Where I’ve Been for Four Weeks

Tucked in the pages of three books.

Tucked in my bed well past the time I woke up, stretching, lazing, two days a week.

Outside playing in the snow x 2.

Taking the occasional photo.

Inside keeping warm while watching the snow x 4.

Behind the wheel of my car driving by the river, when it wasn’t snowing, enjoying the bare brown trees on snow-covered banks.

A friend made in my travels.

Tapping hundreds of words on my keyboard to a Mozart background for six hours on one Sunday.

Writing by hand on college-ruled looseleaf.

Sharing written words with other writers at least once a week over Zoom.

Sitting at the desk doing all kinds of adulting — ordering groceries, paying bills, etc.

Tidying so many things, including inboxes and closets.

Planning an overnight trip within driving distance but deciding against it since planning, data evaluation to determine risk, figuring out how much food to bring, et al, took all the fun out of it.

Doubling down on self-care since I apparently finally hit The COVID Wall.

Scouring sites trying to figure out vaccination for at-risk people and eventually myself.

Cursing the Commonwealth for its incompetence during its vaccine rollout.

Baking banana bread from scratch.

Watching things that make me laugh.

Spending copious amounts of time in Walnut Grove with Laura and the Ingalls fam and thanking all things holy I live in an age with motorized cars because horse-drawn wagons taking three days to get to the nearest big city is insane. Also, would it be wrong to retroactively punch Nellie Oleson?

Winter sky between two snow days.

A lot of people I know disappear during summer, buzzing from one activity to the other as the days get longer and hotter (i.e., sleep-interrupting bright and sweatier). I, oddball and OK with that, disappear in winter, my favorite time of the year. So that’s where I’ve been — in cozy quiet hibernation doing things I enjoy.

As the end of winter nears, I begin to reemerge, dreading what’s ahead but thankful for my room-darkening curtains and the circled November date on the calendar reminding I get my soon-to-be-stolen hour back in autumn.

As the beginning of the end of COVID starts to emerge, I’m happy to report I’ve found my real pants, los pantalones, not worn in a year. Do they fit? Sure. As long as I don’t sit down. The bright side to my upcoming least favorite time of year: outside will be brighter later and warmer as the days go by. Time to take those pants for a walk. Well, when spring officially arrives — I have a few more weeks of cozy hibernation to go.

4 responses

  1. You’ve been busy in ways that serve you well. Good job at living through winter and being productive. I don’t know what to expect this spring other than no ice on the driveway which would be nice. I have small dreams, don’t I? No idea when I’ll be eligible for the vaccine.

  2. Stephen Oneill Avatar
    Stephen Oneill

    Thanks for reminding me of what I have been doing these last couple of month.

    Steve

  3. My pleasure, Steve. :-)

  4. Ally, No ice is a good dream. I’m assuming it’s gone now, what with the warmer weather. Small dreams are good. They lead to simple pleasures, which are the best kind.
    (Not sure why this comment isn’t lining up with your comment, Ally. I’m working on it!)

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