A Month In Review: Making Glad, Staying Home, Doing Whatever

/ Ally Bean

Let’s start with the facts.

April is my second least favorite month of the year*.  This is the last day of April 2020, the longest April on record. Ever.

We do not need to go in depth into why this particular April has been endless, ridiculous, depressing, frightening, annoying, overwhelming, underwhelming, disruptive, insane, inane, et cetera, et cetera.

To my credit, I do believe, early on I set my intentions for this month and have accomplished those three intentions to the best of my ability.

• + •  💜 • + •

FIRST, I made a point to not complain about our personal small inconveniences during this dreadful month and I give myself an A- on this point.

Article to read: “I’m Depressed, But Feel I Have No Right To Be”: Class Guilt During The Pandemic

SECOND, I made a point to have no opinions about how other people  handled their time at home this month.  I give myself a B on this point, having mostly not said a word about some of your more dubious behaviors, oh my friends and family + neighbors and numbskulls.

Article to read: The Psychological Reason Why Some People Aren’t Following COVID-19 Quarantine Orders

LASTLY, I made a point to be gentle and forgiving with myself, allowing my moods to swing, my thoughts to roam, and my sense of purpose to be redefined within the context of the times.  On this I give myself an A+ because, not to put too fine of a point on it, I’m still here, sane, and relatively happy.

Poem to read: Lockdown Manifesto 

• + •  💜 • + •

And with that I will turn the page in my calendar, putting April behind me and gazing into the glorious month of May, my second most favorite month of the year**.  I’ve nothing scheduled to do in the month of May, but certainly it’ll be better than miserable old April, right?

One can only hope.

* August is my least favorite month of the year.
** October is my most favorite month of the year.

[May 2, 2020: I’ve reworked the look of this post to do an experiment with images, fonts, and the way in which Twitter tweets a link to it. The content remains the same.]

153 thoughts on “A Month In Review: Making Glad, Staying Home, Doing Whatever”

  1. Kudos on all points. Sometimes getting through is enough. Getting through with an A average is more than enough
    Oddly, my question is: August is your least favourite month? You are the first person I’ve “met” (virtually anyway) to say that. In the northern hemisphere November is usually the winner of that contest, hands-down.

    Liked by 3 people

  2. Now I’m curious why April is your second least favorite month, ABean? I’m loving all of the bird and critter action, which I don’t typically get to enjoy working downtown during the week. For whatever reason, this month seemed to fly by in a blur.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Jill, I don’t like April because I’m allergic to the tree and rosebush pollen. Plus our weather is so extreme and wet during the month. Our temps can go up to 70º and down to 30º, often in one day. I never know what to wear, only that it must have pockets for me to stash my tissues. 🤧

      Liked by 2 people

  3. I read a FB post/rant from a mom who was fearing judgement from neighbors who might suspect she was breaking the stay home rule because she left her house a few times one day with her kids. I was baffled. I cannot imagine adding worring about what neighbors think to everything else to focus on right now.

    May is typically SO busy with graduations, proms, end of year school field trips, this May is going to be one for the books. Hopefully in a things-are-looking-better way, including the weather.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Ernie, around here everyone is out with their kids or dogs or spouses at least once a day. We all walk or run or bike around without any judgement I know of. Maybe the mom on FB lives in a gossip-y neighborhood? What a predicament, eh?

      I agree about May. Usually it’s when our summer starts up with things. to. do. But this year I literally have nothing on my calendar. Nothing. So weird.

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  4. You have been a fine housemate during Indoor recess. I did not have to resort to eraser races to occupy you. Your grades are that high, if not higher.

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    • Thank you, Zen-Den. Great way to look at this month! It has been indoor recess, although we have yet to play Seven Up. Too few people here I guess. I liked that game better than the eraser races.

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  5. April is my favorite month in Florida (no AC or heat) followed by November. But, not to put too fine a point on it, T. S. Eliot agrees with you: “April is the cruellest month,” perhaps because the budding spring stands in stark contrast to one’s dark thoughts. Who knows for sure?

    Nice links and quotes, Ally Bean.
    P. S. Like other commenters, I’m allergic to pollen and to the strong scent of gardenias and Confederate jasmine this month. But, they’re pretty all the same.

