It’s a rainy Sunday morning, which is a relief. After lots of mowing yesterday that left us feeling very tired, we decided to take today off. It’s as if the universe is supporting that decision. Don mowed even longer than I did and I had to force him to stop. We still haven’t finished but we’ll get to the rest of it tomorrow or Tuesday.
Of course, I do have to work today as I have a Zoom session with the actor I’m coaching in the movie. But that’s only an hour or so and he’s delightful, so it will be fun.
And laundry. And dusting. And….
But still, no yard work!
It’s a quiet day. We’ve been talking a lot lately about our preference for Lockdown Mode. By that, I mean a bit more cut off from “the world” with a feeling of being snug and safe in our cottage. Turns out, we prefer it – at least for now. I guess I’m thinking about it a lot because I have to go out into the world for work in October, November, and December and that makes me uneasy. I would never turn down either opportunity, I’m grateful for them, and I will be masked in the rehearsal room for Anastasia, as well as on the movie set. The safety protocols for film are rigorous. But – I’ll be commuting around NYC, going to various locations, I’ll be around lots of people. After more than a year and a half of only working via Zoom, turns out I actually have to go out there to really do my job(s) and get paid. Who knew?
Also, of course, is the fact that world seems more insane by the moment. People are more insane. I’m so tired of it all and I know you are, too. There was a brief moment there, around the Inauguration, where I thought we might be relatively home free. Silly me. I’m tired of willful stupidity and ignorance. Tired of a barrage of misinformation. Tired of liars and cheats and those who want to overturn everything we hold dear. Tired of natural disasters. Tired of white men trying to tell women what we can or can’t do with our bodies, with the added bonus of putting a bounty on us. At times, I’m enraged.
Self care. That’s what we all need to do and that’s what I plan to do today and tomorrow. No news. N0 24 hour a day barrage of talking heads. Yesterday helped, as mowing the lawn, doing something physical, vacuuming, watering plants, etc., are all great ways to lose myself in the moment and shake off the world.
None of this is new, of course, It’s just what we’ve been confirming in the course of several conversations. Shutting the world out isn’t a bad thing.
Wanted to add that we’ve been watching a great French series on Netflix, Black Spot. It’s a mystery/police/detective series, set in a remote area of France, including a fair amount of magical realism. Beautifully captured on film, it’s full of wonderful actors and nifty plots. So far, there are two seasons. It definitely reminds me of Twin Peaks in its humor, otherworldlyness (I think I made up that word) and dense forest setting full of mystery. We love it. And we’re due to finish it tonight and then I’ll be sad.
Stay safe.
Happy Sunday.
Yes I can understand your uneasiness of going out into the world to work. Especially traveling around the city. Please please be careful. I am thankful my husband retired in June and he is not going out there. We go to the market at 8 and we are in the car at 8:30. Too many people are reckless and think the virus is over and it is not. I know you are thankful for the work and you will be careful.
I will be very careful.
Thanks, Linda.
Stay safe.
Hi,
I understand your anxiety of being around a lot of people. Do you feel hopeful that someday things will get better?
Take Care,
Kaye
Park City, UT
I read that the people who made “The Crown” are making a series based on L. Penny’s books.
It will appear on Amazon Prime.
I’m not sure if things will get better. Only time will tell.
Yes, I read that, too. Louise Penny announced in on FB. I won’t be watching. If ever there was a book series that is magical and that fully formed in my imagination, this is it. No to Alfred Molina. He is a good actor but he is not my Gamache.
Stay safe, Kaye.
I totally agree with you L. Penny’s work being made into series no. A. Molina as Gamache, not in my perception of Armand.
Take Care
I only read the news online nowadays. I can cope better this way
Hope this doesn’t sound condescending but I have been working in the outside world for more than a year and have developed these methods to try and avoid Covid.
I always carry on small bottle of hand sanitizer in my pocket so if I have to handle something, I can disinfect my hands straightaway.
