Category: Just me being me

Life Update: One Year of COVID

Source: Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

One of the things I enjoy about blogging is that I can look back at older blog posts and it’s like a diary of my life. This is especially true during times like when Jack was first born, or upheaval like leaving a job and starting a new one. Well, now that we are marking one year of COVID, I took some time to look back at my “Life Update” posts over the past year to remind myself of the ups and downs… and ups and downs.

Looking back, I found my very first post where I mention that schools might possibly be closed for more than two weeks (aww, I miss hopeful Joules), I talk about how I decided to reschedule my March meetings for April when I’d be “back in the office” … and my total relief when Jack was able to go to (outdoor, socially distanced) camp last summer.

The year has certainly been full of uncertainty, which is probably one of the hardest things for someone like me who likes to make a schedule and then stick to it. As it turns out, Jack hasn’t been back to in-person school in a full year now. If I can get a vaccine, we may be able to send him to school before the end of 3rd grade. Otherwise, he will (hopefully) return in the fall for 4th grade.

If you would have told March 2020 Joules that, she might have lost her damn mind.

However, March 2021 Joules is getting a little better at rolling with the punches.

Here are all my life updates from living through the pandemic so far:

I wonder how I’ll look back at this weird moment in time a few years from now?

I’ve Been Blogging for 10 Years

Source: background photo by Sagar Patil on Unsplash

As of March 2021, I’ve been blogging here at Pocketful of Joules for TEN YEARS.

My very first blog post was published on March 23, 2011. For the past decade, I’ve been blogging… and most of the time, I’ve been publishing 3 posts a week. I just checked my total post count, and I have published 1,404 posts. That’s a lot of words.

Over the past 10 years I’ve left jobs, found new ones, got pregnant, had a premature baby, went back and forth to the NICU, and suddenly now our kid is a 9-year-old. We bought a house, I decorated every room and then redecorated. I’ve done a ton of DIY projects and read a ton of books. My beloved dog died and we welcomed a new rescue dog to our home.

I’ve traveled to Boston, New York City, San Francisco, Orlando, Los Angeles, Austin, Chicago, Fort Lauderdale, Las Vegas, Williamsburg, Savannah, Ocean City, and even Vancouver. We have cruised to the Bahamas, St. Thomas, St. Martin, San Juan, Grand Turk, Half Moon Cay, Belize, Isla Roatan, and Freeport. We went to Kauai, Hawaii. We have visited Disney World, Disneyland, Universal Studios, Great Wolf Lodge, Dinosaurland, and Hersheypark.

All three of my siblings got married in a year, and I was in each of their weddings. And bridal showers. And bachelorette parties. I’ve worked my butt off to earn my master’s degree. I’ve dropped my kid off at his first day of school for kindergarten, and oversaw a year of online learning for 3rd grade due to a pandemic.

I’ve attended bogging conferences, won awards, and made friends. Some of which I’ve never actually met in person. I’ve lost friends too. Some abruptly and others just faded away over time. I’ve tried dozens of subscription boxes, taken hundreds of photos, and basically only have one pose.

And I’ve blogged about it all.

I have read every single of the 6,727 comments I have received and responded to the majority of them. I’ve had months where over 20,000 people visit my corner of the internet… and months where my visits topped out at 1,500.

I’ve thought about closing the doors on my blog time and time again. But each time, I decide to stick with it for a bit longer. Because at this point, looking back at my blog is like looking back at the last 10 years of my life.

If you’ve been a reader here for the last 10 years, or even the last 10 minutes. Thank you.

Things I Like About Barely Ever Leaving My House

Source: Photo by Nikko Macaspac on Unsplash

You guys. This ongoing pandemic. SO MANY MOODS, amiright?! One week will be totally great and fine. But then the next week, ooooh doggie, my shoulders live around my ears and I have a stress headache for 3 days straight. One day I’ll have an absolute angel for a kid, and then the next I’m considering selling him for spare change.

Just kidding. Mostly.

Last week was a really, really hard one. In the midst of that terrible week, I started writing myself a list of things I like about barely ever leaving my house. It was my way of trying to force myself to look on the positive side of things before I start throwing breakable stuff at walls. Which I totally wouldn’t actually do because I’d just have to clean them up again and I’m already ignoring that I have two bathrooms that really need to be scrubbed.

Here’s my list of things I like about barely leaving my house:

When there is a snow and ice storm outside and I don’t have to drive in it.

When Jack’s school closes (due to above snow and ice storm, or just a random school closed day) and I don’t have to figure out what to do with him while I’m at the office.

When my husband needs to drop off my car to have new tires put on and asks “when do you need to use your car again?” and I reply… um, never?

When I have the motivation to exercise at the end of the day, because what else am I going to do after work?

There you go. Some ‘bright side’ thinking. And it helps, until the next mood swings in and takes out everyone in its path.