    Liked by 2 people

  6. Hmmm…January is my least favorite month. Both of my parents died in January (different years) and I swear every important relationship I had ended in January. After the holidays it’s bleak and dreary here. Oh yes, it’s my birthday month but it’s so cold no one wants to celebrate! I love a good June which we don’t always get. I try not to get judgy although I’ve notice people are more touchy. Even though I’m properly suited up, I get treated like a leper. I always think that they have a story I don’t know. My biggest deal is that I’m lacking the ability to focus or concentrate. It’s a great time to knock out projects and I’m dragging on that.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Kate, I understand why you don’t like January. You have some valid reasons there. Maybe you could start celebrating your birthday in July, just to mix things up and get all the love you deserve.

      I’ve only been in a store once during the month of April [yesterday in fact] and I found the people were friendly and mellow. I was surprised but pleased. I know what you mean about lack of focus. At first I was concerned but now I’m willing to be happy just to be healthy.

      Liked by 2 people

      • I am so grateful that none of the humans have been ill. It’s not a good time for that. Medical resources are strained and I am not convinced that if I had something serious I’d want to talk on the computer. My husband had a biopsy yesterday (we are not too worried about it). The doc decided it best to do sooner rather than later. We were happy about that.

        Liked by 1 person

        • I hadn’t thought about talking to a doc on a computer as the way for us to see a doctor. Oy vey. I am not going to be comfortable with that at all. Hope all is well with your husband. What a confusing time to know what to do and how to do it.

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    • Michelle, I get your daughter’s point of view, at least about the allergies. Bees I’m ok with, but if you don’t like them then April is not your friend. Tricky month, this one.

      Liked by 1 person

  8. May is my favorite. September,her second favorite. February my least. I admire for affirmations. My affirmation was to not lock anyone in a closet. I don’t know if I’m happy or sad to have completed that

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  9. I have to admit. I was reading this on a small screen without my glasses. Your text is fine, but when I read the quote, I thought is said something about happy people having whole days with cheese. I mean, not that that doesn’t make sense, but…

    I’m with you on October being the best month. August, April, March, January, they can all be bad, depending on the weather.

    Good luck keeping up the spirit as we roll into May.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Dan, I’ve found that on different machines the images I share here are entirely different. Not “whole days of cheese” different, but sometimes easy to read, other places a blur. I don’t know why, but thank you for taking the time to read what I was trying to share here.

      Thanks for the encouragement as we sashay into May. May your spirits remain high during it, too.

      Liked by 1 person

  10. Loved the article, Ally, good thoughts all around, and it looks as though you are taking good care of yourself and not being self-critical, something easy to do when we have a different time schedule.
    Well, I love the month of April, it is my favorite. I know it will be cold..snowy…sleeting…humid…hot…raining…and everything else. But I always feel excited that this is the month of the earth waking up and ahead is nothing but possibility. I certainly understand the allergies though. My daughter has an allergy to tree fruits and nuts and when they blossom she is in real distress, and it started this week with the wild cherries beginning their bloom.
    Keep well and keep writing! XXOO

    Liked by 1 person

    • Dorothy, I’m glad you liked the articles. I sometimes hesitate to add anything like that to a personal blog post, but when I read things that resonate with me I want to toss them into a post and sometimes I do.

      I take your point about April being a month that points to possibility. I’ve never contemplated it from that point of view, but you’re right. If I wasn’t sniffling and sneezing throughout the month I might have a better opinion of it. Just saying. 🤨

      Liked by 2 people

  13. Ditto on putting april behind us! October is one of my favorite months too! April has been the longest year on record! Humor is helpful 🙂 Be well.

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  14. Interesting articles. This situation is definitely a challenge for people’s mental health in many cases. I’ve only come across a few people who are Virus Deniers–not physical distancing, one person outright telling me that the whole thing is media hype–but rather than engage, I just move along. It’s not something I want to make my Personal Mission.

    We’re living with this–I can’t expend the energy to get all exercised over every minute aspect or I’ll be a mess. Best to keep an even keel and be as Serene as possible.

    Liked by 2 people

    • nance, I’ve discovered that a few people who I know are deniers or think that the rules don’t apply to them because ______. It baffles my mind, but like you said it’s not my Personal Mission to set them straight. Just stay far away from me and we’ll be good. 🤨

      I like your idea of remaining Serene. That’s a good way of thinking about the plethora of news and un-news and fake news and opinions out there. I shall be serene, dammit.

      Liked by 1 person

  15. I love how you graded yourself; you are getting an A from me.
    Wait, you didn’t want me to grade you? Nevermind…
    I believe that most of us are doing a great job; but yes, there are quite a few numbskulls out there.
    I generally like April; but not this one.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Suz, for some reason I felt compelled to grade myself. I’m generally more mellow, but I felt a need to end this miserable month with something definitive, something I could look back on and say *ha!* I did it. Take that you stupid virus. I accomplished something this month in spite of you.

