Surviving social distancing

I think it's week 6 ... or maybe week 7 of our new reality with social distancing and essential services. Sometimes it feels like it's week 23.  But we're finding out that there's lots to do at home. And that's a good thing.  It's also a good thing that this is happening in April and not November. I think we'd all be having a more difficult time if we were heading into the cold and the rain.

That said, because it's a world-wide thing (still finding it a bit hard to believe) there are many countries in the southern hemisphere that are experiencing this in autumn. My hat is off to them.


We are just so grateful to have our house projects and our garden to relate to.




And the neighbourhood is putting on its very best. This is a dear house a few blocks away where a fellow spends all his time making the boulevard garden into sheer delight. This was taken a few weeks ago; now the tulips are taking over. In the summer there are lilies. Seems this guy rents the back suite and puts all his extra funds into bulbs to beautify the sidewalk.

As for me, I'm still painting in my "studio" in the bay window of our living room.

I've been taking a really excellent online course to help me find my "authentic voice" and it's been keeping me pretty busy.  The painting on the easel is one of the projects she calls the "never ending painting" because every week we have to make substantial changes. I kind of laughed because it feels like most of my paintings are never-ending because I'm always making big shifts and changes. This one has been through a few incarnations over the past five weeks. I'm kind of slowing down with changes because I'm getting attached to this version.  The idea though, is to be able to let go of attachments and see what comes next. 

These are a couple of earlier versions. You can see that it's gone through some big changes.

The co-op gallery I'm involved with has been closed since early March but we've taken turns putting paintings into the window. It was my turn to do the display a couple of weeks ago. I had a lot to choose from because I was scheduled for a solo show at the end of May so I've been doing a lot of painting.

That show is postponed now until maybe September. one will be postponed now, maybe until September. It all depends on when things might be eased up. It's kind of hard to see the paintings with the reflections in the window so here are a couple of photos of two of the larger paintings.

This one I'm calling "Yellow Square" is 24x36 inches and it's now hanging above my desk. 

And this one "Together and Apart" is 24x24". They'll both be in my solo show, whenever it happens.

Although both Harry and I have been busy, the days have a very different feeling to them, mainly because we cannot see our friends. Social networks are part of the fabric of our lives and it is very strange that this is not available now except through the internet and telephone. Like everyone we've been using the telephone more and have even had some Zoom meet-ups. But we're longing for a time when we can actually get together.

Sending you greetings and our very best wishes for health and sanity at this time when we're all called on to gather our strongest inner resources.

I'm back

It's hard to believe that my last post here was January 18th. And now we're at April 22nd. That's more than three months without blogging. And what incredible changes the world has gone through in that time. Here we are together around the world going through a pandemic and self-isolating ourselves at home. If you had told me beforehand that this would result from a flu virus that emerged in China I would not have believed it possible. But here we are.

Here in Canada it began on a Friday Morning in early March when our Prime Minister held a press conference in front of his home to tell us that his wife was ill with the Corona virus and that our Parliament was closed and everyone should just stay at home. Since then we've seen different countries around the world start to take action in their individual ways, some more effective than others.  Now our newscasts cover nothing but Covid-19.

So from our home on Yukon Street to you, wherever you are, we send greetings and well wishes for your health, safety and sanity. It's a very strange time.

Victoria has experienced a stretch of beautiful spring-like weather lasting about six weeks. It's been really lovely and although Harry and and I are staying home and keeping away from other people, we have managed to get out for some walks in different areas, always keeping the required 2 meters away from others.  We've seen lots of other people getting fresh air, walking dogs, and chatting at a distance,  children playing on the deserted streets with their parents close by. After ignoring my camera for weeks I started to bring take some pictures again.

So I thought I'd share some photos from these walks. 




Chalk drawings on the road.

 A  view from along the waterway path in Sidney.

There are lots  of springlike blooms happening here in Victoria. It seems strange that the world continues to unfold as usual while we humans are experience such different times.  I am so grateful for the beauty though.

There are signs that things are different though... like hearts posted on windows to show support for our health care workers. 

And this sign chalked on a path in a nearby park.

It gives hope that this may not last forever. There is talk that the strict measures adopted here in B.C. may be gradually lessened in months to come.