Obviously, I haven’t blogged in forever, so this post today really is random! Can I use the excuse that I’ve been using up all my words writing books? 

Truth is, it’s been a crazy couple of years. In March 2019, after five years in Oklahoma and eight in North Carolina, we followed through with our “sudden” but certainly God-directed decision to return to our home state of Texas, where Project Guy and I grew up, met, married, and raised our daughters.

The move put quite a strain on my mental energy for writing, though, so it took time to get back in the groove. A series of false starts with story ideas led to a long gap between book releases, but several months later, a new book was in the works and things were finally settling into a semblance of “normal.”

Then, almost exactly a year after we’d moved into our new home, COVID-19 hit the US and we all (at least in the more risk-prone parts of the country) went into quarantine. In the blink of an eye (pardon the cliché, Grammar Queen), life as we knew it changed drastically.

Suddenly every trip Project Guy made to the grocery store or to run necessary errands filled me with anxiety. As soon as he returned home, we set to work wiping down every item before putting it away. Then I’d take my trusty can of Lysol out to the car and thoroughly douse the inside and door handles. Masks became de rigueur. Toilet paper and hand sanitizer became the finds of the century!

Once it was determined that the virus wasn’t as much of a risk from surfaces, we breathed a little easier. Except then we learned to be even more conscientious about masks and social distancing so we didn’t breathe in someone’s virus-laden coughs and exhalations!

We had stopped eating at restaurants but were reassured to know takeout was considered low-risk. Online menus and drive-up order pickup have become our new best friends!

Truly, our very best friends are Project Guy’s sister and husband, who live just around the corner from us. If not for their nearness, we would feel so much more isolated. We’re all in a higher-risk age bracket, but we’re equally cautious about avoiding exposure, so we feel comfortable visiting back and forth and helping to keep each other from going completely stir crazy! God certainly knew we’d need family close by during these scary times.

San Antonio Riverwalk. One of the puzzles we put together this summer.

So, six months into this COVID pandemic and we, like so many others, are adjusting. We’ve learned how to do Zoom webinars, we’ve discovered some new streaming TV entertainment, we’ve read a bunch of good books, we attend church services online, and we’re currently putting together our third jigsaw puzzle.

Oh, and I’m progressing steadily toward getting some new books out. Working from home is normal for me, so that part of my life hasn’t changed much. Things I do miss are singing in the church choir, eating in restaurants, going to the movies, browsing through my favorite shops, planning a vacation . . . all the normal, everyday stuff we used to take for granted.

What do you miss most right now? What helps you cope?

Let’s all keep praying for a safe and effective vaccine, and for wisdom to prevail so our world can return to happier times.