Working from home

I would have loved being a stay at home mom when Bea was little but, of course, financially, that was impossible.

I have also dreamed of running a small business out of my home, perhaps a place for women to come together and talk while they crafted, with a never ending supply of what they needed. A crow is perched in a cage, above our heads, kind of like the tearoom from Amy McKay’s The Witches of New York.

These thoughts became something for retirement.

And then, quite suddenly, working from home landed in my lap since COVID-19 took over our lives. It’s been very good for us, but a huge stress for others, and I am very aware of that. I have relatives in the healthcare system who leave their young families everyday to take care of the sick and vulnerable. Others have been laid off. I am one of the fortunate ones and I never forget it, nor do I abuse it.

In our home we are resting and healing. We are getting back to who we were from almost a year ago. The other day Bea and I laughed together, so hard, that I had to stop and think about what we were doing. It was genuine and spontaneous on both of our parts, and I do not mind telling you, it was fantastic.

We are also settling into our new space. Sometimes I look up from my ever present laptop to see this beautiful, cozy spot looking back at us, and I am so grateful to God, and our spiritual guardians who led us to this upside down house and gave us the courage to go after it.

A new ball of fluff continues to train us in the ways of her puppy world. Our girl ,Sal, has been with us since February 29th- our leap of faith. I have mentioned before that she may be Pat’s reincarnated self the way she flies around the house, giving stern orders, that we sometimes dismiss with laughter (sorry Pat).

What a grand new focus she has been, and currently she is receiving that focus 24-7! Together we are exploring the backyard with all of its mysterious wonders. Everyday it seems new flowers emerge from the ground, and we discuss what color will potentially come from this bud or that one. This is God’s wondrous world.

I miss the daily contact with my students, those divine human beings who have aided in my carrying on. We are finding new ways of communicating though which is producing new ways of learning about each other. I do not mind saying to you that Parrsboro schools are special, their students and their staff. We are conquering the modern methods of staying connected which I never thought possible when this whole thing started! I can still experience Ann K’s lambing season whilst learning the latest in Zoom technology. It’s brilliant! We hold fast to the best leadership ever in Mr. Spence. Whatever or whomever brought you our way, we owe them a huge thank you.

This time at home and isolation has also brought new communication, sometimes daily, with friends old and new. While it is necessary to weed out the fake news from the real, I have found the conversations held with my FB family to be very uplifting. My feed is full of great art and essays, and ideas for online learning. I appreciate it all. Our cyber world has really stepped up to the plate.

I think I could get used to this way of living, with a few adjustments. I would like to see my peeps in person, and not have to worry about following the arrows incorrectly at the grocery store!

But I love the slowing down aspect of all of this. We have learned to shut down electronics and alarms. We have renewed our love for our DVD boxed sets, and most importantly we are sharing good, strong, hearty laughs. I only pray that society and its leaders can all see the good in this too when, as our royalist of leaders said it best, we meet again.