COPING WITH CORONA WITH A LITTLE SLICE OF LAUGHTER

Laughter, the BEST medicine (photo courtesy of dreamstime.com)

I am always of the impression that there is usually a little slice of humor in just about everything, even if we have to look hard to find it.

Picture this. A few weeks after experiencing difficulty obtaining toilet paper from our normal local stores, I decided I would order from Amazon to replenish our supply in mid-April, trying hard to avoid the pandemonium and hoarding of supplies that reduce product availability that others have experienced.

After seeing that Amazon did not have my normal and customary toilet paper brand, or really any other known brand for that matter, I decided that toilet paper is toilet paper for the most part. Some brands are thinner than others, but ALL serve the same purpose, right? On March 15, I decided to order the toilet paper that was assuredly silky, smooth, soft, professional series premium 3-Ply toilet Paper, home/ kitchen, enviro- friendly toilet tissue. The one that was soft, strong and highly absorbent for daily use (White)…….how bad could it be, really? I ordered ten rolls, thinking it would last a while and looked forward to the silky smooth premium THREE- ply toilet paper suitable for daily use. I looked forward to the cushiony and absorbent layers of comfort for the clean feel (I) expect and the luxurious feel (I) desire.Wow. Who knew that DAILY use of said toilet tissue would yield such a comfortable and luxurious experience!

I waited for the toilet tissue to arrive, much like a child waits for Santa at Christmas. Every other day, I checked the status to see if said luxury- in- a – package would arrive as scheduled, or maybe, just maybe, it just MIGHT arrive sooner than I expected. One day, there was silver lining in the clouds above my home, and I was quite certain it was because the day that I had been longing for, the day I had been anticipating, the day that gave me joy, FINALLY arrived. My toilet paper had SHIPPED!

I waited and almost counted the days until my premium three ply toilet paper, which was home and environmentally friendly, would arrive, but then I noticed that is not just ANY toilet paper. I re-read what I had missed originally. And re-read it again. Could it be? Evidently I did NOT see that it was RECYCLED. I also wondered how, exactly, the seller, might think in our sector of the galaxy that it was also KITCHEN friendly? Evidently I missed THAT part, too. Immediately my mind drifted to all kinds of scenarios in which the toilet paper may have been recycled. I was hoping that it was recycled from soda bottles, maybe, instead of being recycled from toilet tissue. Recyled from USED toilet tissue maybe? I couldn’t stop laughing at the scenes that were flashing before my eyes in my mind.

As it got closer to the arrival day, I waited with excitement (or was that feeling more like trepidation) when I found out from the shipping status that the toilet paper was now in Florida. The next day, my excitement mounted when I found out it was in my area and out for delivery. Delivery to ME. Silky, smooth, soft, professional series premium three ply toilet paper, which was home and kitchen environmentally friendly was on its way to ME. Toilet tissue that was soft and strong (a quality I loved in my husband, “Graph Guy”, but not normally in TOILET tissue!). Highly absorbent toilet tissue that was suitable even for DAILY use! Whoa! The bar was high here. I waited and waited, longing for those cushiony and absorbant layers of comfort for the clean feel I expect as well as the luxurious feel I desire! Wow! It doesn’t get any better than THIS, I chuckled to myself.

On Saturday, the paper was here! Hooray! A cause for celebration, of course. “Graph Guy” went out to get the package and called me outside with an index finger beckoning me to its final resting place. It was like a delivery from the Easter Bunny. We walked out the front door. No package. We looked in front of the garage. No package. How can this be, when Amazon assured me it was delivered that very day? “Graph Guy” had an idea, as he cutomarilly does. He deduced the ONLY possible place for the placement of the toilet paper. He is always of the mindset, spoken by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in “Sherlock Holmes” and echoed by Spock in “Star Trek”. “Graph Guy” also believes that “Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.” The truth is out there. The truth is………………………………..in my MAILBOX!

