Sweet Peas Before
Sweet Peas After
Wherever you are I hope you and your loved ones are healthy and safe at this tough time. As events got cancelled, it was disorienting to see my calendar empty as grocery store shelves. Perhaps our nation and the world were so out of whack that the universe wanted us to stop our dizzy busyness and contemplate what’s really important. After two months of following stay at home orders I’ve re-balanced, found a new rhythm in life and tried to focus on creativity, gratefulness and meaning.
Here are 10 Things I’m Doing to Fill Time:
1. Walking my neighborhood six feet apart.
2. Picking sweet peas and alstroemeria from my garden and making fresh bouquets.
3. Zooming with family, friends, and colleagues. For example: Pajamas & Pearls Cocktail Hour, Easter Hat Parade, Bingo fundraisers, Book Club meetings, Yoga sessions, San Diego Writers, Ink workshops and more.
4. Buying releases to support author friends whose books have just come out but can’t do speaking engagements and signings.
5. Serving on the San Diego Arts & Culture Challenge Steering Committee to raise emergency funds for local nonprofits and their creative work forces.
6. Writing poetry, poetry, poetry! You can hear me read “Desires” a recent one on YouTube.
7. Posting nature, 1920 flappers and funny photos on my Facebook Author Page to make people smile.
8. Prepping for the October launch of The Green Lace Corset. Now available to Preorder through your favorite independent bookstore and on IndieBound.
9. Binging on Netflix series and chocolate ice cream.
10. Sending love and positive light into the world.
It’s okay not to be okay. And it’s also okay to loll around and do nothing. Or maybe lounge and read a good book! None of us know how long this will last but no matter what continue to take care of yourselves. Hopefully some day the world and your futures will bloom bright and fragrant as the sweet peas in my garden.
I’ve told you how I’m filling my time. How about you? Please comment below.
Love this! And love seeing you in yoga classes.
Lisa, Zoom yoga with you has been wonderful and has helped me stay supple in mind and body. Thanks!
Always appreciate and am inspired by your positive outpouring to the world, Jill. Thanks and love Zooming Tarot Journaling with you and Tania P. on Mondays.
PS Getting so exciting about The Green Lace Corset!
Oh Judy, I’m so glad I get to see you and write weekly at least virtually. I’m getting excited about The Green Lace Corset too. I just hope we’ll get to have a launch party when I can wear it!
Sounds like you are putting your time to good use Jill. I am taking a watercolor class, Spanish, Yoga and attending church on Zoom. Although I miss the ability to travel freely I feel blessed to have found the time to foster a puppy, enjoy nature, and spend precious time with my family. See you in yoga and the next book club meeting!
Carol, You’re sure using your time doing fulfilling activities. I look forward to seeing your watercolors hopefully soon. Hopefully sweet Ruby is behaving herself!
Hanging out on my front portal with my cat, Sophie, and watching the mountains change with the clouds and sun and incoming storms. Reading a good book and discussing it with my book club friends. Streaming movies and series, funny and scary. Walking in the wilderness of New Mexico. Social distance happy hours with neighbors and friends. Zooming with relatives all over the country and world. Practicing yoga and meditating. Cooking new recipes. Knitting and mending with embroidery.
Les, Wow! This is beautiful. If you redo your lines in a vertical fashion you’ll have written a poem! Thanks for sharing.
Walking with my girlfriends and my best friend and doggy, Buzzi. 5 minute meditations with app “Calm.” Steaming up fresh veggies for Buzzi’s new weight loss program. Cooking, eating and drinking and enjoying all of those things. A little gardening, stretching/yoga and hanging at home. I started writing letters and am reading lots of books. Focused on keeping my immune system strong. And on mentally appreciating all that I do have during this time of crisis.
Joanie, You are keeping busy! I enjoy our neighborhood walks together. Good luck with Buzzi’s new food plan!
I find the less I do, the less I want to do. I am cocooning, crying, writing, reading, reflecting, praying, curious to see what new creature will emerge.
