Please join me on the porch of The Humble Bungalow.
Not in person, of course, but in the spirit of friendship.
Our porch is a quiet contemplative place to sit outside
in the sunshine
a place to chat and perhaps sip a beverage
make yourself comfy...
The news over the past few years has been disheartening and grim.
We've suffered a catastrophic worldwide pandemic...
Covid has changed us all and not necessarily for the better.
Many of the early days of Covid were dark and filled with fear...
we couldn't see our friends or family.
We were set adrift from our comfortable and often predictable routines
left alone to endure and weather the storm.
The Nightly News was focused around the serious nature of the disease
the deaths and the spread of the virus.
Things were incredibly bleak.
We were told the scientists were already working on a vaccine.
We waited and waited
often impatiently
for the promised vaccine.
I had to limit my exposure to the news broadcasts
to prevent myself from going down a dark rabbit hole...
I embraced the basic simple joys to keep my spirits level...
my moods were not euphoric but the little things in my daily round kept me going.
Getting outside in the garden was a gift...
We were so fortunate that we could dig in the dirt
plant seeds and watch them grow.
I think we grew closer as a couple and relied on each other
more than ever before in our married life.
Our "BUBBLE" was small...
two humans and two cats.
The roses rewarded us with blooms for our hard work tending to their needs.
We took JOY seeing things bloom and thrive,
excited to see seeds sprouting.
Cutting a few blooms and bringing them inside was a luxury.
Popping them in a vessel, be it a jam jar or a crystal vase
was a tonic that enriched our days.
Escaping safely to the cottage to cocoon was an absolute godsend.
We were able to self isolate and have a change of scenery.
It helped to temporarily soothe our worried minds...
We've now come through several years living with this virus.
have had our 4 vaccinations and we have changed...
Life as we knew it will never be the same.
I've learned a lot about myself...
Discovered that I am resilient, and can rise to a challenge.
Am able to amuse myself for long periods of time without going stir crazy!
Can make do and mend.
Will laugh at the littlest things...
Found out the small (est) things can and do bring JOY...
sweeping the floor
cooking new recipes
listening to music
washing the dishes
knitting
reading a good book
collecting sea glass on the beach
walking
the songs of the birds
butterflies
the smell of a scented candle
coffee
fragrant soap
I think expectations I have held onto for years have been drastically altered.
I no longer crave expensive things...
or even "things" if I am being honest...
I desire only the comforts of home, family and friends.
It is a shift in mindset,
honestly it is the one huge takeaway for me, from these past two years.
I also decided to declutter the entire bungalow...
donated most everything that we no longer use.
Gave away a lot to charity.
We do not NEED to KEEP stuff we don't love and use.
The feeling of having less stuff is so uplifting.
I did that to my clothes closet too!
My scarf drawer has been reduced to about a dozen scarves in total...
The cupboards look really organized and some quite bare!
I don't crave designer or name brand things...
a few well made items work and I have not shopped as much as pre Covid.
I did buy two lovely linen aprons which I have happily
worn to cook and clean...
with my pearls :-))
My daily household uniform is simple...
Jeans and a Tee, or top, linen apron and a strand of Akoya pearls.
While I know that pearls might be considered a wee bit "mumsy"
I don't care if they are not "on trend."
I wear what I like and they bring me JOY.
Family and friends are so precious...
we make time to see them whenever possible.
When it wasn't safe we saw people outside from afar...
thankfully now we can see the nearest and dearest close up.
What a huge relief that is!
I drank too much alcohol during Covid...
Possibly I was trying to numb myself from reality.
I've not had a drink for 3 months now
am sipping a tasty faux beer called Partake these days.
Enjoying a de-alcoholized bubbly from Italy called Bottega.
Surprising
it was not hard to quit drinking, but now I crave chocolate!
I haven't decided if I will drink alcohol again or not?
It is too early to know...
I know that I sleep better without the wine.
Our recycling box is not very full these days :-))
I have a lot more things that I could say about Covid and how it changed me...
this is a good start or maybe it's enough?
How has Covid changed you?
While I am on the subject...
there is a lot of room for (self) improvement left here too...
for example I could lose at least 15 pounds.
Maybe WW is in my future?
I'll close for now
hope that you will chime in and share some of your thoughts...
What simple JOYS do you enjoy?
The fresh air walks are one of my favourite ways to banish
any negative thoughts and energy.
Thank you for taking the time to read my blog.
~ Be Well and Be Kind ~