      Liked by 1 person

  16. I’ve always loved April because it usually means the end of snow and cold…not this year, but usually. And I hate October because it means the cold and snow are coming. I guess that means we’re not soulmates. LOL

    Liked by 1 person

    • Jean, we may be soulmates just living in different latitudes wherein our weather patterns vary. If our October was snowy I’d have an entirely different opinion of it.

      Like

  17. Congrats on an excellent report card, Ally Bean.

    And thanks for the links to some interesting reading material ~ > I read a fabulous article a week or so ago that posited that we should not expect ourselves to accomplish anything in the midst of a pandemic. Woo Hoo!

    We get a Free Pass.
    Do, or do not, that is the deal!

    Hope May brings you needed relief from your seasonal allergies . . .

    Liked by 2 people

  18. I would love to know what your reasoning behind the favorites and least favorites are. I am nosy, so just tell me to bugger off if it’s deeply personal. But you have given me blog post material because I want to delve into this for myself. I think I might have favorite and least favorite months as well.
    April is my favorite but you know why. 😉

    Liked by 1 person

  19. I’m glad to see this month end, too, though allergies were not a problem me (hubby is suffering, though). I did a telemedicine appointment that went well, but I still ended up finding that my own diagnosis and treatment saved the day.

    I hope you have a wonderful month of May!

    Liked by 1 person

  20. Glad you stuck to your resolutions. My most hated month is November — except for the last day which is our wedding anniversary. It’s that dark, grey month that starts with everybody in France going to visit their loved ones at the cemetery when the days grow short and we wind down the year. But I’ll take any month without the fear of coronavirus going forward!

    Liked by 1 person

    • MELewis, good point about any month without coronavirus is a good one. We have new rules for liking months now. I can understand why you don’t like November. Our Decembers sound like your Novembers, except without the cemetery part.

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  21. I really liked the Buzzfeed article, which to my shock I read in its entirety (I’ve been skimming nearly everything lately due to a serious lack of concentration). I try to really recognize on a daily basis how many people are suffering from either medical conditions, financial insecurity, or both. Comparatively I have no problems. Yet, we’re all suffering from this endless fatigue. I like your idea of self reward in form of awarding grades, though I now worry you’re about to start a serious pandemic of grade inflation if this takes hold. 😉 – Marty

    Liked by 1 person

    • Marty, I know what you mean about lack of concentration. I can read articles but books are beyond me at the moment. I also try to remember how fortunate we are in our circumstances. We are able to stay at home without too much difficulty while there are people, millions of them, who are not this lucky. I would never inflate grades, but realize that I have little control over how other people are behaving during this pandemic. I guess we are all on the honor system.

      Liked by 1 person

  22. I’m interested in your favorite and least favorite months of the year and why. Mainly weather? I like the grades you gave yourself. I would give myself worse grades, mostly Cs. I’ve done a bit too much ranting about other people’s opinions and behavior. I’ve been whiny, but also worked at being positive. Does effort count? 🙂 My least favorite months are probably December and March. My favorites are July, August and October. I like September better now that it’s not all about starting school. Early spring months are tough because of lots of rain, and not many blooming things.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Margaret, I like October because it is beautiful here with fall leaves and warm but not humid weather. I dislike August because I’m allergic to the pollen at that time of year. It’s interesting how different months appeal to each of us. Lots of it has to do with the weather I suspect, more than the actual holidays in the months.

      I’m sure effort counts, but only you can decide your final grades for the month of April! 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    • AutumnAshbough, I also like that October gets the holiday season started. I hadn’t thought of that. It seems like a fun month, especially when the humidity breaks around here and life seems easy again.

      Liked by 1 person

  24. I agree, October is absolutely the best month… especially in my neck of the woods where Mother Nature struts her stuff.
    Kudos to showing admirable restraint in April when the dumbasses really pushed the envelope.
    😉

    Liked by 2 people

    • Rivergirl, yes I bet October is stunningly beautiful where you live. It’s pretty here, but not like Maine. And thank you for your support regarding how I didn’t tell off many a person who should have known/done better. I’m just saying here, by not saying… 🤐

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  25. Exemplary grades AND a firm grasp on sanity – I’d say that’s a cause for celebration. Enjoyed the links you added, especially (surprise!) the poem. Here’s hoping May brings many good things to delight in.

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    • Thank you, Deborah. I haven’t decided what next month’s intentions will be, but at least during the first month of this pandemic I did ok. The articles expressed my concerns better than I could, and the poem nailed how I’ve been feeling. Let’s hope we all have a great May 2020. 🥂

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  26. Love your self-reflective grading during the covid era (as I so fondly refer to this time). Seems you’ve survived well and found inspiration along the way. Enjoyed reading!

