
After a week of being quarantine for the coronavirus, I find myself getting a little stir crazy and wondering why. You would think the answer would be obvious, but it's confusing for me because basically I'm a homebody at heart. I know the 'stir crazy' part is purely psychological because normally it wouldn't faze me at all to sit home for over a week. This tells me that if I decide to stay home it's no problem, but if someone else tells me I have to, it's torture. In any case, it looks like I may be confined to my home or close to it for a while because we all need to take the virus very seriously. That being said, I've decided not to let this virus or my anxiety control my life. In a world where some have gone crazy with all the 'what ifs', I resolve to keep things on a positive level. My plan is: Stay home, keep my hands washed, find something that will keep me busy and contented.
Like many other people I know, I have lived through some good times and some very challenging, but through it all, I've learned that doing positive things for yourself and others can divert you from the negative. It's also essential to free your mind of troubling issues if only for a few minutes everyday. Don't dwell on all the bad information—try and watch the news in the morning and view only a brief update in the evening to stay informed. Or vice versa.
It may be difficult to figure out what you can do for someone else now that we're social distancing. Many people are doing things like helping their elderly neighbors get their groceries and that is great but I believe there are things we can do for everyone to get through this situation — Let others know what you're doing to preserve your sanity and what improvisations are working for you during this crisis.
Here's my list:
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- Call someone instead of texting. Many people would appreciate hearing a human voice at this time.
- Clean out closets. Who knows what buried treasures you'll find?
- Take long walks and think about what you want to change when things get back to your normal.
- Dust off old exercise equipment and utilize them—wouldn't it be nice to emerge from the crisis looking better than ever.
- Dust off your bible—use this time to get closer to God.
- Teach your children a new card game: maybe cribbage.
- Roll up the living room rug and dance to your favorite music. You'll feel better and it's a fun way to stay in shape.
- Go on social media and share your experiences—what improvisations are you using when everyday things aren't available.
- If you're a person who likes to go out to the bars or restaurants and are missing it terribly—try watching old reruns of Cheers on Netflix. There are lots of funny things in those old shows and best of all, you get the feeling you're in a place where everyone knows your name.
- Have a glass of wine once in a while but don't let alcohol be your only outlet.
Here's a list of things that can be a silver lining in the long run:
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- Perhaps families will become closer and value each other more.
- Maybe being stranded at home will teach you how to cook with the supplies you have and you'll become a better, resourceful cook.
- Maybe your whole family will learn to be more conservative and you will save money after the crisis on the products that you use.
Share what you're doing to improvise and what you're doing to keep your sanity during this crisis. Post them in a comment on this website or on my FaceBook page: https://www.facebook.com/donnalovitz/ Remember we're all in it together. Cheers to you!
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Tired of winter, my husband and I decided to venture into the unknown and take a road trip. Our destination was to head out west to visit some old friends in Montana and then end up at our pals in Arizona. Knowing we had no time set to be anywhere, our plan was to stop whenever and where ever our hearts desired along the way. So, we loaded everything but the kitchen sink in our vehicle and hit the open road. We traveled on the backroads instead of the interstate in order to view things at a slower pace. It gave us a chance to mingle with the locals and take a peek at how it was like to live there.
One of our first stops was at the Occidental Hotel and bar in Buffalo, Wyoming. The hotel was original and had bullet holes in the walls and a reputation of being haunted. We learned that many famous people had once stayed there—Buffalo Bill, Calamity Jane, Ernest Hemingway, Butch Cassidy and others. We noticed a photo of Robert Taylor (the actor who plays Longmire) above the bar and commented on the picture. The bartender told us that Mr. Taylor lived a few miles down the road and came in once in a while for a drink. An older cowboy at the bar said he knew him well and confirmed that he was a nice guy. He gave us the actor's real name and told us to keep that information under our hat. Who knows if he was just pulling our leg?
We continued on our journey in Wyoming and were refreshed soaking in the mineral hot springs of Thermopolis — I don't know what's in the water there but I couldn't believe how great I felt after I stepped out. In Montana, a local took us up a snowy mountain in her Cam-Am where we viewed a herd of elk sunning themselves on the mountain side. Although some of the mountain passes were a bit treacherous, the views were spectacular in Idaho, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico. It was fun to see all the ranches and houses perched in the hills. We drove through the breathtaking painted desert in Arizona while listening to the Eagles greatest hits and decided the experience was the closest thing to heaven on earth. Near Phoenix, the desert was unexpectedly green with cactus flowers ready to burst into blossom any day. And of course we went on the Carefree Highway where I thought about writing this blog.
On the way home we talked about all the things we saw and the people we met and decided that no matter where you go most people are basically the same. But the surprising thing is — there are more nice folks out there than you would think. And that isn't something you hear about on the evening news. Most are willing to share with you something interesting about their area and tell you information that you won't find in a travel brochure. The whole experience showed us that you don't need to spend a lot to have fun when you're traveling. All you need to do is to hop on any 'Carefree Highway' and appreciate the people and scenery around you!
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BETTING ON PARIS SERIES
Sometimes the best bet is the one you lose…
Five best friends. Five promises.
Each year in mid-August, the former college roommates meet up on a girls-only trip somewhere in the world. This year, it’s Paris, the city of museums, art and romance. One night during their vacation, the girls engage in a serious talk about the sorry state of their love lives and collectively decide they are swearing off men. Instead, each woman is intent on pursuing her life’s goal. Falling in love is the last thing on her mind!
This is Ryley’s story…
Fresh from her girls getaway to Paris, advertising executive Ryley Sanders is ready for success. Her eye is on the director’s position at her company, and nothing is going to stand in her way. She's the golden girl of the agency and usually heads up projects solo, so when her boss hires hunky executive Matt Kantor to co-head with her on a major campaign, it puts a crucial glitch in her plans. She isn't thrilled about sharing the limelight with the new guy, especially when she wants to shine alone in the eyes of upper management. Charismatic Matt has his own ideas that have swayed their boss into siding with him on vital campaign decisions. Will Ryley learn to work with Matt—and can they keep it strictly professional?


