Ha, Cee! That's hilarious.

Ms. Maven, such an insightful thread and I echo your gratitude for this place of positivity in the midst of the storm.

I've learned that although I am an introvert, my spirits sink when I'm alone too much. Along the same lines, I can't be sedentary very long or I get depressed. I've gotten into a routine of alternating online work with bursts of activity.

I like belly dancing! I've been taking live classes online and having a blast.

Two teenage boys home all day, every day equals a LOT of groceries and a LOT of cleaning!

I enjoy phone calls and treasure the older people in my life. Their fortitude in the face of adversity has boosted me when I'm down and helped me with my own attitude.

What a great idea to focus on what we've learned during a difficult time!

I have found several internet clans to be lifelines - You Look Fab, The Fug Girls, Tom and Lorenzo, Looks Good From the Back. These communities are sometimes more encouraging than the face to face relationships we have! And you all have sense and a conscience, which is more than I can say about 95% of the internet.

This has been a Bizarro World rehearsal for retirement (next year?). I'm pleased to see that I will keep wearing my work wardrobe except for the most formal things. I thought I might wear jeans every day - nope! I I still like picking out outfits and rotating through all my shoes. Especially enjoying wearing my band tees that I couldn't wear to work. And I'm so happy I put in new closet fixtures in the winter, it is soothing to feel organized.

I have dozens of scarves and never wear them now. They seem like a fussy extra at home. But I like the way they look neatly hung on shaker rails around the house, so . . . I guess they'll stay. Ditto with necklaces, they're gathering dust.

I really like exercising in front of the TV! I bought a big smart TV at the beginning of the shutdown, and I can go right to YouTube and do some Pilates or aerobics whenever I feel like it. That's a win.

However, the big TV and streaming services means too much time lodged in front of it. I have to make a conscious effort to turn it off after two episodes of whatever and pick up a book.

Love reading all the interesting replies here.

Some of mine:

1. I have learned to do my own French manicure. There are countless tutorials and instructional videos on youtube, on almost every topic imaginable.

2. I have successfully broken my habit of obsessive (online) shopping, and my continuous buy/return-cycle. I do miss my favorite thrift-shop so much that I almost physically ache.

3. I love people watching. And house watching. And garden watching. My family and I have been doing a lot of small trips by car, just exploring the city and neighborhood. So much beauty everywhere, in the oddest of places.

Thanks Ms Maven for the thread and your positive interesting threads in general. My learnings.

1. I like to apply judgement and science to a situation rather than strict rules. In this situation we need to follow rules which I am doing but it is against my instinct.

2. I get claustrophobic with people and places. Even my family.

3. Routine is not my natural rhythm. One day I get up at seven and walk. The next day at seven and work. The next day at 9 and exercise at 5pm. Lunch ranges from 12 to 2 etc. I normally can’t indulge myself this way but I am right now.

4. I haven’t learnt new skills but I have been working off a list of things I want to achieve. Some are easy wins- make a chilli dressing for a salad. Some are harder such as organise my photos.

5. I hope that I retain my joy for smaller things and that a society we move to more sustainable lifestyles and business models. I have a part to play here as a business owner and a consumer and a traveller.

Gosh this is a fascinating thread to read.
l have confirmed that I am an extroverted introvert .l am not missing social events at all but I am missing going out to see the wider world and the seasons turn.For example I won’t get to see the bluebell woods near us this year and I miss the seaside,walks and cycles outside.
l miss going for coffee and swimming
l miss charity shopping
l can entertain myself all day and have a good number of home hobbies for which I am grateful.l continue to love my garden and the nature that visits it
l haven’t put on makeup or done my hair since lockdown began.l wear gym clothes all day.l obviously only get dressed properly to go out.
l am inordinately irritated by people who can’t stay at home as they have been told to do but I keep that to myself.Its a daily struggle.
That I was really spoilt in terms of lifestyle compared to large chunks of the world .Somethings need to change in society when all this is over.
My husband needs a pudding every day.
l shouldn’t have cut my fringe late at night with blunt scissors.

