Trying to stay calm

by Lorraine Bartlett / Lorna Barrett / L.L. Bartlett

Things are kind of scary right now. I'm feeling overwhelmed and more than a little worried. During this corona virus "pandemic," I'm feeling the need of a distraction. How about you?

To distract myself, I've been looking at pretty pictures on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. And I've not only been working on my various works in progress (some cozy--some not), but decided to read a childhood favorite -- you know as a comfort read.

What did I pick? Pollyanna. Did you read it as a kid? I did. I hadn't read it in many years, but grabbed a copy at the thrift store last week. I'm much more familiar with the Disney movie starring Hayley Mills.

Pollyanna Whittier, a young orphaned girl, moves to Beldingsville, Vermont, to live with her cold and stern spinster Aunt Polly. Pollyanna’s aunt is not keen on the idea of having to take her in but does so anyway out of a sense of duty to her late sister, Pollyanna’s mother. Pollyanna’s eternal optimism arises out of a game she played with her father in which they would try to find the good in all situations. Her sunny disposition soon begins to spread through the otherwise dispirited New England town, transforming it into an increasingly pleasant place to live. However when tragedy strikes she is finally challenged with a situation in which she cannot be happy and the townsfolk are called to rally to her side to help her regain her positive outlook on life.

To be honest, I like the movie better--but that didn't mean I didn't enjoy re-reading the book.

I've also got the urge to bake. I like to cook. You need to stay focused on what you're doing and not let your mind wander too much.

I'm also trying (and not succeeding well) not to be informed, but not obsess about the virus. As long as I've got something to read, I can stay home and be perfectly happy. (Well, it's hard to be "happy" right now, but at least not panicking.)

What are you doing to stay calm during this topsy-turvy time?