Sunday, May 3, 2020

SHIRLEY'S WEEKLY REPORT

Necklace by Myong Urso

WEEKLY REPORT
(I began writing weekly reports to a few friends a month or so ago and dropped the blog. Today I decided to post the weekly report for anybody who wants to read it. I welcome your comments, input, shared experiences and most of all, your friendship -- always and forever!)

1) Back before "the troubles," I gave a talk at CAD RED art gallery in Pittsford. This week, I got a lovely thank you note from Susan, gallery director, along with this gift. It's one of Myong Urso's fabric/paper/silver constructions. I'm lucky to own 4 of Urso's necklaces and I'm willing to loan them. In fact, how about  a "jewelry lending business?" Just book your date, coordinate your outfit and arrange pickup at my house. What could be easier? Or we could have a "virtual lending library." Everybody log on with their pieces "for loan."

2) Otherwise, in total isolation, my daily uniform -- yoga pants, tee shirt (or jeans, tee shirt -- with or without underwear) -- hardly requires accessorizing! I wonder if I'll ever actually "dress up" again. My friend Boo says she's going to start wearing dresses around the house. Should we initiate a "dress up Friday?" Just because?

3) I'm mostly positive but last week, a full-blown anxiety attack hit. Fortunately, I have drugs for that sort of crisis. The attack came when I said to Chip "we could have the kids over...they've been pretty good about social distancing" and he said "absolutely not!" and I thought "is this the way my life ends? Virus free but alone?" And of course, that sent me right down the rabbit hole of despair! So I cried a bunch, took drugs, then moved all the furniture. What can I say? We all find ways of dealing....

4) Speaking of "dealing"...some of my friends are finding really creative ways to fill their days and I applaud them all but I can't make myself study the guitar (Pat), or manic gardening (Beverly), or learn watercolor technique (Maryann), or stitch up an entire new wardrobe from scratch using softly-worn linen sheets (Alex)! So I'm taking an on-line, 10 session course (from a Yale professor -- finally, Ivy League!) called The Science of Well-Being....the Yale Happy Class! It's especially relevant for young people (which I am not!) New word: Miswanting: the act of being mistaken about what and how much you will like something. Examples cited: more money, better grades, fancy stuff, true love, better body....OK, I get it...but what about visits with my kids? Hugs? Dinner parties with my friends? Live music -- my musician friends! --  in my living room?

5) Amazon Books is a habit. Too easy to log on and hit the magic button. But I've just ordered the new Rebecca Solnit book through Bookshop.org. The advantage: a third of purchase price goes to an independent bookseller. The charge for the book may be a couple dollars more but if you can vote for "quality of life" with a few bucks, do it!

Be safe, y'all.  (Remember Liberace's theme song "We'll Meet Again"? How maudlin!!!  Good grief!!!)

Shirley


2 comments:

Veronica Ann said...

I love this post. Your brutal honesty is so refreshing. Thank you ! V

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