Starting with Easter...
I was SO excited to pick up my order of cookies from Susan (The Cookie & Co)...
and could hardly wait to drop off Easter baskets at a few front door steps.
Aren't they CUTE?
Gahhhhh. I loved them so much.
And they tasted delish.
Easter is all about giving. Or something.
Anyway, it made me happy to give them away.
And it made me happy to keep some to eat myself.
I HAD hoped to host a COVID-friendly Easter dinner in the yard at the lake for my kids. But they are taking this whole coronavirus WAY more seriously than I am and refused. I guess that makes me a proud momma.
So everyone got a baggie of goodies instead.
Except Clint.
We shared the cabin that weekend, with these strict rules:
1. Only one of us in the kitchen at a time.
2. He only used the main-floor bathroom, I used the one upstairs.
3. I watched TV in my room.
4. He watched the one in the family room.
5. I worked at the dining room table.
6. He worked at the other one, way over there, by the stairs.
And Easter dinner looked like this:
I ate ham, scalloped potatoes and roasted vegies at THIS end of the table while Clint was out running ...
... and he ate his meal after I was finished, over at THAT end of the table.
Easter in the Time of Covid.
#Memorable
#Notalotofconversation
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Working 9 - 5:30 Mondays to Fridays, as per usual.
And walking most evenings.
A 'thing' in this Covid Season, at least in some neighbourhoods, is painted rocks. Some of my co-workers have shared pics of the lil pieces of art they've discovered:
I haven't seen a single one. NOT ONE.
When I walk at Cultus? I see signs.
(Signs, signs, everywhere signs. Breaking up the scenery, breakin my mind...)
I found this Facebook page, called "Abby Rocks":
Welcome to Abby Rocks,
When you find painted rocks, Please take pictures of them, and post the pictures with the location of where they were found. Post to the group name on the back of the rock!
The artists that paint them would like to know if they have been found and if they have traveled from their original hiding spots!
When you find a rock, you may choose to keep it or to rehide it.
When painting rocks, please make sure to use a sealer so that the paint doesn't leach into the environment. Also be respectful of where you are hiding rocks, so that they aren't dangerous to get at, or hidden where a lawnmower blade may hit it.
Thank you.
I love this!
I want to move to Abby and walk through the neighbourhoods and parks. So I can find treasures like these:
My new goal for Covid? Is to find a painted rock. Or maybe paint a couple.
I know, right?
THAT is my goal?
Look. It's my first pandemic. I'm not sure how high to aim during these things. Getting a rock or two painted seems do-able. And lets just leave it there. I am not going to lose weight or start eating kale or train for a marathon or bake sourdough or go to bed before 2 or be cheery before noon.
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Clint's birthday.
He wanted the cabin to himself, so I left him a birthday basket filled with his favorite things:
I couldn't find any balloons.
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OH.
This a cool thing.
I got this private twitter message from a British director last week:
CRAZY, right!?
(I crossed out the name of the film and the name of the distributor, because I promised...)
His first big acting gig was Band of Brothers back in 2001, and since then he's acted in some noteable projects. Last year he tried his hand at writing/directing and this short was his first effort. I'd retweet any good press and cheer him and his team on whenever they won an award at the Film Festivals it was being shown at.
Once the Festival season was over, (January 2020) I tweeted a question, wondering when it'd be available for someone in Canada to view. He tweeted back that I should follow the distributor's page to watch for announcements.
OUT OF THE BLUE. four months later, in the midst of Covid sadness, I get his private message, a link to a personal vimeo account, and unlimited access to his latest work.
I messaged him back, thanking him for trusting me adding that the movie was extra powerful/meaningful to me because I have a son who'd just celebrated multiple years of being clean/sober. He responded saying he too had just celebrated 5 years of being clean - then he said to say congrats to my boy.
HAHAHA.
WHAT THE HECK.
SO fun.
No. Like seriously.
Well, the subject matter was heavy, but the message was just a lovely ray of sunshine on a dreary day.
He asked me to 'shout' about it (shout = promote) so I did. He and the lead actors retweeted my effort, which was satisfying and awesome. So now I'm basically a social media influencer. :)
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This Friday would have been the day that the Ofam started our European Adventure by flying to Paris. I spent today (Monday) on the phone with West Jet, cancelling 5 flights to France and cancelling 5 return flights home from Rome.
Tomorrow I will try to do my taxes. I sorted ALL THE PAPERS into piles on my sorting table, below. And couldn't find the things I needed. Like bank statements, T4 forms, medical receipts. NOTHING. Do you know where I've put them? Gahhhh, I am SO not a bookkeeper.
Wednesday I will finalize the details of my will, power of attorney and medical representation.
NONE OF THESE PROJECTS ARE LIFE-GIVING FOR ME. I have stalled and delayed and procrastinated like a 14 year old boy working on his year-end social studies report.
NEXT WEEK? I will pack up Christmas from my living space. (Or maybe not. Maybe I'll see if there's another British production that I can shout. Way more fun.)
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We did this 'self-care' assessment at work, to see how we're doing.
I got 62.
OUT OF A POSSIBLE 100.
(Which, it turned out, was about average.)
But so much room for improvement, yes?
How're you doing?
What's your score?
And here's a great article to read about this whole isolation business. The title is:
You’re Not Lazy — Self-Isolation is Utterly Exhausting
and here are some excerpts: (Sorry about the font sizes. I'm really not shouting...)
Dealing with constant negative messaging is not a small factor.
Over the last few decades, positive self-talk has been a main topic of motivational and inspirational speakers.
It’s a main topic because it’s a practice that works. The more you speak to yourself in a positive way, the more positively you feel about yourself.
This theory also applies to the flip scenario — the more negative messaging you receive in the run of a day, the less good you’re going to feel about yourself and the world.
Social media is drowning in coronavirus content, messages of warning, panicked posts and things that just make us feel anxious and scared.
This results in us constantly feeling worried or burdened, and that feeling never really going away.
We truly underestimate how much energy it takes from us to be able to navigate and manage life when being bombarded with harmful, negative messaging at all hours of the day.
For everyone out there who is working remotely when normally they would go to an office and are really struggling with that balance, you need to know that you’re not failing.
You need to know that what you’re doing to maintain a routine, look after your mental health and do all you can to keep yourself healthy and fed and taken care of is more than enough in this current circumstance.
So be gracious with yourself during this time. Be gracious with your body and your mind as it deals with both physical and mental tolls which are a direct symptom of the current crisis that is taking place.
You don’t have to excel in everything you do right now. It’s frankly unfair and unrealistic to expect that out of yourself. Right now, your main goal is to keep yourself safe and healthy, and to get through the day in one piece.
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Three things I'm thankful for:
1. Feed The Need: THIS ARTICLE about food manufacturers coming together to provide food for those in need during COVID...
Feed The Need is an industrial-sized pop-up food donation drive-thru, allowing community organizations to arrive with their trucks to pick up their pre-arranged allotment of bulk products. This initiative will include 24 pallets of food in a donated 50’ refrigerated truck which will help feed between 1500 and 2000 families across 30 different community organizations. The products will be loaded with help from Delta Police and volunteers.
2. My sis and bro-in-law moved into their new house. And it's beautiful. I helped them celebrate by bringing them dinner (a bucket of KFC) (that my mom paid for) and a bouquet of flowers (from my mom's lilac bush.)
3. It's LILAC season!
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