Positives of a (Pandemic) Pause: 8 Simple Pleasures That I'm Grateful for During the Coronavirus Pandemic by Dawn Taylor

While there is hope that a vaccine is coming for COVID-19 in 2021, the coronavirus pandemic is far from over. Many of us have never spent so much time indoors, and lately I have been thinking of the things I have been grateful for while at home.

1. Clean, warm bedding. Crawling into clean, warm sheets straight from the dryer is something I have always loved but wasn't able to do as often because who has time for that?? Now, I do it at least once a week and it is so comforting and calming to me.
2. Binge watching my favorite shows. I have never had time to do this and could never understand why or how people enjoyed this, until the pandemic. My two faves found during quarantine are All American and Schitt's Creek. Went through all the seasons, binge watching in my warm bedding.
3. TikTok. I know, I am old for TikTok, but actually, not really, because there are oodles of users who also found it during quarantine who are older, and they are funny and relatable. There's something for everyone there. Late at night I often watch it before bed (in my clean, warm sheets, of course), and my laughs can be heard through the house.
   
4. Crafting. I often saw cool DIY crafting videos and started painting and creating after watching them (mostly on TikTok, again, something for everyone and everything). I have made over 100 Christmas coasters and repurposed some old vases and jars to make floral arrangements. I finally listed them on Etsy last week and though I am not an artist, hopefully someone will buy and enjoy my creations. If not, I can't tell you how calming the process was and still is, so it was worth every penny.
   
5. Sweat pants. I am a personal trainer so I wear sweats a lot, but usually the nice ones. I have come to appreciate the ones that are old and broken in, and live in them at home. My daughter said to me the other day, "I don't remember what your 'real' clothes look like," and I was fine with that.
6. Writing. I have always loved to write and never could find the time. Now I write regularly and my creative juices have never flowed so freely.
   
7. Homecooked meals. I have discovered many new recipes, cooked more and enjoy the kitchen more than I ever have.
8. Cleaning, yes, cleaning. When you are indoors so much, the feeling of a clean space is amazing. I have also thrown away many things that created clutter, and appreciate having less stuff. My kids would beg to differ when they refer to my crafting clutter, but I am working on that. Cleaning, I have discovered, is as therapeutic as crafting.

As the colder weather closes in here in northern New York, I know these comforting things might start to get old, but I will have to remember the reasons I am stuck at home and find new things to be grateful for.

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