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  27. I love May. And am ready to embrace it. Some of my favorite people (including me. 😂) are born in May and I’m going to celebrate that. This month has sucked. So I’m very glad you’ve done well on your goals. (I couldn’t not judge some of the idiots around me. I don’t think I’d even ATTEMPT that one, so I give you an A for trying.)

    Liked by 1 person

    • Katie, Happy Birthday, May Girl. May is pretty around here. While I’ll miss the socializing that usually comes with it I plan on grooving on the beauty.

      Not judging people has been more difficult than I thought it’d be, especially when they broke stay-at-home rules. I held my peace, but it wasn’t easy. 🙁

      Liked by 1 person

    • L. Marie, I agree with T.S. but that doesn’t mean I have to like it. April sucks. Thanks for the higher grades. Perhaps I think less of myself than I should. 🤔

      Like

  29. In Illinois, I loved April, as in the park all the wildflowers were starting to grow as was everything else. But I can understand about the allergy thing. That’s a valid reason for disliking a month. If you’re still sane and relatively happy, give yourself an off-the-charts grade and swing blithely into May!

    janet

    Liked by 1 person

    • Janis, I hope May is better than April. I hadn’t thought to give April a grade, being focused on myself like I was. But I’m with you. I give it a D- because what a mess of a month. Honestly.

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  31. You are a smart cookie. Setting intentions was good – I remember you saying you were trying not to get pullef in to all this mess and trying not to pass judgment (liberal paraphrasing here). I thought both of those were admirable. I could have done better this month just all around but on the other hand, I could’ve done a lot worse.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Colette, thank you for the compliment. I knew that if I didn’t find a way to distract myself from the crazy this month, I’d go bonkers so I set those intentions. I imagine you did better than you think you did. We are all our worst critics. Give yourself a Pass with distinction. 😉

      Liked by 1 person

  32. You have aced this stay-at-home regimen Ally. We are in stay-at-home mode in Michigan until May 15th. Only outside businesses like landscapers/grasscutters are allowed to operate; construction workers and builders begin next Thursday. On TV and social media today people saw the rally at our State Capitol – unmasked and shoulder to shoulder, 100 people stormed into the Capitol building to protest their rights by a tyrannical leader of our state. It’s sad really – we still average 100 deaths plus a day here.

    I like May better than April too, even though April is my birthday month. Who thinks about birthdays any more? I don’t and this was one of the least enjoyable of any of them. You can still have wintry weather in April. We did. I think we have discussed October being a favorite month for both of us – you got married then if memory serves me right. Despite the fact we are headed toward Winter, my least-favorite season, there is nothing nicer than October’s colors and smells and adding layers of clothing for the gradual chill in the air. I dream about October during the Dog Days of August.

    Our long-term weather forecast is the same as the last two years – extremely rainy up to July 4th, then suddenly hot and steamy. Ugh. No, make that double ugh.

    Like

    • Linda, I saw the news about the wackos going into the Michigan Capitol Bldg. As much as I’m trying to not judge scared people like those men, it’s difficult when you know what they want will eventually hurt, potentially kill, innocent people. So selfish of them, so stupid.

      October is my favorite month for the reasons you mention. I agree about how in August the thought of October is what keeps me going. I haven’t read our long-term weather forecast so I don’t know what it is. Your’s sound lousy, but maybe they’ll be wrong. It could turn out to be better than expected. Never know.

      Liked by 1 person

      • I agree with you Ally. The Governor gave a press conference this afternoon and began it by saying that this morning the entire Capitol Building had to be sanitized since people chose to rush into the building unmasked and shoulder to shoulder and not caring about anyone but themselves. They have now introduced a bill to ban Confederate flags at the Capitol in Michigan. Yes, someone is going to get hurt before this is over. It makes Michigan look pretty bad too, but something similar is going on in California right now with their beaches. Stories like this make me shake my head. Today, all the parks in my city were closed down – this was not an Executive Order from the Governor; it was a directive from our Mayor. We have 22 parks and people were congregating in them and they anticipated it happening more with the warm and nice weather we will have this weekend. Great – a few people ruin it for others. I am not happy about it and will walk in the neighborhood as I did pre-2013 when I discovered this Park. I suspect other parks will follow suit after this weekend’s great weather.

        Our long-term weather is shaping up to be like the last two years, wet, hot/humid and buggy. Good thing we had a mild Winter and got out then.

