Comfort
Eight months into the pandemic, we’ve finally caught on that if we want something for November, we should start trying to get it in September. Which is how I already have a can of pumpkin puree ready to go for Thanksgiving. Maybe pumpkin puree will be plentiful in November. Or maybe it won’t. We didn’t know, and it’s not like the can is going to go bad between now and next month.
We were trying to figure out what would make staying at home through the winter easier. Our list was brief because we already own so many books (plus we got our flu shot and our mail-in ballot). Comfortable slippers. Lounge pants. A lap desk. A back wedge for sitting in bed. (Before you ask what this is, this is a back wedge. And it feels awesome.)
We were pretty proud of the hygge we were building at home when the ChickieNob informed us that it looked like we had robbed a nursing home. “What is with the back wedges?” Um… a lack of bad pain? We’re old.
So easier. But still… not an easy winter.
6 comments
That remark from ChickieNob cracks me up.
Thanks for the info on the back wedge. Sounds like something I need, too, at my own nursing home.
I just purchased a neck heating type thing that warms in the microwave and gives me a comfy shoulder hug when I feel tight and tense (so I should really just have it on constantly). I recommend it in your nursing home as it is making mine delightful.
I also bought pumpkin purée when I finally saw it, as it was already a hot commodity in September. So now I have a few cans prepped and ready for thanksgiving and maybe some muffins along the way.
Also, I ordered extra coffee this morning. I forgot to get the trash bags we will need more immediately, but the idea of having a strong supply of our coffee feels very comforting.
The best thing for hygge that I’ve had in the last two years is a Book seat. Works perfectly in bed with a book OR a tablet. I was given one, and my husband liked it so much, he went out and bought one too. https://www.thebookseat.com/
I guess you’ve been doing it anyway, but I did like having plenty of staples at home over winter for anything I wanted to make. And I got into knitting/crocheting, and have a big bag of wool for a selection of projects.
Also, don’t you just need a pumpkin to make pumpkin puree? Or am I missing something? (I guess that’s a rhetorical question – clearly I AM missing something.)
It *is* eight months into the pandemic! I’ve been going around with “six months” in my head.
Strongly recommend lavender essential oil for your nursing home denizens–nice on pillows, even nicer on achy shoulders/feet/etc.
I was reading something about this just recently, which I of course cannot now find … it was about learning from people who live in places like Norway, where there is a lot of cold and darkness and people don’t venture out much. There’s a lot to it; finding ways to tend to ourselves now. I have a friend who, like the grasshopper, is “storing songs.”
I started buying things for little Great-Nephew’s Halloween goodie bag several weeks ago… and I bought his first birthday card last month. (It’s Nov. 17th.) I figure that even if I don’t manage to buy him anything else, I can slip a cheque or some cash in the card & that will be present enough. 😉
I’ve never seen a back wedge. My grandmother had a back rest for reading in bed when we were kids — like this one, but covered in a hideous 1960s floral fabric.
https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/therapedic-reg-oversized-foam-backrest-pillow/3317111?opbthead=true&ta=typeahead&keyword=back-rest-pillow
My sister & I loved it so much she got us each one of our own for Christmas. They’re both long gone. I sometimes wish I still had one 😉 although they do take up a lot of space. Your back wedge would be better in that respect!