Donalacasa's Daybook: Tuesday, March 17, 2020

Outside my window...
It's a beautiful day outside, mostly cloudy and 81 degrees. I am thinking...
All three of my children were sad for one reason or another yesterday. They are all adults, but I still feel their feelings. The hardest is knowing that Crown Prince Sanban's commencement has been pushed back. No one at my small HBCU has even discussed graduation. I have already ordered my cap and gown. I have already joked that if I don't have a commencement that I will just wear it to shop in or join somebody's choir. I am thankful...
My family and friends are healthy and well. My Princess Butterfly is floating around near me. I have missed her chatter and beautiful spirit. I have plenty to eat. I live in a safe and clean neighborhood. I have electricity, hot and cold running water, access to the world through the Internet. I have plenty to keep my mind and hands busy. Two of my first cousins have had new babies born within the past couple of months. I am wearing...
White shorts and my community college T-shirt. I am creating...
Nothing yet, but I did buy some yarn. I am reading...
The city library closed its branches a day before my suburb library did so Princess Butterfly and I went to get some books to read. At present, I am reading a book that The Grand Duchess loaned me, All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, since of late I have really been into World War II historical fiction. I am also listening to a non-fiction audiobook as I fall asleep at night called A Spy Among Friends: Kim Philby and the Great Betrayal by Ben Macintyre and John le Carre'. I offered to pick up extra books in case The Grand Duchess didn't have enough. She told me that she had plenty to read on her TBR shelf in her apartment but if she ran out she would come over and read my books too. LOL I am listening to....
Last weekend, we went to hear a workshop choir that Donald Lawrence had conducted. It seemed that the whole night centered around the beautiful melodies of this song and since we are getting close to Passover as well, it seems so appropriate now.
I am watching...
Let's talk about what I'm NOT watching. WHY did Amazon Prime choose now to take Little House on the Prairie off of Prime??? I was all excited to continue marathon watching with Princess Butterfly. And the Waltons too. This is not even right. I am looking forward to...
The end of all this craziness.

One of my favorite things...
Planting the marigolds in with the tomatoes. Looking at the flowers makes me happy. I definitely need more fresh flowers around me. A few plans for the rest of the week...
I am going to try and blog daily until this social distancing is past. We'll see how I do. From the learning rooms...
My university just started its 2-week spring break. While they are trying to figure out an online learning alternative, I am going to be working on doing that for my U.S. History students. Pondering these words...
Today I have been fasting and praying to try to focus outward instead of inward.

From the kitchen...
Friend Hubby has been mentoring a young man who stays with us during the work week. He has been doing all the dinner cooking and I am perfectly fine with that. I may make a soup tomorrow. The grocery stores are about empty anyway so we will eat what we have. Around the house...
I thought I'd once again try my hand at trying to grow something (or at least keep alive something that someone else started growing. I bought a tomato plant at the grocery store, a container at At Home, and some marigolds at Wal-Mart and viola! Don't worry Grand Duchess, I also bought succulents for the walkway. You can come over and help me replace the dead plants with them.



My self-care...
Being a super sensitive person and having a tendency of wearing others' emotions like a cloak. My self-care involves shedding those and managing my own. This morning I was upset after finding out that Crown Prince Sanban's commencement is postponed until August. I had some grief-related emotions along with that (sadness, anger, denial). Even though I haven't heard that my YMCA has closed, I figured I best find some other workout options. Over the past few months, BodyPump, BodyFlow, and Zumba have become like therapy for me. I have lost very little weight, but my body has seriously changed shape. I can't allow social distancing quarantine to make me lose all my progress. Today would have been a Zumba day for me. I found a workout that helped me get some of those negative emotions out. The cool down has some Tai Chi moves so I am here for that.
Shalom and blessings!