Beech Tree News Network

Recently, like many of you, I’ve had more-than-normal time at home. I’ve filled the time with normal activities, extra reading, and a few projects. To date, the projects have included making several masks, dividing 50 years of collected family-and-friends pictures between my three daughters, and spring cleaning (only about 40% complete).

Wondering whether others have taken on projects, I asked friends and family: “Have you worked on any projects at home during the pandemic? If so, what?” Their responses are listed below.

-No projects for me, just business as usual. And I’m beginning to believe everyone is essential. (From an essential worker)

-I have begun organizing all my holiday decorations. I have enough for three households, so this may be my ONLY pandemic project.

-No, I haven’t. I started out still working normally. Now, I am mostly working from home and occasionally having to go in to work. At home, I have kept my usual things done (I have done a lot more cooking at home than I did before the pandemic.), but I have not done any extra projects.

-Yes, we have turned our den (which used to be a carport that we enclosed) into a garage for the dirt bikes. And we have started painting the kitchen.

-Redoing some flower beds and getting the yard ready for pool time.

-Yes, I have a list. This week, I trimmed all the bushes in my yard. But I have a long list. I work a day, and I am lazy a day. During this pandemic, I feel stressed.

-I rearranged my bedroom.

-We moved out of our house (first project completed) and to the farm (another project beginning).

-I have been helping with a church project for the healthcare workers in our community, spring cleaning, and doing little cleaning-out projects that I have put off. I work in spells – when I’m in the mood - and still have plenty to do.

-We have not, but plan to do some landscaping after school lets out and I have more free time. Plus, I never plant any flowers before the first weekend in May (usually Derby Day, but that’s cancelled this year). I have tried to organize closets and have done some spring cleaning room by room.

-I’ve continued to work during the pandemic but fewer hours. So I have had some extra time. I have painted my kitchen, sewn a few masks, planted garden, and done a lot of baking. After the baking, I need to start a fitness routine.

-I’ve been working on buying another vehicle.

-I’ve been deep cleaning that I don’t usually have time for, such as cleaning mini blinds, washing ceiling fan blades and globes, cleaning out closets, cabinets, and drawers, cleaning carpets, and polishing my cabinet doors. I set one goal a day.

-I got my porch cleaned and stained and all my ferns up.

-I’ve been reorganizing and fixing/selling extra stuff.

-Mainly, I’m doing housework, straightening and cleaning, and cooking. I think I’ve cooked more in the last six weeks than I’ve cooked in my whole marriage.

-No, unfortunately, I’ve been working more than usual.

-A couple of years ago, I’m ashamed to say, my husband brought me a big load of really pretty large stones to line our flower beds. I love plants and flowers but have never had much success with growing things and thought the stones would be pretty and easier to maintain. Well, they went to some places in the yard, but we had a lot left over. So finally, we got out there and finished putting them all out. They look great! I wish we’d done it sooner. Out next project – hopefully this weekend – will be sealing and staining the deck my husband built last year.

-I’m still working, all the while I’ve worked on shutters, building window boxes, replacing a car turbo for a family member, fixing the AC in my work car, fixing the PTO on my mower and cleaning the carburetor, helping my dad clean the farm, repainting rocking chairs, hanging pictures, hanging and moving TVs, and getting wedding stuff together. Rain has slowed me down some.

-Yes, I took on the huge responsibility of raising baby ducks.

-I cleaned and reorganized my laundry room. I have also used this time to work on myself – exercising more, eating less, and reading positive, uplifting books.

-No, not particularly. I did clean my carpets, but I feel like by the time I cook and clean up three meals a day, do school work, play outside and try to exercise – the day is gone in a flash. Plus I’m trying to keep all our dirty clothes washed and the house extra clean.

-I actually have the laundry caught up all the time. I have a list of projects I’m doing around the house and yard, and I’m checking one off a week!

Bruce Lee said, “If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you’ll never get it done,” and Robert H. Schuller said, “Tough times never last, but tough people do” (https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/time-quotes). Lee and Schuller made good points. During these tough times, it helps me to get some things done.