Washington State is still on “stay home” restrictions because of COVID19. So I’m staying home, like a good kid who follows the rules. Once a week, I get in the big white truck and drive to the post office and the bank and the grocery store and the local food co-op (for fresh vegies and fruit) and the gas station and sometimes a hardware store. Then I come home with my treasures.
Up until a couple of months ago, I used to jump in the truck at the drop of a hat and go to whatever one store I wanted, any old time I wanted, never thinking anything about it, many times during any given week, and sometimes more than once a day. Now I plan my once-a-week outing so I make one circuit around town to each place I want to go. And I’m liking this!
My truck’s gasoline consumption is about 30% of what it used to be. I don’t have to deal with traffic or find parking except once a week. The mileage on the truck is significantly less so maintenance costs will be less, and the truck will last longer. My stress level is lower. And I have much more time at home to do stuff … house projects, yardwork, listening to music, reading, doing the dishes. 🙂
During the first two weeks of “stay home”, I watched more television than I used to, but I rather quickly tired of that. Luckily for me, I happened to check my email on the very day that the Timberland Regional Library was going to close their doors temporarily for the “stay home” shut down. They gave us only a part of one day’s notice. The email came in the morning … they closed at 5pm.
Johnny on the spot, as soon as I read that email, I jumped in the big white truck and drove to my local branch of the library (in Lacey, WA) and checked out about 20 videos and 10 books. Talk about treasures! The library promised they would not charge over-due fines for at least a month after they re-opened, so I would have plenty of time to watch and read everything I had borrowed.
Well, we’re going on 60 days of “stay home” now, double the initial 30-day restriction, and it may continue. I’ve read all the books and I’ve watched almost all of the videos … I have two videos yet to watch. As usual, about half the books and half the videos were enjoyable for me.
I wondered if you folks might like to know what videos I liked. Many of them have to do with travel or geology or history or nature. Several of them are PBS shows (Public Broadcasting Service). The videos may be available for free on the PBS website, or you can join their “Passport” system for $5/month and access many hundreds of shows online. I joined and have been watching several series online, as well as the videos I have at home.
But … back to the topic, here’s my list of the library videos that I enjoyed a great deal.
Olympic & Mt Rainier, National Parks of the Northwest – Ambassador Video Productions
Boys of ’36, for gold, for country, for each other – PBS, American Experience
Leave it to Beavers – PBS, Nature
Olympic Peninsula (lots of great info about things in the area other than the national park/forest) – Hatzoff Productions
America’s National Monuments, The Geologic West, 4 DVDs, Ambrose Video Pub. (There are two other 4-DVD sets in this series … the Historic South and the Legacy of the Great Plains)
The Women and the Waves, a documentary surfing film, Film Works Entertainment
Earth Days – how “Earth Day” came to be, a Robert Stone film, PBS, American Experience
Pioneers of Television – PBS, 4 videos
Over Washington – Topics Entertainment, KCTS Television
These videos may be available at your local library, or you may be able to get them by using your library’s “inter-library loan” system. I live on the west coast of the USA and have been successful asking my local library to borrow books or DVDs from libraries all over the USA, and Canada, and Scotland and England. As well, some of these videos may be available for free online on YouTube.
Speaking of YouTube, I have also been watching videos online. One of the most charming is this one …
How many books she has! There’s something to be said for a life with less “noise”, with fewer distractions. A simpler life can be just as fulfilling … maybe even more so.
I’m sure looking forward to having the “stay home” restrictions lifted so I can go camping. But here at home, after the “stay home” restrictions are lifted, I suspect I will continue my once-a-week shopping circuit. It just makes sense. It’s so much more peaceful. And it’s so much better for the environment, for the earth and the air and the water … for all of us.