Friday, March 27, 2020

19 Things to focus on instead of COVID!

Wow.  Looking at my last post, just four weeks ago, it seems like forever since things were normal.

Well.

Here is how I’m handling ALL THE THINGS right now. I thought I'd share my thoughts because maybe some of this will be encouraging – and will also be here for me to remind my OWN self when I need it!

1) Communicate. Call and video chat with family and friends. Talk with your people you live with. Check in with each other. Share your frustrations, fears, worries, and stresses. Don’t keep it all to yourself. Sharing is healing.

2) Remember – this will pass. We will not be isolating and living in this uncertainty forever.

3) Do what you can…and then let it go. It’s easy to get consumed with sanitizing EVERY SINGLE THING and then looking around wondering if THIS has germs on it, or maybe THAT over there…ugh. That’s a spiral I don’t need to swirl in. So, I have made a plan for myself and my home. We sanitize:
· When we get home (hands, phones, keys, purse handles, water cups).
· When we get in our car after being out in public.
· At least once a day go through the house and get light switches, counters, handles, buttons, keyboards, and remotes.
· And then…let it go. Seriously, let go of it. Don’t allow myself to worry and obsess.

4) Help others. There are opportunities out there to help those who are unable to help themselves.  Even from our homes.  There are community groups (like the Facebook group "Winona Neighbors Helping Neighbors") who have banded together and are offering help to those who are isolated and don’t have the resources to get what they need.  As long as I am able to, I’m going to continue to help. If I get sick, I’m going to get sick helping people.

5) Sing! Sing loud and often and crazy!  80’s pop!  Hard rock! Get your country on! Or go mellow. Whatever gets your energy out or gets you to take a deep breath and relax. Music is therapy.

6) Pray! God is not surprised by this. He knows what’s going on, and how and when it will end. He has a purpose in this, and He is our only hope - not only now but always.

7) Laugh! Watch funny movies, share Facebook memes. Laughter is healing.

8) Youtube happy things - puppy and kitten videos, penguins walking down stairs, and seals. Oh my word, the seals!  Watching baby seals play make me soooo happy. Google family photo fails. I call this “Penelope Therapy” (Criminal Minds fans will know what I mean).

9) Connect – organize a group chat, a group sing, an online game, or whatever we can do to spend time together and see each other’s faces. Not sure what this will look like yet, but this weekend we are going to organize a virtual family game of Catan!

10) Turn off the dang news. I check in with the news once (ok twice) a day so I am informed, but then I make myself leave it alone. I don’t need to inundate myself with this, it only breeds fear and worry. God is bigger than all the predictions that are being thrown around. He’s teaching us to trust and rely on Him, not the government or even the medical community. I don’t need to listen to what everyone is saying, I need to listen to Him.

11) Move! I’m still working at my job for now so I’m not sitting around ALL day, but when I’m home I need to move. I haven’t been working out like I was for the past few weeks, and my body feels it. I need to go for a walk outside, do my Beachbody workouts, stretch. Again, reminding myself here :)

12) Go outside. I CRAVE fresh air (as my family will attest when I whip open all the windows and declare that we NEED SOME FRESH AIR IN HERE!) Nature is therapeutic for me. Listening to the birds, feeling the breeze and sunshine on my face, taking in a deep breath of fresh air and watching the clouds. Get me by a waterfall and forget it. I’ll sit there for hours if you let me.

13) Create. I love to write – blogging, journaling, even doodling. I also love to cook, bake, and play my (out of tune) piano.

14) Clean & organize. This is also therapeutic for me, and if you’ve been to certain areas of our house lately (eh-hem, our office and storage room) you will see that I NEED SOME THERAPY!

15) Light a yummy smelling candle. I especially love the ones that crackle. That alone reaches 3 of our 5 senses!

16) Practice mindfulness. I’m not talking about in a weird spiritual kind of way, but as a therapeutic technique. Mindfulness is simply being aware and present in the moment and focusing on what is going on in and around you (a.k.a. getting out of your head). Focus on your 5 senses…what can you see, hear, feel, taste and touch right now? Especially if you find yourself getting anxious or overwhelmed or ruminating on negative thoughts…focus on one or all of your senses and break out of that cycle in your mind that is taking you nowhere but to Anxietyville. (I have spent a lot of time there, I know it well).