I don’t know what it’s like in the States but every establishment you enter over here has hand sanitizer, sprays for wiping down your shopping cart but unless the doors are automatic you still have to touch them. I always use my shoulder to open doors but if they have a handle I mostly use a long cardigan or a scarf to touch them instead of my hands. I’ve developed this into a fine art and can even use my elbow to operate road traffic crossings😀
When I have washed my hands in the ladies toilets at work, having used my shoulder to enter, I grab an extra sheet of paper towel to open the door.
There’s loads of other things and they become automatic. Everything will feel so different for you at first.
Good luck & Happy Sunday
Thanks, Dee Dee! I do many of those things already. We always have hand sanitizer with us and I wash my hands frequently. I imagine I’ll be using my sleeve or elbow to open doors all the time!
Thanks so much,
Stay safe.
Everything well said. I generally can’t wait to get home after being out for whatever-appointment or errand. Sometimes part of me, now, does really want to go inside a store to shop, but it’s because it’s the time of the year that it is, with holidays upcoming, wherein (in the past) I would often start my holiday shopping early (yes, even in Sept); but a lot has changed with me in my personal situation, not just pandemic … also retirement/fixed-income years (and the budget is tight), so I’ve had to change a lot of old habits and, in some ways, pandemic made it even easier.
I have a friend who’s in her early 70s; she gets out more than I’d prefer for her, but it’s not up to me to assess HER risks; has to be her choosing. She finally retired in 2021 but is still consulting/doing some virtual work (when it suits her now). But she has been locked down solo more than not during this whole Covid time of 2020-21; and, on a recent ‘outing’ with a group of unmasked people (yikes, said they were all vaccinated [on the honor system; these were strangers in large part to her]), jam-packed in a car together (ride-sharing/carpooling; they weren’t enough of a ‘tour’ group to warrant a tour bus) for an hour-long drive to a garden to tour, she said she just didn’t enjoy herself (felt suffocated with too much talking and gabbing and nonstop chatter) and is worried the pandemic/isolation is making her anti-social whereas, for all her life, she’s been very outgoing and is definitely not any kind of introvert.
She was also never one to be home, stay home, enjoy home; and, now, she speaks all the time of how much she loves being home, how much she appreciates her house and yard; that’s it’s her happy place. I can recall, and it’s not all that long ago, when she’d be facing a three-day holiday weekend and, if her calendar wasn’t filled, she’d be antsy that she’d have too much time on her hands, stuck at the house instead of out & about (ah, the pre-pandemic days).
Are we all gonna be changed irreversibly I wonder? She said what really got to her was what she described as the cacophony of noise from having people all around her, not just in the vehicle, but in the restaurant, in the gift shop, even in the wider-spaced outdoor gardens. Usually, she’d be in ‘her element’ with good-sized groups of people, having fun, and these were all mostly women her age. I didn’t have any kind of good response on all of this except to wonder aloud that she’s just become too accustomed to it being just her and the dog at home; if, in this last 18 months or so, she’s just been introduced to ‘quiet’ for the first time in her life, finding she actually likes it (I remember after she got divorced, when she brought in roommates because she couldn’t stand the silent house and to be alone, but that was a long, long time ago). I suppose it’s some kind of psychological study, though, on how we’ve been affected with social distancing as opposed to social interaction due to the virus.
Have ‘other people’ become the enemy? It’ll probably just take some transition time to be ‘normal’ again once we are in better pandemic control; after all, we only got a glimpse of it, at least where I am in Southern Calif, for mere weeks between when the state officially ‘opened up’ toward the end of June and then when Covid/Delta started ‘ramping up’ around 4th of July, so how can we even know how we’ll ‘be’ in the world again, as it wasn’t enough time for a good test yet (at least for those of us who’ve been more locked down than someone else). Makes me think of Tom Hanks in “Castaway”, how he’d been quiet on that remote island with only the non-verbal Wilson, to then being rescued and being around people and noise again after, like, four years. Humans are supposed to be resilient and good adapters; we’ll see.