        Liked by 1 person

        • I hadn’t thought about the problem/expense associated with sanitizing the building after the protest. Good that the officials did it, ridiculous that they had to.

          I, too, am anticipating a change to the rules about parks after this weekend. Right now some are open, but we haven’t gone to them. I was thinking about it considering OH is slowly easing into a more normal lifestyle and it is spring, however we’ve decided to stay tight in our house/on our property for another month. Just to be safe. If we can…

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          • I hadn’t thought about the sanitizing either until she mentioned it – she said the protest was not only against her extending stay-at-home until month-end, but against another Executive Order which does not expire until April 2021. On the news website they showed two protesters, with no masks, getting into the face of a military officer – the officer wore a mask – good thing as they were just inches apart. I agree with what she is doing thus far. SNL did a spoof on her last week because she is so controversial.

            I had all that angst about it back on Palm Sunday – I knew we had high death cases in our County, but I saved the link to check for our City where you plug in the zipcode, but half the time it never worked … last time I checked, or it was posted on the City’s official Facebook site, it had turned to 100 and that was Palm Sunday, April 5th. I stayed in the neighborhood today as it was a very gray day and we were expecting rain. Tomorrow I’ need to take my car on a long run, and will take the camera to a bigger park, but any crowd and I’m returning home to walk in the neighborhood. All the walkers in my park are retired, most in their 70s and very few people in the morning – I suspect the afternoon family crowd was the primary wrongdoers.

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            • I’ll keep in mind your observation that there are fewer walkers in the morning in the parks and that they behave themselves better than the afternoon family crowd. I haven’t been to a park in weeks, but maybe mid-week on a sunny day in May I’ll venture out. The fact that I second-guess myself before going for a walk makes me scowl. What a weird world we find ourselves in now.

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              • Yes, there are much fewer people Ally – my favorite time to be there. I don’t like it crowded for several reasons: there are more critters out early in the morning, usually foraging, so you get to see them and take pictures; it is more peaceful as less people are on the walking paths (in any park) and what people are out, are walkers, not riding bikes or on roller blades, pushing strollers or otherwise monopolizing the path and you then have to defer to them as they walk side by side across the pathway. After 10:30-11:00 this park has families arriving, so lots more noise. Last week it was a little girl on a motorized jeep zooming all over the place.

                Today I went to two parks, the first a large park and saw about 150 people walking, rollerblading or biking. A handful wore masks. The only people social distancing and wearing masks were the fisherman along the boardwalk at the Detroit River … that was it and I felt like an oddity to be honest. I also went to a nature preserve on Grosse Ile as the free bridge is closing this week until November and they expect massive traffic jams and it is $5.00 roundtrip to get onto the island. There is not that much to see/do there if you’ve been there before to pay $5.00 and have the hassle.
                One woman and a little boy in the small forest area – no mask on either. The mask was hot – I had a dust filter mask and covered it with a small bandana since I’d be around more people. I came home with a sunburn on my forehead and a small amount of my face not covered by the mask – it was 75 degrees. I don’t often walk in direct sun and if I do, I wear a sunvisor. I’ve never gotten sunburned the beginning of May before!

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                • Sunburned in early May! That does sound unusual as do fishermen wearing masks while doing their thing. I might try going to a park early morning midweek, but that’ll depend on weather. I don’t like to walk in wooded areas when the winds are intense because of the potential for falling tree limbs. So many old trees around here. Still there are some park paths that are paved flat areas so maybe… Thanks for your insights into park life, as we now know it. Interesting.

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                  • Glad to help out Ally. We have many old trees in the neighborhood and I have much angst every time we have severe weather with high winds. My neighbor’s tree split in half and my shed tumbled across the yard and broke apart in 39 mph winds about five years ago. I took a picture of the fishermen that were masked up to use in an upcoming post as a sign of the times.

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  33. May is my favorite month, the flowers, the sun, gardening season starting, it’s not too hot….plus the whole summer is ahead. October can be nice but the thought of winter and snow ahead ruins it, esp if it’s a cold and rainy fall. I hate August too….but mostly because summer is winding down and I’m tired of the heat by then. January can be quite pleasant too as you can cocoon inside, and we’re not tired of winter yet.

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      • Thanks! I was specific with my intentions during April because I figured it’d be a good way for me to focus on being proactive rather than reactive. Guess it worked. I’m here and not too worse for the wear.

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    • Joni, I like your reasoning about why you like May. In fact I just bought some plants + seeds this week so that we can start doing our gardening thing this weekend. You’re right about October in that it Indicates that winter is coming soon, but I like it better than May because of the pretty leaves and pumpkins and low humidity.

