...the delights of grocery shopping, something so mundane and so necessary. I miss it sorely, my daily interactions with other humans, the being able to see for myself what new fresh produce or interesting protein had arrived, the occasional treat of a fresh flower, the every week or so trip to a distant market with pan-Asian or Lebanese or Russian foods... All my skills of being able to find the best of what was available with my limited budget, to be able to choose just the right piece of fruit, to notice other humans and be able to find something to say to brighten their day... and on Saturdays, riding the bus to the farmer's market and walking around seeing the beautiful displays of effort expended and doing my small part to make that effort repaid. All gone now...
※※※
~ 100 day creativity challenge - day 37 ~
A second canvas tote bag is perfect for a trip to the farmer's market... (the "market" is actually foraging for items in the yard here)~ 100 day creativity challenge - day 37 ~
※※※
It has been a rough day. I miss my friends. I miss my family. I miss the touch of another human hand. I miss thinking that those things will come again. I miss believing that the light at the end of the tunnel will not be the oncoming train. Yesterday I found out that the chemicals they are spraying the protesters with, not just downtown, but in residential neighborhoods, including less than a mile from Acorn Cottage, those chemicals are known carcinogens and endocrine disruptors. Not gas that will dissipate, but dust that will stick around and move about. The powers that be are poisoning our city. Oh, not in the posh neighborhoods where the wealthy live, but in the places where everyday folks make their homes, and have to work, and try to get by, and protest for equity and survival... I am sick at heart.
※※※
beauty in the time of isolation - day 132:
saw the most charmingly painted "little free library" on my sanity stroll today. All the tiny books have titles that relate to who is reading them...The spider is reading "Kiss of the Spider Woman", and the fairy is reading "The Blue Fairy Book"... Also, the book kiosk rotates and has doors on two sides, one for books for youngsters, and one for books for adults!beauty in the time of isolation - day 132:
※※※
August SMART goals (x=extra)
| # | THINGS MADE | THINGS FIXED | THINGS GONE |
| 1 | scribal sketchbook | light bulbs replaced | - |
| 2 | scroll for Countess E | x | - |
| 3 | tiny knitting bag | x | - |
| 4 | tiny tote bag | x | - |
| 5 | x | x | - |
| 6 | x | x | - |
| 7 | x | x | x |
| 8 | x | x | x |
| 9 | x | x | x |
| 10 | x | x | x |
| 11 | x | x | x |
| 12 | x | x | x |
| 13 | x | x | x |
| 14 | x | x | x |
| 15 | x | x | x |
today's gratitude - fruit that falls from the sky. A plum tree full of huge ripe plums (not prune plums but about the size of a large peach) left one on the sidewalk as I was walking early this morning. After a good wash, and cutting away the smooshed portion, it was a great addition to my breakfast today
I can see why you are missing your prior shopping rambles. They have always sounded much more interesting than my trips to Aldi and Walmart. I miss even the unhurried, relaxed trips to those stores. We go to Aldi now about twice a month and it's always stressful and so much work bleaching everything that can be bleached when we get it home. We finally risked a trip to Walmart a couple of weeks ago, our first since Feb. That was even more stressful than Aldi.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you got to take a vicarious trip to the market with Nandina and even more glad that you shared it with us. I remember "shopping" and "cooking"
in the yard for my tiny dolls when I was small.
Your windfall plum brings back memories too. When our sons were sill at home we drove past a small orchard full of windfall fruit and stopped to see if the owners were going to use it. They weren't and were happy for us to take all we could find on or under the trees. We canned it and used it all the next winter.
The windfall fruit reminds me that the natural world is doing it's best to continue, and offers bounty all the time, to insects, to animals and birds, and to the humans... Every bit of sweetness is precious
DeleteThat Nandina, she stays so busy, and is stylin' while she does it!
ReplyDeleteAw thanks Carol!
DeleteYou have such a great way of seeing things and writing about them. I feel as though all of life's extremes seem to be getting more extreme. We are surrounded by so much beauty and so much ugliness at the same time and it's hard to process the dichotomy.
ReplyDeleteI think you live in the most delightful neighborhood! Between the amazing flowers and the wide variety of artworks large and small, it seems there is a beautiful surprise around every corner.
Just as you mention, we are surrounded by beauty and ugliness all the time... I see them both, but for my own mental health I try and pay attention to the beauty. I don't think that my neighborhood is extraordinary, I could post just as many images that are awful, but I don't *want* to do that, which is why I also focus at the end of each post on what I am grateful for.... Really, and especially since the pandemic, I struggle greatly with feeling trapped in an urban environment. Finding the beauty where I can is how I keep whatever sanity I have.
DeleteBig Big Hugs dear. I feel you. You are not far from the loving thoughts of others. Recently I was able to start visiting my mom. She's 92 and on a lock down at her senior housing community. They were one of the first places to get Covid in the nation and have been on lockdown a long time. So when they finally started letting us visit in the garden for 30 minutes masked up and distant it was a gift. But still no hugs. It makes me sad that mom and I, in such an important year of her life. are so distant but I'm glad to be able to bring her some goodies from the PCC like little bits of cheese or her favorite kale salad.
ReplyDeleteIt's been quite a while since I wrote on my blog and it occurs to me as I read yours, that because I'm not journaling or writing down my thoughts and feelings that I'm very out of touch with how I'm doing with life with covid. After all I've survived in some ways it's just not that hard for me. I survived a year of lockdown during cancer treatment and being immune challenged so I'm well trained for this kind of thing. Since I'm an introvert you would think I would like this more but honestly, what I prefer is to have a choice.
Big love to you. We can do this! <3