“So how is it going?” Isn’t that question everyone opens with? Well, we have now passed the 40 day mark of life in quarantine. Specifically, living and working at home, no outside errands aside from groceries and Home Depot.
For the most part, it’s going as well as it could. We are very lucky, our full times jobs have shifted to tele-work and for today at least, remain stable. Of course, weddings, and photo shoots have been postponed so it’s a lot of behind the scenes work for Silver Orchard. But we are also finding new ways to keep our time occupied.
Everyone is responding differently to this time, and in their own way. My response to a lack of control has always been to find control elsewhere. It should come as no surprise then that I have filled my non-working hours with all sorts of projects. The biggest undertaking is our backyard (before photo shown). Ryan and I have completely re-laid the patio the previous owner left in shambles. I’ve created garden beds that I plan to fill with the seedlings I have been growing in the house. We put down sod last week and grass seed this weekend. All of this is being heavily documented on my Instagram stories, (failures and successes,) apparently to the delight of many! It is noticeable how many more people are reaching out to comment on the stories and I find myself also reaching out much more in turn.
We are also finding new ways to be resilient and self reliant. I found some old sheets in our basement, bought a needle and thread from the grocery store and hand-sewed face masks. Ryan and I both watched multiple videos on You-Tube and learned how to give each other a haircut! My father was incredulous and yet, even asked me to do his hair!
It’s really starting to sink that this pandemic will be a long term issue, perhaps for the rest of this year, though I remain deeply hopeful that we will find a new normal, while we all await a vaccine. I personally find a great deal of comfort in our new backyard – seeing a space that was deeply unloved and quite frankly, ugly, be given new life! Life has slowed down- really for the first time since I was a child. We are discovering a new way to do things, new hobbies and passions, and perhaps a new way of living. It has inspired many interesting discussions about what we want to change “when this is over”. This pandemic is scary on many levels and much remains uncertain but for now, we are focused on creating a space, and a life filled with love, kindness, and growth!
