Let’s face it, being confined to home can be a little depressing.  Of course, we all work hard to maintain a nice home, offering a place of peace and rest and relaxation OR family fun and chaos and gatherings.  Home is also where we are most comfortable in our pajamas, sporting uncombed hair, and just being our most relaxed.  Home is all of these things because it offers a safe retreat after dealing with the outside world of work and stress or friends and gatherings or obligations.  When we are stuck at home, forced to experience all of our daily events in one place, home can begin to feel boring and restricting and a source of stress.
I can’t change any of these feelings you might be having about being at home, but I can offer that actually making a list of every basic thing you need or want to do during the day, and then crossing off what you accomplish, can help!
Make a list that includes mostly the basics of the daily tasks you should do (getting dressed, doing the dishes, making your bed, work…) sprinkled with one or two ‘out of the box’ items (reorganize your junk drawer).  Creating a list that is filled with everyday typical tasks can actually make you feel like you are accomplishing more. 
When we are confined the simple task of getting dressed can feel like a chore and requires some effort.  I actually debate with myself wondering why I would need to change out of my pajamas since I am not going anywhere.  I can further rationalize that staying in my pajamas will save me from doing laundry.
However, as comfortable as it is to work from home in my pjs, not getting dressed is actually adding to my feelings of confinement.  If I get dressed, and cross it off my list, I feel better about the prospects of what else I might accomplish during the day.  Add to my accomplishments completing my work (cross it off), cleaning up my breakfast, lunch and dinner dishes (cross off, cross off, cross off) and laundry (cross off). Soon enough I have a visual reminder of everything I achieved during the day.
Once I start crossing off my list things like cleaning out a closet and doing a puzzle, I start feeling like I have also achieved balance during my day by stimulating both sides of my brain.
Continuing to add to my daily to-do list things like exercise and facetime a friend adds to my sense of production during this extremely isolating time.  Eventually, I get into a routine of sipping my morning coffee and creating my list, taking note of the closets I have already cleaned out and the work I have accomplished, and I feel more and more productive!  This morning, I added Write Column and Paint Nails to my list.
DONE! DONE!
Kathy Naumann, possessor of NATURALLY curly hair and the understanding that you can’t control everything!

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Social
distancing
in parks, too
Park rangers are watching. Under the Stay Home, Stay Safe rules, the trails and grounds of Connecticut State Parks and Forests are open for solitary outdoor enjoyment.  If you plan on visiting a park, it should be for solitary recreation, not group activities.  Please plan ahead as many amenities and indoor facilities are closed, and visitors are encouraged to follow these guidelines to enhance social distancing:
Because the rules weren’t followed, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has already closed the Kent Falls State Park.
Take a lesson from Rhode Island — their beaches and state parks were closed because park visitors  did not practice social distancing.
The DEEP set some rules: If you’re not feeling well, stay home! Signs and symptoms of coronavirus include fever, cough and shortness of breath; rather than traveling to some of the most popular spots, for example, Hammonasset Beach State Park, Sleeping Giant State Park, or Bluff Point State Park, try a park you may not have visited before or one close to your home. Because most park and forest facilities do not have open restrooms, visitors are encouraged to plan a trip to a nearby park for a short, local visit; if you arrive at a park and crowds are forming, choose a different park or trail, or return another day or time; observe the CDC’s minimum recommended social distancing of 6 feet from other people, whether you’re walking, biking, or hiking; warn other trail users of your presence and as you pass to allow proper distance and step off trails to allow others to pass, keeping minimum recommended distances at all times. Signal your presence with your voice, bell, or horn; follow the CDC’s guidance on personal hygiene prior to heading to the park. Wash your hands, carry hand sanitizer, cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, and avoid surfaces that are touched often, such as doorknobs, handrails, and equipment; bring water or drinks. Public drinking fountains may be disabled and should not be used, even if operable; bring a suitable trash bag. Leave no trash, take everything out to protect park workers.
All state parks can be accessed by Connecticut residents free of charge. DEEP will be monitoring visitor capacity at the state’s most popular parks and may reduce the parking threshold to further limit the number of visitors and help to prevent overcrowding. Residents can receive a sizeable fine for parking off park property and walking in.
Restrooms are closed, as are indoor spaces. The opening of camping season at Connecticut State Parks and Forests will be postponed until Memorial Day weekend in May, unless a further delay is required. All campground reservations that were made for stays prior to Memorial Day weekend will automatically be cancelled and refunds will be processed.
Classes: In-person environmental education programming, including Conservation Education and Firearms Safety and Aquatic Resource Education classes, have been temporarily halted, but on-line education opportunities will continue.
West Thompson Lake
N. GROSVENORDALE — The following COVID-19 measures continue at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, West Thompson Lake:
The West Thompson Lake Disc Golf Course is closed to the public until further notice.
Boat Ramp and other parking areas are closed to the public until further notice.
The West Thompson Lake Office is closed to the public until further notice. Access is limited to mission essential employees, shipping companies, contractors and essential service personnel.
All USACE-sponsored events, on-site interpretive programming and volunteer activities are cancelled until further notice.
No new special event or activity permits will be issued until further notice; those permits that have already been issued will be considered for revocation based upon latest Public Health guidelines.
Visitors must adhere to the following guidelines: Stay home if feeling sick; avoid activities where individuals will come in close contact with one another and/or gathering in groups of 10 or more; maintain physical distance of at least 6 feet; practice healthy personal hygiene; avoid touching surfaces frequently touched by others. Wash thoroughly or sanitize your hands if you do.
Additional closures may occur at West Thompson Lake based on Federal, State or local health and safety directives. Updates will be posted on:
https://www.nae.usace.army.mil/Missions/Recreation/West-Thompson-Lake/

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Bleak Street
This is Main Street in Putnam in the middle of the day in the middle of the work week. Linda Lemmon photo.

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