Reflections in quarantine (part two)

I had grand plans to be productive over the weekend, since all scheduled activities are cancelled for who-knows-how-long. And yet, I accomplished very little. A major factor here was my back, a problem I’ve been dealing with for more than twenty years. The storm systems that came through last week had me uncomfortable and unable to sleep a good part of the nights.

On Sunday I was glad to be able to watch Mass at my church, Church of the Resurrection in New Albany. A friend shared the sentiment that televised Mass isn’t particularly moving. But knowing the people I saw on the screen, including the interpreter for our parish deaf community, made it so much more comfortable and inviting. The lack of music made it distinctly different, but I can deal with that.

After Mass, I proceeded to run a series of tests on applications for work. That took quite a while, waiting for runs to complete. And then today I was reminded that the testing is needed next week. Oy! Well, my practice run was very helpful.

This past week we have seen the state leadership impose a lot more restrictions. As of midnight tonight (3/23), everyone in Ohio is mandated to stay home unless you are performing an essential act. This isn’t a denial of freedom, but intended to protect us because far too many people aren’t taking the warnings of COVID-19 seriously. We’re still allowed to leave home to acquire food (groceries or restaurant carry-out), and we can exercise outdoors. Keeping a safe distance from everyone else is the important component to interacting with those around us.

I’ve seen a number of posts on social media where people are expressing anxiety. That’s not an emotional state I find myself in often, nor do I feel anxious now. I am, however, concerned. But worrying doesn’t help anyone or protect us…it just creates more stress. But I sympathize with those who have anxiety. I turn to humor a lot of the time, and there are plenty of wacky memes out there preserving the oddities of this time.

Last night when my back was particularly achy, I sought out a distraction. I found a wonderful one that surprised me. A friend had shared a link to a website through which we can see the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights). This phenomenon is certainly on my bucket list to experience in person, but watching a remote camera, situated on a Polar Bear conservation site in upper Manitoba, I got to witness it in real time. So very cool! And an unexpected bonus was hearing the wind blow on the plain. That sound lulled me wonderfully, and I had a very sound night’s sleep afterwards.

If you want to check out the phenomenon yourself, visit explore.org (10pm to 1am ET). They offer a slew of other live cams to observe nature (including indoor pets).

As seen on 3/22/2020

Reflections in Quarantine (part one)

I’d like to start this train of thought as a series, and it certainly looks like I will have the time to do so. So here goes…

A couple years ago, a director raised a question during a cast bonding session: “What is your greatest fear?” My initial thought was to go with something obvious like spiders or snakes. But as each person shared, I dug deeper in myself. I realized there’s no reason to hold back my deepest truth…so here it is. I’m most afraid of being invisible.

Clearly (pun totally intended), I recognized that physically I am opaque. So we’re talking about a social abstract. It’s not quite about feeling ignored, though that could be one interpretation. In my mind, it’s more about being dismissed or discounted. And the absolute worst is to be forgotten.

What I desire most in life is to make a positive difference when and where I can. And by the ripple effect, my legacy could expand beyond my wildest dreams. While I do contribute financially to causes I believe in, I’m speaking more about helping others in a mental or spiritual sense. In several instances over the years, I’ve tutored students. A positive effect can take the form of the smallest acts of kindness, too. A smile, a hug, or just asking someone how they’re doing- and wanting to know the true answer, all can go a long way in improving someone’s day.

Right now, our lives have taken a dramatic turn under the shadow of COVID-19. We’ve been strongly advised to isolate ourselves and practice social distancing to keep the virus from spreading beyond our health care services’ capacity. That’s a very tough ask for me… and even after just a week, I’m recognizing the negative effect on my psyche.

Fortunately I have had a few opportunities for personal interaction, and those encounters have helped a lot. But these interactions will be tragically limited over the coming weeks – or even months, if that’s what is called for.

When my mom passed away unexpectedly in January, it made me terribly aware of how often we take our relationships for granted. It’s much easier now for me to say “I love you” to those closest to me, and I tend to say it much more often, realizing it could be the last time at any point. Now I’m going to be much more appreciative of human contact! Hugs, once they’re permitted, will be given and received more often, I’m sure.

