Thursday, September 24, 2020

The Missing Year

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I keep getting calendar reminders of my 2020 trips. I would have been at my favorite event today - the Artisan Expo in Santa Fe, taking classes from my favorite artists with my sister.

But I'm not. I'm in the same place I've been since March - my office.

And even though in some ways it feels like an entire decade has passed in the last six months, the year has also whooshed by, because there were no milestones to slow it down. No trips, no retreats, just a lot of nothingness.

My garden has benefited for sure. But temporally, it's odd. What would have happened this year? That's what I wonder about. Who would I have met? What new food would I have tried? What would have happened in the baseball games I didn't attend or the cooking classes I didn't take? What's missing from this year is the serendipity of the everyday, if I had to sum it up. Everything is so, so controlled. No room for surprises. 

I'll tell you one thing I've done - I've sent a lot more cards, and I've experimented with a lot more art supplies. So today's card and video are about both of those things.

I've waited basically all my life for a traditional watercolor pencil I could truly say I love, and I finally found it. I bought myself these pencils for my birthday and tried them out, and they checked all the boxes I talk about in the video and I'm tickled pink. The little enevelopes are from this background stamp, and I used this die for the greeting. I didn't add where from, because it's greetings from the missing year...



So here's a link to the video if you don't see the player below, then come back for how I'm virtually traveling :).



My Monthly Hero Kit August 2020 -...
[ HA ]
DC279 Greetings From Stamp & Cut -...
[ HA ]
Happy Mail Background :: 6x6 Clear...
[ INK ]
Caran d'Ache Museum Aquarelle Pencil...
[ BLIC ]
Art Impressions 48 PACK Mini Action...
[ SSS ]
Liebman's Deli | Nationwide Shipping
[ GLD ]
Lick Honest ice Cream - Ship...
[ GLD ]
Pre-Cut & Scored Cardstock
[ CTC ]
Art Anthology BIG CRAFT MAT 24x36 311473
[ SSS ]
Heavy Base Weight Card Stock- White
[ GNK ]
MISTI Stamping Tool
[ MSP | HA | SSS | ELH | MFT | UNT ]
Rotatrim Professional Series Cutter -...
[ BLIC ]
LightView 2in1 LED Magnifier for...
[ BRG ]
Teflon Bone Folder - Ellen Hutson LLC
[ ELH | SSS ]
Crafter's Companion GEMINI...
[ SSS ]
Scor-Pal MINI SCOR-BUDDY Scoring...
[ SSS ]
Essentials by Ellen Storage...
[ ELH ]
Die Storage - Clear Storage Pockets...
[ CHC ]
XL Stamp Storage Pockets
[ ELH ]
Mermaid tidy towel case and glue...
[ ETS ]
Lawn Fawn STAMP SHAMMY Cleaner LF1045
[ SSS | CST ]
Airtable: Organize your stamps & dies
[ ART ]


So in the absence of my trips, I've been taking virtual trips through food. You know I have a dairy allergy, and so I had been using this site to get my favorite local vegan ice cream delivered prior to the pandemic, because the store location is kind of a pain with traffic and parking - if you're just DYING to get rear-ended in this town (it's happened to me EIGHT times since I've lived here), then take a drive up South Lamar. But the ice cream is simply the best vegan ice cream - no gums or garbage, and local ingredients. They have dairy ice cream as well. What's cool about the way they sell it online is you don't have to be a local to get it.

The other day, I was on their site and a suggestion popped up for me for a kosher deli in New York I have eaten at many times. Kosher is always safe for me because they are dairy free by definition. And lordy do I miss the food in New York. So I took a little trip via Paypal and ordered some food from the deli and it was amazing. Just like I'd remembered, and perfectly packed and shipped, which had been my experience with the ice cream as well. So I decided to take a culinary trip once a month and visit some of my favorite restaurants around the country from home. I'm not driving, eating out or traveling, so why not splurge and have my favorite matzoh ball soup delivered? Or my favorite bagels? Or knishes, which don't exist here. Life is short. It doesn't have to be boring. Doodle around their website and treat yourself.

Loveyameanitbye.



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4 comments:

  1. I 2onder the same but try not to think about it because I feel a dark hole looming.
    The card is fabulous glad you have found a product you love
    Claire Mrs H's Crafty Corner

    ReplyDelete
  2. Those pencils do look amazing! I want to see what else you do with them!
    I just scribble on the side and pick up the color with the brush to avoid lines.

    I am in NYC and I did not know about that deli. I go to Katz's near me-site of the famous When Harry Met Sally scene. (they have a sign over the table) and Yonah's for knishes a couple blocks away. I love them bc they are the only ones I know who do thick slice on the meat.

    Margot

    ReplyDelete
  3. I have tried a few things at Goldbelly, it's amazing to be able to get it delivered. This card is adorable!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Well, here I am again. You are awesome as ever! However, I guess I was watching closely, or too closely, because when you changed from the clear water brush to a Red on and I had sudden " I gotta have it ittis ! Would you mind if I asked where I could get one. The clear ones disappear on my desk, maybe red would be easier to see. Gotta be just like you! Thanks sooo much. 1c1bailey@gmail.com Charlotte Bullock.

    ReplyDelete

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