When a whim turns into tradition

If you've been following this page for any length of time, 

you're probably aware that every Lenten season,

just as winter seems to drag on and on,

one of the harbingers of spring for my family

was the arrival in the stores of bright yellow:

favorite flowers (daffodils)

AND bright yellow candy 

known as PEEPS. 

 

Bright yellow in the midst of midwinter dreary gray

always bring me joy.

 

I'm not even sure what the appeal was about the Peeps;

it's actually just a bedazzled marshmallow;

but I'm here to tell you that 8 years ago,

when I was getting more serious about photography -

and actually caring about focus, depth and light readings,

Peeps were the perfect 'models'.

 

They rarely moved, 

you could put them in all sorts of situations and not hear any complaints

and they could be frozen, taken out and re-used 

so they were available whenever inspiration struck.

I photographed PEEPS in various situations 

in ways that generally have revealed 

my bizarre sense of humor.

Oddly enough, when I posted them on Facebook,

they were enjoyed by friends who share the same humor -

born from working on the front lines of child abuse.

 

It was a wonderful after work outlet 

and I looked forward to it every year.

(here and here and here)

One year, I even branched out and did 'Lenten' peeps 

at Christmas time -

(here)

but, for some friends that was a bridge too far,

so I re-committed to Lent -

40 days of concentrated sugar madness.

However, with all the changes in the world this past year,

and in my life in particular,

I hadn't even thought of doing Lenten Peeps 

until Lent was upon us -

and I received an inquiry from a friend on Facebook 

asking me where they were.

Essentially saying I wasn't up for it was not well received.

 

My people pleasing side kicked into gear,

the ideas started coming

and when I went to Dollar Tree for solar light sticks,

there were Peeps, right at the checkout!

SO, without further ado, here are some Pandemic Peeps.

Hope you're enjoying the coming of spring as much as I am.

Happy Lent!

Odd place

 It's an odd place to be - getting to the other side of COVID.

1 year ago, when I chose to retire 

rather than work every day in a tertiary level Trauma Center,

it felt right and prudent to hunker down;

forays into the outside world were, for the most part,

highly debated and generally curtailed.

I had to go out for groceries and sometimes doctors appointments,

but even the majority of those were virtual visits -

although don't get me started on the absurdity of a Rheumatologist 

trying to decipher the level of RA swelling 

by looking at hands held up to a computer camera!

Zoom meetings with my movie group,

Zoom church 

and more Zoom meetings to deal with ongoing church business

consumed more time and energy than I knew I had to give

but at least it broke some of the isolation.

Puttering in the garden,

reading,

crafting,

watching TV,

playing with my camera,

sitting outside on the deck

and driving around 

looking at urban art

are the activities that have sustained me.

 

What I thought of before as a small life became even smaller.

Obviously my income took a BIG hit,

leaving a full time job

to live on Social Security and retirement income,

so I was glad to have a reason NOT to travel

since I couldn't afford it now anyway.

And a year passed;

more or less comfortably;

with the bemoaned 'new normal' becoming more routine every day.

And, now, "opening up" is on the horizon.

Yes, there are virus variants;

Yes, there is still the need for social distancing and masks

and yes, I will still be taking all those precautions

that have become second nature,

but the possibility exists for a broader level of activity

and now I'm left to ponder -

Now what?

What, if anything, will I do differently?

There's a Memorial service in Chicago for a nephew who tragically died

and I'm grateful we'll be able to gather together

and remember better days with David.

I'm also planning a trip this summer to see my oldest, living in Taos

assuming the state (NM) opens back up and lets people in.

Other than that, I'll probably be doing exactly the same things

that I've been doing for the past year. 

Funny to think my 'retired life' is the very definition of 'quarantine';

like I said, its an odd place to be.

As so it goes ...

 Can't believe its been nearly a month since I've had time to hop on.

Amazing how quickly the time fills up and days fly by 

even in the midst of the pandemic.

Second immunization is in the books 

and despite chills and increased tiredness,

I have never been so grateful to feel so bad

in my life.

It beats having COVID, that's for sure.

There's a distinct feel of spring in the air

and it's made me think gardening and decorative embellishments

for the outside of the house.

Toward that end, 

I have been frequenting my local thrift stores

and was rewarded with cheap stuff to make 'solar mushrooms' -

which my grandson calls 'magic mushrooms.'

Try explaining THAT

to your daughter in-law when her son tells her

Nanny was making magic mushrooms -

and she knows Nanny was a child of the 60's!

 

It's all very innocent.

Take an old vase, a cheap 'bowl' from the Dollar store

and flip it over a solar light stick (also from the Dollar store) -

and voila -

you have garden decor that works for daytime and night time enjoyment.

I'm not gonna lie;

I've fallen in love with the Dollar Store solar sticks - 

and have begun using them as outdoor candles.

 

I've got a small enamel deck table and a thrifted candlestick, 

another plastic bowl from the dollar store 

and a solar stick

are all it needs for a great night time effect.

The fact that it costs less than $5.00

makes it a win/win in my book.

   

 Solar sticks have also added a fun dimension to my side of my neighbors privacy fence,

without the expense of wiring, an electrician or elaborate underground cables.

I got different wall sconces on Facebook Market place

(for under $10.00),

added solar light sticks

and am LOVING the touch of whimsy it will add among

the morning glories, hyacinth runner beans and moon flowers

this summer.

Sometimes you just need a different way of looking at things -

and don't be afraid to keep being YOU.

YOUR yard, or deck or patio doesn't have to look like everyone else's.
 

 

My smallest daffodils (Tete a tete) popped open yesterday

 and everything in the yard beckons me outside to watch it unfold.

 

I've got to get out while the weather is still cooperating.

Rain with cooler temperatures is predicted for the rest of the week, 

so I'll try to write more when I'm forced to be inside.

 

For now, I'm headed out.