Now I’m off to ponder reflections for my next post…

2015 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2015 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 400 times in 2015. If it were a cable car, it would take about 7 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

Tales from the Great 2013 Adventure – Part Two

Dubrovnik

For those who don’t know, the city of Dubrovnik is in the country of Croatia, part of the former Yugoslavia. This coastal city has a rich heritage, and is so naturally beautiful. I get the impression, based on all I’ve read, that it’s been discovered by many tourists. I was delighted to learn that my brother had visited the city while he was stationed in Bosnia-Herzegovina nearly fifteen years ago.

Certainly the biggest tourist attraction here is the Old City, a pedestrian area surrounded by a great wall. I had planned in advance and bought the Dubrovnik Card in order to save a bit of money. I didn’t get to utilize it to its fullest extent, but I’m still glad I got it. I shared a cab with a lovely couple to get to the Old City from Port Gruz, and soon after I walked through the Pile Gate and began my walk down The Stradun, the main thoroughfare.

Once I’d walked all the way down The Stradun, I prepared to climb to the wall – there are three entrances to ascend to its walkway. Visitors can travel the entire distance around, and it’s certainly a sight to behold! For the first part of the day here, there was scattered showers, but the clouds past on as I made my way around the wall. Once I reached the highest point, I found someone to snap my photo with the city as the backdrop.

A sad yet interesting fact about the roofs you see behind me. Dubrovnik suffered greatly from bombing during the civil war in Yugoslavia (1991), between the Croats and the Serbs. All those bright orange tiles are “new,” having replaced the original tiles due to the bombings. The duller roofs in some cases were not harmed in the bombings, but there are also instances where the roof was replaced and then covered with the remnants of the original tiles. From the wall, this detail is more noticeable.

Some day I may return to see more of what the city has to offer, to experience more of its rich history. For now, I have many lovely memories of this day.

Tales from the Great 2013 Adventure – part 1

Venice

This year marks my biggest vacation adventure to date, a Mediterranean cruise. The trip was my treat to celebrate my first year without any tuition obligations. A friend put together a ladies’ cruise, and we had a group of eight that made it on board. This was my first trip to Europe, so I knew I had a lot of adventures to look forward to. Here’s some snippets of details surrounding the starting point for this adventure.

I left Columbus on Saturday afternoon, stopping at JFK in New York before flying to Marco Polo Airport in Italy. I was most looking forward to sailing down the Grand Canal, having seen it featured in The Italian Job as well as a couple James Bond films. But the movie that had me most psyched about starting in Venice? Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. It took some traipsing around and referencing my city map, but I did manage to locate the church, Campo San Barnaba, which was supposedly a church-turned-library in that movie.

Ah, Venice!

On Monday afternoon, our ship set sail for our first port-of-call. This was the only departure I would see for the duration of our trip. This gave me my best view of St. Mark’s Square, though from a side vantage point. Still, this gives a great sense as to the “sea of humanity” in that space. While I was in the square, I was able to spot at least fifteen lions, the symbol of St. Mark. St. George & the Dragon have a nice position as well. I’m still in awe of the history here – like nothing I’ve seen here in the U.S.

In my first day on the ship, I met folks from across the globe. I chatted with Eileen from Ireland when we were both up in the middle of the night. A couple from Tin Can Bay in Queensland, Australia, were companions during the muster drill. I also met a couple from Canada while making my way back to the port. Stay tuned for more tales of my adventures!

Playing with Pictures

I am taking an online course with Jessica Sprague, learning new techniques and refining rusty ones. This particular course focuses on enhancing photos and framing them to highlight the images. I’m not exactly completing the material in order though. But, it is getting me to take a closer look at some of my recent photographs. Today I shot some candids of the dogs I’ve been taking care of for the holiday weekend…

 

I also went back to my recent zoo shots to pull out this one.

I certainly have more photos to choose from in continuing my efforts with Photoshop Elements…

Finding the Right Balance: Planning vs Doing

Granted, I haven’t been “doing” a great deal lately, at least not from the perspective of outward adventures. A good chunk of my time has been spent knitting on larger projects, and forging friendships with folks in the knitting community. Ideally I will venture out to meet more of them in Real Life, too.