I read that the amount of COVID cases in this country is four times what it was last year at this time. My god.
Both Don and I – even though we are performers and work in the arts – really don’t like being in the spotlight any more. We don’t like the crowds, the noise, the need to ‘perform’ in a group of people that comes so often in our work. We also noted that we no longer like ‘excitement’ – that it jangles our nerves and sort of takes over the rest of the day.
We’ve changed, that’s for sure.
Stay safe, Vicki.
Oh dear, Claudia; FOUR times worse? Our poor medical workers; the full hospitals. The ones who suffer who could NOT be vaccinated, like the children.
How is Z doing and your older nephew, his bro?
Z is doing well. I think he gets tested again today, but he’s feeling fine, thank goodness.
And his older brother has recovered. Thanks for asking.
Both of you have said what I am feeling. I feel that the cases are soooo much worse than last year, but instead of moving back to safety mode, we are following Tx and Fl and wildly opening and moving ahead as the hospital beds fill and more and more are sick and dying. WHAT DID I MISS??????? 80-100,000 at football games, city & village celebrations, and people eating in restaurants. I am actually (selfishly) glad they aren’t able to fully staff most, so hours of operation are at least shorter. I guess we did not learn a thing. This next variant will likely be worse, and we are becoming more and more relaxed with all of it. Not sure exactly what the magic number of dead/ dying is before we wake up. I guess as the lawmakers in Tx and Fl believe, it will be the fittest of the fit living on, and that is their wish. And as we all are aware, what they want is most usually what happens. Mandate no abortions beyond 6 weeks, but, ohmygod, do NOT put a mask on their face once they are born….again, fittest of the fit. Only the mandates of the fat rich white men matter.
I’m so sick of it all. I posted a meme on IG that said “Covid has more rights in TX than women.”
It’s true.
Stay safe, Chris.
I’ve been startled of what has NOT been canceled in my area. They are having a weekend celebration in our small town, bringing in a lot of people (thousands) from other areas for a variety of singular events, as well as a Labor Day parade on our narrow Main Street where spectators will be shoulder to shoulder. We’re hot today, it’s 96 degrees out there, and many people love that end-of-summer, sunny weather. But it’s a lot of gathering in several places. And while I have waited for YEARS for a Farmer’s Market, they’ve started up one; sure, it’s outside; still, you won’t see me there. My husband and I are the opposite, call us hermits now; we made sure all our little business of ‘life’ (errands, etc) were done by Weds so that we’re not out in the world from Thurs-Monday of this holiday weekend.
We’re doing curbside grocery pickup and because quite a lot couldn’t be fulfilled this week at two different stores, my husband had a long talk with one of the store managers who said, yes, it’s a supply issue (and we’ve all read about this) but it’s also a case of, according to him, not so much panic buying or hoarding; rather, noticing that customers are stocking up. Now, where I am, we don’t have blizzards or that sort of thing. So, I guess it’s all just descriptive words, but he said they get wiped out very quickly in inventory (the one store is not a small store; it’s in a town with population of over 100,000 and is a county seat; these are the big-box chain grocery stores), because customers, in their curbside orders, are getting a half dozen of one thing rather than one; he said one person had just been in with an order of ten of something. Ordering in multiples. He said it’s a new/recent trend he’s noticing; an unusual type of buying, yet also a throwback to like March-April of 2020 again.
So, it’s weird, because you have those who are careful and locking down even more (with lots of groceries on hand!) after a blissful feeling of a tiny bit of freedom last June, but then you have this other contingent who seem more bold (and careless?) than ever. It must be such a head-scratcher for the public health experts.
