posted on September 16, 2020 by Carmen Falcone

What I Learned during Corona Times

I promise this won’t be a long post about how I learned how to make bread from scratch or am now crafting my own soap. I’d love to be that skilled, but that’s not happening.

      • Homeschooling parents deserve an award—I can’t stress this enough. The OGs who actually chose to be homeschooling parents before COVID and have for years, deserve much respect. I don’t mean this in a pandering way. I’ve talked to moms of multiples who love teaching at home and somehow, they seem like they have it together.
      • Struggle makes me crazy—but more productive? You know when you have all the time in the world but gets distracted by shining objects? Then all of a sudden, you have to fight to be able to complete your task or project. And all of a sudden, you make Marie Freaking Kondo wish she had your organizational skills. Well, I’m not there yet (trust me, LOL), but damn! Because there are so many uncertainties (Will life ever be the same? Will my kids go back to school? Will I ever lose COVID weight? Will my business survive?), the one thing I can control is how I look at them. Sure, I complain a lot, but I’ve also learned how to be more productive so I don’t feel like I’m failing at everything.
      • People are kinder than many of us expected—I’m sending love to the friends, acquaintances and neighbors who have offered a kind smile or a wave, as well as one of those nice messages saying, “I’m going to the grocery store, do you need anything? You’ve restored my faith in humanity.
      • Survivalists have a point—From now on, besides canned goods and water, I’ll add masks to the list.
      • The good old days weren’t so good—I used to shame my kids for wanting to spend so much time online, playing games or building stuff. “Back when I was a kid, I didn’t have any of that and I’d entertain myself.” Yes, ask the Falcone kids, they’ve heard that spiel a lot. Well, there’s a reason those were the good old days… because we were all part of it. And now, inserting modern day children (and parents, let’s be honest) in that narrative won’t work for the most part. The days are super long, and sure, kids can go out and play for an hour, but what about the other 23 hours? And, of course, COVID happened in spring and stretched out to summer, which in Texas, is only a little bit hotter than hell.
      • Keeping sanity during COVID is an everyday task—We’ve seen a huge change in our lifestyle, from the way we wash our hands to how we interact with our neighbors. Writing has made me more introspective, but I’m an extrovert at heart. I love being social and chatting, exchanging ideas and meeting friends for lunch, coffee and shopping trips. So staying home and refraining from celebrating birthdays, traveling, visiting family has definitely had an impact in my mental wellness. Sounds cliché, but I was taking so much for granted that this new normal really made me appreciate and take a closer looks at how much these relationships mean to me. I have a lot of friends who have suffered with the emotional and mental health aspect of COVID. It’s a terrible feeling knowing your life, your loved ones, your health or livelihood may be at risk.
      • You can’t understate the power of booze—Disclaimer: if you struggle with alcohol addiction, please skip this step and go straight to the giveaway. If not, then yes, alcohol helps.

    Giveaway: What have you learned during COVID? Leave a comment and enter to win a $10 Amazon GC!

    _____________________________

    THE BILLIONAIRE’S BETRAYAL

    The Highest Bidder, Book 3

    Madam Alexa learned the hard way to stay away from the opposite sex. She deals with men and takes their money, but doesn’t fall for them. Ever. And, she certainly doesn’t screw them—that is, until a billionaire Texan, who proposes a male virgin auction, catches her attention in every way possible. If the deal works, she’ll make enough money to retire and walk away from everything—no regrets..Brooks Taylor hates deceiving, but he has no other choice. He’s ready to expose the dirty scheme he believes Madam Alexa runs in her glorified brothel. After all, his sister died because of Alexa’s sordid business. But, keeping his mind off Alexa and his hands and his cock to himself becomes more difficult the longer he works with her. When he learns she’s not the villain he believed her to be, it’s too late to come clean. But, stopping the sizzling attraction pulling them together is… impossible.

Carmen Falcone

Carmen Falcone

Carmen Falcone learned at an early age that fantasizing about fictional characters beat doing Math homework any day. Brazilian by birth and traveler by nature, she moved to Central Texas after university and met her broody Swiss husband, the living proof that opposites attract. She found in writing her deepest passion and the best excuse to avoid the healthy lifestyle everyone keeps talking about. When she's not lost in the world of romance, she enjoys spending time with her two kids, being walked by her crazy dogs, reading, catching up with friends, and chatting with random people at the check-out line.

12 thoughts on “What I Learned during Corona Times”

  1. I learned to take each day as it comes and not to have any expectations. Yes, this is a bit sad but when you are a senior reality “is” your life.

    1. Carmen says:

      That’s a great way to look at it. Also, it makes you more relaxed and reduces anxiety! Thanks for commenting.

  2. bn100 says:

    stay connected in different ways

    1. Carmen says:

      Isn’t technology wonderful?? I’ve FaceTimed in the last 6 months more than I did in my whole life.

  3. Karen Hackett says:

    Read more books, buy more books, stay in touch on Facebook, and eat lots of chocolate . . . right now anything that has pumpkin spice.

    1. I love reading–self-care is so important. Hope you’re having a wonderful day 🙂

  4. Tina says:

    I have deeper appreciation of the little moments of gathering with friends and family.

    1. Same here. Let’s hope we can be with loved ones soon. Hugs.

  5. I learned French. The difference between a life and a career. How to live without my best friend of fifteen years – a beautiful old labrador who had a spinal problem. I learned how to let go of expectations and a job I thought I’d have for a very long time. And I let go of what I thought I needed only to find out exactly what I needed. I learned to live.

    1. Lots of good lessons. Some hard. I’m sorry about your dog Darlene. Hugs. I absolutely love dogs and saying goodbye to them never gets easy.

  6. Dina B says:

    Some people have no common sense, some are darn right idiots. Learning to keep my mouth shut has been one of the hardest things to do; so I just go way around them and avoid biting my lips.

    Even with a house full of people, I’ve always felt alone. Having my dad with me at least makes me feel less alone. Buttt with him bring 102, acting like a two year old is stressing me out. But I just remember all the great times we’ve had in the past and how much he loved my brother and I and the stress goes down, at least until the next time he pours his pee in the sink. You gotta love him.

    1. Dina, your dad is so lucky to have you! Huge hugs.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Latest from our Blog

Mahoney & Squire – Military Women’s Fiction – Meet The Characters

Have you met the men and women of Mahoney & Squire, my high-stakes, high-octane military action adventure series? Let me introduce you! Captain Kathryn “Kate” Mahoney, USN Call Sign “Scarlett” Ambitious, strong-willed, patriotic, and assertive, Kate Mahoney is often derided as a “bitch” by the old school naval aviation community. She struggled through dysfunctional relationships,… Read More

Read More