Corona Quarantine Update

SoulCollage(R) card: Home and Hearth

It’s a blast to be at home full-time, isn’t it? I feel safe, protected, not too lonely cause of Skype, Zoom and whatever tools to stay connected. 

But what a drag to have all my outside classes for the next two months cancelled! I planned, prepared and wrote scripts for retreats and workshops; I booked rooms and paid deposits and advertised like crazy; I made videos to promote my retreat, communicated with people who were interested in SoulCollage® training, workshops and intros like never before….all to have it be postponed due to this beep-beep virus. I will be writing a newsletter soon, once I have some new dates to announce.

Hey, but on the bright side, Jacques and I got some singing done. My hubby and I are half of Silk Sky Band  https://www.silkskyband.com/ and we love singing acoustic duets together. I love harmonizing with him (36 years ago, that's how we met!) He works from home since the past two weeks, and is loving it - working without having to deal with traffic, without constant interruptions, but he also spends a lot of draining time on phone calls with nervous clients. It’s been a rocky road for the market and investors.

At least we have each other – right? I have three sisters and two brothers who are single and I can sympathize. We went to Florida one week, then two weeks together at home, three meals a day, evenings binge watching Netflix on the couch, getting out to walk the dog together…until she had a little back pain episode two days ago; her legs just gave out on her briefly and she couldn’t get up - she lay there making a horrendous noise for a minute until we got her into her crate and then to the vet. She’s better now,  on more pain medication, as well as her heart medication, and yeah, at 15 she’s probably reached her best by date. Poor little Mollie, our Shiztu-Bichon mix, little cutie, who still gets heads turning when we walk with her, is not going to have any long walks for two weeks. She is good company, if quiet these days.

All this down time - what to do? I don’t know how productive you all are. But I can’t seem to concentrate. I thought this quiet time would help me reflect and focus on my writing. Hmmm, instead what I find is that every two days my anxiety amps up, and I need to do something like lie on the floor and breathe, or watch a video with some EFT, or take a chill pill. Especially if I have to go out somewhere, with gloves and mask, to pick up groceries or get to the notary to sign the closing on our new hobby farm! I feel like I should be overjoyed to get outside, but instead I’m even more nervous.

There are so many unknowns, and for a control freak like myself, probably traumatized in childhood from growing up in an alcoholic environment with tons of unexpected, unpredictable little crisis’s popping up, these unknowns are a little bit scary.  See, that little ball of worry in my tummy, it comes from past experiences and rushes up to greet me in this new crisis.

Anyways, I keep active, and creative and love making SoulCollage® cards and collages in my art journal. However, my brain is too full of worry to calm down and write creatively. I'm giving myself a pass on that one. And I am reading a lot instead. I have read four or five novels in the past two weeks (I know, I’m a speed reader). Good thing Amazon and Chapters deliver!

As for family, I keep in touch with our almost 30-year-old son and his wife, and our 27-year-old daughter by Facetime and their favorite app HouseParty. 

SoulCollage(R) card: Touch me through the Screen

We call or email with siblings and my 89 year old mom,, we see neighbours walk by and occasionally stop and chat at a good six foot distance. (the local policemen drive by on motorcycles checking out the parks and gathering places). We do not feel isolated, yet,  and we do have a pretty scenic view of the St Lawrence where it widens out into Lac St Louis, right in back of the house; barring any spring floods, with all the recent Geese flocking here on the ice floes, it’s been very peaceful.

My relationship with the wild world is increasing. Definitely gonna make a card for those Canada Geese because they are good guardians and companions.

The most fun thing we’ve done so far, besides making popcorn and watching the show Sex Education (a hoot!) on Netflix, is do some singing and post it on Facebook. We received a lot of good feedback, so I put two songs up on my YouTube channel. That’s a first! Life is Beautiful! 
https://www.youtube.com/feed/my_videos

We also shared some of our favorite songs on a new playlist on Spotify called Corona Congeé (means Corona holiday), with some uplifting, heart-full and happy songs.  It's public. 

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4LpjAh6Jk1rnuLrcSjMeau  One of them is by Alison Kraus and James Taylor (two of our faves) doing “How’s the world treating you?” 

So that’s my question for today, How is the isolation-stay-at-home sheltering in place working for you?

Love and hugs, toodles

Jenn

www.jenniferboire.com

corona quarantine song LifeisBeautiful

We sang this last Saturday during our Corona Quarantine
Am uploading a few such songs to my YouTube channel

Enjoy and spread the Love and Light!

Music heals,

Life is Beautiful, by Keb Mo

Jacques & Jenn

Good News: Spring Equinox and Canada Geese Return

If you haven't noticed, but I'm sure you have, there is only news about the coronovirus on the tele, radio and in the newspapers. Everything else has shrunk to invisibility.

Today, in the Northern Hemisphere at least, the breaking news is that Spring has sprung, the geese are returning in grand conflagrations, honking all night outside my window. We have a front row seat, or should I say, a back yard seat, to this glorious gathering - no social distancing is being practiced and the rules of isolation do not apply.

It makes my heart glad to see and hear them. I saw my first robin as well, and a few cardinals have been peeping and piu-ing all week. On my walks along the Lakeshore (part bike path, part pedestrian and only one lane for cars), I have never seen so many kids on bikes, skateboards, scooters, and loads of happy smiling faces glad to get outdoors after a long Canadian winter, and despite much self-isolation and quarantine. I heard one mom say, no dear we won't go down the boat ramp to see the geese, there are too many people. We are all respecting our 1 metre (or is it 2?) distances.

But what a glorious thing, despite the terror, confusion and tumult of health crisis, economic crisis and lock-down everywhere imaginable (except apparently on Florida March break beaches!), we are thriving and surviving.

Now I know my neighbourhood is mostly protected from financial hardships - my husband is working from home but his salary is not affected. Others I know who are self-employed fitness instructors, yoga instructors, workshop leaders like myself, and airline attendants who are laid off, are not so lucky because all gyms are closed, schools and universities may be closed for the term, and nobody is getting massaged, or trained or even treated at the osteopath.

So inspite of this gloomy scenario, I do feel better today, on day 7 of our quarantine. It may be the chill pill I took to help rid me of anxiety attack this morning...but hey, whatever helps you stay calm, I say. Yoga, meditation, listening to soothing music, and yes, creativity! I have made four SoulCollage(R) cards since Monday, done several readings, in groups on Zoom and alone at home. And journaled to keep my heart happy. Art journaling is another passtime that brings me into flow and serenity. My poor hubby is caught up in the financial crisis, holding his clients' hands and trying to reassure them all is not lost. So I am really aware that these are troubled times.

I took a short video of the geese and put it on both my Facebook pages, if you want to get a taste of spring. Get outside and celebrate the return of the light. https://www.facebook.com/pg/beyourownoracle/posts/?ref=notif

It won't stay dire forever. Keep hope alive.

xxxxx
jenn

SoulCollage(R) card: Coronovirus pandemic panic 

I am one who is too aware of all the social media posts and warnings.

I am one who seeks balance in this tipsy turvy time.

I seek to switch my focus to what is well in the world.

I am one who is dealing with the isolation well.

I feel calm and at peace, if a bit lonely.

Social distancing and solituded are my natural habitat.

but I do miss my 'school' of fish, retreats and workshops.