I was sitting in the car in a parking lot and watching a young mother go into a store. She had on a mask; her child did not. Does she not think her child is vulnerable? It’s like some info gets thru to people but much just doesn’t? Is it in the national messaging or is it individual human failing in some other way? I look at some of all this, of what’s going on out there with the contagion, and again think to myself (once again) that this isn’t our parents’ world, when they sacrificed in the Great Depression and World War II, when the country pulled together and were unified about so many things, like with food shortages on the home front, doing with less, being respectful, human responsibility and conscientiousness and seemingly more ready to fight a common cause as a whole, with everybody being more or less on the same page, or at least how it was explained to me by my mom and my dad. Were they just more ‘obedient’? It’s a dignity we’ve lost. I mean, there’s still so much good out there (look at all the folks who’ve done heroic things during this hurricane, risking life for others) but we don’t seem whole overall. It doesn’t feel secure; I guess I feel we don’t seem secure as a society? I try to figure it out (to rest my mind; ease my worry) and can’t.
If we had to have ration coupon books as our parents and grandparents did, people would never ever stand for it. They would be shooting each other and protesting about THEIR rights. If they have to give up or sacrifice ANYTHING, there is chaos. It is always all about them, not the good of us all. I am so very sick of it. I can’t watch news, and staying home is just the best thing for me so I don’t have to actually observe the idiots out and about. And there isn’t any end in sight. Take care, Vicki!
Thanks Chris K, you take care too.
Good morning Claudia. All the things I can’t get out…..you say so well. Yep, scary going out in the world. I’ve reached an age where being around a lot of people isn’t my thing anymore and I’m glad of that. I’m very excited you being hired once more! It’s nice people remember what a great job you did last time and have your name picked for “next time”. Plus we all get to go adventuring with you! YAY! Have a beautiful Sunday.
Verna
Thank you so much, Verna. Yes, we don’t like being around a lot of people, either. But it’s a given when you work in theater and film and are staying in NYC. I have no choice.
Stay safe!
You just wrote everything I am feeling. Except the anger I am feeling. I did not know I could be so angry with people that I don’t know nor will ever know. But, there it is ANGER in great big letters and emotions. I despise it.
School starts Tuesday. Masks are voluntary. Huge mistake in my opinion if we want to keep kids in school and all of us healthy. As a rule kids are germ magnets, and more susceptible to this than we know or understand. In my county the majority of people are not vaccinated and do not believe in it. Our rates are on the rise…no surprise there! I wish I could force them all to wake up, face the truth, care about others, and join society as a helpful individual not as an a**ho**.
Oh, I mentioned ‘rage.’ I think we all feel a great deal of anger. I’m with you, Trudy!
Stay safe.
After reading your comments, and those of your readers, anything I might say would be absolutely positively redundant. I feel all those things…and would be perfectly comfortable hibernating for the near future, except for occasional family gatherings, and those with close vaccinated friends. We have been picking and choosing our ‘public appearances’ so to speak. Life for us has not returned to normal, and I can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel what with the attitude of so many, and the misinformation that is continuing to be spread. Quite frankly we are living in a world that is quite confusing, and is quite difficult to negotiate. Hence, my hibernation instinct.
Then of course there is all that BS in Texas! I am angered beyond, and fed up with this continued assault on women, and our bodies.
Continued good luck with your coaching sessions. Sounds Ike a day of rest is in order for you. Enjoy! ;)
Coaching session – just one – is about to start in 10 minutes.
Thanks, Donnamae.
Stay safe.
I’m so glad you two are taking a “down day” and more or less taking it easy. Grass will grow and again you’ll mow — but for now, enjoy the quiet, each other and do what you must but celebrate the ease.
I’m with you on lockdown. I realized sometime last year that it gave me permission to live the introverted life I preferred — very quiet, no crowds, no calendar filled with lunches or appointments, no “must go” times. I have lived a very public life, which hasn’t always been easy for an introvert. As I once told someone, “I use my acting background every day.” When I worked, I had to be a diplomat, a negotiator, an organizer of large events and a public face. Trust me, it isn’t to smile and be cheerful when you must tie a balloon around the wrist of a child so bratty that a time out would never suffice and feeling so very sorry for his harried mother, who seems helpless to control him. But you must and so you do. Now I don’t have to be in those crowds, nod politely to strangers who will stop and tell you exactly what they think — good or bad — about what you show (or don’t) on your station.