Evidently, all TEN rolls of toilet tissue that were suitable for DAILY use fit into my MAILBOX. Evidently suitable for SINGLE use only, NOT daily use as suggested. Or suitable for an American Girl Doll. Had I missed that description in the write-up? Suitable mostly for 16 inch dolls or dollhouses? Can’t be.

Toilet tissue next to “Graph Guy’s” shoe

“Teen Traveler” (my daughter), “Graph Guy”, and I all laughed hard at this arrival, chuckling even more at the “business card” that was left inside the package. I’m sure it said, “Let the buyer beware…..” If ONLY I could read Chinese.

You see, there really IS a slice of humor in just about everything, even if you have to look hard for it amidst today’s corona situation. Despite the price gouging ($20.00 for these diminutive rolls), they were PRICELESS as a source of entertainment in the daily “safer at home” monotony here in Florida. I just knew the story would also be a great ice-breaker at a party some day, too!

So go ahead and find SOMETHING to laugh about today. Find the little slice of humor in some situation today. Laughter really IS the best medicine.

Carpe diem, friends………(and don’t forget to take the time to ensure your mailbox is re-painted with all this time at home, too!) Guess I overlooked THAT!

COPING WITH CORONA….SCAVENGER HUNT AND BLACK SAND

Wanderlust? Stuck inside? Same here. I turn to memories of travels in times past to keep myself sane.

While visiting French Polynesia, I flew to Tahiti for a day, longing to find a beach with black sand. I flew into Fa’a’ā International Airport in Tahiti, armed with a little bit of the French language under my belt and a lot of adventure in my soul.

As soon as I got off the plane, I knew I needed to rent a car to go on my scavenger hunt (if only in my mind) to find a black sand beach. I stopped at one car company and was aghast at the rate they would charge me for less than a full day rental. The attendant was surprised that I could speak French, as I am sure he wanted to take advantage of this five foot American woman traveling alone, so I said thanks and moved on to the next car rental agency. At the next car rental agency, it was the same story with a slightly better rate, so again I moved on. They say “three is a charm” so I settled on a car rental from the third agency, whose rate was still high but a bit more realistic. The rate for less than twenty-four hours was equivalent to what we might pay for a three day rate here in the States.

With a rudimentary map I picked up at a tourist kiosk at the airport, which listed only the highlights of the island, I set off for my adventure. I decided to pull over at a local business (Intersport) to seek clarification of the map. I walked into the shop and was greeted with a smile by a kind man. In French, I told him I was looking to find a beach with black sand, as I wanted to take some home to my daughter, and showed him my crude map of the island. Again, he laughed and gave me instructions (in French) to the black sand beach. As best as I remember, his instructions were something like go to the third red light, take a left, then take a right, etc….I thanked him and then set off on my adventure. I was delighted that one can travel half way around the world to still find a kindred spirit and kindness. The man laughed with me, not at me, and called me a “Cowboy”. Evidently he understood the wanderlust deep in this American soul. The language may be different than that which we are accustomed, but there is so much similarity between people from all parts of the world. Kindness, humor, gratitude, confusion, amusement, and respect are all part of the universal language we share with people all over the world.

It had been a while, several decades maybe, since I drove a “stick shift”, or car with a manual transmission. The road was very steep in some parts, but I was committed to finding that black sand. I was also VERY committed to finding an adventure.

I had been to a black sand beach in Hawaii before, but it had been many years. There is something other-wordly about seeing black sand radiating beneath my feet. I knew from my college days of Geology 101 that Tahiti was formed by two volcanoes, so the black sand is actually pieces volcanic rock. Continuous weathering of the rock replenishes the sand through the years as well.

After getting my sand in my little bottle I purchased at some little gift shop along the way, there was a smile in my soul when I finished my scavenger hunt and was ready to enjoy all else the island offered.

I stopped in the Marché de Pape’ete (Pape’ete Market) which is famous for its sights, sounds, and smells of authentic Polynesian life.

Sign at the Tahiti Market that reads, ” Before Dying I Would Like….”

I encountered a blackboard at the market with a sort of “bucket list” written by visitors, which made my heart smile. Others everywhere had “bucket lists” and were checking off items one by one I’m sure.

