A New Normal: Doing That Which Is Difficult

We had two solid days of rain earlier, on Thursday and Friday, during which I developed a massive case of cabin fever. So, with the sun shining when we awoke yesterday morning, our immediate thought was to get outside, and stay there for as long as we could. We set off on foot with a packed lunch, heading due west toward the ocean.

On our way down the hill from our home, we walked over to a Pacific Coast Highway-adjacent shopping center we had not previously explored, primarily to see how it's supermarket looked (well stocked), whether there were any open coffee spots to get takeaway (there weren't), and what restaurant take out options might be available. As it turned out, there was a vegetarian fast casual restaurant that looked terrific, so the next time we do this walk, instead of packing our lunch, we'll order ahead and pickup to-go sandwiches. Then, from the shopping center it was a quick trip over PCH and to the beach, where we found a quiet grassy spot to eat our lunch and enjoy the views.

The Ritz Carlton, where in normal times we like to go pick up sandwiches from
their take-away cafe and find a bluff top spot to sit and enjoy our meal.
Today, with the cafe temporarily closed, we just looked at it from down below on the beach.
Still a darn lovely view, even in reverse.

After lunch we headed home, stopping in at another shopping center along the way that we'd also been ignoring, in order to mail a small package we'd brought with us. While there, we noted a gourmet sandwich deli offering takeaway, a craft brewery doing same, and a small kiosk selling ginormous spring strawberries.  We picked up a basket of strawberries to serve over ice cream, and continued on home. By the time we got back to the house, we felt as exhilarated and 'normal' as we did before COVID-19. Because being outside and in motion for long periods of time is always when I feel my best.

Which reminded me of the wisest maxim I've ever read, from Ernie Zelinsky's excellent retirement primer, The Joy of Not Working - 

When you do that which is difficult, live becomes very easy. When you only do that which is easy, life becomes very difficult.

The difficult in our day was the 8 mile walk we took. The easy was everything that came during and after. Why I have to relearn this lesson on a regular basis is beyond me.

With COVID-19 and Shelter In Place mandates likely to be here in some form for months, if not years, to come, I continue to look for ways to thrive even in it's midst, and daily adventure walks continues to be at the top of that list. Also on that list is a renewed commitment to our work with our county's largest food bank, temporarily on hold due to our ages being above their current COVID-19 cutoff of 55. This particular food bank doesn't take individual donations (our job there involves breaking the bulk items down into household quantities) due to receiving most of their items in bulk from large manufacturers of food, but our smaller, local food banks do. So for now, we will continue to pick up food bank donations items during each food shopping trip. Having worked at several food banks, I'm now cognizant of the importance of shelf stable items in the lives of those that struggle with food insecurity. Things like jarred spaghetti sauce, dried pasta, canned beans, canned vegetables, canned fruit, peanut butter, tuna, condiments, rice, and easy-to-assemble sweet treats. So much need, and such a small, small effort on our part, humblingly so.

My Action Plan For Today:

1. Body (health and fitness)  It's looking to be a cold, overcast day here, so a session of YouTube yoga, plus strength training in our garage, is looking good.
2. Spirituality  Watch Andrea Bocelli's Easter Concert, streaming live today on YouTube. 
3. Spouse/Family   Zoom with our family as we all gather to eat Easter supper in our respective homes.
4. Creativity Marinate the strawberries I picked up in a lovely balsamic glaze (equal parts water, sugar, and good quality aged balsamic vinegar) so they can macerate ahead of being served tonight over ice cream. So divine when topped with a sprinkling of freshly ground pepper!
5. Intellect/Learning  Practice song #4, Killing Me Softly, on the piano.