I do have some adventures planned for the year, and a few have already taken place. The “Biggie” is still a couple months away, but because it’s SO big compared to my past adventures, I am spending quite a bit of time planning.How big is it, you ask? This Fall I will be embarking on a huge adventure, as I fly to Europe to embark on a Mediterranean cruise. Over the course of fifteen days, I shall visit six countries via ten ports. The whole idea was rather mind-blowing when the offer was made to me. I am joining a group of ladies, two of whom I know.

Of course, while I’ve known all year long that I have this Big Adventure looming, I’ve done my best not to let it overwhelm me. After all, I’ve got other fun stuff planned during the year. I have a couple knitting conferences outside of Ohio, a theatrical company reunion (I’m still not sure how it could be thirty years since I debuted onstage in West Side Story…since I’m only 25, lol), and a holiday weekend with my brother & sister-in-law on the East Coast.

All the while, though, the Big Adventure is getting closer…and closer. I have my flights booked, and a couple excursions have been selected via the travel agency. As I am planning what to pack, I’ve become increasingly aware of the concerns of traveling abroad. I’ve obtained an over-sized purse that is constructed to foil thieves, and a waist pack for carrying spending money and ID out of the grasp of pickpockets. Memory cards for the camera are set, and I’ve got a couple different guidebooks to work with in refining my itinerary.

No, I am not excited at all…okay, maybe just a little…or a lot. Any words of wisdom for this novice international traveler?

2012 – Year in Review

I am still stunned at how quickly this year has flown by. But in retrospect, it’s been quite a full year. I joined the Gahanna Community Theater, being cast in their musical production of Mame. This was quickly followed by team formation in preparation for the Women’s 146th Cum Christo weekend. In June, I traveled west to visit my good friend Becky in Colorado. In August I went ever further west, spending a week in Oregon with my aunt & uncle. The last few months of the year were spent close to home, as I was honored to dog sit for a couple families as they traveled for holidays.

As usual, I’ve also been the Knit Meister this year. I had decided late in 2011 that this would be the year of Sweaters, following on 2009 as the year of socks and 2010 as the year of shawls. I achieved my goal to knit six adult sweaters, and I also managed to whip up two baby sweaters as well. There were plenty of other things to knit (and crochet) as well, and the Harry Potter Knit/Crochet House Cup on Ravelry continues to motivate me to keep active with my needlework. All told, I completed 22 pairs of socks, 15 shawls, four scarves, six plushies, and a host of other one-offs. Some of these projects were made as gifts (baby, birthday, Christmas, retirement, “just because”), a couple were requested by friends, and a number of them were simply added to my abundant wardrobe. Here is a sampling, spotlighting the three biggest projects (colorwork sweater vest, striped mitered-square skirt and lacy, beaded sparkly shawl):

The coming year is sure to hold a host of delightful memories as well. I’ve been cast in the GCT 2013 musical production of Annie. I’ll be on yet another team for the Columbus Cum Christo community. In the Spring I plan to attend a knit/crochet festival in Pittsburgh. My son will graduate with his bachelor’s degree. The capstone adventure of 2013, though, looks to be the Mediterranean cruise a friend is organizing for the fall.

There are also many knitting projects slated for the year. I have three big projects, along with a bunch of little ones (socks & shawls & such). Other things I’m looking forward to in the new year… Season Three of Downton Abbey; sequel movies for Iron Man, Thor, Wolverine and Star Trek; a couple high school graduation celebrations, and more. Thankfully I do have a lot to look forward to, which helps keep me going.

Time for me to get back to some of my year-end tasks before joining friends to celebrate an end and a beginning…

Knit on.

Blogging for Christmas

How in the world is it already December 21????? And yes, five question marks were definitely called for here. I’m stunned with the speed at which the days are whizzing past. And I know I’ve mentioned this before. And yet I am consistently amazed.

Today I’m testing out my new toy. I have downloaded an app to write my blog posts. Maybe this will help me be more consistent. Time will tell though.

I’m mulling over a post (or series of posts) to sum up the year’s activities. Knitting will be a major topic. Travel is a distant second. Family is woven all through it, too. I’ve already started planning for next year. My Franklin Planner arrived on Wednesday, full of promise with pages to be filled. The latest issue of Real Simple magazine starts a series of challenges to get organized in 2013. Inspiration abounds.

More planning will have to wait until morning. I am tired. G’night, all. Knit on.