DOMESTIC GODDESS DURING COVID 19.

We're all truly on this mad rollercoaster TOGETHER and the ups and downs are coming like this coaster is propelled with rocket fuel. One minute I'm crying like a baby and the next I'm an angry b*tch, and then it evolves and I'm laughing and relaxed. Yeah, ok the wine or 3pm cocktails might have something to do with that feeling in my case, and then perhaps finding peace in the new slowness of life.

Enjoying [Domestic] Slowness: a season full of firsts.

I've felt all the things this month; fear, anger, and sadness for sure. But I've also felt this incredible internal shift to [domestic] slowness that I truly enjoy, and wasn't often able to enjoy pre-Covid19 quarantine. From making my first sourdough start (it's still brewing, I'll let you know next time how it goes) & my first attempt at dumplings (modified this recipe to include cabbage and green onions = droooool), making masks for my friends and family, to house chores while my husband and child work away at the kitchen table - he at his full time job which we are so thankful for and her an emotional (rightly so) pre-teen 6th grader homeschooled by her parents... (teachers deserve a raise, but hey! I might be getting the hang of this…) the photo of her crying below says otherwise. Actually, that's the moment she heard the Governor say that schools wouldn't open back up.

I've felt all the things this month... — -RJ

My domestic firsts aside, this whole world is in it’s own set of firsts. Have you started listening to Brené Brown’s new podcast, Unlocking Us, yet?? I just did today and her first post on the FFT’s (First Fucking Time’s) was genius and I loved every minute of it. You should listen. It described my feelings on this first time world experience. Thanks, Brené.

I’m really curious how our world will respond to this. Will everything go back to the same it was before? We’ve walked around our neighborhood nearly every day since being in quarantine. Sometimes in the mornings, early, just my husband and I. In the evenings after dinner, the three of us. We’ve lived in this neighborhood for the last 10 years, but my husband and I have both grown up in this little town we live in (West Seattle), not far from where our home is now.

Due to the increased amounts of walks we’ve found ourselves straying from our direct block and heading to nearby neighborhoods. I’ve NEVER had such friendly walks. Everyone seems more connected and invested in the welfare of their neighbors, even if we’ve never met or seen them before. People are saying hello, asking how you’re doing, commenting on the flowers or crossing to the other side of the block. Crossing not from fear of one another but to keep eachother feeling safe and honoring the 6’ of distance and everyone makes eye contact. It’s reassuring and friendly and among the many lessons we could take with us this would be an easy one.

Maybe it’s caused by our nature as humans who have a desire to connect and who are faced with quarantine and no one to connect with, that a passerby is the next best thing? But maybe it’s because we all do care, and slowing down has shown us as much. With less stress we’re able to see a rise of empathy within ourselves.

But maybe we’re so overstimulated throughout the course of a normal (non-covid) day via co-workers who bring their yappy & stinky dogs to work, people who talk too loud on the cell phones in a restaurant, erratic drivers, etc. (I’m getting annoyed already) that we don’t have a desire (decency? care?) to say hello to the neighbors out for an evening walk. I'm truly enjoying it and hope this small act of kindness doesn't get lost in daily life when it returns to "normal". Normal... whatever that's going to mean...

I would definitely not classify this time as a non-stressful one because, shit, I had plans and COVID is in the freaking way and my brain cannot process how to pivot at all right now. Which reminds me, head over to this IGTV post by Alexis Rockley. I stumbled upon it while in the midst of a Instagram rabbit hole and I’m so glad I did. Her candid and informative post hit all the nails on the head for me and helped me understand WHYYYY I am the way I am right now. How am I right now? Well I think that’s a blog post for another day. And maybe that’s because how I feel changes everyday so I’m not actually sure what the hell to tell you suffice to say; I don’t know what I’m doing this year, so I’m going to sit back and watch things unfold for a bit, and just enjoy being a domestic goddess. I’m not going quit making jewelry, but it clearly can’t be the reason that I get to quit my day job - for now. So I’ll wait.

QUARANTINE PHOTOS (IN ORDER):

1. Random pretty things from our walk
2. Man Dressed in Kimono, taking photos at the UW Cherry Blossoms (before full lock down)
3. Shuttered doors in downtown Seattle, 12:43 pm, 4/8/20
4. Luka crying after hearing that schools wouldn’t open for this year
5. First time making dumplings! So good!
6. Making pizza dough
7. Swinging feet in our hammock on a pretty sunny afternoon
8. My husband combing the lice from my hair. Yes, we ALL had lice in quarantine. WTF
9. The gorgeous Polly Pearl demonstrating how quarantine is done