One visitor wanted to travel the world. Another wanted to live in Tahiti with a spouse. Another wanted to find his love. Another wanted to return to Polynesia. Yet another wanted to build a big house for her children. I didn’t write on the board; I kept my “bucket list” in my soul.

After my journey, I was able to get back to the resort to relax a bit to sit in a comfortable egg chair with a good book in my hand and the scent of frangipani wafting through the air.

Life is good. See the sights. Smell the scents. Taste the flavors. Carpe diem friends………….

“I’ve seen a black sand beach
stranger than any foreign world
where King Poseidon draped in seaweed
once walked upon the Earth–”

-“Black Sand Beach” by Bret Norwood

COPING WITH CORONA….VANILLA AND TEMPORARY TATOOS IN TAHAA (Armchair travel to French Polynesia)

Temporary Tatoos in Tahaa? Time for armchair travel to a warm, sunny place….. French Polynesia. Armchair travel in my mind keeps me sane amidst the Corona pandemic.

While visiting French Polynesia, a country comprised of more than one hundred islands located in the South Pacific, I took a tour of one of the islands there, Tahaa. Tahaa is ninety square kilometers (about thirty five square miles) and simply breathtaking. While driving along this island, located on the leeward (western) side of French Polynesia, our guide pulled over to the side of the road to pick a wild fern.

The fern has silvery white powdery spores on its backside.

When you place the backside of the fern against your skin and press for a few seconds, the spores leave an imprint on your skin which resembles a white tattoo. This spore powder doesn’t easily rub off and remained on the my skin for the duration of the day, coming off only when I washed it with soap and water later at my resort.

The thought of a tattoo on my arm did not especially appeal to me, but the thought of a “temporary tattoo” imprint from the spores of this natural plant intrigued me.

For the next stop on our tour, we visited a vanilla plantation. Tahaa is known as “l’île de la vanille” in French, ( “Vanilla Island”), as this island produces about eighty percent of Tahitian vanilla.

The vanilla plant is part of the orchid family, and the wet climate and altitude of this part of the world is great for growing this vanilla. La Vallée De La Vanille, an organic vanilla plantation, was an amazing place to visit.

vanilla normally produces flowers in a short season (May and September mostly)

During my visit, I learned that vanilla beans are harvested after each flower is hand pollinated, after about six to nine months. While it is possible to hand grow Vanilla planifolia (vanilla) in other parts of the world, Tahitian vanilla is actually a hybrid of two species (vanilla planifolia and vanilla pompona), which were bred together to create Vanilla tahitensis or Tahitian vanilla. The bees that normally pollinate vanilla were not brought to French Polynesia by the Europeans from Central America, are not on the island, and are nearly extinct. The plants, which contain both male and female parts, are hand pollinated accordingly. The plant is propagated mainly from stem cuttings instead of seeds because they require a certain type of fungus to even germinate.

unripe vanilla pods on the vanilla plant and a “temporary tattoo” on the tour guide

Vanilla pods are harvested when they are mature, as harvesting them too early before they turn the right color yields a vanilla bean that is not as aromatic or flavorful. Post-harvest, the beans are washed and dried in a series of steps for approximately nine months before going to market.

Marché de Papeete in Tahiti where many things, including Tahitian vanilla, are sold

Tahitian vanilla tastes very different than the usual vanilla we eat here in the Americas, which is usually a Bourbon vanilla or Madagascar vanilla. While Madagascar vanilla taste can be described as “rich and creamy”, Tahitian vanilla can be best described as sweet and floral with a hit of cherry somehow. Many people simply LOVE the flavor of Tahitian vanilla (especially my friend in Belgium), but I find it tastes almost like eating soap some how.

So when the travel bans are lifted, think about visiting French Polynesia. Try something different. Enjoy the local color wherever you end up and keep dreaming. Carpe diem, friends……….

