Today is day 39 (maybe?) of the quarantine. It is Saturday. I am at home in my backyard wearing leggings and a tank top. I have worn leggings and a t-shirt or tank top pretty much every day for the past 39 days, changing my top only when I have a presentation or work event on Zoom and adding earrings to really seal the deal. Yes, I am one of those people who only dresses work appropriate from the waist up these days. It makes me laugh to be honest. I have found so much humor with Zoom and virtual meetings lately! Maybe I’ll write a post about that too. I digress…

Reflecting on the last month+ and thinking about how much the world has changed is somewhat overwhelming. Less than 2 months ago I traveled out of the state for work. I flew twice the week of March 8th, once on the 8th and then back home on Friday the 13th. That was a pivotal week in all of this. Announcements were being made, states were starting to implement restrictions, and everything was changing rapidly. The last time I ate in a restaurant was on the evening of Saturday, March 14th. We now order food for pick-up and hold our breath as much as possible in the grocery store. I only leave the house a few times a week – sometimes to just drive around. The house was my office prior to this pandemic but it feels a bit different now. The things I didn’t like about the house before I now find myself extremely grateful for.

This includes the backyard. I try not to stay inside all day and watch TV, so the backyard has become somewhat of a sanctuary for me. I didn’t hate the backyard before, but I longed for something better. We have no patio, just grass (and lots of dirt), but our little table with 4 chairs in the backyard is where I find myself sitting many hours of the day. I look forward to Saturdays and these hours I can spend reading, listening to music, writing, or sipping on a cocktail. I watch the birds, admire the bright pink roses on the rose bush, and soak up the sunshine.

Two months ago I would not have been able to imagine the current state of the world. I also would not have been able to imagine the joy I find in the simplicity of Saturdays in my backyard. One day life will return to some kind of normal. Our Saturday schedule will be busy again and we won’t have to stay home. In the meantime I plan to cherish quarantine Saturdays, and in the future I hope to not completely lose this slower pace I am growing to love.