Not gonna lie. It’s tough out there—or rather in there at this time. Social Distancing is now a way of life.
Social Distancing is real!
Luckily for me, I’ve been social distancing ever since I moved to the Philadelphia area and left my New York and New Jersey friends behind. This area is the only place I’ve ever lived that has turned me into a misanthrope.
Be that as it may, this virus is serious. It’s life-threatening and we need to keep safe.
And Bonaparte and I have been staying at home, in the comfort of our little chateau!
But first things first. I’m working. As an Administrative Assistant for an Advocacy company, there are certain things that need to be done. All but three of us are working at home. The three at work are two in the mail area and me.
Just me. And my shoes. And an empty office!
People are sick. They are disabled. Paperwork and documentation must get done. Even in this age of electronic documentation, paper is still used. That’s where I come in. I’ve been handling mailings of paperwork and documentation and I’ve been busier than ever.
Not me! And I’m glad because I would be doing nothing but stress-eating!
The beauty of it is. I’m alone. Tout seul. And I absolutely love it. There are no distractions whatsoever. I’m more productive than I’ve ever been. No office politics to eyeroll. No busybodies. It is Administrative Assistant bliss.
I miss my boss and my supervisor but we’re in touch and I miss the two other admins I work with. It’s a nice group—it really is. But there is something so pleasurable about working without interruption that allows for deep focusing.
Add to that the cleaning company is on the premises every afternoon literally scrubbing the building down. I feel very safe.
I’ve also been dressing very casually too!
This was yesterday’s outfit! Comfy pants from Gretchen Scott Designs, an olive sweater from J. Crew Factory and an old pair of Weejuns! I’m wearing Raquel Welch Wigs “On Point”
And my morning commute has been such a wonderful experience. No traffic and I drive through Valley Forge Park enjoying the early-morning solitude.
My morning commute. My favorite tree and total solitude. Except for the fact Bonaparte drove me to work. He’s working at home and we’re doing our part by using one car when we can! Isn’t this a beautiful photo?
This week, however, we had two days of lovely afternoon weather. And the bozos were out in force. Yes. We still need to stay indoors. And we should not be socializing in force until this thing blows over. We need to comply and obey laws.
Scenes from a CLOSED Valley Forge Park. People are not only ruining the atmosphere with their germs but they are ruining spaces that the grass grows on. Morons.
That isn’t the case here in the Wayne/Valley Forge area of Pennsylvania. For starters, Valley Forge Park is officially closed. The main roads through the park are open for traffic. That is it. Barriers have been placed to close parking areas. That means the park is closed. CLOSED!
This car has a story. The small road in Valley Forge Park was barricaded closed. The person who owns this whip obviously opened the barricade. It’s incredible how selfish people are. Oh wait. This is on Philly’s Main Line. Figures.
But there is a number of people around here who believe they are above it all. On my drive home, I’ve witnessed couples with babies in strollers. BABIES! I witnessed six people exiting from one car laughing and ready to hike.
My question is, do you hate your home so much that you can’t stand being indoors. For me, it’s a respite. I love my home! It’s my safety and comfort zone!
It is frightening because these are people who could be carriers of the virus. They could have it and pass it on. And the worst thing is that they are parking their cars on the common grassy areas of this beautiful park. I did see Park Rangers giving talks to some of these morons. But how can you fix selfishness?
I know it’s tough but sometimes you gotta take precautions. I’ll stay indoors thank you.
And while I’m in my own little indoor world, it hasn’t been all that bad. When I arrive home from work, it’s dinner then upstairs to our bedroom to watch TV.
This morning we watched a great, old, French comedy directed by Yves Robert, who was married to Bonaparte’s aunt. It starred the comedian Louis de Funes and it was bittersweet for my husband to watch because his beloved cousin, Zazi had a small part, as did Yves himself and his son, Jean-Denis. It was, for him, like watching an old family movie. As for me, I was ridiculously proud of myself because there were no English subtitles and I understood most of the dialogue.
This movie was so stinking funny. Then again, I’m a huge fan of Louis de Funes
We’re having a favorite for dinner this evening. Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken. It’s marinating as I write this. And in my quest for healthier eating, Here’s the link to the recipe I base the dish on. Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken.
Spicy, aromatic and delicious. This IS a family favorite. My kids request it whenever they are over!
I made a pate out of mushrooms a nd beans. There was no recipe so I just did a bit of this and a bit of that and added Cognac to kill any germs! And trust me, I need healthier eating at this point because I’ve overdosed on Corn Chips from stress-eating.
Canned red beans, cooked mushrooms, rosemary, nutmeg, salt, pepper, garlic, alll into the food processer. And a big splash of Cognac!
In a plastic-lined loaf pan and ready for the fridge! I sure hope it tastes good!
I also cleaned up another vintage Louis Vuitton bag. It’s the Alma PM. A bag I’ve wanted for a long time but could not justify spending the money on a new one that I really can’t afford. I got this on Mercari for a ridiculously low price and the bag was in great shape. All she needed was cleaning.
My newest addition. She was in fantastic shape save for some water marks and aging on the leather but I love that!
Now she’s all dressed up with a handle scarf! I can’t wait to take her out!
She’s dressed up in a cute scarf I purchased on Amazon. Here’s the link to my idea list to “Clean that Bag”. As you might or might not know, I’m an Amazon Influencer and make a couple of dollars off purchases. It helps at this time. So, if you are thinking of cleaning a bag, or dressing up your bag with a scarf, please take a look!
As I love a bag with a history, I was inspired to take my Kooba Sloan bag out of the closet and liven her up a bit. There’s a story to this bag.
My Kooba Sloan is well-worn, well-loved, has a history with me, and I showed her some well-needed love today!
Back during the lowest point in my life–it was after I lost my home with the divorce. My oldest son was away at college and my middle guy and my daughter and I moved into an apartment in Pennington. The apartment was not bad but it wasn’t what my kids were used to and I felt awful about it. Things were not good for me.
She was in need of cleaning and conditioning!
This was right before I met Bonaparte. I had no money. At all. But one night I was perusing the Neiman Marcus Last Call site and my eyes came upon this bag. I had seen it so many times and absolutely loved it. I couldn’t afford full price. Actually, I couldn’t even afford the sale price of $350 at the time. She was, hands down, the most expensive bag I had ever purchased. It was about 16 years ago. And I bought it. I needed something to just make me feel good about myself at the time and this bag was the cure.
Quite frankly, the amount of compliments I received on this bag when I used her were remarkable. She was a beauty!
I wore that bag every day for a few years. I loved it. And every now and then, I’ll take her down and use her but for the most part, she’s on a shelf in my closet.
Conditioned, but the handles need another coating. She’s looking mighty fine. And a story is why I love a vintage bag!
Today I freshened her up. I’ll never sell this bag ever. There’s a ton of meaning for me. She made me feel good when I had absolutely nothing. And that’s the story!
What’ll I do the rest of this afternoon? Well, I already set the dinner table.
The table is set for dinner for two. I kept a very simple setting.
I made envelopes from cloth napkins. My bad for not ironing them first but I’m being lazy today!
The utensils are snuggled in the napkin! It’s simple but cute!
And in a while, I’ll sit down to binge on David Chang’s Ugly/Delicious. It’s a great series on Netflix and I’m addicted!
Freakin’ David Chang. He’s my new Anthony Bourdain!
Whatever you are doing, remember to stay safe. Cook something different. Clean a bag. Watch a movie. Read a book. Clean baseboard. But take care and distance yourself because this will pass.
Have a great weekend! I’m enjoying no makeup and dressing like a slob today! How about you?