Five on Friday: TV Shows I'm loving

We are constantly searching for things to watch...now maybe more than ever...but we always struggle.

So here are five shows we have been loving lately.

1. Outer Banks on Netflix
I started this mostly because I love the Outer Banks, but quickly was drawn into the story.

2. Dispatches from Elsewhere on AMC
Jason Segal. Sally Field. Conspiracy Theories. What more do you need?

3. Little Fires Everywhere on Hulu
Joshua Jackson is a dad in this show set in the late 90s. Mind blown. Very hard to reconcile. Check it out.

4. What We Do in the Shadows on FX and FX on Hulu
This is a vampire parody show set in New York and its pretty funny. Guillermo is my favorite.

5. Miracle Workers Dark Ages on TBS
A follow up to Miracle Workers, this is another off the wall comedy.

What are you watching??

Productivity as a Coping Mechanism

I've come to realize that I am using productivity as a coping mechanism. If I have a list of 87 things to accomplish, I can't wallow or worry...I have to get them done. At the same time, I'm tired today. I have a lot to do today and probably put more on the list than the list can handle, but it keeps me going.

Weekly Spread

 Ellie had to be included this week.

Tending List

I've made some good progress on my monthly goals! I do need to a puzzle and work on weekly game nights. Why am I struggling with the fun stuff???

How are you doing?

Five on Friday: My favorite Covid19 Self-Isolating Pasttimes

For those of us not homeschooling, working 40+ hours from home, working 40+ hours in public, etc., this has been a very wild time of trying to fill hours that used to be filled with volunteering, lunches, church activities, etc. 

So, here are my five favorite self-isolating pasttimes...

1. Walking

I am really enjoying my morning walk with Ellie. We usually just do about 25 minutes.

2. Coloring

I have always liked coloring, I just never do it.

3. Baking

I have found my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe and banana bread recipe. And I finally figured out how to do the make my grandma's cookies!

4. Cleaning

I have finished my spring cleaning and am working through some extra projects that I just never deal with...like cleaning out baskets and cleaning out cabinets.

5. Virtual Game Nights

We had been having regular game nights before all of this started and we have tried to continue as much as possible. 

What are your favorite things to do?

Its been 42 Days...

All I can say is WOW. This year has been the biggest dumpster fire. Its been 42 days since I last checked in. Nashville had just been hit by a devastating tornado and then the entire country went into a tailspin with the Coronavirus/Covid19 pandemic. Let me catch you up...

On March 7, I traveled to Northern Kentucky for a cousin's baby shower. On March 9, I returned home, bought carpet and went about my week. On March 13, we made the decision to begin self-isolating. I went to the grocery, a bird flew in my house, it was wild. Chris went in to his office for the last time on March 16 and we have officially been self-isolating since March 17. Today is Day 29.

I feel like I went through all the stages. Shock and panic. Inertia. Wild cleaning binges. Baking. Zoom calls. Lots more alcohol than usual. A bit of depression about the things we have to cancel. Resignation. And now, I am in a kind of zen state. I have finally found a rhythm, a sense of normalcy. Making grocery orders is less stressful.

There is one thing kind of lingering over our heads. Two weeks ago, my husband's company cut pay across the board 10%. We thought ok, this is to protect from lay-offs, furloughs, etc. Two days later, thousands of employees were furloughed. The following Monday, an email went out that said that the measures they took were not drastic enough and more furloughs were imminent. Talk about killing staff morale. We fully expect another round of furloughs to be announced Friday and are praying not to be on the list.

We have so much money wrapped up in our adoption plan and our safety net is not as plush as it once was, which is thoroughly frightening. We have already slashed our monthly budget to the bare bones and only have 3 streaming services left to slash...Netflix, Hulu and Disney+, which is only about what...$25 per month.

Anyway. I know people have it worse than we do, but the lingering threat of a furlough, the stress of waiting for adoption, the pandemic...its a lot to handle.

So, where am I now?

I have found a fun, daily rhythm.
6:00 - breakfast, get ready for the day
7:20 - Walk with Ellie
8:00 - Tidy the House and do my journaling/devotional
9:00 - Start the to do list
11:10 - Make Lunch
1:00 - Return to To Do List
3:00 - Watch the Covid 19 Conversations Instagram Live with Gretchen Rubin and Liz Craft
4:30 - Chris is usually done with work, so we go outside if the weather is favorable
6:30 - Dinner
8:00 - Shower, Dishes, Get Ready for Bed
10:00 - Bed

My goals for this week include things like Wash Windows, schedule Facebook posts for June, clean off the laundry room shelves and get our home study physical done.

Here are some things I am grateful for...

The ability to self-isolate
The ability to buy groceries online
The mostly favorable weather
Ellie and Chris
Keeping in contact with friends and family
All the essential workers
All this extra time with Chris even when I want some alone time
Entertainment companies unlocking their services to help keep us entertained
Stephen Colbert's Late Show from Home
Jimmy Fallon's Late Show from Home
Some Good News on YouTube
Here For You, a new daily podcast from the Forever35 podcast hosts
Audiobooks

Going forward, I want to blog more and I think I have hit a point in this situation where I can sit down and concentrate.


What are you grateful for? How are you doing?