Simple

Hello, my friends. How are you? How different the world is since I last posted here.

Nothing like a pandemic to stop you in your tracks, to take stock of all that is.

It’s very odd. I was experiencing a sense of deja vu as events unfolded, and I kept trying to figure out why that would be. It finally occurred to me that I had felt this very same sense of foreboding and out-of-control-ness and unmooring when my health was at its worst, back in 2012.

I was homebound for the most part back then too, and I felt constrained in every way because my body was incapable of functioning how I wanted it to. But as the restricted days turned into weeks and then into months, I found a rhythm that started to make more sense. The slowing down became normal, appreciated, even. I slept a lot, took longer and longer walks as my strength increased, ate mountains of vegetables and read an astounding number of books. I filled one notebook after another as I examined my life from every angle and discovered unsettling and buoying aspects in equal measure.

I simplified. From the outside looking in, my early days of rehabilitation probably appeared nondescript, boring. Ironically, it was anything but. It was one of the most creative, richest times for me. All that time of quietude and percolating thoughts led to sewing with vigor again, picking up a paintbrush to teach myself watercolors and gouache, launching this little blog. And then crazy things kept happening and dreams came true.

My days are simple again. I get up early in the morning to walk around the neighborhood. I come home, make myself a cup of coffee and write for hours. I feed my family (including my cat) brunch. We’ve done away with breakfast and brunch is always more fun. I work on book projects at a leisurely pace. Nothing, absolutely nothing, is rushed. I paint little sketches. I like to paint flowers. Some days I sew. I do some laundry. A little bit of tidying up happens here and there. I start on dinner around 5:30, and chop many, many vegetables. We eat our evening meal, and K has started a new tradition: we must report three good things that happened that day. I read a chapter or two from one of the books among the towering stack beside my bed before drifting off to asleep. And then I repeat the whole thing the next day.

This doesn’t mean there’s no fear or anxiety. My brain feels foggier for sure. I am more emotional. I miss my regular routines; I miss getting together with people. But the simplicity helps. Simple feels good.

P.S. My 2021 sewing book, as expected, has been postponed since we couldn’t proceed with the photoshoot, but the good news is that my ANIMAL FRIENDS TO SEW book will be on sale earlier than expected. I will have more updates on that soon.

This one’s figured out the whole lockdown thing.

 

4 thoughts on “Simple

  1. Thank you for taking the time to write this. While this time has been challenging in many ways I have also been enjoying the slower pace and quiet moments. I am grateful for the extra time to be creative, to cook leisurely, to read one more chapter. I have been feeling guilty that the isolation that is so very trying for so many of my friends and family has been a relief for me.

    1. Thank you for your comment, Kathryn! I’ve noticed a lot of people talking about feeling guilty because they’re enjoying the less frenetic pace or are staying productive during this time and I’m not completely immune myself. But I firmly believe that it’s vital to find the moments of peace and creativity and appreciation in every way that I can, so I do my best to focus on that.

  2. Happy Easter!
    Question- are you going to make fabric with your amazing watercolors? The quilters I know would all be very happy if you did! ❤️❤️❤️

    1. Oh, thanks for your sweet words Beccy! Textile/surface design is definitely on my want-to-do list and who knows? Quarantine might be just the time to start! Hope you had a wonderful Easter ❤️

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