How I'm Spending My Time During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Hi everyone. It’s been radio silent on Humor & Grace since everything started, and for that, I’m sorry. Everything hit so quickly. One day life seemed pretty normal, at least here in the US, and then the next day - BAM! - lockdown. All the posts and topics I had queued up for H&G suddenly seemed out of place and insensitive, considering this new world we were living in.

What could I possibly say? For several weeks, I was just processing. Focusing on my own anxiety and trying to mitigate fresh, ferocious fears. My mom is immuno-compromised and definitely part of the extra-vulnerable population. I’m sure you each have someone, or many someones, that you are worried about. I hear you. It’s scary.

I also didn’t want to post one more thing that seemed cheesy or that seemed to take advantage of the situation: “5 ways to make working from home better”. It just didn’t feel genuine for me. Also, I’m an introvert, so working from home is already awesome for me, haha.

Many of you may know that my day job is a Safety Manager for a chemical manufacturer. I am so INCREDIBLY lucky to be employed right now, with a steady income and the safety net of generous benefits. I have many friends that are not as fortunate and I know many of you will be in the same boat. My heart goes out to you. How could we have ever predicted something like this would change our worlds in an instant?

My job is to plan and prepare for “what-ifs”. What if Jimmy gets his finger cut off? What if Sarah gets splashed with something corrosive? But a world-wide pandemic crisis? Yeah, that wasn’t on the list.

This also means that while I am still able to work, my day-to-day job has been thrown on it’s head and it’s all I talk about. I eat, sleep, and breathe pandemic. I am the point person for everyone at my facility when they have questions, fears, or they want to share one more crazy story they heard on the news. Not awesome for my anxiety that was already in overdrive.

Let me also just give a shout out to front line workers - from health care workers, to grocery store clerks, to delivery drivers, to the moms who are homeschooling their kiddos on the fly, to everyone else who has the courage to get up in the morning and not give up - you guys are awesome. Keep it up, and thank you, seriously, we wouldn’t be able to do this without you.

So, today, I am choosing to share happy and positive. It does not mean, however, that I take this situation lightly or that I am not acknowledging that sh*t just got real for most of the world. Pardon my “french”, but if now is not the time, then when?

I will continue to post about happy and light topics - but as a distraction from the real and the crazy. I sincerely wish the best for all of you and your families. My thoughts are with you. We will get through this. We have to.

Note: This post may contain affiliate links, which means by clicking on these links and making a purchase, Humor & Grace may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. We only recommend products and services that we would recommend to our family and friends, and these commissions help support Humor & Grace. Thanks for your support.

Gardening

I have always enjoyed gardening, but I would not always dedicate the time needed. But, now I have time! My sweet husband built me these amazing raised beds this winter, and I have already filled them up.

When I work from home, it’s a nice to take a little break and walk out to my garden and check on the progress of everything. I have even taken a conference call from my patio, with my garden in the background. We have been lucky with really nice weather here most days.

Zucchini and squash

Baby watermelon!

Tomatoes

Peppers

Here’s what I am currently growing:

• Asparagus

• Tomatoes

• Tomatillos

• Watermelon

• Cantaloupe

• Cucumbers (for pickles!)

• Peppers (jalapeno, shishito, bell)

• Green Beans

• Carrots

• Baby Bok Choy

• Lavendar

• Basil

• Thai Basil

• Mint

• Rosemary

Let me know in the comments if you are a gardener and if so, what you are growing!

Cooking

Everyone seems to be cooking more now that many of us are staying home. I have supported my local restaurants through pick-up and services like Grubhub, but we have also been trying new recipes and making more meals at home. Although I have not tried my hand at sourdough bread yet (although I want to!), I have tried several new recipes and made some old favorites, too.

Photo Credit: Picky Palate

Here’s what we’ve been cooking in the Thomas house:

• Crepes with lemon curd sauce and blueberry compote (to be honest, I still have not mastered the art of the crepe, but thank goodness the Mr. did! His crepes turned out beautifully.)

• Risotto with parmesan, white wine, and mushrooms

• Homemade Pizza - homemade dough, homemade sauce, and toppings like pepperoni, bell pepper, black olive, jalapeno, and minced garlic. Yes, I know those toppings don’t all go together, but it was still delicious!

• Fondue with bell peppers, chicken, and roasted onions for dipping

• Pasta - oh the pasta - we have had a lot of pasta in the past 6 weeks. One of my favorite dishes incorporates a spoonful of red curry paste with Alfredo sauce - sprinkle on some crushed red pepper and you have a spicy and delicious sauce to pour over any pasta. Thanks for the suggestion, KG!

Mom: If you’re reading this, don’t worry, we still eat a green vegetable at least once a week. Sometimes twice a week. ;)

Creative Pursuits

Another friend of mine was saying that he has been learning about the brain recently and about how the brain responds to situations like the one we are in right now. Our brains are overloaded because everything is an unknown, and one way to reverse this is to do things that involve creativity or action.

It helped to understand that there was a reason behind my sudden interest in creative pursuits (clearly not H&G though, sorry guys). I recently ordered a paint by numbers painting kit and I joined an Online Creative Retreat. I haven’t started either one yet, but I’m excited to get started on them both soon.

If you have recently started a creative endeavor, check out this video by Ira Glass. If you don’t know who he is, Glass has been called visionary for his work in radio. In 2001, Time magazine named Glass the "Best Radio Host in America". He’s the host of the “This American Life” podcast and he’s an amazingly talented storyteller. His words in the video really spoke to me when I started this blog and when I’ve pursued other creative adventures. I hope you find it useful to you as well.

I have also been working on some new products for the Humor & Grace Etsy Shop - check it out!

TV

Lesbihonest….I’ve watched my fair share of tv lately. Here are some of my favorites:

• Grey’s Anatomy (it’s a great time to watch all 16 seasons if you’ve never seen them…) (Netflix/Hulu)

• Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu)

• Little Fires Everywhere (Hulu)

• The Good Doctor (Hulu)

• New Amsterdam (Hulu)

• The Good Place (Netflix)

• How to Get Away with Murder (Netflix)

• The Crown (Netflix)

• The Man in the High Castle (Amazon Prime)

Walks + Podcasts

You all know how much I love my podcasts, so of course walking in the neighborhood and listening to podcasts is in my routine. If you want to see what I’m listening to now, check out the list of my favorite podcasts. The only podcast that is not on the list that I’ve added to my rotation is Coronavirus Daily by NPR. I love the NPR way of storytelling, and this podcast, in addition to theSkimm podcast, brings me the daily news without the hype and scary headlines.

So tell me, friends, how have you been spending your time? Are you able to still work? Are you able to still find the positive in the little things right now? Share something happy or positive with me in the comments below. Stay safe my friends.