      I find it interesting to learn why everyone prefers the months that they do. There’s no rhyme or reason to it which makes the whole conversation surprising and fun.

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    • Pam, I don’t know the answer to your question. I know the lyrics. Could they be somehow from something from Shakespeare? His words seem to pop up every which way. But beyond that IT IS MAY NOW & I AM SMILING. 🌷😎 🌷

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      • It’s from Camelot, Ally, and Julie Andrews sang it on Broadway. I remember listening to it as a kid on my parents giant turntable-as-piece of-furniture thingee and it pops into my head when the weather gets nice. 🥰

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        • No kidding? That’s where that line is from? I don’t know it at all. No recall. I remember Camelot was a theatre show but I don’t know much about it. Thanks for cluing me in. Someone has to!

          We had a small portable record player, but I remember some families had those giant turntable furniture things. They were bombdiggity!

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  35. Well done, Ally. I’m afraid I’d have to give myself some lower grades but all in all, maybe not that much lower if I give myself extra credit for effort. 😀

    Thank you for the links to the articles and such. The article about class and guilt was particularly helpful.

    August is my least favorite month, too. October, of course, is glorious. 🙂

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    • Thank you, Robin. I appreciate your kind words. If you choose to grade yourself on how you did in April 2020, definitely give yourself extra credit for effort. I did. 😉

      I often hesitate to include links to articles I read. I don’t know why because no one has to read them. But when they dovetail into what I’m writing about here I toss them out there. I’m glad you liked the links. And that we agree on which months are which. Two peas in a pod. *Yay* October!

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  36. Good goals, Ally. Because I’m a home-body, April wasn’t much different from normal but I did get a kick out of the YT videos of how people got through it. Some of these folks are so darn clever.

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    • Jacqui, I did my best to be a good person during April; I figured I needed some guidelines, hence my intentions. I agree about YouTube. I especially liked the videos recreating music videos. Funny stuff.

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  37. October is my favorite month too because it’s the beginning of the most wonderful time of the year for me. I like May a lot. My corner of the world is pretty in May, Mother’s Day and birthdays of people I love with my whole heart are in May.

    I’m glad you’re still sane, and happy! I think I’m doing a pretty job of dealing with it too, but then I count my blessings that really not that much has changed for me…outside of gearing up in hazmat mask and gloves to go to the grocery store and avoiding people. That’s hard. I like most people and running into them and saying hi. Now, I’m crossing the road and trails to avoid them! That’s so not me!

    Here’s to another month of staying the course and dealing with it well! 😀🍷

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    • Deborah, I like October for many reasons and for me, too, one of the reasons is that it is the beginning of lots of fun and beauty. Plus the weather is comfortable during October.

      I agree that being grateful, counting your blessings, is a good way to keep things in perspective. While I’m an introvert I do talk with people, look them in the eye, say “hey” so even for me this social distancing thing is getting tedious. I don’t like being in avoidance mode all the time, but realize I must. Not complaining, just saying.

      *Cheers* to your idea of another month during which we stay well, doing what we need to do.

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  38. Congratulations on your high and well-earned scores. Knowing that people want a sense of control so they ignore orders and don’t wash their hands, et al, doesn’t keep me from wanting to clock them if they come within breathing distance.

    April and I would try to make you understand why April is one of the best months of the year, but it sounds like your mind’s made up on that front. That’s fine — more April love for/from me. 🙂

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    • Tara, I understand your desire to clock a few people. I relate, although I’d kind of like to guilt them into admitting they done wrong. Then maybe Gibbs slap them upside the head.

      You can have all the April you want. Enjoy every second of it. I’ll just be waiting for May to arrive when my allergies are gone and the temperatures are more even.

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  39. I like April because it is the month of my birthday and it falls on the 1st! However, April in Sri Lanka where we used to live (for 3 years) was the hottest month and here in Mexico, both April and May are the hottest months of the year!! So I cannot go out between the hours of 11 and 5 as it is just too hot. But the silver lining is that I cannot go out anywhere as we are enforcing stay at home for ourselves and social distancing even if the rest of our neighbors here are not. I always loved May when we lived in Chicago as it signalled that finally winter was over. Let’s hope you have a better month of May.

    We all just have to get through this… and for some of course it is way way worse than others. That keeps me from complaining about the heat….

    Peta

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    • Peta, how funny that in the last two places you’ve lived, April is too hot to handle. Wouldn’t you know that a month you really want to get behind is troublesome for you. Of course, you can have happy birthday inside or out.

