30 Chic Days and Paris Lockdown 2020

How do we stay positive and upbeat during these crazy, scary times? I have a plan for myself – do lockdown “by the book!” Keep reading to see what I mean.

The CoVid-19 (Coronavirus) infection count increased during this the first week of Paris’s lockdown. In my neighborhood of Paris (the 16th – Passy area), the streets are quiet and deserted. The shops and the cafes are all closed. Only the food stores and the pharmacies are open. The skies are blue, the breeze is balmy.  Paris is its usual gorgeous spring self.  (And there is even a dearth of smokers out – yeah! No cigarette smoke clouds from outdoor cafe crowds and walkers to dodge!) As you can tell, I’m looking hard to find the positives. It’s also a bit tough to be cooped up inside. Although I am blessed with a delightful, easy-going husband and healthy, typial teen-age children (translation: I have lots of cooking and cleaning to keep me occupied each and every day), it still can get a bit …. dull.  Yes, the world is in turmoil, many people are sick and dying (and that number is only going to increase for the foreseeable short-term future.)  All these things are happening. And being pretty much confined to one’s home (no matter how lovely and comfortable) can feel boring, frightening and lonely.  So, in the interest of staying sane and as positively focused as possible, here is my inner project for the duration of Paris’s lockdown. 

One of my favorite bloggers, Fiona Ferris of New Zealend, self-published a book a few years ago titled, 30 Chic Days. In it, she has 30 chapters (or “Days”) in which she proposes an idea to bring greater beauty, ease or fun into the readers life.  It could be something to actually do (“Day 20: Be Your Own Chef”) or a new way of looking at one’s life (like “Day 11: Adopt a Low-Drama Way of Being.”)  I’ve decided to reopen the book and each day of this current lockdown, do that “Day’s” recommendation. Paris is on day 3 of lockdown so I will combine Days 1-3 for today and do Day 4 starting tomorrow on Day 4 of Lockdown. Day 1 is “Have a Paris state of mind” – which, since I live here, I state that I have it by definition. (I will reread the chapter tonight to make sure that I’m following the spirit of Fiona’s intention.) Day 2 is “Eat real food” – I’m all over that – Croissants! Strawberries! Real butter! Day 3 is “Bathe Yourself in Mystique.” Hmm. I’m American and we do have a strong tendency to over-share. Let me think about that one.  (By the way, Ferris published a follow-on book that I reviewed here on this blog earlier titled 30 More Chic Days so, just in case this lockdown goes over 4 weeks, I have more Days to keep me occupied!)  I’m crossing my fingers that this will add a bit of fun into my day and keep my spirits up. Stay tune to see how it goes.

What is helping you to keep your spirits up and focused on the positive?