The pond is frozen this morning. The geese have been gone a couple of weeks. The ice so far, is just a skim. It’s nothing like it will become in a month or so. There is snow on the ground that is more like a dusting of powdered sugar than a layer of icing. Tabitha is still in and out, not understanding the cold and its persistence. She will have a little while longer to be outside but not so very long, as typically there will be snow by Christmas and the high temperature will match the lows at night that we have now. She will get opportunities to be outside in the afternoon with temperatures not so onerous for another week. Rain will unfortunately dampen her willingness to go out, which is in the near term forecast. The world is closing down around us, with winter coming on and the necessity to be so cautious about our personal dealings with the pandemic. I am making plans to live with this, by working on what can be done in the confines of our upcoming circumstances. I’ve been actively looking for someone to help share in the household duties of wood, etc and I may be succeeding in my search. I’ll keep you posted.
The internet has become a huge issue for some unknown reason that ECFiber so far hasn’t solved. They are a victim of the equipment they order and if it is faulty, or doesn’t match older systems, they must wait or reorder, etc. They haven’t figured out yet, why mine is not acting as it should, and hopefully, with another visit this morning, they will figure it all out. I have my old computer back that works with the old monitor and thought I’d be back to work by yesterday afternoon! It was not to be! Between ECFiber’s visit, working on learning about how to use my blog, etc, my need to pick up a prescription in town for the errant tooth, and a phone call appointment at 3 in the afternoon, my day left no time for the studio. Much of my time lately has been taken up with marketing and promotion. It’s really a separate job from the painting. It takes up a tremendous amount of time and is sometimes quite frustrating. But I am plugging away at it, striving to learn new skills at this late date. And the future appears to hold only more endless adjustments and education in technology just to get along.
My sister in law, Stu Egeli, died of a massive heart attack a few days ago. My heart goes out to my brother Peter and his family for this loss. She was the rudder of that family, and ran a tight ship. Much of my brother’s success is owed to her devotion and business acumen. I’ve often wished I had a “wife” too. But relationships are never totally smooth no matter how wonderful the individuals are. A long and happy marriage is rare. You might find long ones, but that doesn’t mean they were happy ones. I think my brother and Stu were very happy on the whole. I’m sure things were not always perfect, but they somehow got through them. The death of someone I know, always turns my attention to being grateful for the time I have to live. It is all so very fleeting. Stu led a good life and did her utmost best. That is a good role model for any human being. Be grateful for what you have and keep going.
In this time of Covid, it is clear that we need each other more than ever, and just at the time, when we simply cannot be together as much as before. It is challenging for so many and it is challenging for me. I think I have a good attitude about all this, but the truth is that it takes its toll, even while protesting it is not! It simply IS hard for all of us. Like the internet for me, the technology I must understand to keep on, the changes in business practices required and in our daily lives of just geting food and necessities, the pandemic has made us make leaps and bounds where we had been able to be more incremental before. For some, it has opened new doors to new opportunities, and for others it has spelled disaster. In my community, I’m heartened by the support people are giving to one another. We are, as a society, undergoing massive changes, whether anyone is aware of this or not. Lots of the joys of being human a few years ago, is no longer that important..like fashion lol! We have become very attached to our comfy clothes in preference to being elegant for the public! Travel is a bygone notion, as is simply eating out or going to a lovely shop. This too will pass, and it is likely we will never be the same after it passes. There will be changes in how we do things that will not return to what it had been. Some of them will be sad losses and others will be welcomed.
We must keep our minds open to finding and taking joy. Joy is often a decision, we are not aware of. It is the act of noticing. When we notice, we tend to appreciate. An artist can make a drawing of a mundane scene and it elevates it, simply by noticing it. The act of drawing and painting a scene will often draw the viewer’s attention to things they hadn’t so much noticed before in the painting. It is the same with writing and also music. It is my JOB to keep on doing this. It is what my life is all about. You don’t have to be an artist who paints, writes or plays music to participate. You just have to notice. These times will require us to do more of this. When we notice, we appreciate and that is love, even if what we notice needs fixing. it is our ideal of what is right and good coming forward. Let that happen. Don’t retreat. The number of things that can be noticed is infinite…said Carolyn to herself!