We live in a 950 square foot cottage in the wilds of northern NJ, so space is always at a premium around here. Our sons still live at home and are saving for homes of their own. So between my husband, who is recuperating from a health crisis, our two sons, and two semi-crabby dogs, our house is busting at the seams and runneth over with love!
Our daughter and son-in-law and two darling grandsons live 25 minutes north of us in NY. Because my hubby was in the hospital for a month, I wasn’t able to watch them after school in January and February. He came home from the hospital on the last day of February and 13 days later the schools here in and in NY closed. Our governor passed a “stay-at-home order” on the 21st of March. Being in the tri-state area, NY, NJ and CT, is a scary place to be.
Our youngest is an elevator repair apprentice and in NYC everyday repairing elevators. Our oldest and my hubby are able to work remotely.
It’s been forever since I’ve been able to see our grandsons’ smiling faces and spoil them rotten. I realized that I’ve been babysitting them during the week since our oldest grandson was born 9 years ago! It’s like withdrawal not being able to see them, hug them and just be with them.
Things I’ve been doing:
- Staring each day with my morning prayers, thanking God for the many gifts in my life.
- Writing in my journal
- Reading daily devotions in my Bible.
- Daily chores: one of my faves—hanging out the clothes!
- Baking up a storm! It’s my stress relief.
- Grocery shopping, runs to the pharmacy, post office, bank, etc.
- Working in the yard…raking out garden beds, setting up outdoor furniture, the hummingbird feeder…and my favorite outside chore…scooping puppy poop!
- Cleaned off my upstairs desk and started working up there instead of the kitchen table.
- Working on a writing project to get my writing muscles working again so I can get back to my WIP and my extended deadline, courtesy of my publisher.
It’s hard to gear myself up to go run errands to keep our household going, but with the men in my life working (and my 
Young Living Essential Oils (YLEO) saved my sanity while my husband was in the hospital. I had my great grandmother’s Rosary beads with me, but I also had my YLEO with me.
With each drop of oil on my heart chakra or inside of my wrist, I say a prayer:
Abundance Oil: A drop on my heart chakra…Dear Lord, please grant me abundance that I may share it with my family.
Hope Oil: A drop on the inside of my left wrist, then I place my wrists together…Dear Lord, please grant me hope that I may always have it.
Valor Oil: A crop on my heart chakra…Dear Lord, please grant me the valor and courage to move forward in the direction you have planned for me.
Amen
We’d like to know one of the best things about quarantine and one of the worst.
The best thing: Having most of our family close and knowing they were safe for the time being.
The worst: Not seeing our grandsons, daughter and son-in-law.
How are you doing business? How are you staying entertained?
Reading has always been an escape for me…I’ve been reading on my Kindle…a lot! I’ve gotten hooked on HGTV’s “Home Town,” and watching favorite movies on Disney+ Frozen II and Onward were the hot movie tips from our grandsons.
I noticed Disney+ does not have The Gnome Mobile yet. Mom and Dad took us kids to see it at the Totowa Drive-in. When we got there my brother, sisters and I all piled in the back of our almost brand-new turquoise 1964 Plymouth Belvedere station wagon after Dad laid the back seat down. We had our pillows and were wearing our PJs… good times!
Is there anything you’d recommend people do? Or some inspirational something you’d like to say?
Do something that lightens your heart and your soul. Watching shows that remind me of my childhood and simpler times is something that works for me.
I love watching cartoons, Disney movies, musicals, westerns, and any movie John Wayne ever made.
Favorites on DVD: Seven Brides for Seven Brothers with Howard Keel *sigh* love, just love when he sings “Bless Your Beautiful Hide” of course my guys love the fight scene during the barn-raising.
The Quiet Man with John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara—we wore out two videos before I finally bought the DVD. Funny thing, but my guys love the fight scene after Sean and Mary Kate go to see Red Will asking for her dowry…
Darby O’Gill and the Little People with Albert Sharpe, Sean Connery and Janet Munro…love when Sean Connery sings “My Pretty Irish Girl.” Again…there’s this fight scene in the pub at the end of the movie, well I’m sure you can guess what part my guys like best. LOL!
Watch something that will sweep you away, make you laugh, make you cry.
Before our daughter got married, we used to watch movies together. How Green Was My Valley with Maureen O’Hara and Walter Pidgeon, Donald Crisp, was one of them…Lord, we’d cry together. Just loving that movie and the trials and tribulations of the Morgan family.
Whatever you do, keep the faith, share this time with your loved ones if you can in person if you live together, or via zoom or facetime, or just via telephone. Stay connected to your loved ones, they need you too!
Be safe and be smart.
Wash your hands!
Practice social distancing.
Stay 6 feet away from others when you have to go to the grocery store or pharmacy, etc.
Remember you’re not in this alone, we’re all in this together, and I’m praying for you!
Don’t feel that you have to do it all.
My latest release (March 9th) is the 3rd book in the sweet version of my Small Town USA Series: Welcome Back to Apple Grove.
The large print version of my Sweet Small Town Series releases April 11th (the 45th anniversary of my hubby and my first date <g>)
