Friday, March 20, 2020

Gratitude in Uncertain Times (A Bloghop?)

My favorite weekly newsletter, Girls Night In, had a really wonderful quote in the intro of the newsletter today that struck a chord with me:

Small kindnesses build community, and we could all use some community right now, even as we're physically apart.

Social media is an absolute shitshow right now, and these words - and really, the whole newsletter with its various links and resources - were such a welcome relief compared to most of the kerfuffle going on. After reading the newsletter, I found myself smiling and full of gratitude for so many little things right now.

And so, in an effort to introduce a bit of positivity and happiness amidst uncertain times, I thought I would share some of my gratitude items here in the hopes that our lovely little community of bloggers will echo back with some of their own. It's been awhile since a blog hop has gone around, but perhaps our little group can come up with a suite of them in the coming weeks to ease us through these unknown times?


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Things I'm grateful for amidst the uncertainties of this pandemic:

  • each of my animal companions - the simple routine of taking care of them and tending to them is such a solace right now
  • an internet connection to stay connected with friends and family near and far
  • also on that note, being a part of this little blogging community - your posts are always a highlight, but in the past week they've been an even brighter light in my day
  • Spotify. Because music and podcasts in their many forms helps liven up my home and give some more liveliness to tedious chores
  • the blessing of having my horses at home - ohmygoodness. <3
  • SPRING. More birds return every day and the amphibians are beginning to emerge, too. Hearing every returning species' song brings the biggest of smiles to my face. All of the returning flora is also wonderful. (Though, spring allergies are definitely going to be like the Salem witch trials....)
  • a husband who is really psyched to be a mandated hermit. Seriously. If he was more of an extrovert this whole ordeal would be so much more miserable. He's fun to hang out with and over-the-moon about getting to avoid people lol!
  • living in the middle of nowhere. It comes with its own share of costs, but right now, I'm really grateful for the benefits - it definitely makes social distancing easier.
  • spring chores. Hear me out, while these are often tedious I'm so happy to have something to busy myself with in the upcoming days and weeks. There is so much dusting to do, windows to clean, seasonal items to transition in and out of storage, yard work, etc. to do!
  • streaming services! Prime, Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, take your pick, I'm happy for all of them right now!
  • BOOKS! The opposite end of the spectrum from digital media, but there's never been a better time to get lost in a good, intense plotline.
  • online courses - I start my equine nutrition course with Dr. Kellon in a weekish. I'm really excited about it and super grateful that it's something that can continue without needing to be around people.
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I could go on, but I think I'm going to head outside to putter around my property for a bit and start on some chores before the next bout of rain hits. ;-)

So what about you? Won't you share a list of small gratitudes during these chaotic times? I'd love to hear about what small things are making you happy right now.

21 comments:

  1. This is wonderful <3 I'd love to follow along and bloghop this! I will agree with your husband and that I'm downright gleeful to be mandated to be a hermit because I'm nearly one already LOLOL

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    1. It's kinda amusing how many of us were living quarantine lives prior to this lol

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  2. I am honestly social distancing myself from social media because of the shit storm (and all the unscientific information going around. Sticking to academic papers for that thanks)

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    1. I completely understand that! FB is a total and complete shitshow these days. Hard to deal with on top of everything else going on.

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  3. Totally already living the hermit life in the middle of nowhere with all my animals at home so nothing much has changed here either. It's good to stay positive.

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  4. Not living alone during times of isolation.
    A job that I can still do a little bit (safely).
    My dogs.
    Living on a seven acre farm where nobody bothers us.
    Internet friends and the ease of communication.
    Mike working from home.
    Clients who are doing a variety of things to help us through this... from paying for missed lessons to providing contraband in the form of wipes and sanitizer, to bringing me wine...

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    1. I'm so glad you have such wonderful clients these days! Still, what a stressful and trying time for your business. =( Thank goodness for Mike and the dogs <3

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  5. Will definitely join in! One small gratitude- hubby made the most delicious Penne Arrabiata tonight for supper. It was perfect comfort food.

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  6. Definitely had to write up a few of mine to post on Monday! Thank you for this reminder of the myriad of things we can be grateful for even as the world melts down <3 I'm so glad you, Dave, and all the critters are safe and weathering this storm!

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    1. I hope your new garage made the list lol!

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    2. It didn't but the post hasn't run yet so I can add it 😂😂

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  7. Absolutely love this. It's a hard time, but finding some good in the world makes each day a little brighter.

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    1. I think it's important to find good or else we'd be lost amidst this chaos.

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  8. I'm happy to be living in the country too right now (well, all the time...lol) Great post - sounds like great blog hop material...I just need to find time in my busy sched...oops wait - looks like I'm clear! hahaha

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  9. I will absolutely join in this bloghop!

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  10. my hubby is also fine with the hermitness :) Me too to a point!! Stay safe. Love all the frogs I hear each night now!! I have ducks and geese on my pond. Spring is coming!!

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  11. I’m grateful we live in a semi-rural urban area where I can get farm fresh food delivered to my door straight from the farm, or use a service like Instacart to bring groceries to our doorstep without having to worry about going to the store.

    I am grateful I live in a state that took this seriously from the get-go, where our governor has been doing his best to stay ahead of the curve, and people are actually respecting social distancing.

    I am grateful that we are doing COVID testing as much as possible (even with mild symptoms) so that we have accurate numbers of infected people.

    I am grateful we live close enough to several major cities and hospitals where we could receive excellent care in the event we had to deal with this disease.

    I am grateful I board at a barn 3 miles from home that banned riding (because it’s a state mandate right now) but because it is self-care, the owners gave us essential employee letters so we can still visit and take care of our horses.

    And I am grateful that, while my husband and I both have to leave our houses to work in this mess, we know that we live in an area privileged enough to be able to provide us the protection we need to do our jobs, both in the form of proper PPE *above* CDC standards and protocols that minimize our exposure. Proper PPE and respect for the virus seem to be a lot more difficult to come by in rural areas, specifically when it comes to our jobs.

    Different realities, different perspectives. Glad you and Dave are safe.

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