      We are taking the quarantine seriously, too. In April it was easy, but in May it’ll be more difficult because it is such a pretty time of year to be outside, doing things. Like you said, May is when you know winter is over. But like you I won’t complain about being inconvenienced when other people have it so much worse. Nice to hear from you, thanks for commenting.

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  40. Being the honest person I am, I am very upfront on how I feel, Ally. April was one very tough month for me. Between the insane weather and the insane world, there were days I just didn’t want to get off the couch and away from Netflix. I miss human contact. I find myself grieving for those instances that filled my space for people contact. I’m not about to feel guilty for feeling down. Not going there. When the sun is out I feel fine. I can count on my one hand the number of sunny days here. Yet when the sun does come out it is gorgeous. Many in our area suffer from SAD and on top of what is going on in the world, we’ve been getting a double whammy. When I am out and about with my camera, I do not wear a mask yet I maintain the social distancing. These days we really don’t know what is true or not, so I’m not about to take chances. Then there are my neighbors who have parties. Takes all kinds for this world to go round. I’m SO glad May is here! YAY!!

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    • AmyRose, you speak for all of us when you say: I’m not about to feel guilty for feeling down. This last month has been difficult for everyone in different ways. I found the same thing as you did, when the sun was out I was more cheerful than when it was gray and rainy. I have yet to wear a mask in public but I’m only going for walks in our neighborhood, with one fast trip into the grocery store. I’ve noticed neighbors having parties, too. This does not please me, considering all that was asked of you was to stay with your immediate family inside your comfortable house. Not all that tricky, but…

      Looking forward to May being a better month if only because of the weather. We’ll still be at home during it, partly by law, partly by choice. Stay safe, be well.

      Liked by 1 person

      • Stay strong and as positive as you can, Ally. May in our geographical location usually is gorgeous. However, last year’s May was miserable. I will not even think about that! Today the sun is out beckoning me out to my gardens despite the very soggy earth. And I do believe my heart calls me to photograph flowers today as well. A nice walk is in order too. Have a great day and let us both HOPE May brings not only an abundance of sunshine and warmth and green and flowers, but the continued isolation is lifted. Big (((HUGS)))!! xo

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  41. Well, happy May! April and September are my favorite months, because my birth daughter was born in April and my husband and I were born in September. Daughter and I certainly did complain in April, because I had bought her a birthday gift of tickets to a Big Bad Voodoo Daddy concert for the two of us plus her beloved life partner, and that didn’t happen. But I replaced her ticket with a gift certificate to Maniology (she and I are heavily into nail art these days), and that cheered us both up.

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    • Marian, I can see why you like the months you do. Some other commenters have mentioned that they like their birth months the best. I’m sorry that your concert was cancelled [rescheduled?]. So many planned events went by the wayside during this now past April. What a weird month it was. I don’t know a thing about nail art, but a gift certificate is always a good present. I bet her/your nails will look spectacular. How fun.

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  42. BUMMER! My experiment didn’t work. Twitter and WP are not getting along with each other, I guess. The tweet with the link to this post appears, but does not include the image on this page. It should do that. I like things associated with my social media accounts to be pretty. Dammit. 😕

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  43. I’m kind of sorry April is over because for about a month I could say, “But it’s only April. We’ll worry about that in May.” Well, now it’s May and so I’ll be saying, “It’s only May. We’ll deal with it in June.” Sigh. Family stuff. With some states “reopening,” some relatives are thinking everything is going back to normal … yesterday. I’m not sure what normal is but, for me, it’s doing in May what I was doing in April. June is a long month away. In Florida, my least favorite months are July, August, September, October and November. Then it finally starts to cool down a bit. Oh, and those are hurricane months too 😉

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    • Marie, I hear you. I felt the same way during April. Now that it’s May, we’re continuing to stay at home, grateful to be able to do so… but in June… we’ll have to face up to some things, too. I wonder how it is that some people think we’ll be going back to the old normal, but I hear people say that. They’re all about parties, play dates, shopping as if there’s nothing to worry about now. I don’t think that is true.

      I bet that if I lived in FL I’d have different months that I like and don’t like. For me it’s more about the weather than any celebration. Although I could celebrate the end of hurricane season.

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      • It seems that our country always wants to wipe the slate clean and act like nothing happened. “Nothing to see here, let’s move along and go shopping.” I read that the virus (like the flu) will come back in the fall and winter and we’ll have another reckoning. I’m hoping the predictions will be wrong and I’ll be wearing face masks for no good reason but … I’ll be wearing face masks.