17) Realize what is truly important in life. I think we are all doing this right now on a new level. Basic needs are no longer taken for granted (I’ve never been so happy to have toilet paper before). I miss being close to people (I’m a hugger), seeing people’s smile (we are all wearing masks at work), and going to coffee shops (Jesus, take the wheel).

18) Remember all of this after the crisis is over. Nearly every generation goes through some type of crisis, and we learn some valuable lessons through experiencing them that we maybe would never learn if life was always calm and good and predictable. As bad as things are (this is difficult, not gonna sugar coat it), many have lived through far worse than what we are experiencing now. The Vietnam War. The Great Depression. The Holocaust. The Macarena. Let’s keep things in perspective.

19) Lastly, and MOST importantly….TRUST God. Just trust Him. Tell Him all your worries and frustration and sadness and even anger. He knows it all anyway, and He tells us in His word that He wants us to bring all our cares to Him. He bears our burdens, heals our wounds, and guides us. He does not promise an easy life, or one free from crisis or heartache. But He promises to those who love Him that He will bring good out of EVERY situation. We have a good God who walks with us through every storm that we experience on this earth, and when our time is up He walks us into eternity with Him. That is what I hold onto.

PS, this is coming soon...









Sunday, March 01, 2020

City lights, water therapy, and a taste of spring

One of our favorite things to do is take a spontaneous little weekend getaway, somewhere not too far and not too planned.  Just pack our bags, get in the car and drive.  Find a hotel on the way there, and figure out what we want to do when we get there.  

That's exactly what we did on Saturday morning.  Vince got his haircut and after a couple errands and the Caribou drive-thru, we were on the road.  (Nitro High Rise is my new boyfriend). 

Our first stop was Penzey's Spices in Minneapolis.  We love that place and it smells like a cook's heaven.  We try to stop there a couple times a year to stock up on spices we regularly use and try a new one or two.


Vince scored a great deal on a hotel in the heart of downtown Minneapolis, with a pool and a view of the city.




After getting settled and relaxing for a bit in our room, we walked a couple (chilly) blocks to have dinner at an English pub.  Nice atmosphere, and good food too.





I had the ale battered fish n' chips...with salad instead of chips (go me).


Vince had his favorite, shepherd's pie.  Both were excellent.

  
The cabinet behind the bar was gorgeous and our server said it's from Wall Street.


After dinner we walked back to our hotel, chatting with another couple who ate at the table next to us, and enjoyed the sights and feeling of the downtown city streets at night.


We aren't big on night life anymore, and much prefer relaxing at home or in a nice cozy place.  So since we had such a great view from our hotel room, we decided to spend the evening enjoying the city lights, Michael Buble' and a glass (or two) of wine.  It was very peaceful and romantic.  No phones, no laptops, no tv.  We didn't turn it on all weekend.  It made us realize again how overstimulated and distracted we can be with all those things.  


The top of the Target headquarters has a "digital aquarium" which is so many ways of awesome.  Especially the puffer fish :)


Sunday morning convinced us to get light blocking curtains in our bedroom at home because we slept in until 8am, the room was still pitch black, and we had no idea what time it was.  

Breakfast looked like this and gave me so many ideas for breakfast buffets at home when our people are over.






One of my requests while Vince was choosing our hotel room was that we stay somewhere with a pool.  I haven't been swimming for years, and it was one of my favorite things to do in the summer growing up.  I have been craving some water therapy lately, and that's exactly what it was for me this morning...reconnecting with the little girl I used to be and for probably the first time since then, I didn't worry one bit about what I looked like in my swimsuit.  I felt free.


After checkout, we went to Como Park Zoo and Conservatory in Minneapolis.
It was awesome!  We need to come back with our kids and grands :)







It smelled amazing in here.  I could have stayed all day (or a really, really long time). 





































Our last stop of the weekend was one of our favorite restaurants in the cities...







We brought home with us a bag of spices, a bag of leftovers, and hearts full of memories.