How I'm Handling the Pandemic in 2021

This article was written in January 2021.

Well, of course, the virus did not end after the new year. In fact, there are more cases than ever. We are patiently waiting for a vaccine. We don't know the long-term effects, but I'll take my chances. When you are at the house most of the day anyway with cancer, the days become incredibly long.

Thinking back to Halloween 2020

I initially couldn't wait until Halloween and still while recovering from a stroke, I went all out to decorate and hand out candy. My boyfriend got in a bit of trouble and I bailed him out on my birthday, Halloween. And because I was so angry at the time, my sarcasm totally came through.

One year I was "Piper" from Orange Is the New Black. I keep all of my costumes, partly because I'm a hoarder, but sometimes my hoarding comes in handy. After I got him out of jail, I had him wear the prisoner suit with handcuffs. I was the traditional flapper. But, oh it was so great to get him back. Since then, he has done a complete 180 and is so much better.

I think his little hiccup not only saved our relationship but probably his life as well. So many decorations were put out. I even placed hand sanitizer and masks out for the children. They were adorable and it made me long for the days when my daughter wasn't going to a Halloween party, but hold my hand while trick-or-treating.

Onto Thanksgiving and Christmas

But Halloween didn't make our situation any better. So, onto Thanksgiving. We broke all of the rules and traveled to see my parents in Atlanta. I got to participate in the white ribbon project for lung cancer. More information to come once the website is completed. I am working on that now. I love creating things.

Well, Thanksgiving didn't do the trick. We are still stuck in our homes, desperately avoiding this virus. Then, I realized that maybe Christmas would do the trick. It's always been magical to me and my favorite time of year. I never outgrew the magic of Christmas.

So, literally after Halloween, I was pulling the Christmas boxes from the attic. The tree was up after Halloween and still remains intact. I love getting up in the mornings or late at night and enjoying the coziness of it all. I can't leave it up forever because I feel like some of the magic will go away.

But the largest transition I've made is to my home. If you can't leave, why not make it great! So, I began selling our old furniture online and buying new furniture. I bought a new couch from a thrift store that is larger than my other and so comfortable. It's like a white color. Lighting up my living room made it so much better. I bought some Christmas throw pillow colors. It's so cozy right now. My living room colors are teal, grey, and off-white. I ordered some matching throw color pillows but haven't used them yet. It's still Christmas in this house.

Waiting for a vaccine and a change of pace

After New Year's, which I spent with my mom and daughter, I woke up to the same world. I guess I thought things would change. So I suddenly went back to refurbishing my home. I turned my art room into a spatial spare room with a full bed and furniture. I sold all of Karley's furniture and replaced it for cheaper than the income from her furniture sale.

Next, I purchased some accent furniture from some thrift shops to replace what I sold. Therefore, I've essentially reformed my living room, my daughter's room, and my spare room. Now, all that's left is the kitchen table which is proving difficult to sell. But, I'll get there. My house is looking more spacious and new. It feels like a whole new house. The change in environment has helped my mental state incredibly.

But it's amazing how good a home makeover can make you feel. This is me coping after painting. Hopefully, we'll get vaccinated before I start finding more stuff to sell. It's sad when you're a "super seller" in your marketplace. But it's been working.