I'm just sitting here watching the houseplants grow

the dining room group

Many loved ones stand on the front lines of Covid-19 and racial justice.
I sit at my desk next to these plants and make things-- Monetary contributions to organizations that I believe will change this f-ed up world; making zines, origami boxes, small handwritten books, hand bound journals, protest posters that will probably not go out into the street.

masu boxes with lids made of hand-marbled paper

While I completely understand that I don't know how to draw, I still like doing it. Go figure.  This is a slipcase for a collection of zines.

coptic binding in progress

I'm growing things on the balcony that I rarely used last year. This year it's an oasis (relative term) despite the noise from the a.c. units next door.

First tomato (and maybe jalapeños too) are on the way

So, the houseplants are doing fine. And for those of you who might wonder, I'm not actually drinking myself to death during quarantine. I know. I'm surprised too.

How are your houseplants (dogs, cats, kids, parents, hamsters, chickens) doing? How are you?

Leaving Coronaville/Day 7

We all live in Coronaville. 

And we can't leave. 

View from my desk.

Our governor, Tim Walz, was quoted in this morning's paper as saying that Minnesotans need to view this pandemic not as a blizzard, but as a winter. If it doesn't snow where you are, insert your own weather metaphor. Not as a wildfire, but as hell. Not as a hurricane, but as ....I dunno. A washing machine stuck in the spin cycle...for months?

I went to my paper making internship (because I work alone in a huge space) yesterday and spent seven hours dipping handmade paper into a vat of indigo. When I wasn't doing that I was spraying down handmade ochre paper for flattening. Ochre and indigo are two excellent colors to spend time with during a pandemic, I think. 

And my boss gave me an old scanner which I hope will function with my vintage macbook air. That would be swell. 

I've been calling friends. Have a date to FaceTime with more friends tonight. Gonna keep doing that.

The teaching myself to draw is crazy. After a couple of days, I realized I couldn't figure this out without help. I bought "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain." And I'm very excited. What the author has to say about drawing is stupendously good. I just thought it was innate talent--that I don't have. You just need the skill set, she says. I hope she's right and I'm wrong. It's like learning to read, she says. 

The first assignment is to make three pre-instruction drawings. OMG.

How are you? What are you doing? How do you feel? Tell me.

Leaving Coronaville/Day 3

I am most definitely not in my pajamas as I write this. I think I'm putting this selfie up to remind myself NOT to get into my pajamas. Not during the day, I mean. Back when this place was called Pillville--and even way back when it was called Divorceville/Margaritaville there was a whole lot of pajama wearing going on. I recall a particular evening when, as my mom sat at the dining room table with her martini, I bought three pairs of my favorite brand of p.j.s online. Dan had already died by then, and I thought maybe I could just pretty much live in pajamas.

So far the year 2020, my self-proclaimed great year of travel, has seen three cancelled trips. Other than that, I'm doing what I do. Writing, learning to make art (totally from the confines of home now that all my book arts classes are cancelled. )

On my to do list:

Subscribe to the two local small theatre companies that I adore.

Give to a food pantry.

Establish a routine and really let it do the good things that routines do.

Favorite thing to do during a pandemic: Shower.

Pandemic goal: Learn to draw.

first drawings

I think I'm going to use my last handmade book (Japanese stab binding) as a sketch book.

Gratitude to all governors, mayors, health care workers of all kinds, grocery clerks, first responders. 

So, how are you doing today?  I'd love to hear.