“To-do’s” - 21 for 2021
Tis time to close out the old and bring in the new with resolutions and ‘to-do’ lists. I’m definitely ready to put 2020 behind me and start anew. But will that be the case. It appears, even with a vaccine being administered as I write, the pandemic will still wrap its wretched arms around us for several more months, maybe nearly all of 2021. Pandemic management needs to be on our to-do list.
The advice has been there from the start:
Wear a mask. Wash hands often and thoroughly. Social distance.
Simple but effective. Why is it so hard to do that. For one thing, pandemic fatigue is setting in. We’re tired of it all; we let our guard down, or rationalize that we’re stronger than the virus. But we can’t do that. We must keep on keeping on. Health professionals, disparaged that they have been, continue to stress those three things. Let’s follow their advice. How about a pandemic pep-talk to help us along the way:
—Make a commitment to do those three things. Make it part of our routine, and pretty soon a habit has been formed.
—Keep the necessary supplies handy. Masks in the car, in your pocket, in your purse. Lots of them in all designs, some disposable, some not. Get creative. Hand sanitizer in all the same places.
—Make it personal. No doubt we all know of someone who has been touched by the virus. It was personal to me last night as I watched an ambulance pull up to the home of our neighbor. He’d been recovering from the virus but obviously had taken a turn for the worse. He was life flighted to a hospital. Fortunately he survived and continues to improve. Many have not been so lucky.
—Agree to cope. Accept that we will never, ever give up because in the whole scheme of things if we have our health, we have just about everything.
The virus has taken an awful physical toll, but there’s also been a significant impact on our mental health. Health professionals report a dramatic increase in patients showing anxiety, sadness and depression. But here again, psychologists offer some coping tips. Pyschologist Justin Ross of UC Health Integrative Medicine Center in Stapleton, CO. offers some simple but effective advice:
—Reflect and accept (how about the serenity prayer)
—Breathe and Meditate
—Be active. Keep exercising
—STAY OFF SOCIAL MEDIA. Those caps come from me, because I believe the incessant time spent on twitter and facebook and a load of false information on the Internet has done real damage to our psyche. I may use the Internet, but for more productive things than surfing.
In fact, I’ve developed a list of “things” I’m going to spend time on in 2021. I made that list after a recent conversation with a friend. She recalled a comment from a woman of similar age and circumstances who complained of being bored. Bored? My friend and I agreed that was not in our vernacular. Too many things to do. Too many things yet to try to ever be bored. So I made a list of those things — 21 of them for 2021 –so I will never be bored:
Daily morning pages. That’s the stream of consciousness writing recommended by Judith Cameron in her book, “The Artist’s Way: a Spiritual Guide to Higher Creativity.” I’m always surprised where that writing leads me.
Blogging: Duh! Of course I will, and my goal is to do a weekly post. I already have a list of a dozen topics, so blogosphere, here I come.
Quliting: Right before the pandemic hit, I joined our local quilt guild, which is made up of a group of very savvy quilters. Needless to say, I don’t expect the group will be convening anytime soon, so this very beginning quilter will need to find her own way. That’s where the Internet really does come in handy.
Music and more music — playing the piano, memorizing more songs, preparing piano lessons for my granddaughters, playing the organ for church once a month, learning to play the ukelele with my granddaughter. I may even pull out Selmer Mark VI saxophone and the tin whistle.
Pet ownership: After more than 15 years, I’m back to being a pet owner — a little Christmas kitten named Penny. She craves attention, so I give it to her. She reciprocates with all the kitty love she can muster. That unconditional love given by a pet can be a huge source of comfort during this pandemic.
Gardening Too cold and snowy for planting here in Nebraska but there’s plenty of planning and learning to get ready for the growing season.
Reading. I always have three books going at all times: fiction, nonfiction and a self-help. On the list for January: “Promised Land” by Barack Obama; “The Lake House” by Kate Morton. Still looking for the self-help choice. I better get busy; the clock is ticking. Our book club has not been meeting, but I’m urging a zoom session to select our next book.
Spirituality: I will continue the spiritual conversations with my daughters. on a weekly basis. I’m also listening to daily meditations from Richard Rohr at the Center for Action an Contemplation. And always there is time for prayer.
Friendship and conversations: Zoom calls and one-on-one phone conversations with friends, family and neighbors are wonderful. I’m looking forward in just a few minutes when my good friend and I will toast the New Year in our cocktail phone conversation.
Community engagement and service; Many professional meetings have resorted to zoom but a few are still in place. I’ll travel to the State Capitol next week for a state commission required to meet in public (masks will be in place). Once a week I help deliver meals to local seniors as long as the senior center remains closed due to the virus, and occasionally volunteer at a nonprofit thrift store.
Exercise. The 45 minutes in the morning is a must, but there’s always something more to add. A daily 30-minute walk is a delight if the weather cooperates. If not, I head downstairs to the treadmill or the body groove dance routine.
Arts and crafts. An artist I am not. But I can learn more about art. The Getty Museum offers a wealth of online resources and virtual tours of their exhibitions. The great Masters are at my fingertips. A free coloring book came in the mail from the National Arbor Day Foundation, so I’m going to color trees.
Family –grandchildren, a husband, daughters, a son-in-law. All need varying degrees of attention, love and care. I’m prepared to give it to them. Like fixing dinner one night a week for my daughter and her family as she juggles time on the road for an internship with all her other responsibilities.
14. Television and the movies. I’m selective about what I watch on television and in the movies, which is usually done with my husband in the evening hours. PBS News Hour gives me the news I need. We like old movies like the “The Quiet Man” with John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara. Or classic westerns like “Who Shot Liberty Valance” or “The Magnificent Seven.” An hour before our evening dinner we never tire of watching reruns of “M*A*S*H.” That show had great writing and wonderful humor. It is also a reminder we’re not the only ones who have dealt with pain, isolation and trauma, all while keeping a stiff upper lip and doing our jobs.
15. Organizing There’s always a drawer, a closet, a file that needs to purging. Even 15 minutes can make a difference.
16. Photos and photography. Who doesn’t have boxes and boxes of family photos that need organizing. January is also the time I do a photo book that captures highlights from the previous year.
17. Beauty. Why not. I may not have anywhere to go but so what. If I put on makeup and do my hair for no one but myself, that’s enough. Tomorrow night I’ll give myself a pedicure.
18. The farm. I’m not a farmer but I am a landowner of property that has been in my family for over 100 years. I will continue my quest to improve the land, restore the buildings and plant numerous trees because I want my legacy to be in good shape when passed on to my heirs.
19. Food. I’m helping my husband on his quest to lose weight using a low carb diet. That keeps me on my toes looking for suitable recipes.
20. Cleaning Well, yes. This is not in any way done out of boredom. I just like a clean home, and it gives me satisfaction to have a sparkly kitchen, a super clean bathroom and a home in good order.
21. And finally, I’ll take some time to do absolutely nothing. This morning as I gazed out the window of my home office, with the sun shining brightly, nighttime frost was blowing off the trees. It looked like a million little diamonds floating to the ground.
Diamonds — they’re all around us. We just have to look for them.
No time to be bored.
HAPPY NEW YEAR