Covid shut downs just started last March. Who would have thought we would still be shut down? Well I did not complete visualize it. January and February in Michigan might as well be a shut down. Actually, the shut down is a relief as we don’t have to go out on the roads so much. However, the cold and boredom that comes with gray skies can get one down. Here is my “go to” list for those gray days.
Things Not to do:
Social Media
Watching the News
Self Medicate
Despair
Things to do :
Plan a trip. Do your research. I prefer to get books and videos from the library rather than reading short articles on the computer screen, but it helps to get a little thumbnail overview from the computer before diving in. Look up the place you want to go on a map. Look up the flight options. What else do you need? Hotels, places to eat, things to do? Make a list with the options.
Read that book, that you have always wanted to read or that you did not- but then get a friend to join you. Right now our group is tackling Gulag Archipelago by Solzhenitsyn. It is the abridgement by Edward E Erickson, Jr. Yes, it’s a little heavy, but I am counting my blessings! I am also reading Celebration of Disciplines by Richard Foster, Old Fashioned Girl by Louisa Alcott and Isabella Graham by herself.
Call a friend.
Write a letter or card to someone in need. Write to someone you just want to, who you have not seen or talked to in a while.
Try a new recipe -if you like to cook
Go for a walk- no matter the weather. Yes, you can survive. As a rule, I don’t really like exercise or the cold, but am always glad after I go out-even if it is just to come in again.
Tackle one chore you keep putting off.
Learn something new: take it one step at a time. Blogging was a new thing for me and I’m still trying to figure it out. I have a friend who is learning to tap dance – and she is over 60. If it were not for Covid, we would be too busy racing around, chasing our tails in the same rut and would not feel the freedom to try something new.
Pick up a hobby: photography, piano, guitar, woodwork, sewing, craft, … At first it seems overwhelming, but I break things down into small goals with low expectations for outcomes. For knitting, I told myself, just one row a day and I have managed to complete three to four projects a year. Not a lot, but satisfying. I, also, use friends, instruction books and YouTube for help when I get stuck.
Re-decorate or rearrange a room or space, whether it is the mancave or sewing room, maybe just a nook that is usually overlooked.
Take time to just sit and look out at nature, whether it be morning or evening.
Around the Table 
When we lived in Germany, I learned and adopted their philosophy – “there’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.” Now I’m free to go take a walk in most weather. (Ok, maybe I didn’t FULLY adopt the philosophy.) 😉
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I love that perspective. Thank you for sharing that. I did have to adjust to Michigan too-long down coats, wool socks, scarf and hat, boots and a hardy friend who is a great conversationalist to take my mind of the misery 🙂
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I’m with you. I never thought that it was last this long either. I just try to keep myself busy to distract myself and make time pass faster. I believe that maybe this will be over soon. You’re in my thoughts and prayers.
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Thank you, Cherie. It has been a great opportunity to grow!
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