I’ve been keeping a Covid-19 diary (not particularly faithfully; slightly less often than once per week at this point) with stats and my impressions, etc. just in case it has historical value/interest someday. The entries are usually hurried, more of an afterthought, but life is kind of like that these days, scattered and demanding, so it’s a fair reflection.
My last two entries in that diary have been more about Black lives mattering and about police brutality/what we might do to prevent the status quo from continuing. I think that’s as it should be, though we also have to remember that this coronavirus is not going anywhere anytime soon. Numbers are on the rise in at least 20 states, last I checked. If you attend a protest, please wear a mask. (You can get them from Black-owned companies if you don’t already have one or want to upgrade!)
So how are you? What are you doing to stay healthy and sane these days?
I am taking joy in crafting and in my garden. I thought I’d show you (since not all of you follow me on IG or Twitter) what my peony is up to!
(Isn’t she beautiful? There’s something about her frothy, cream-colored petals that’s good for the spirit, wholesome and profound somehow.) I love all of the color changes a peony goes through, starting with red foliage that turns sour red-green and then lush green. My plant’s blossom was furled inside of a red-tipped green bud, and had a pretty pink blush on the outer petals before opening.
So gorgeous, and so calming…and that’s just one flower. My lilies are thriving (not blooming quite yet) even though they’ve been plagued by &%$#! lily beetles that have chewed raggedy holes in almost every leaf, despite my repeated and liberal applications of neem oil. It seems to rain just often enough to make keeping up feel impossible.
Once the lilies start blooming, the dahlias shouldn’t be too far behind! I love them so much — they’re just such an absolute celebration of vibrant color, all “look at me!” big and beautiful, with blossom after blossom as fast as they can produce them, on sturdy, supportive stems. I had a few yellow dahlias last year. This year, I should have a dozen more, because I planted a bulb in every color I could afford to snag.
I believe in living out loud. I’m an artist — unorganized, messy, hella-colorful and forever a bit on the feral side. My gardening *definitely* reflects me in all of those ways, heh.
As it should. 🙂
I’m also probably going to hold my nose and re-open my Etsy shop soon; I have a lot of tangible art/craft items I’d really like to send to new homes, so I have the resources to create even more pretty and cool things to put out in the world! (I’ll update whenever that happens, in case any of y’all are interested; atm my shop is in vacation mode.)
Until next time, stay safe and do what you need to do. ❤
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