Yes, another week has gone by already. Just as I suggested in my zine about coping with cabin fever, and as I suspected might happen for me, I’ve become preoccupied with my houseplants. I’ve been spending a lot of time looking at them, trying to figure out what they need, and watching the heartleaf philodendron cuttings I’m propagating to give to Casey.
Speaking of Casey, he walked over this week to pick up some clothes I’d set aside to give him. He didn’t get closer than maybe 10 feet. It’s strange to feel so nervous about being near someone you’re used to spending so much of your time with.
I expect many aspects of life to change significantly as the pandemic progresses and am anyway uninterested in things going “back to normal” given how unjust and unsustainable “normal” was in the US, but I will say that I am impatient for a time where it feels/is safe to meet one-on-one and in small groups again.
But I don’t expect that to happen soon. So, here’s what I saw while passing the time this week.
Casey, visiting. Don’t worry — I shot this at 200mm and cropped in.
A mask-wearing cyclist on the Minuteman Bike Path where it passes through Lexington Center.Bricks waiting to be laid in Lexington Center.The (closed) Lexington Venue movie theater.The mask my mom sewed for me, sitting in the sun after my Saturday Scream.Violets, freshly foraged from my parents’ yard.Flowers on the crab apple tree.
Violet petals soaking in hot water overnight to make violet syrup.My latest and very misshapen bread loaves. We found out yesterday that our oven is off by about 100 degrees in the cold direction, which might explain this lackluster oven spring. Mom setting up to take pictures of some mask-themed pennants she made for an art project.My t-shirts, arranged chromatically. (Not pictured: the 2nd drawer filled completely with black and gray t-shirts)Finished violet syrup. Here’s the recipe, if you have violets blooming in your area and want to make your own.Old garlic I decided to sprout in some water. You can’t consistently grow new garlic this way, but you can eat the green sprouts!
