Wow. So what to say? My last post was in May and my brain is at a loss to tell you what I have been up to these past few months. I started out the lockdown with all kinds of optimism and energy for all of the things I could get done because we could only leave home to work and get groceries. Everyone around me was gardening, making sour dough, decorating their front windows for neighbourhood scavenger hunts and running out of things to watch on Netflix. Me? I was working and coming home in an exhausted mess. My workload doubled and the safety precautions added yet more things onto my "have to do" list at work while trying to handle both my own anxieties about the pandemic and those of our customers and patients. The fella' took over the housework, the groceries and the dogs since he was home for almost 6 months.
Projects that I did achieve during the pandemic:
- I learned to cut my own hair. My hair is super short and I had to work with the public so experiments with bobby pins and scarves were not going to happen for me with hair that was awkwardly growing out.
- my dog regained her strength and health after a crisis that had her diagnosed with Cushings Disease in March.
- reading. Our neighbourhood was fabulous at pooling resources to keep us all amused. Books were passed around since the libraries were closed. Now that the library system is open on a limited basis, I am still trying to read as much as possible to keep this noggin stimulated.
- We planted tomatoes and geraniums in recycling bins as our yard space is too small for much else. The tomato plants kept the kids in the neighbourhood amused as they would stop by daily to count the tomatoes and to remark on their growth. The geraniums are a cheerful hit of colour at our front door. Our veggie box from a local farm sent the herbs with roots so we planted the extra basil and parsley which we have in pots in our kitchen now that the frost has forced us to bring them indoors. I love the smell of basil when I brush up against the plants!
- After being in our house for over a year, I finally got around to putting things on the walls. I sourced plants from neighbours, friends and a local nursery to create the green wall that is badly photographed here. Artwork is slowly making its way to the walls, too. I had hoped that we would buy a house this year so I viewed this place as temporary. For many reasons, we have come to the realization that we will probably stay here as long as we live in Ottawa.
- One of my neighbourhood shares was a book of adult colouring postcards. I made it into a personal and community project by colouring the mandalas and then mailing the cards out around the world to friends. The emails, cards and letters that let me know that the cards had arrived have been heartwarming.
- Last night, I put the last few stitches into this baby quilt that will head out to my cousin's baby. Little Wren was born at the end of July so the quilt will arrive while he is still a baby!
There have been so many rest and recovery days where I curled up on the couch and played mindless online games. My stitchy bug could not make itself known through the mental and physical exhaustion so all of the projects that I had hoped to stitch are still unstitched. Tonight I will start on the Christmas ornaments for our families and I need to make some posters for the fella's 50th birthday celebrations next week. There won't be a big party, but family and friends are rallying around so there should be lots of phone calls, good wishes and pranks!
Take care, dear reader. I wish you and yours all the best and we all navigate this time. Happy stitching!