COPING WITH CORONA…..YES TO YOGA

“Yoga Woman” on a dock by the ocean photo, courtesy of Dreamstime.com

Another sleepless night? Tossing and Turning? Thinking about Cornona that may come knocking at your door? Watching the clock as the display changes minute by minute? You are not alone. Many people all over the world are having difficulty settling in at night because they feel so unsettled being cooped up all day. Counting sheep doesn’t really work. Time to relax. Time to unwind. If you haven’t tried yoga, this eight minute routine of yoga stretches (courtesy of Fitness Magazine) right before bed might help you to sleep better tonight.

https://www.fitnessmagazine.com/workout/yoga/poses/yoga-routine-before-sleep/

Relax. Unwind. Rejuvenate. Tomorrow is another day, full of promise. Just try to sleep tonight. Carpe diem, friends…………

COPING WITH CORONA…..GOOD NEWS

Does it seem difficult to turn on the television, especially in this Covid-19 days, to find something uplifting to watch? Rather than use this blog today to write about my own thoughts, I am deferring to others, who have gone before me, to spread good news to try to become a bright spot on a dark day.

In the youtube clip below, which is DEFINITELY worth watching, actor John Kraszinski uses his voice to establish what he calls “Some Good News”.

In the website below, good news is given the spotlight:

http://www.goodnewsnetwork.org

I seek to find the GOOD news in the world today among the bad. Made that choice.

“Everyone has inside of him a piece of good news. The good news is that you don’t know how great you can be! How much you can love! What you can accomplish! And what your potential is!”

-Anne Frank

Find some good news. Spread some good news. Be the bright spot on a dark day. Carpe diem, friends………….

COPING WITH CORONA, PART 13……”ARE YOU A TIGGER OR AN EYORE?”

Tigger at Crystal Palace restaurant, Walt Disney World

“Too many people go through life complaining about their problems. I’ve always believed that if you took one tenth the energy you put into complaining and applied it to solving the problem, you’d be surprised by how well things can work out.”
― Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture

Randy, a Carnegie Mellon professor who died of the then rare pancreatic cancer in 2008 believed in keeping optimistic, despite one’s harsh reality. He believed in confronting a difficult situation by acknowledging it and controlling our thoughts if we can’t control our situation.

“That is what it is. We can’t change it. We just have to decide how we’ll respond.”
― Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture.

Finally, he believed one needs to ask oneself frequently the following question:

“Are you a Tigger or an Eyore?

-Randy Pausch, “The Last Lecture”

Eyore at Crystal Palace restaurant, Walt Disney World

SO………..ARE you a Tigger or an Eyore when you find yourself thinking about Covid-19 or anything else on your mind? Try to keep a positive mindset while the situation develops and changes everything around you.

Carpe-Diem, friends…………..and look to Tigger (and Randy) for inspiration at this difficult time.

COPING WITH CORONA, PART 12…..HAVE A PLAN, SEE THE BEAUTY, AND DON’T GET “EATEN BY THE WOLVES”

Toilet paper display at the Point WC, a public restroom on the Champs-Elysees in Paris, which also sells luxury bathroom items such as colored toilet paper

“Another way to be prepared is to think negatively. Yes, I’m a great optimist. but, when trying to make a decision, I often think of the worst case scenario. I call it ‘the eaten by wolves factor.’ If I do something, what’s the most terrible thing that could happen? Would I be eaten by wolves? One thing that makes it possible to be an optimist, is if you have a contingency plan for when all hell breaks loose. There are a lot of things I don’t worry about, because I have a plan in place if they do.”

― Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture

Randy Pausch was an inspirational Carnegie Mellon University professor who died of pancreatic cancer when is was still a very rare disease in 2008. When he found out he had cancer, he decided to write what he considered his “last lecture” of his observations about life and delivered it lecture-style in class in 2007. He was a champion of making every day matter. I am reminded of him today when I hear the panic that is happening about the coronavirus. The best way to handle it, in my opinion, is to acknowledge its seriousness, make a plan, be prepared, and don’t fret the outcome. Rather, spend the time enjoying the moments along the way and keep living, enjoying your life, and having fun as best as you can.

