Drumroll // The Coronavirus Lockdown Edition

I’d ask how you are doing, but I’d be willing to bet it’s much the same as we are doing. Here in California, we are on lockdown, trying to flatten the curve to keep our healthcare system from collapsing under a surge of coronavirus patients.

I know several other states are on lockdown. Even if your state or country hasn’t made it official, you are probably still hanging out at home in order to keep you and your family safe during these uncertain times.

This is hard. Really hard. And, there are so many of us who aren’t just suffering social isolation, but job loss as well. So many who don’t know how they are going to buy groceries or pay their rent or mortgage.

We’ve been getting a lot of rain and some snow. It’s a double lockdown. When the sun makes an appearance, we hurry to our backyard to soak up its rays before it disappears behind the clouds again.

I spend most days with a cup of decaf Earl Grey tea and walnut milk. Not an ideal combination, but it was the only non-dairy milk on the depleted grocery store shelves.

Every morning, I wake with a rested mind and a dose of optimism. By the end of the day, my mind is overwhelmingly tired. I can’t recall words, names, and facts I know I know. And I tend to abandon my morning optimism for a healthy dose of anxiety. Enter bottle of CBD…

I know I am not alone in this. I am lucky to have a partner and two smiling kid faces to keep me company. Shout out to those in solo lockdown.

In a hundred years a great author will write a book about these times, but, there is nothing romantic about living through this. To help add a little beauty and interest to your life, I’ve compiled a few free internet resources.

Librivox // Librivox offers free classic audiobooks. I recommend this version of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, but there are more options than you could ever hope to get through in one pandemic.

Yoga to the People Podcasts // Yoga to the People has a few studios nationwide. There are a few of these podcasts I revisit time and again. They are definitely my go-to source for exercise during these stationary quarantine days.

Pod Save America // A podcast by four former aides to President Obama, this is my favorite source for smart news. You’ll learn something new every week from these guys. They know what it’s like to be behind the scenes of campaigns and a presidential administration.

Face Mask Sewing Pattern // I don’t know about you but sewing is just about the best anti-anxiety activity I’ve discovered. Check out this pattern and video and, if you have the time and resources, perhaps you’ll want to make extra masks to donate to a local hospital or to seniors in your community.

Vintage Garnet Sentimental Rings // Check out this Lit Flower post for the history and pictures of garnets in sentimental jewelry. There is nothing quite as dreamy as a garnet ring.

Kay Nielsen’s Fairy Tale Art // Ready to escape for a little bit? Enter Kay Nielsen’s fairy mind through his wickedly magical art.

To close, I’d like to leave you with this video tweet by Neil Diamond singing one of your favorite songs, altered just a little bit to be appropriate for the strange times in which we find ourselves.

Stay safe out there! “Hands… washing hands..” ? pic.twitter.com/QaRB1qZshp

— Neil Diamond (@NeilDiamond) March 22, 2020

Please comment below to let me know how you are passing your time – or just to say hi.