes that keep cropping up are funny and relatable - and on the same token, brutally painful acknowledgements of all the habits that make us tick!

Here's wish a good and healthy day to all - and we be shaped into better versions of ourselves as the rest of this year unfolds.

Peace and love,

Natasha