I have been having a hard time starting this post.
We are in Quarantine. We can’t leave our home for anything but life essentials, we can’t have people over, we have to stay the social distance apart. We can’t touch our friends, no hugging, no kissing. This goes for everyone but the one you live with, so at least, Rita and I have each other.
Our Website is about having fun, staying active and healthy while retired. My whole philosophy about having a healthy retirement is to stay physically active and do things that are mentally stimulating.
This is mid April, 2020. I have not played golf for 4 weeks (I was playing 4 times a week, pre-Covid 19) and I haven’t played tennis for 5 or 6 weeks ( I played 4 or 5 times a week (pre-Covid 19).
The only thing Rita & I have been doing physically, is walking about 2 miles a day. We go before daylight so we don’t meet people who want to stand and talk.
Our community started cutting back on activities in the middle of February and by March, the club stopped ALL social activities.
I’m a touchy, feely, active person. This quarantine has been Hell! But, that’s enought about “poor me”. The good thing is that these mitigation practices seem to be working, to the benefit of most of us. I don’t know if you were forced to quarantine yourself, did it voluntarily or maybe you haven’t done it at all. Anyway, it is for the birds!!
The question is, what can I do and what can YOU do to keep from falling into total depression.
The first thing you have to control is, how to get along with your wife or husband for 30 hours a day and 9 days a week (an exageration but it sure seems like that much). Once you get this under control, the rest will go pretty smoothly.
Rita and I have much experience in this because we went to high school together and got married in our 20’s. I keep thinking, why did this happen at this age of our life and why after this many years of marriage. If it would have happened when we were younger and more exuberant, there are at least a couple of things that could have filled some idle time, if you know what I mean. Of course, we DID that then and we had 4 kids.
Time, Time, time!!
Hey Guys, remember all those “Honey do” things your wife has been asking you to do , but you never had the time? The faucet is leaking, the toilet won’t stop running, a bulb in the ceiling is burned out, etc. WELL, NOW IS THE TIME!!
Also, think about a new hobby that you don’t have to leave the ranch to do, and NO! watching TV is not one of them!
What about cooking?
Cooking is something that can be very relaxing, especially if you have a cocktail or a glass of wine while your’re doing it
ANYONE CAN COOK. If you can READ,You can COOK!!
To me, trying a new recipe is a lot of fun. I like to go through cooking magazines, pick out a couple of recipes that look good and try them.
Don’t tell anybody, but when I’m in a doctor’s waiting room (fortunately, that’s not too often), I will pick up a woman’s magazine or Better Homes and Gardens, & find a recipe. Then I might quietly tear it out of the magazine, fold it up and put it in my pocket so I can make it at home.
If you have never cooked before, your wife or partner will be very impressed. In fact Rita is sooooo impressed , she lets me do all the cooking now!
Gardening is Great!
Another thing I find relaxing is gardening. I don’t mean mowing the lawn or pulling weeds. I mean vegetable gardening.
If you have a small area around your house that you can till up, that would be ideal. Plants and seeds are not very expensive and Lowes and Home Depot have a good variety.
If you don’t have a tillable area, you can still garden. Buy some plastic tote/tubs, punch holes in the bottom for drainage, fill with garden soil from the above 2 retailers. Plant your seeds & plants and you’re on your way to having fresh vegetables for your table. This can fill quite a bit of time plus you get the reward of growing something.
The smell of Baking Bread is Wonderful!
Learning to bake bread can be fun and relaxing. This is very easy with a bread machine (which are easily purchased new or at a thrift shop, though maybe not while in quarantine). There are also lots of recipes for mixing bread by hand, (the way Rita’s mom used to do it). It does seem though, that according to social media, everyone is baking bread. Just proves we’re all looking for Comfort in this time of apprehention.
So, if you can’t find flour, bread flour, or yeast right now, don’t give up. Learning to bake bread is a great hobby, anytime.
As I write this, it appears that many areas of the country are poised to be opening up. We’ll all be grateful for some normalty. BUT, Let’s all remember to use COMMON SENSE, still do social distancing and wear our masks when we’re in more crowded situations. And also, remember, all of these activities are great hobbies even when we’re not Quarantined.
There are plenty of things to do when you are Quarantined and even when you're NOT!!
We say our prayers for all those who have suffered and lost loved ones and for our nation.
Stay well and be safe.
Ron