I really don't want to write anything about the coronavirus but it's impossible not to. Life has changed and there are some major pros in the midst of a lot of cons. I can bake bread on a work day. I can take Luna out at lunchtime. I'm seeing lots of people learning to knit and sew and cook and being creative in connecting with each other. Definitely positive things are happening.
The cons, of course - I don't need to list these for you. We are all feeling them in both shared and unique ways. Is that any comfort? I'm not sure.
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| Barre workout at home |
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| Proof I'm still making myself presentable |
And I am trusting that long after we stop using the word "unprecedented" we will have gained some real wins. A friend of mine posted, "If we do this right, nothing will ever be the same." Businesses - the ones that survive - will have found new opportunities from having to learn to adapt. People will discover that the ways they've been connecting with family members at the dinner table and via FaceTime are things they could - and should - have been doing all along. Perhaps we will all be washing our hands more thoroughly from now on, and we will stop coming into work any time we are sick (and hopefully there is more paid sick leave for all). I was hoping there might be some environmental wins, too, as we are not traveling much, but I also am seeing the increased use of other environmentally harming disposables and stocking up on beef...so it's probably a wash there. But mostly, we will realize so much more keenly how truly blessed we are because of all that we have taken for granted, and recognize the actual value of those things.
Reading
I finished The Altogether Unexpected Disappearance of Atticus Craftsman. It was a fun story set in a city I hope to visit one day, Madrid. I did pick up one phrase, which I'm not sure if it's being directly translated from Spanish or if it is commonly used in English: "Christ on a bike." Used in any situation of disbelief or exasperation.
I really want to hold a book in my hand right now and am struggling. I can't even return our library books right now. I caved and bought a Kindle Paperwhite.
My current audiobook is Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson. I'm not familiar with the narrator but she sounds like Parker Posey. It's kind of a popcorn book, something I can easily listen to while knitting or gardening. I had to pause The Library Book because I kept getting error messages when I tried to listen. ...Technology.
Watching
I paid $4 to rent a 1963 Paul Newman/Joanne Woodward movie I had never heard of before: A New Kind of Love. As the credits began, I couldn't believe I was never aware of it: Frank Sinatra singing the opening song. Maurice Chevalier. Paris. Fashion. Joel said, "If you've never heard of it before, there's probably a reason." He was right. It was...weird. Joanne Woodward portrayed a woman who was through with love and dressed so that she was frequently mistaken as a man. She steals high fashion design for her economical department store employer, which involves a trip to Paris where she encounters Paul Newman, a playboy newspaper reporter who's two main hobbies are watching sports and objectifying women. He has a great time at the Moulin Rouge. But you know, there's just something different about her, and something different about him, and they discover a new kind of love. But only after Joanne gets a makeover and acts like someone else. Either way, nice to see 1960s Paris.
Also watched Brittany Runs a Marathon. Another reminder of large social gatherings of yore. But a good message about body positivity and controlling the things we can control.
This was followed by The Abyss. Neither Joel nor I enjoy movies that involve being underwater and that was the entire movie. It was enjoyable, though, as I annoyingly pointed out every sexist element of the plot. (There was a total of two women in the cast, one of whom was a bitch due to her leadership role.)
And we also watched all four episodes of Self-Made starring Octavia Spencer, inspired by the story of Madam C.J. Walker. The dialogue may have been a little uninspired, but the story was still worth watching.
Listening
My Barre Code class has created a private Facebook group for members around the country to post live workouts, so I still get to see my instructors from Spokane but also see how other instructors run their workouts. They also posted their workout music mixes on Spotify, which is open to all! This is pretty much the only way I keep up with pop music anymore, and it's very upbeat. In case you need some new tunes to workout to.
Making
Much progress has been made on Bojagi. Thanks to the four episodes of Self-Made. I am almost done with the largest section.
Recipes
Well, it's all home cooking now. I made a Melissa Clark recipe for polenta with roasted sausage and cabbage, which was fine. With the leftover polenta, I made polenta fries the next night and revived the sausage/cabbage mixture as a stirfry. Then I made a pantry-friendly recipe for smashed white beans on toast (with homemade bread) topped with roasted asparagus and broccoli. We also had pizza. And curry burgers. I used up the last of my yogurt and frozen blueberries by making a lemon yogurt cake. We'll be fine over here.
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