Debra, I’m sorry you’re having such a hard time. No matter what you do keep writing!
Good morning sunshine….
This was a lovely post. I am on my treadmill walking across town, writing and conversing, sharing and laughing with friends and family. I am cleaning…. yep I love to see change, reading like mad, watching movies, clearing clutter—even though before COVID it was merely “my stuff”….thinking of my life and all I want for it…and taking good care of my hubby. All the while dreaming that I had a garden filled with sweet peas and alstroemeria…..ahhhhh.
Lynn, Thanks so much for your lovely post. Hopefully, someday you and Will will feel safe enough to join me in my garden, clink glasses and smell the sweet peas. Looking forward to many years of gabfests at The Lot together too.
Lovely post Jill! I am zooming -every day – with friends, sisters, family, clients, colleagues, non-profits, church, training classes – zoom Zoom ZOOM! I am also walking, hiking, reading, working – lots of work, I feel blessed- watching videos of my grand-babies and cleaning my house. (It’s possible I miss my cleaning lady more than any other single human, I REALLY don’t like cleaning my house!)
I firmly believe when we have a new normal, it will be a better normal and we will all be better humans because of this reset!
Dear Jean, Yep! Zoom Zoom Zoom! I hope you aren’t suffering from Zoom Fatigue like I did at first. It took me awhile to figure out not to schedule so many meetings all at once. I’m sorry you don’t get to hold your grand-babies right now. I agree this reset will make many of us better humans.
I listened to your work on this post during Tuesday’s Brown Bag. Reading it now, it feels like I watched you make a beautiful mosaic; maybe one that I have seen hanging on the walls of San Diego Writers Ink.
Here are five things I do to fill my time.
1. I read, as much as I can.
2. Walk my neighborhood, and practice yoga.
3. Eat better and started receiving a farmer’s box delivered every Tuesday. I like to challenge myself and somehow incorporate the produce into my meals.
4. Write every day. All-day sometimes, and sometimes just a sentence.
5. And sleep. That is my favorite.
I am ready for when the doors of Liberty Station open and we can start to gather again.
Michael, What a nice compliment! Thank you for it and for holding the Zoom space while I wrote this post. I’m so glad we’re still able to meet for Brown Bag although virtually. It’s a pleasure to witness your writing as you continue to find your voice and your words flourish on your journal pages. Keep going. I’m so proud of you!
Busy is as busy does. I love the way you are filling your time and look forward to the book.
Janice, Thanks!
Your sweet peas !! jealous
I am looking forward to our future walk
and thank you for all your hard work with the
Arts Challenge! It is making a huge impact on the Arts Community.
Leslie, When you come over to walk six feet apart, I’ll pick some sweet peas for you. Thanks for donating to the Arts Challenge too.
I love your list, keeping busy with what you love is the key to every day! I’m also gardening and writing and being thankful. We added a kitten to the mix this week and he’s more fun to watch than TV, haha. Congrats on your upcoming book, I remember you telling me about it last year when you were writing it. :~) Someday we’ll be back at Room to Write!
Jolie, It’s great to hear from you. Yes, someday we’ll be back in The Ink Spot doing Room to Write!
Nothing is changed for me as I continue to enjoy my life and peacefulness. The things I write now are mostly encouragements for the members of my art sites — there is a lot of pain out there and I do not refer only to the art world.
People are terrified of spending time alone even in these times of communication devices and online cameras. Change always brings the individual back to who s/he really is. On the one hand mental illness and suicide are on the rise not to mention other trouble such as eating and drinking too much, while conversely people are out in full force to help others. Here in Canada (I don’t know what the other countries did with this) doctors, RNs, and care aides came out of retirement to help others.
Meanwhile in response to your question I write a bit, play with art, and racewalk along the almost empty streets. As well I continue with my fitness programme and yoga and of course the dishes. No matter what happens the dishes await.
Take care.