7 Weeks of Sheltering....A Comical Pause

I have shared with many people that I'm going to emerge from my shelter with fewer brain cells.  I am more convinced of this reality than ever before.  The chaos under my roof may explain why.  Can anybody else relate?

Zoom Call Chaos
Lately, we've had a few people needing to be on "the zoom."  When you're on "the zoom," the rest of your house needs to be quiet....REAL QUIET.  A week ago, the power randomly went off for a few seconds in our house...just because that never happens.  It needed to happen during something important like Zoom, not Zumba.  Right after the power went out, the smoke detectors went off because I was cooking something fancy in the oven that had a sauce.  Smoke detectors never go off when you make tater tots and the sauce called ketchup comes from the refrigerator.  Birthday party parades happen in our neighborhood...ONLY during Zoom calls.  Honking and yelling happen for what seems like a long time because that's how we celebrate now.  Somehow, internet malfunctioning also happens "just long enough" to kick you out of your Zoom conversations.  Thankfully, because everyone is on their computers, and not on their phones, no one reads their texts when you send the message "LET ME BACK IN!" after power has been restored. The situation seems zoomless.

Scheduling Situations
Finally, we just completed April 94th, and not one "thing" can be scheduled until...we're not sure.  I am not very good at ordering groceries online.  It's just alot of information on your computer screen all at once.  The last time I placed an order, it was a 2 hour process.  What a blessing to know those groceries won't be here for two weeks.  In those moments, I find myself throwing a 2-second temper tantrum and wonder....What should I do next?

Kitchen Chaos
I want you all to know that the small business cafe I opened in my kitchen 7 weeks ago seems to be thriving.  It's starting to feel like everyday is Thanksgiving over here.  Wait...we're actually in the month of May right???  It seems like 2 families live in this house, and they all brought with them their own sets of dishes.  Every night, I plop my alligator-skin hands in that sink knowing the dishwasher is gonna' fill up, and tomorrow morning it will need to be unloaded, then reloaded.  The trash cans will also be real full.  Is it wrong to post a sign, visible to every family member, that reads, "This cafe is closed indefinitely.  We hope to reopen again someday?!?!"

Toilet Paper Chaos
I, like so many others, have jumped on that toilet paper train and had a wheel or two fall off while screaming, "WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING!!! WE'RE GONNA' RUN OUT!!!"  As the momma, I am so blessed to be the problem solver at times such as this.  With great pride and precision, I ordered from Amazon.  It was only a few days later that I received the 500th e-mail from Amazon with a product description that made me pee in my pants...only enhancing the need for more toilet paper.  I want you to know that MY toilet paper has a "special picture design that makes you feel delighted each time you use it."  What?!?!  It also "makes your bathroom a fun place to visit when your friends visit."  I mean..one day my friends will be able to visit the inside of my house again and use my fun toilet paper, right?!?

As we all step back (wearing our jammies and sportin' some crazy hair) and reflect back over the past seven weeks...

1. Let's laugh.
2. Let's breathe.
3. Let's make a commitment to one another.  It is a commitment to lift one another up when we need it and a commitment to "keep on keepin' on."  After all. at the end of this journey, there's fun toilet paper!