more face masks

My life right now appears to be revolving around making face masks.  The place I was volunteering with has had problems sourcing materials and then the CDC said everyone should be wearing a face mask.  I am making fabric masks for family, friends, and in my Etsy shop.  The pattern keeps getting tweaked due to face shapes and better fits.  

But my life seems to fit quarantine and staying at home.  I could even do with more solitude.  What helps to keep me sane is a walk a day.  Face mask and hat is a requirement.  If we are under house arrest, that walk a day will be greatly missed.  Maybe just more outside is needed.

I did find that I cannot watch a drama that has an earthquake and rescue in it currently.  Or maybe ten minutes at a time.  My chest gets very tight.  

I am also finding words hard.  But the family is digging up the yard so I have pulled out seeds.  Bread gets made.  Dinner at home.  School on computers, both second grade and college.  I am at my sewing machine a lot.  I wrote on Instagram I am thinking of making myself a dress that I can ecoprint and dye.  Do I need a dress?  No.  Do I need the creativity?  Yes.

I am going to make camping happen when I can.  I also want to go to the Georgia O'Keefe musuem.  Something I was going to do this month but not happening now.  

Everyone stay sane and healthy.  Let me know if I can help.

travels

In the past week, I went to Washington to be with my Dad and came back.  I will say that life is interesting.  Traveling in the times of corona virus is actually fairly easy, just because there are so many less people.  Flights were a third of normal so you could have six feet from another person.  Being not in my own space though was hard.

My Dad had a doctor's appointment that would be a precursor to surgery.  He is completely capable of doing this type of thing himself but having another set of ears there was a good thing.  We did all of his appointments by phone.  He is at risk due to age.  And the reasons for surgery.  But there is not clear path to fix what is broken.  A large part of that is his age.  We will know more in the future.

It was very interesting to go shopping with my Dad in Washington, north of Seattle.  I am used to be slightly prepared at all times for hurricanes.  It means that you do not have work as hard if there is a hurricane in the forecast.  We have also gotten a few Memorial Day storms in the past years that might as well be hurricanes for the amount of damage they have caused.  Just always a little bit prepared.  Not in Washington.  I just kept thinking about how much food would go to waste.

I did go for a walk at Greenlake.  I used to walk there all the time.  Sunday.  Sunshine.  It was busy.  Like a normal Sunday when the sun is out.  Not social distancing.  What I find interesting about social distancing that is I really enjoy solitude.  I am not anti-social but I enjoy solitude.  At times like these, having my own room with a key would be lovely.  

Has social distancing changed my life?  A bit.  Coaching has been cancelled because of more then 10 people in one place.  That is a good portion of my income currently.  I think there is the possiblity of change in the future.  We will have to see.

I will probably be doing this trip again in April or May, depending on quarantines.  I feel like I should look up how to make a face mask.  Or crochet one!

sharpening

I am still learning sharpening.  There is always a new tool to learn what to do with.  I am just glad that when I am being the most frustrated, I normally get told now that someone with more experience did not do any better.  

Axes are something I have just added to my repetoire.  The surge of throwing axes as a support has meant more axes need care.  I do not do all the care yet but I do sharpen them.  My Beloved actually joined a league.  Koda Bear wants to but is not old enough so he practices in the backyard and scorekeeps on Sundays.  I just laugh.  I usually drive over with them and walk home.  It is part of why my life keeps getting busier.  I am not going to turn my nose up at business!

One of the next things I am going to learn to sharpen are clipper blades.  I actually need to do that out of town but I will schedule that after the next trip to my Dad's.  Small steps.

busy

Life feels crazy busy currently.  I know it is all about family.  The Tall Short Person has more volunteering and her class schedule is very different then last semester.  I am calling and visiting my Dad more often.  I am also helping the boyos out more with the business.

This is pretty normal for this time of year for me.  It seems to be a time of year where there is a lot of change.  Where I would like a chance to slow down and reenergize after the holidays.  But that is not how life goes.  I am really just trying to figure out how to get through each day.  Blue seems to be a common companion.

Making bread.  Spinning.  Sewing.  Crocheting.  Those are the things that are keeping me most balanced.  They are not different then I have shown before but Ijust keep going.  It is finding balance when I have all the other things.  And words are still very sparse.  I have more contact with people who really want to talk more then I care to.  I am very pro-solitude.

My Mom's memorial

I am back.  I spent a total of six days, almost seven driving cross country.  The quiet was nice.

I went to my Mom's memorial.  

I could have eaten better on the road but it was too cold most of the way to cook in rest areas.  It is where I slept though I had a bed made in the Subaru.  I have had poor experiences with beds across country.  Especially some of the routes from here to there.

Everyone in the family is quiet sad.  Still really not believing that my Mom died.  She was the healthiest of everyone.  We expected her to live to 109.  She and I had walks planned.

But that is not what happened.  She actually never felt sick from the cancer but that is not true from the drugs that were given.  The drugs shortened her life.  

We had the memorial.  It was a full Episcopalian mass.  Which is what she would have wanted.  Her ashes were interned in a columbarium in the garden at the church.  The ladies of the church put on a wonderful reception.  So many people came that the sacristy, nave, and parish hall were full for the service and the reception.  And family was there.

I stayed for five more days to help out my Dad.  More cleaning happened.  Getting tasks done.  Just being there.  

I visited my Aunt and Uncle on the way home.  That was a stop in Portland that was both family and business.  I stopped for supplies for the boyos too.  Then, I stopped at a knife store.  Why not?  But, I do feel the knife I brought home was not sharp enough.  I will need to sharpen it.

I am picky when it comes to my knives.  I do cook a lot.  I cook a lot of vegetables and need to make sure I can cut them.

I am now home.  Trying to get caught up.  I am not feeling my best.  

So I am taking my time getting back into my routine.  Part of it is how much work there is for me to do. Let alone watching Blue.  I was missed by both small humans.  And one is not so small anymore!

Part of me does not feel the most creative currently.  But there is yogurt fermenting.  Bread dough rising.  A sweater almost done.  Some of the finance stuff I need to do is done.  I will do more tomorrow.  There is just not enough time in the day.  

This is definitely one of those times that it is clear that I am not anti-social but pro-solitude.