NEW TRICKS & SILVER LININGS

With COVID numbers surging, we've just received word that we're back in the Pandemic Purple Zone and have to hunker down again – just in time for the holidays! I have faith it will be okay eventually, but 2020 has surely been a year of undesired ructions - many RUCTIONS! (I've love that word – maybe we need a new pandemic game of sharing lists of words we love?)

And Thanksgiving is coming right up, so it's time to consider silver linings. For me it's finding time to work in my new garden, riding my bike to buy groceries, cocktails and card games with my family "pod", and time to work at my spinning wheel. (Pre-COVID, I NEVER seemed to have time for that!) There's also time to try new things. I've stuck with a new drawing and watercolor habit, and I just signed up for another online class with Sketchbook Skool, (have a look at their ART BOOTCAMP course!) as well as animation classes on Udemy.

I really enjoy these online workshops. I like how they're taught, and enjoy being able to work at my own pace. So far, I've had enough self-discipline to keep up with the homework. I did have to get over that whole, "ACK! I SUCK AT THIS" thing, so I took my daughter's advice (an artist herself) and have made myself tack up my most recent attempts on a bulletin board. It serves as a good reminder of things I've tried and liked, and an honest showing of the things that I'm not so wild about. But it's all informative and helps me see progress.

True, I've been missing many things and events. I miss house concerts and singing with you, fearlessly eating out with Kent, and calling Contra dances. Another heartache is not being able to teach harmony singing workshops with my pal Libby McLaren. To scratch that particular itch, I decided to create a short Harmony Practice Tip video for you to watch. Check it out and while you're there, give a listen to the albums on my YouTube channel.

So while I absolutely wouldn't CHOOSE to have forced down-time due to a pandemic, at least for me, the silver lining is finding time to learn new tricks. For that, I am thankful.