What To Do While Furloughed

1. Start your day with a walk because you’re going to be a healthier you today!
2. Inhale that fresh air, then remember you’ve forgotten your mask.
3. Worry that someone will call you on it.
4. Worry while you’re walking that your job won’t be there after your furlough ends.
5. Cut walk short so you’re not seen mask-less.
6. Arrive home famished.
7. Be distracted by funny Social Distancing pic that a friend sent.
8. Take the dog out and feel guilty because you made him wait so long.
9. Check your refrigerator, loaded with more food than you could possibly consume in weeks… just in case.
10. Text your children.
11. Go online to order See’s Candy for the kids in the family and then realize See’s IS NOT MAKING CANDY AT ALL RIGHT NOW – YES — EVEN AT EASTER!
12. Worry again.
13. Read online article about how reducing stress helps boost your immune system.
14. Worry more.
15. Call friends and family to make sure all are well.
16. Cook to take your mind off possible future unemployment.
17. Eat.
18. Worry that you ate too much.
19. Do dishes and clean up kitchen – moving on to entire house, which is probably a hotbed of Corona Virus
20. Eat dessert – if Rona ends up killing you, you’ll have no regrets.
21. Regret eating dessert.
22. Go for another long walk dragging your elderly dog down the sidewalk with you.
23. Feel guilty for dragging the dog.
24. Get home and have a glass of wine to help you relax.
25. Check available jobs online.
26. Worry because there are no jobs you’re qualified to do.
27. Check your refrigerator.
28. Text your children.
29. Do stress baking to make up for the See’s you can’t send.
30. Realize all you have for eyes for your darling Easter cookies are cinnamon red dots.
31. Realize all your cute Easter bunnies, ducks and lambs look like zombies.
32. Realize you’ve turned your Easter egg cookies into alien faces.
33. Worry that aliens will scare the kids.
34. Decide to mail them anyway.
35. Realize it’s too expensive to mail packages of cookies to everyone.
36. Try to eat them all yourself.
37. Repeat.

In general, I’m not the type to worry. I’ve been through so much, I figure I can handle anything. But worry tends to creep in when words like pandemic start getting tossed around. So, I’ve turned to comfort.

I love the comfort of my favorite soft blanket wrapped around me as I nod off watching Netflix. I love my bed, down comforter, mom’s crochet bed topper, and the minimum of four pillows I sleep with every night. I’m christening them John, Paul, George and Ringo.

I love that times like this remind me, that even when my family drives me nuts(luckily not often)I still love them, miss them, and hope they’re all safe. I’ve heard it said that sometimes curses turn out to be blessings. This could be one, if it makes us realize how much we love our family and friends.

And I love my morning walks to the park up the hill too. I’ve discovered park trails that lead off to quiet little corners, where deer feed on fresh grass. I love watching snails dragging their houses, slowly reaching their destination. I love walking slowly through and taking it all in, now that I have the time.

I also love chicken soup with dumplings.

Right in the middle of any poetic reverie, I always revert back to food – it’s a cross I willingly bear. I forgot I loved dumplings, but remembered this week when I was looking for something to take the edge off of furlough. I’d turn to wine, but I’m toast after one glass, so that never works. But dumplings work. My thighs are unhappy, but are going along with it because it keeps me quiet.

So, I took the package of roasted chicken I bought, made soup like my mom used to, and found a good recipe for dumplings. I love that they add a creaminess to chicken soup that’s just right. I love curling my spoon through a dumpling and finding the interior remarkably dry, but perfectly moist. It’s great with some grated cheese too. And I love that when I have chicken soup with dumplings, I’m reminded of my mom.

If she was here, she’d be terrified of the Covid 19 virus. She’d be kneeling in front of light up Jesus praying constantly. And she would have gone crazy because she was such a people person. Staying at home, with no hugs and kisses would have done her in. I’m just hoping the eight billion novenas she made in her lifetime lasts to cover this whole episode. Then I could worry a little less. In the meantime, Chicken Soup with Dumplings will have to get me through. (And don’t worry, I just corrected the recipe after Cousin Cheri called and told me I had mistakenly put in 2 cups of salt and pepper. I love salt, but not that much!)Thank God for family – they actually read this blog!

OH! And I almost forgot. Facetime, call, text, or conference call the family and friends, and have a Happy Easter and Passover! We WILL get through this.

Ma’s Chicken Soup with Dumplings

[cooked-recipe id=”19081″]