Coffee Break Vol. 2 | Quarantine + Life at Home

Happy Memorial Day, my friend!! It's been so long since my first Coffee Break post! I thought it was a good time for Vol. 2 and to update you guys on my life in quarantine and how I'm dealing with it. Let's get right into it!

Imagine it's a lovely spring afternoon. We've just finished a lovely book club discussion of The Secret Garden over some steaming herbal tea and some scones. After everyone leaves, you and I are the last ones left. We go to sit in the sunroom; the windows are open, the birds are chirping, I pour some more tea in both of our tea cups, and we each grab a leftover strawberry scone. Without further ado, let's begin!

Coffee Break Vol. 2

Whew. It's been a busy year so far, has it not? There's a lot to be discussed. So much has been going on, and I feel like the whole world is just a blur of confusion right now. Where I live in middle Tennessee has started to open back up, along with some other states, but I know of some states that have extended their quarantine for much longer.

I'm an introvert, so honestly, life at home hasn't changed much for me. I got used to quarantine pretty quickly; if no one told me we were confined to our homes, I wouldn't have noticed. But after they cancelled church, that's when it got really hard for me. Church is like the anchor in my week, it sets my week up right and it's the ONE thing that stays routine no matter what (if you've been reading my blog for a while, you probably know how much I rely on routines).

But I have to remember we're blessed to have things like livestream, so in a way we're still worshiping with our community! I thought Pascha would be really hard, but it was actually really fun. It was definitely an Easter to remember! It was really fun because our Easter service ends at 1am, but it's a tradition to feast afterwards, so all my friends were Marco-Poloing at 1:30am, all delirious and talking about what they were making right then for the feast: fried chicken, cookies, chocolate strawberries; it was so much fun.

I think the biggest thing I've learned through all this, though, is to not take things for granted. I feel like I have a lot of humbling experiences where I learn to not take things for granted, but I never really retain it. I still find myself complaining about things that I'm blessed to have. But church- I never realized how much I took church for granted. It's always been there. I've never been told I can't go to church. It's almost like getting a taste of what it was (and still is!) like for people who weren't allowed, by law, to go to church. It's honestly a little scary.

But it's also comforting to know that I'm not the only one dealing with this. You're not the only one dealing with this. God is here, He is with us. He knows our struggle.

But to take our minds off the hardships of this crisis, here's a little Q&A of what I've been doing! I'd like to hear your answers in the comments as well. 

What have you been doing to kill time?

Well, a lot of cleaning. I've successfully spring-cleaned my room! It took a couple days, but it was so worth it. I always thought my closet was clean, but it was not. I got rid of 4 trash bags of stuff- which, now that I'm saying it, is not mind-blowing or anything; but it made a big difference! I've been able to actually relax in my room now, haha.

Also I might've caved and cut my own hair.

What shows have you been watching during the quarantine?

Lots of The Office, for sure (of course, only family-friendly episodes ;). Oh, and Downton Abbey. I came up with this evening routine on Fridays to shower, get all comfy-cozy (does anyone else say that? Is that a real phrase or is it just me who says that? Comfy-cozy?), pour a cup of steaming hot herbal tea into a vintage tea cup, and sip it while I watch (a parent-approved episode of) Downton Abbey on my laptop in bed. It's probably my favorite part of the week.

What movies have you been watching?

I've been re-watching lots of classics, such as The Sound of Music and The Princess Bride, but also some of my personal favorites like Father of the Bride and Dan in Real Life.

What books have you been reading?

I've been re-reading the Anne of Green Gables series, and I'm on Anne of Avonlea right now. I'm also re-reading Pride and Prejudice, which I've never actually finished; and I'm reading this book in the mornings called Garden in the East. I've read some other books for school, though, such as Of Mice and Men and The House on Mango Street. I'm tempted to re-read The Giver series during quarantine, but my TBR list is already so long with books I haven't yet read. So much to read! I don't like going to bookstores for that reason; I'm always adding to my list of things to read. But that's also the beauty of it- I never have to run out of things to read, and I have my whole life to read them!

What's been the hardest part of quarantine?

Like I said earlier, probably not being able to go to church. Even though we have livestreaming, it's just not the same.

What's been the best part of quarantine?

Having opportunity to slow down. No one has anywhere to be, or anything to do really, and it forces me to take a *long* moment to slow down and breathe; to re-evaluate my health, my well-being, my life in a little window of quiet. And having time to try new things, like new recipes and skills!

Well, that's all I have for you today. I hoped you enjoyed getting a little sneak peek into my life lately! I would love to hear your answers in the comments below, as well as some other topics you'd like to see me cover in future 'Coffee Break' posts! I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day. 

💕

xoxo,

Olivia

What have you been doing during quarantine? What are you currently binge-watching? What would you like to see from future 'Coffee Break' posts?