Mood

 

The cloth isn't quite as 'bright' as in the photo, which looks fairly orange emphasis.  But, yes, it's bright.  And a tonic against the grey, overcast, dreary days we have been having.

Over the years I have found various ways to lift my mood.  Weaving, if I can get endorphins flowing always helps.  Music.  Depending on what I'm doing, I will put on appropriate music.  I have fairly eclectic tastes in most things including music, so I have folk, some jazz, rock (everything from hard to pop), easy listening, classic.  If I'm feeling tired I might put on Bon Jovi or Bryan Adams.  If I'm threading, Jesse Cook or Loreena McKennit.  And so on.

Colour.  This bright orange/red combo has certainly been a boon to help drive the dreary away.

This morning I also increased my Vitamin D.   For the past 10 years or so I've routinely increased my Vit D in the autumn.  I didn't this year and things seemed to be fine.  Until about 2-3 weeks ago when I noticed my energy levels had tanked and I felt tired all day long.  Since I've also read some reports about D being helpful against covid, I figured why not give it a try.  If nothing else, maybe I will feel less tired.  I'm quite certain the relentless too warm, too grey days are not helping.

2020 was a very long year with very few bright spots.  Neither of us caught covid, so there is that.  But we isolated, masked, washed hands, stayed physically distant from others.  And we will continue to do so for as long as is necessary.

OTOH, it is now 2021 and there are things to look forward to.  I have some Zoom things scheduled, especially the Sunday Seminar Series with the first one beginning Jan. 17.  There are other Zoom things planned and a friend and I have enjoyed having a little face-to-face time.  

With this orange/red warp, I am officially ending the current series of tea towels.  I will switch over to doing a few warps of place mats, for no reason other than that I have yarn to use up, so why  not?  Yesterday I pulled three more colour combinations and I will try weaving on the smaller loom again.  See how that goes.  If it doesn't go well, I will have to decide if I keep the loom or get rid of it.  Or continue with my therapy in hopes that eventually I *can* weave on that loom.

I'd rather not get rid of it because it works well for things like place mats while the Megado would not be very happy doing something that needs to be beaten in quite so firmly.  But I will never know until I try.  It's been almost a year since I last wove on it and I'm feeling much improved, so maybe...

2020 may be over but covid is not.  I'm reading reports that vaccinations are going far too slowly and at current rates it will take years, not months to get everyone vaccinated.  I'm hoping that this is all just teething issues and that people will get the logistics worked out.  While it may appear that I'm quite happy to continue to self-isolate, I would actually like to be able to teach in real life again.  Have coffee with friends.  Attend guild events.

The uncertainty of it all is probably the most difficult thing to deal with.  Not knowing how long it will take, if the vaccines will prove effective, if the virus will mutate to the point that new vaccines will be required.  Not knowing how long the distancing will be necessary.  And so on.

Like pretty much everyone else, I've had my good and bad days.  Fortunately I can still weave.  And because I have hearing protection with music, I can play the right sort of music while I weave.  

Win-win!

(I should get at least three (maybe four) towels with the bright mountie red, then two with a dark red/chocolate, then the rest of the warp will be woven off with a dark burgundy.  Then I will re-organize the 2/16 cotton and make room for the 2/16 bamboo, which I will focus on next for stash busting.)