Quarantine | The View from the Porch

Good morning! So glad you stopped by. I’m feeling a bit stir crazy so even virtual visitors have become a welcome distraction. Let’s think about what we would do if you were actually here, hanging out with me in Southern New Jersey on a sticky, hot Saturday…

If we were having coffee I would fill your cup with some nice strong Italian Roast or ice cold lemonade if you prefer. We could sit out back on our nice remade deck under our new canopy except that the humidity today would probably make our skin melt off so I’d suggest the air conditioned kitchen instead. My husband and son have been very busy the last few weeks building and remodeling our outside space. All that is left for the deck is finishing the railing but since it’s only a foot off the ground, it more than safe for us to use. The shade from the canopy will come in very handy during the afternoon when the back of our house is pummeled with sun. I’m excited that we can now eat dinner outside (on cooler days) without roasting in the heat. Added bonus is that there’s a screen that closes around to keep the Jersey State Bird (aka the mosquito) at bay!

Have you been doing any summer projects at your house?

Being stuck at home for 5 months has certainly led to finishing projects and learning new skills. I’m about ready to get back to normal but we will have to wait since the rest of the country is out of control. Our governor has taken a lot of flack over the past few months because of his cautious, slow approach to restarting the this state but I’m very happy that he’s chosen to listen to the medical professionals because we are now one of only a few states that is seeing our Covid cases going down instead of up. Amazing what a little common sense along with avoiding crowds and wearing a mask can accomplish.

If we were having coffee...I would tell you that yesterday was Miss Dee’s 22nd birthday. It will probably go down in her personal history as her most low key birthday ever but we are all safe and healthy and that’s the important thing. The poor girl was already cheated out of a proper college graduation ceremony as well as her graduation present (a trip to NYC to see Hamilton on Broadway.) I guess a birthday stuck at home is par for the course. Our celebration included an afternoon walk downtown for ice cream and a family dinner of her favorite; pulled pork sandwiches and fries, followed by the most amazing chocolate fudge cake from our local bakery. There were also a few presents, of course. Quiet but nice. Fortunately, she is a very “roll with the punches” kind of kid especially since she’s also been tasked with the challenge of job hunting during and pandemic! Well, it will certainly be a year she’ll always remember!

What was your most memorable birthday?

If we were having coffee… I would tell you that Mr D headed off to the shore this morning with his girlfriend and a few friends. I was surprised to hear him up at 7:30 since he is decidedly not a morning person but the draw of the sun and surf must have gotten him moving! They chose to go to one of the less popular beaches and get there early to ensure that they had space to social distance. I’m glad he can have some relaxing time since he’s been working so hard building. The rest of us are hoping to spend a few days at the beach later in the month. I am so looking forward to the calming effect of the ocean.

My husband however, doesn’t believe in relaxation!! He was up early so he could go mow his mother’s lawn and now he is doing ours. That man!!! The fact that there is a heat index warning doesn’t seem to matter. I wish I could stay and chat longer but I think I need to fill a nice big cup with ice water and follow him around nagging till he gives up and comes inside.

Wish me luck!

(Thanks so much for visiting. Stop by our host site Eclectic Alli for more chats and coffee!)

Hello! Here we are on a beautiful Saturday in June. I realize I basically skipped the month of May in the blogsphere (and part of April and June if we’re being precise) but to be honest, there wasn’t much to report. Been no place, not done much, about sums it up. I have had one project going on and that has taken up much of my time. Sit and have some coffee and we can share our news.

If we were having coffee…we would be sitting on the deck enjoying this beautiul humidity free day, a rare occasion here in Southern New Jersey. We could have coffee, lemonade or juice, whatever you prefer and maybe a muffin from the local bakery, which I’m happy to report is now doing carry out.

The first thing I would ask you is how things are going, pandemic wise, in your corner of the world? Everyone is at such different places. Even those of us in the same place are in different places as far as our mind sets go. Some are ready to get back to normal and others, myself included, are inclined to take things slow. I’ll admit that I have the luxury to do that, whereas some people don’t. Are things opening up where you live? Are you no longer taken aback by the site of people in masks? I realized at the supermarket the other day that I wasn’t all that surprised to see cars with masks hanging on their rearview mirrors. I guess they are the new “fuzzy dice.” Weird.

(Of course in the past few weeks there have been many other scary, historic and challenging things taking place in our world and I have given them much attention and consideration in other parts of my life but here on my blog is my happy place so for now I’ll take a pass on all that except to say my hope is that we find our way through this to a place where compassion and kindness come out on top.)

If we were having coffee…I would tell you that yesterday was the official last day of the school year. This is my 13th year working as an instructional aide in the same neighborhood elementary school but as you might imagine, it was the strangest last day ever. I can’t imagine what the last few months of this school year would have been like without the internet and the advanced technology we now have. Even my third graders were comfortable and familiar with the world of virtual learning. They took to it pretty easily but I was happy to hear, during one of our Friday Google Chat sessions, that they all missed “real school” and seeing their friend’s and teachers in person. Fingers crossed for September. Did you know anyone learning or teaching remotely over the past months? How did it go for them?

If we were having coffee…I would tell you that the project that has taken most of my time over the past month was creating art. I have been learning all about watercolor painting, a medium that is comparatively new to me. I started painting in oils and acrylics when I was just 14 but watercolor was not something I tried until a few years back, I never realized how many techniques and styles there really were. I’ll admit, having that to focus on, having something to create and help me feel productive during this quarantine has kept me from going crazy. Even as an introvert all the time at home would have been too much without something else to focus on.

The result of all this time spent painting was that I had a lot of paintings!! A few Coffee Shares back I mentioned that I was thinking about opening an Etsy shop in order to sell some of my pieces. Well, I finally took the plunge and opened “The Curious Kat” a place to display and sell my artwork. It’s going pretty well. I’ve already sold about 8 pieces but those were mostly to friends and family who were happy to support my enterprise. I don’t really need to sell a lot though since I am creating everything by hand (not prints or reproductions) I can only work so fast!! It’s a lot of fun to share my artwork and I enjoy thinking of them becoming part of someone else’s home. Here is the link if you are interested: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CuriousKatStudio?ref=search_shop_redirect

Have you developed any new hobbies or skills to help you pass the time during the Shelter in Place?

If we were having coffee… I would tell you how much I’ve enjoyed our visit. I would also wish you and your family good health and happiness during this unusual time. Be well, my friends and don’t forget to visit our host Eclectic Alli where you can find the rest of the Coffee Share posts.