Go Wash Your Hands

Maria Schulz

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Hello everybody!

Sorry I’ve gone MIA for the past couple of years. Life gets in the way sometimes, and then other times, you get stuck indoors for an indeterminate period of time  (I’m talking about a pandemic, not an incarceration) and you feel like blogging again!

Thankfully, my family and I are happy, healthy, and safe. We wash our hands A LOT and try not to touch our faces. The skin on our hands resembles catcher’s mitts. Despite all of this, I do realize we are very blessed and I am grateful for that.

Still, there’s a lot of stuff I took for granted pre-pandemic that I really miss. Here are some of the things I could really use right about now:

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Random Human Contact

My immediate family and I are hunkered down in our own home and we have enough to get through this uncertain time. We are social distancing and staying out of stores – and away from people outside of our little tribe – as much as possible to stay healthy.

Since I am an introvert, I never, ever thought I would miss social interaction with random strangers. I am not an extrovert by any means, although those with a more severe case of introversion would probably scoff and call me a closet extrovert.

I didn’t realize how much of my day is spent chatting with people at work (now that I work exclusively at home), making amusing chit chat with the neighbors, or having polite conversations with new people at the dog run or the local park.

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Suddenly, the only humans I see are…nobody. Or they are people who will not get within 20 feet of me. I never knew I would miss that kind of contact, but this has been an enlightening time. You mean I LIKE PEOPLE? Fascinating.

Book Club

English major nerd that I am, I belong to two book clubs.

My first book club is filled with wonderful PARP (Parents Are Reading Partners) moms, or I should say, ex-PARP moms (our kids are all way past having us as reading partners). Ten years later, this book club still lives and breathes, and we have never looked back.

We started meeting at each other’s houses, then moved our get-togethers to a local Panera’s. We eat, and laugh, and share stories about each other’s kids and families….and eventually talk about the book some of us have read.

Thanks to this wonderful group of women, I have come across some of incredible reads, including Molokai (which I’ve recommended in other blogs), The Swans of Fifth Avenue, The Bell Jar, The Nightingale, and The Book Thief.

These experiences have been so good that I wanted to share them with other people I love. So, my nephew and I decided to create our own family book club. We take turns meeting in each other’s houses, where we eat, laugh, and eventually discuss the books we’re reading, including Where The Crawdads Sing, The Wives, The Guest Book, Supermarket, Caught, The Woman in the Window, and The Silent Patient.

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Of course, both of my book clubs can’t meet now, or for the foreseeable future. I guess we could meet virtually to discuss these books in detail. Who knows? At this point, anything is possible.

Leisurely Strolls Through Big Box Stores

Yes, there was a time in the not-so-distant past that I would go for a stroll through Target, Bed Bath & Beyond, or Petco, shopping for clothes, food, or soap in a leisurely fashion.

Now, the only time I head out to the stores is when we’re low on food, cleaning supplies, or toilet paper. The last time I went out, I wore a scarf over my face, ran through the aisles in search of toilet paper, got a hot tip from a store associate who told me to be at the warehouse door the next morning at 9 am. I ran back out to my car empty handed but pumped and ready for my morning meet-up.

Yes, these are interesting times.

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Dress Codes

The first few days I worked from home, I dressed like I was going into work. I wore blouses, slacks and jewelry. I put on my makeup and brushed my hair. I lived in fear of video conferences that would “out” me as a slacker.

On Day 2, I realized that I could turn off the camera, and since that time, I have been so busy that…let’s say, certain dress code rules and regulations have been relaxed.

While I don’t exactly look like I sleep outdoors or was raised by wolves, I now understand why teenagers wear pajamas and Birkenstocks all day long.

I’m outta here

The Barber/Hairdresser

For all you folks who think you’re low key in the upkeep department, I’m wondering: how does your hair look lately? I, for one, look like I just came out of a 20 year long sleep and go by the name of either Rip Van Winkle or Dumbledore.

I underestimated my love affair with hair dye, and for that, let me just say: I MISS YOU! YOU COMPLETE ME! COME BACK TO ME! WE BELONG TOGETHER!

My Sunny Optimistic Streak

Has anyone seen it? I could really use it right now. I promise I’ll find it in time for next Wednesday’s blog post!

Recipe:

50 Things to Make with Pasta Sauce

If you’re running out of things to make for dinner, here are 50 recipes you can use to create something delicious from a pantry staple – a jar of tomato sauce! My favorite is Eggs in Purgatory!

So, Hungry Lifers…what do you miss most these days? What new things have you found that have delighted or surprised you? Please leave a comment below and let us all know.

Stay healthy and safe! Now go wash your hands. 🙂