Holding Pattern

 Well, it has been awhile since I blogged, yet again.  It isn't that I haven't been busy, both in my fiber world and other daily life pursuits, because I have.  I think it is because emotionally I feel a bit suspended, waiting for many shoes to drop.

The pandemic is always on my mind.  Even here in Maine, where we have been doing a fairly good job of minimizing infections up until now, we are now seeing large increases daily.  It is terrifying, knowing that many of our outdoor meetings/activities will be heading indoors for many months with the onset of late fall and (almost) eternal winter.  Everyone is heartily sick of wearing masks and distancing themselves, me included, but it is beyond me that people are framing those activities as constitutional rights being trod upon.  Some may be due to the messages coming from our "leaders" in Washington, but the fact that people can be in denial about how disastrous this virus can be for so many people so quickly is hard to wrap my brain around.  Does no one else's life matter anymore?  Are you OK with you grandmother getting it, potentially being put on a ventilator and/or dying, just so you can go to a bar with some buddies?  How about your wife, husband, brother or sister, parent or child?  They may not die, but they may have long-lasting effects that can seriously diminish their quality of life.  I am very aware of the impact this is having on businesses, but isn't human life more important?  You can't really have a thriving economy if people are sick and dying in large numbers.  Maybe you aren't yearning for a night out, but just want to be able to gather with a lot of your friends or family.  It doesn't really matter what we are all missing - this virus will get in wherever it can and then spread like wildfire.  I also think that everyone is counting on a vaccine to get us out of this quickly, but even when they develop an effective one, distribution will take awhile.  Many vaccines are not 100% effective anyway, and if a large number of folks won't get one, that will be another reason that we won't all be back to normal anytime soon.  I miss my kids, I really miss my 2 yr old grandson who is changing so fast, I miss my family, I miss hugs, I miss my friends at work.  But I know the only thing I can do right now is wear a mask, distance myself, wash my hands frequently, and stay vigilant.  If I can do that, can't you?

Then there is the election and its aftermath.  It is so close, and my emotions swing wildly from optimism to utter despair several times a day.  We have all voted early in my family, so all we can do is wait, but between the "alternative facts" spewing from the WH and the Supreme Court nomination, I fear for our country.  I fear for women and the rights they have fought to obtain, even though we have yet to reach parity.  I fear for our elderly and sick, hoping that our medical facilities will be able to take care of them.  I fear for the millions of Americans who only have health insurance because of the ACA, warts and all.  I am one of those people, and having gone for years without coverage when I was younger with small children, I know how scary that can be.  I fear for all of us, with our strident divisions and opposing viewpoints; will we ever be able to come together as a nation again?  And I fear for our planet, which is practically SCREAMING at us to pay attention and do something about climate change.  Will it be difficult? Yes.  Will it be costly?  I'm sure.  Will it require us to change how we go about living parts of our lives?  Absolutely.  But if we don't do anything, it will be MORE costly and difficult, and change will be thrust upon us whether we like it or not.  Sometimes I see very little reason for hope, but then I hear children laughing as they ride their bikes, or enjoy a short chat with my cashier at the grocery store, or occasionally take a walk with some old friends, and I can see a ray of light on the horizon.

Phew!  And I wonder why I don't feel all that creative right now!

I have been weaving a bit.  I've taken a short break from weaving scarves from hand spun yarn, and am working at a run of 8 towels using black and shades of gray.  I've woven this structure several times, including recently with all kinds of colors, but I find that these monochromatic towels are very popular for those with stainless kitchens.  I think (hope!) that all are already spoken for.  A few will have accent stripes, but personally, I hate how they slow the weaving down, so there will be four with and four without.  The wefts will vary, using the different shades in the warp.

Here's a quick shot of the first one in progress;

I started to spin some more fiber for weaving last night.  This is some darker colored fiber, dyed in a gradient.  It is always a bit of a leap of faith for me to start spinning if I've been away from it for a bit of time.  That, and the fact that my arthritic thumb complains a bit, limits the amount of time that I can spin in a single sitting.

This is a photo of the fiber;

We live in a small area that includes a church and two cemeteries diagonally across from our house.  One is the "new" cemetary, where burials still happen.  On the other side of the church is the older cemetery, and I find if fascinating to look at the headstones and wonder what the lives of those people must have been like.  The ages run the gamut from very young to surprisingly old.  This week, during one of my walks, I glanced over, as I usually do, and I saw a headstone that appeared to be made from clay or some similar, coral-colored stone.  I don't know why I have never noticed it before, because it really stands out.

So Mary, what was your life like?  You lived to be 92 years old in a time when the average person lived to be 30-40 years old.  How many family members and friends you must have lost along your long life!

This next one shows the edge of the stone, as it faces what may be the family stone.

By the time I next write, the election will be over, and I will hopefully either feel a bit more hopeful or even more depressed about the future.  I hope everyone stays safe in the meantime.