So……..what IS the worst thing that could happen I run out of toilet paper? I don’t think I would be “eaten by wolves”, or any other animal either for that matter, so it will be okay………….and we don’t really need to worry about it, because we “have a plan.” Maybe facial tissues could double for that dreadful day!

In the meantime, I try to see the beauty in every day……..while every day may not be beautiful, there IS beauty in every day, even while we are coping with Corona to come knocking at our door.

Beautiful bathroom stalls in one of the airports in Paris, reminding us to see the beauty in every place every day….

Enjoy ALL the moments; carpe diem, friends…………..

COPING WITH CORONA, PART 11…”GO FLY A KITE!”

How about getting out of the house today with a touch of whimsy before Corona comes knocking at your door? You can head to your local field or beach to fly a kite while still maintaining appropriate “social distance.” When was the last time you ran with the wind in your hair and a kite in your hand? It IS March, after all…..

“You can have your own set of wings
With your feet on the ground
You’re a bird in flight
With your fist holding tight
To the string of your kite
Oh, oh, oh!
Let’s go fly a kite
Up to the highest height!
Let’s go fly a kite and send it soaring
Up through the atmosphere
Up where the air is clear
Oh, let’s go fly a kite!
When you send it flyin’ up there
All at once you’re lighter than air
You can dance on the breeze
Over ‘ouses and trees
With your first ‘olding tight
To the string of your kite
Oh, oh, oh!
Let’s go fly a kite
Up to the highest height!
Let’s go fly a kite and send it soaring
Up through the atmosphere
Up where the air is clear
Let’s go fly a kite!”

-“Let’s Go Fly A Kite” song by David Tomlinson from the movie “Mary Poppins”, 1964

Get outside and have some fun today; the sky’s the limit! Carpe diem, friends…………..

COPING WITH CORONA…WHAT IS ESSENTIAL?

“And now here is my secret, a very simple secret; it is only with the heart that one can see rightly, what is essential is invisible to the eye.”

– Antoine de Saint-Exupery, “The Little Prince”

Love, friendship, hope, compassion, peace, adventure, confidence, bravery, contentment, curiosity, freedom, kindness, patience, and perseverance all come to my mind.

Can you think of any others?

Life is good; carpe diem, friends…………….

COPING WITH CORONA, PART 10……THE FINE ART OF HYGGE

The Dutch have it right AGAIN! Instead of Niksen, the art of purposely doing “nothing”, another Dutch approach to enjoying life is called “hygge” (pronounced “hoo-gah”). Hygge centers around enjoying the little things in life that provide us comfort. Although spring is upon us, providing warmer weather in some parts of the country, other parts of the country are still experiencing a bit of a chill. Fire in a fireplace? That’s hygge. Scented candles burning in your home? That’s hygge. Meals with comfort food and friends? That’s hygge. Big comfortable furniture with a soft throw blanket draped around you? That’s hygge. Your favorite hot tea, cappuccino, or coffee served in a china cup? That’s hygge. A long indulgent bubble bath with scented candles burning on the sides? That’s hygge. A bite of a delicious Belgian chocolate? That’s hygge. Anything and everything comfortable and cozy? Now THAT’S hygge!

While you are trying to take your mind off the corona virus situation in our lives right now, turn off your phone and turn on some soft music, sip a hot beverage, light a fire, and burn some scented candles after dinner. You will most likely experience comfort and contentment that will take your mind off of the virus knocking at your door.

Bananas Foster served outdoors over an open flame with family gathered around

Hygge, loosely translated as “to give courage, comfort, and joy”, will help you to live deliberately with comfortable intentions. They say it’s the “little things that matter.” Why not give it a try? Today choose pastry over healthy food for a change. Maybe a bite of a brownie, freshly baked cookies, or Bananas Foster………..

Sign from Keukenhof Gardens, Netherlands, showing an attitude of gratitude

Enjoy today; find some comfort. Enjoy the little things. Carpe diem, friends…..

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