I’m a homebody and an introvert, but being home all day, every day with my kids during lockdown with no breaks and almost no adult interaction beyond the Chaplain has been a hit to my mental health. Through it all, though, there have been little things that pepped me up when I was falling apart. Here are five of my favorites from the last week or so:
- 99% Invisible Podcast with an episode about toilet paper. Interesting, and it also puts things in perspective.
- Wes Tank rapping Dr. Seuss to Dr Dre beats. Fox in Sox is my favorite, but he has also done The Lorax and Green Eggs and Ham. If you don’t have kids, don’t let that stop you from clicking the link. I have watched it with my kids, but I watched it by myself first, and I’m listening to it right now.
- This couple wears historical costumes on their daily walk to the end of their lane. If you want, you can guess in the comments what era or event the costumes are from, with answers the next day.
- Six of Crows, by Leigh Bardugo. I binge listened to this 15+ hour audio book while working on a sewing project over the course of about four days. The book is YA fantasy lit, with several slow burn romances, great character development, and a world that reminded me of a mashup of my favorite European cities in a gritty, anachronistic past.
- Batch sewing. I’ve been nearly incapable of creativity since the pandemic started, frozen in a blizzard of news and crumbs. Making the same thing, over and over again, especially lots of straight seams (I’ve been machine-sewing pinafore aprons, and hand-sewing hankies and knee patches), was good for my brain.
(Honorable mention: eating cookie dough.)
New little gifts, in the form of blooming forsythia, a good radio program, or just an interesting passage in a book, pop up just when I need them during these strange and difficult times. I hope something on this list puts a smile on your face, gives you an idea, or just helps you escape for a little bit.
While I was batch sewing, I left a big piece of already-cut fabric in the middle of the living room floor with a seam ripper, uncapped, nearby. My two-year-old took the bait and stabbed a little rip in the center. So I patched it.