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        • As much as I don’t want to wear a mask, I will be wearing one. As my husband said, he’ll be wearing one until next year, maybe longer. I know someone who died of COVID-19 and his legacy will be: Stay Safe.

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  45. I’d like to learn more about the reasons behind your ranking of months. I can’t help but love April (normally), but like you, I loathe August. November is my favorite, with September and October rounding out the top three. Guess you could say I’m a fan of the autumn months, much less so the dog days of summer.

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    • Swinged Cat, my rankings have to do with my allergies. I’m itchy, twitchy, bitchy something awful during the entire month of August, with April being another allergy month– just less so. I like October because it doesn’t make me sneeze and it looks pretty outside. The same is true for May, but I prefer autumn to spring so October wins first place. 🤓

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  46. Ally, how wise of you to set those intentions early on. My intentions were similar, but evolved over time. I did allow myself to get agitated over those who transgressed for the first couple of weeks, but realised it was doing no good, so stopped. Himself has struggled with that one, but then he’s out, every day & sees it all unfolding out there. One thing he has noticed is the variance across different parts of the country. I think I’ve done OK, for I did have one online rant 😉 … so I give myself a C overall. Jolly well done on your A average!

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    • Deb, thanks for your kind comment and support of my intentional living during the month of April. In truth I found it difficult to not judge people who violated the stay-at-home orders but, like you, decided it would do me no good to focus on the bad behavior. If I was out in the world every day like Himself I doubt that I’d have been so evolved.

      A few commenters have suggested that I could/we could grade myself/ourselves on a pass/fail basis. I like that idea, so going forward that’s how I’m going to think about my intentions. Perhaps you’d like to apply that idea to your own self-examination? I think it’ll make life much easier. 😎

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    • Teagan, thank you! I rarely go down this path with my writing in this blog so it means a lot that you liked it. I hesitated to post this, in fact. I wish you a Merry May, too. Stay safe, be well. And be kind to yourself, okay?

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  48. Hmmm…I would have to give myself a lower grade on each of your 3 criteria than you gave yourself. Especially #2. I am proud of the fact that I refrain from publicly ranting about the numbskulls’ lack of common sense during the lockdown, however. And now I am mentally ranking the months from my most to least favorite too.

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    • Laurie, it takes determination to not publicly rant about some of the things you see other people do that potentially endanger everyone who comes in contact with them. I admire you for doing your best because there are so many numbskulls out there, trying our patience. Just when it is at an all-time low. 😐

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  49. I think my grading card would be a little lower than yours. 🙂 Normally, I update the calendar with the things that popped up. I certainly didn’t have to do that for April nor is there one thing on the May calendar. One of the things I wasn’t expecting to try and understand was how people have responded. When you do go out for essentials, you will encounter some who you can tell are fearful of even being in the same area with you and then you encounter those with no face coverings and no idea of social distancing. But, then I watched some of the coverage of the protests in various states and the anger and hate I saw just blew me away. That’s when I go work outside until I’m tired. Stay safe and stay sane.

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    • Judy, I bet you’ve done better than you think you have. I had to have a stern talk with myself about tooting my own horn, as my mother used to say to me when encouraging me to know my worth.

      I have the same strange blank April and May calendar pages. It’s weird to look at them and realize what they mean.

      I, too, am dismayed about how people are reacting to this pandemic. Some are so cavalier about it while others are, like you said, so fearful that they look like they’re going to cry if you glance at them. The protests are troubling, but I realize that some people have to hate, have an enemy, any enemy. Those people are the ones who I see at those protest. They are confused about what matters now. Obviously.

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  51. I’ve never really thought about my favorite and least favorite months. I would like to say that I love September since it is my birth month. However, growing up in South Florida, that month is the height of the rainy season. The hurricanes and tropical storms always seemed to muck up my birthday. Now that I live in Virginia, I do love October and November because I get to pull out my boots and sweaters and watch the colors change. Least favorite would be a toss up between January and August. I hate extreme heat or cold. And while I love that I had a child in August, being 9 months pregnant in South Florida was no day at the beach. 😉

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    • Amy, when you sit down to consider which months you like and dislike it’s interesting to see which variables influence you. Like you I prefer or dislike my months based on weather, not events. I can only imagine how uncomfortable you were pregnant in August in southern FL. While I adore October I also like November for the reasons you mentioned. Of course considering how muddled the weather is now, this is all hypothetical.

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  52. Congratulations! You made the honor roll!
    These are hard courses and I think I’m a solid B student. But with a role model like you, surely I can try harder.

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