Seven faves & a haiku

To be continued

. . . anxiety

and may we tend seeds

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. . . . . . .

. . . . .

In the time of quarantine, or self isolation or a retreat, “a Vipassana retreat Metallica style that you did not sign up for” ( that last one is from Matt Kahn), or staying home, Spring time is a very welcome and trustworthy unfolding.

At the start of this period of staying at home in March, it did not seem a huge change from my usual day to day, except in this so called isolation, my home world became more populated more of the time. I am so grateful for this fact and for so many circumstances of my life. My son came home from a co-op work term and continued to work remotely, my daughter is finishing off grade 12 and my husband is still employed and has been working from home. In a few months, both kids will leave, one to begin university out of province and the other to continue studies, but for now they are at home for the summer.

Here are things I have found useful The thing is you can’t do this wrong. If you have things that you would like to share, please do! By now, maybe you’ve found your own groove.

• Taking walks and often being on the phone with a friend doing the same somewhere under the same sky
• Elizabeth Gilbert’s posts on Instagram and her take on things these days amalgamated into this TED talk, It’s OK to feel overwhelmed. Here’s what to do next. Strangely comforting is the recognition that it’s a marathon not a sprint.
• A yoga practice, or maybe it’s a sourdough baking practice or a ukulele playing practice or walking, or something that you’ve always been curious about or something that is much more familiar and comforting… Many resources to choose from on-line for all of these. Yoga MCC (Yoga and Meditation Centre Calgary) offers extensive selection of classes on zoom on a sliding scale of fees from $0 to full price in order to support the community inclusively. I continue to support this studio from home. And also Yoga at the Heart of Bragg Creek.
• Actually planting seeds, weeding and being outside, so far only onion sets for green onions. Chives, crocus and Siberian squill are up, as well as tiny shoots of lovage and sorrel, no pun intended, that is what is coming up. More popping up daily.
• This posted video by Joanne Avison who gives words to describing why meeting over zoom is tiring. To paraphrase, it is easier to either be together or to be apart, than to be together while also absent. The dissonance of that third combination is very draining. Zoom has been wonderful, don’t get me wrong, although lately, if you’ve noticed the trend, I’ve been more enamoured of being outside.
• Easter message in the time of Pandemic by Father Richard Rohr, who a friend put me onto, Thanks RS. I did not have a religious upbringing, so I wanted to know a bit more about easter beyond the chocolate bunnies. The three words that most stand out: Order -Disorder – Re-order
• Indian-ish by Priya Krishna. I borrowed this in e-book form from the Calgary Public Library. (A few recipes from Indian-ish, here. )Now is a good a time as any to get schooled in cooking lentils and much more, if you haven’t already got this down. I want this book, which is a rare sentiment these days in the age of a billion recipes online and at a time I am trying to declutter in general.