In my Covid cocoon, I pick those with whom I feel safe. When I say I’ve given up book club and board meetings (even though those were on zoom last year), I don’t say it with regret but relief. I schedule my “musts” — shopping early or late when crowds are smaller, lunch or dinner with a rare few but those whom I call kindred spirits (in Covid and other ways). With invitations I accept there are always questions — will we be outside or in? Will people be vaccinated or masked? I worry about the wedding we will attend in October and question if we should stay for the reception or not, even though we know we will be seated with other vaxxed people. We know we can pick up germs from any encounter and so the pocket sanitizer and masks are with us, and grateful to have them. I think the only thing I truly miss is the ability to travel safely to Europe. Time is running out for good mobility and resources to do so and I look forward to the day I can resume that one big thing.
There is so much going on now that makes me downright angry (Texas, voting, the maskless, the guy who drove by in a pick-up truck with an large American flag on one side of his car and an F-Biden flag, equally large on the other). I’ll be north for a few weeks — just the radio, Rick, the cat books, paints and the internet. I’ll stream things I love or want to watch and catch only enough news to be informed but hopefully not enough to make me angry and stressed. I know one day I’ll have to return to the real world. But for now…. I’ll take this.
I think I just went on too long. But I’ll leave it! Have a wonderful day and new week, too.
I love what you had to say, Jeanie. Thank you.
Stay safe.
So with you Claudia, feeling the same way I did when Hillary was robbed of the
election. The media for the most part have beat up on President Biden for over
a month while ignoring how the Afghanistan Treaty came about.
I can not watch CNN anymore and only Rachel and Lawrence on
MSNBC. Yes, I’m Canadian but everything that the far right does in your country
is repeated here with our right wingers. I pray Trudeau wins our election otherwise
Canada will have a mini trump.
I agree. Cannot watch CNN any longer, nor anything with Jake Tapper.
I pray Trudeau wins, too.
Stay safe.
I had exactly the same thought as you did after the inauguration! I breathed a sigh of relief, believing that I would no longer be plagued with anxiety. The delta variant, climate change ( we had an awful summer here in Minnesota and much of the midwest) anti vaxxers and anti maskers, and now the serious attack on women’s rights. I am so so pleased with the work President Biden has done. But the problems seem insurmountable.
I have gained some relief in following the wise words of some Native American spiritual leaders. They say that we are in a time of pain and chaos which precedes the birthing of new life. Things may change but mother earth will remain even if in a new way.
Thanks for sharing those words, Carolyn Marie. I hope the birthing of new life comes very soon.
Stay safe.
I’m tired of the same things you are tired of, and I’m tired of being tired of them.
However, I am excited about your new job.
Me too. I’m also tired of being tired of them!
Stay safe, Joyce.
glad you are taking it easy. the grass will grow and mowing can wait! these weird and hard times make self-care so important.
i am blessed to have a job, but been criticized many, many times for wearing a mask and been told stupid things like i won’t get covid because i wear shoes (seriously) and work is awful … so i am taking it easy here, too, don’t watch news and try to focus on God’s promises, my family and do something fun like knitting, writing and painting.
hugs to you all (if you want). be safe and well.
kathy in iowa
Thank you, Kathy, I hope work is better for you this week.
Stay safe.
You summed up everything I’ve been feeling. Yesterday was a veg day here. I didn’t watch or read news. I ate a lot of food. Sometimes my body just craves extra calories. I didn’t walk, morning or afternoon. In fact, I did a whole lot of nothing and sometimes that’s just what I need. Take care.
Absolutely. Sometimes we need to do nothing. It’s healing.
Stay safe, Tammy.