Your 1&2 are definitely true! This has been a safe place for me since I first joined a couple of years ago, and I am very grateful for this site and all the beautiful members <3

As for what I've learned from the coronapocalypse, I'm not sure yet. It's definitely helping me get comfortable with being alone after leaving DH earlier this year. It's also helped me feel a bit more connected to other people, as I've definitely been reaching out more (through my phone and the internet). I've even started snail-mail correspondence with a few people

I've been thinking about a wardrobe edit, as I have a lot of clothes and even more lots of shoes. I live in an RV, with limited storage (as evidenced by this one pic of my shoe pile); it is insane that one single person living alone in an RV has this much trouble digging through the piles to make outfit. I'm not including pics of the other piles because I am almost ashamed of them.

Breakdown of the one pic of the shoe pile:
1) an overview
2) behind the chair. That pile reaches all the way to the floor and spills onto the seat
3) between the chair and the shelving unit, another pile. This one extends UNDER the chair
4) some spots in the shelving unit are 3 pairs deep
5) Miss Mollie's 'baby bag' is hiding the overspill that extends down into the stairwell to the door
6) there is no pic 6, but there are shoes hiding under a great pile of stuffs next to the chair. I am deeply ashamed of myself after this analysis of one single pic of one single pile in my fashion hoard

Such a lovely thread, thank you so much Ms Maven.

1. Having an intentional day is important, otherwise my frustrations build
2. I love our house, I am grateful that it has plenty of stairs because it means there is a lot of space between us and that there is sufficient space for hobbies and interests
3. I have needed to buy some more casual tops as I don't have enough for a WFH life!
4. Going outside our house is worrying for the lack of 'normality'.
5. Small things mean a lot, including having the pretty stationary!

I agree wholeheartedly with 1, 2 & 6 on your list.

Awesome thread I will continue to follow closely:

What I have learned:

1) The age of the specialist might be over in favor of a return to the age of the generalist. Being able to cook, clean, organize, sew, cut-color-and- style one`s own hair, etc. has never been more valuable.</p> <p>2) As bullet point to above: Hobbies are essential, not frivolous. Avocations are what make people—and life—interesting. Creative endeavors, from gardening to making music to writing, keep us not only sane, but joyful.</p> <p>3) Secondary bullet point to above: Maybe what we get from this experience is a return to sustenance, or sustainable living. I am reminded of Greta Thunberg`s line about “fairytales of infinite economic growth.” Maybe we have been fed harmful fictions; maybe, as painful as this moment is, we should bring our economies (which are nothing more than our elective and necessary consumptive practices) back to a more humble-but-continuable scale.

4) On fashion: My cropped and skinny bottoms are essential in these times. Living with an essential worker means I must keep our domicile sanitized, and floor-grazing pants defeat the purpose.

5) Rant to bosses and pundits who say “We have more time”: Please stop. I DO NOT. I am stressed beyond belief with new, time-consuming activities I cannot forego just to save my family`s lives. I wonder how others living with essential workers are managing. That siad, we are still as of this writing healthy, well, and supplied with all we need, which is more than a lot of people can say.

Stay well, dear fabbers!

My husband who has never shown an interest in style or fashion seems to prefer reality shows like Next in Fashion, Making the Cut and Project Runway (Season 16 with Plus models) to my edgier shows. Who would have guessed? I can tell because he offers to set them up while I brush my teeth.

Loved the insights in this post, thank you for starting it MsMaven.
I absolutely agree that YLF, Angie (both here and Instagram) have been a great source of happiness and peace in these confusing times.
I agree with others that the 'superficial things' are actually what colors our lives and makes them special and relevant.
As for what I learned:
-What I miss most are the interactions that allow me to create something, like the choir I belong to. Or just a simple coffee with my friends.
-I am an introvert but can't be left alone for too long as I tend to close unto myself too much, seeing people and interacting with them is something I need even in small doses.
-I am fine working from home but zoom meetings exhaust me. I read somewhere that this happens because we are trying to look for the same non-verbal clues that we would look for IRL but this is more difficult to do online.
-I too use dressing as an Armour but that is not news for me.What is a recent discovery is that if I dress closer to what I am and not to what I want to show the world I am happier.
Also, I have been loving spending time with DD12 and am grateful for this time.

Regarding the photo, is it Paris?