What a difference two weeks make! My last post from March 10th was somewhat overshadowed by the thread of the novel corona virus rapidly spreading across the world. But life here was moving along as usual…

Last week Friday we decided to self-impose isolation on our household. This is all well and good until… we run out of drinking water and basics such as eggs and dairy. A very quick trip to town on Wednesday interrupted our isolation period, the emphasis here is on “very quick”. I don’t think I have ever moved through the grocery store this fast!

Staying in touch with friends and family via iChat, WhatsApp, Facebook and actual phone calls keep us connected. I also still walk with my neighbour while maintaining the required physical distance. What will we do if even that is no longer recommended? I will just walk with my puppy Ash who is completely oblivious to the worry surrounding so many.

What has everyone been up to these days? I see countless posts about happy quilters attacking their stash, finishing projects put on hold and starting on new projects. I can’t wait to see this historic time yield amazing new work and I rest know that creative bursts will keep us all going for months, should it come to that.

While mulling over the limitations imposed on us I was delighted to see so many musicians providing free concerts from their living rooms, artists sharing ideas and techniques and friends sharing with friends via social media. I was reminded that there are a number of free resources I uploaded to this blog over the years. If you should get bored or are in need to find information on techniques, design exercises, book reviews and re-read some of the artists features click on this link. It will take you to the page on this blog that has always been there, free and full of good info. Enjoy!

On the personal studio front: I am slowly proceeding with the jacket I talked about in the last post. I have changed things a little. Originally I was going to use black silk dupione with the quilt panel. However, upon examination I realized that the silk fabric would not be stable enough. Imagine my joy when I realized I had just enough of a black micro-fibre piece to cut the front and side panels as well as the sleeves to make a long wearing garment. I added more stitching for stabilization and then the embroidery bug bit me suddenly: I decided to create chain stitch swirls all over the front panels using variegated machine quilting thread for additional interest. Admittedly, the bug just bit yesterday and I am just starting out, but here are a couple of images to give you the idea.

Handwork lends itself well to listening to books on tape, music and perhaps catching up with a friend over the phone. I do all of that but for the past year I added to these listening activities a list of educational podcasts. I am particularly fond of medical information, most of which I was able to actively apply to my own healing over the last twelve months or so. One of my all-time favourite podcast personalities is Dr. Paul Saladino, also known a CarnivoreMD. Why am I mentioning him? Just yesterday I listened to his bonus podcast about the Corona Virus and am I ever glad I did. While at times he gets quite technical he has the uncanny ability to make us understand the most complicated information. This podcast was recorded on March 16th and with such rapid changes daily it will be a little out of date in terms of numbers and regulations, however I thought I would share the link to the podcast here in case any of you are looking for solid information without fear mongering.

Find CarnivoreMD on Facebook if you want to have a visual connection to all the charts and statistics he pulls up or connect to this link directly: Listen to The Coronavirus Episode! Thoughts, concerns, how we create the healthiest immune system possible. from Fundamental Health with Paul Saladino, MD on Apple Podcasts. https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/fundamental-health-with-paul-saladino-md/id1461771083?i=1000468644401

Wishing all of you a great weekend. Make the best of it! Cook a nice meal for you and your loved ones, immerse yourself in a good book or movie, and just think: This is the first time in history where staying on the couch might actually safe our lives. I know, I know, it’s a little corny but… keep your chin up and stay positive. Embrace this alone time… if you get lonely, call your friend and start chatting! With Facetime and WhatsApp video calling I am in touch with family in Germany… where new rules came into effect at midnight last night… where hairstylists were viewed as “essential services” until today. My niece is just finishing up a 12 hour shift trying to keep a 1.5 meter distance between her and her clients! Her boss finally decided to close the salon for a week… My hairdresser closed her shop Wednesday indefinitely. And I applaud her decision with enthusiasm!

Take care, stay safe! I will be back with a new blog entry shortly!! Feel free to comment below. Share you thoughts, your ideas, your worries and know that you are not alone!

21 Mar This entry was published on March 21, 2020 at 1:40 pm. It’s filed under Art, Contemplative art practice, Creativity Update, In the News, Journaling, Motivational, Networking, Sharing Resources, sharing touching the soul, Something to Smile About, staying in touch and tagged a new normal, Carnivore Md, corona virus, Dr. Paul Saladino, free art resources, handwork, novel corona virus, podcast, positivity, sharing resources, slef-isolation, Slow Stitching, stay motivated, the new normal.. Bookmark the permalink. Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post.