With the COVID Stay at Home order issued in many states, families across the nation are at home, faced with the projects they never made time for.  Reduce options of how we can spend our time and voila, we tackle the not so glamorous tasks.   Most of the projects I’ve completed take relatively little time to do, I just didn’t bother to do them.  For example, the previous owner of my home removed shelving and left holes in the wall.  I put putty in the holes every day for 3 days to make sure they were flat, then sanded and painted.  I should’ve done this a few years ago.  The beauty of this free time is when the world starts turning again, the scrolling list of unfinished projects in our head will be reduced.

Trying new dishes has been fun and distracting!  I’ve made new desserts and main courses, thanks to short videos online and my grandmother’s old church cookbook.  My favorite tool has been my cast iron pan, which I baked a giant cookie in.  I’ve also been trying my hand at Asian dishes such as pancit and lo mein.  They are simple, yummy options for a quick lunch.

The final and most daunting of new tasks has been helping my son learn virtually.  There are a handful of websites to navigate, daily journal writing, and physical education videos to follow.  It can seem daunting, but I’m choosing to appreciate the lack of crazy rushed mornings, remembering the popcorn money every Wednesday, and trying to find a tiny pair of matching socks at 6:30 am.

At the end of this Stay at Home order, I want to look back with gratitude for the extra time I had with my family, the new comforting meals I can easily make, and how I took good care of my imperfect, but lovely home.