Where does the time go????

As of today I've been self-quarantined for three weeks, and I consider myself fortunate to have my life pretty much as I know it.  I have several Zoom sessions each week, including my book group tomorrow.  I thought with so much time on my hands, I'd finish reading that stack of books, carve new woodblocks, warp both looms, okay, all three looms and to catch up on emails.  The only thing I can do while watching a baby is knit so here's another finished sweater.  I don't know where the rest of the time goes.



We still watch Delaney two days a week, Thursdays and Fridays, and she brings so much sunshine to our pandemic days,.  This is a new game - put all the brass candlesticks into the bowl and then take them out again.  I really don't know how I've managed to acquire so many of these things but they're baby-safe and she's welcome to play with them.


Her first birthday is this Thursday and there will be no party.  We thought about getting a cupcake for a smash cake but declined knowing that sugar will throw her off and she would be crabby on Friday.  We ordered this Fischer-Price toy for her but now it's just a new toy. A friend suggested that I wrap a box in tissue paper which will be just as fun as opening a gift, even more so since the paper tears in pieces.  She's crawling and walks by holding onto things.



I don't what it's like where you are but the shutdown is affecting paper products, primarily toilet paper.  We got this six-pack at a locally owned grocery store.  They contracted with a restaurant supplier to stock their shelves for the next four months.  The packaging is theirs.  We laugh but it's a relief to restock our supply.


Another odd thing missing from shelves is flour and yeast.  Ian called me from Costco last week and said there was some flour, a 25-pound bag of bleached white flour for $6.  I said - Buy it!!  Who knows when we'll see another bag of flour, because next week that might be another empty shelf.  Yesterday Ian found bread flour and compressed yeast at Newport Market, where he got the toilet paper.  This yeast will make 96 loaves of bread and I've already promised to share it with friends.

Two or three months ago I was invited by Pat Clark to participate in a print exchange as a celebration of her 85th birthday in May.  It was originally estimated that there would be 30 participants but that list has grown to 40.   I've allowed so many things to get in my way and now I'm down to the wire.  The deadline is fast approaching.  I finished carving my woodblock last week.



It's hard to feel creative with the gray skies and there's an international crisis in place with an unknown outcome.  It was lightly snowing on my walk this morning!  Those are all excuses.  I don't have access to a press any more so have to print using a baren.  I'm pretty sure no one in their right mind presses 40 prints with a hand baren, but who said I'm in my right mind?!!  I got a ten prints completed and had to clean up because the block was collecting ink.  I had to make me get back to work, but it sure felt good.