Day 4 of this social distancing dance. Ain't easy. Drove by Bunks and had to use two hands to not turn the wheel and bang in for a coffee. I only went out to pick up cat food that I ordered online, really!

They gotta eat.  Speaking of which, now I have time to tend to my kitties better, and I think Theo needs a vet visit to make sure he is aging in a healthy way. Seems a wee bit too frail lately. As my awesome vet is like family to me, I count her in my family circle, I will be bringing up my pets to her. Puppy has to get vaccs, Teddie needs her lepto shot series. What's one more visit with a kitty? At this point...

The past three days have been both good and bad. Bad, as watching the big red dots spread across the nation's map like unruly bloodstains has been unnerving to say the least. The numbers look so low...but we know that the numbers only represent the tested, and there are 60-80% more people that have the illness but haven't been tested. This reminds me so much of King's The Stand, the hugely long book Iread in the summer of 8th grade. The one that kept me up at night reading or dreaming scary dreams. This keeps me up, too. 

My neighbor has a cold, and I mean a cold. NOT the corona. Can I prove it? Nope. But she has a runny nose. My other neighbor and I have had runny noses for about six weeks. Allergies, cold. whateva. Breathing is fine. It makes you paranoid though. I think back a couple weeks ago when I had pain in my lungs and said as much to my friend, and laughed as it was a weird thing to describe. And headaches. And just felt so, so tired and worn out, couldn't sleep enough. Was it Corona? Or Was it February and March? We will never know. As a "sicky" immuosupressed individual I suppose I was supposed to get very sick. Put another check in the "She's a tough old broad" column. 

The timing of all these things amazes me. I can't believe that Tessa came and I was able to get her before all of this lock-in stuff started. If I had thought I'd have the time to gently raise this puppy with constant care and love (i.e. spoiling) I'd never have believed it.  She is adorable and I love her. I thank GOD I have a house full of critters to keep me company and connected to something besides my phone. I also thank GOD that I am an artist and can never have too much free time on my own. I feel bad for people who live alone without pets. Without hobbies, too. Unimaginable at this point. 

Yesterday was a beautiful day outside. I walked the dogs, talked to neighbors at a distance, and let the puppies run their little hearts out. There is an electricity in the air that is fear...fear of each other, fear of hurting each other unknowingly. I wanted to work on a textile piece, but just couldn't. Too antsy. Instead, I made paper flowers on my Cricut, using old books for the paper. It was theraputic and relaxing. After an hour I realized I didn't even have an audiobook on...go Cricut. Now that I've broken the ice on getting lost in artwork, I plan on tackling the big piece today. It is going to be a long one and I have NO EXCUSE not to get going on it.  Besides, today is rainy. Puppy will get wet if I take her out! 

My good art pals and I used Zoom last night to have a video chat. It was great to see everyone even if the tech is a bit choppy. I miss my friends and the laughter that happens when we get together. At least we can video chat as a group now. They want me to teach them something online...wellllll...!? They have forgotten more than I'll ever know, so this is a nutty concept. 

I think I will be posting more, if only to catch the thoughts and things that are happening in these novel times. So, so strange. Be well, y'all. And keep washing those paws! 

The world is upside down, right now. The viral pandemic is spreading in the US, as expected. We are all asked to practice "social distancing" -- as in, stay the heck home, and away from other people, for two weeks. This is a very conservative estimate and I think this will continue for some time. While I am thrilled to have art time and rest time and puppy time, even I am skeeved out by all this. 

As someone who is on multiple immunosupressive meds, I am in the "uh-oh" camp should I catch this. What worries me the most is that I might catch it and not know it, though. This would mean I could potentially pass it on to the people in my life that I love, who I usually see frequently. Our dogs play together, we socialize all the time. Too risky now, plague has begun. My best friends are older and have medical issues themselves. Just to think that friendship could equal death for these people makes me shudder. I'm staying in, and away.  Local doctors are reporting seeing multiple unconfirmed cases of this and are almost literally shouting from the rooftops that this is not a joke, it is not exaggerated, and the threat is real. 

Yesterday I tried in vain to find bread flour in the grocery store. No flour, and I got the last few cans of "good kind" soup because they were pushed far back along the wall on the very bottom shelves. I got the last few bags of bird veggies, and will have to use them carefully. There was no bread. I filled the fridge and freezer with what I could, and that is that. Coffee, coffee cream, eggs, and a few frozen healthy meals, and we will get through this. I grateful to not be a big foodie-type. I will miss going out with friends, though! Feels so strange. 

I also made a couple important stops before shutting in...AC Moore and Joanne Fabrics. Damage was done. AC Moore is closing, and while I have told my friends repeatedly to not let me bring another damn bead into this house, they were not with me and I did bad things there. My receipt said I saved $729, so I think I did well. I did not deplete the budget at all -- things were just too inexpensive to refuse. Man, I love my beads. Am starting to run out of the Turkish Hoarde from my married years, so I must think practical now. !! 

It has been my practice for years to make one small equipment purchase a year to push me into new creative territories and keep me learning. Usually done after taxes come in, I've purchased screen printing kits, computer fabric, a felting machine, etc. I never regret learning new things. At AC Moore I found a ton of gorgeous copper iron on film for Cricut...so yesterday I got the Cricut Easy Press 2, 9"x9". I hope to make interesting fabrics and effects with this little thing. Not inexpensive, but not over the top either. 

The sense that "forced alonement" has arrived. As an artist, I am happy. As a new pet momma, I am happy. As a neighbor, friend, and teacher; as an aunt, friend, and sister, I am worried. As a patient, I am a bit more worried than I'd like to be. Hoping for an uneventful two weeks on the health front, for all. Peace out. 

Photo below by my cousin, who is trying in vain to find TP for her family. Jeesh!

Well, the Old Crone travelled to Pennsylvania and got the puppies, with teddie in tow! Could not have done it without the help of my friend Tim, who took care of Ellie and the Farm. Thanks also to my good friends from PA, Diane and Mike, who met us at the hotel and took us to the breeders, then hung out with us as we got to know our new little ones. And enormous thanks to the other puppy-getters, Lynn and Guy, who arranged for two super hotel rooms and while Lynn was unable to go on the trip, Guy did a great job driving the entire way. To and from, from Saturday A.M to arriving home Sunday at noon. That is A LOT OF HOURS to be behind the wheel. Thanks and love to everyone who helped Baby Tessa come home! 

Immediately, Teddie grew. Once the little one was in my hand, really, one hand, her diminutive size made Teddie look full grown. All the way down to PA she was my little baby, my tiny pup, my young girl. Once Tessa was on the scene, Teddie seemed like a full grown dog - young, maybe, but not my tiny pup. So strange how that happens. She was amazing in the car on the way down, and the trip gave me quality time with her, at least on the way down. She came into the bathroom stall somewhere in CT and was able to balance on the toilet paper roll dispenser attached to the wall, so she must still be small enough! Not a peep out of her all the way down and all the way back. She just slept, as did the puppies. It was truly amazing! 

There really is nothing like a maltese puppy. Soft, fluffy, brilliant white fur. Tiny little button nose. Bunny hop jumpies when excited. Sweet little kisses. If I could keep Tessa this small forever I would. She is so completely lovable it is unbelievable. Her nature is what the breeder described -- mellow and calm. When I need to leave her in her pen, she cries twice then goes to sleep. When I hold her, she goes limp in my arms (as did her Daddy, Finley) and will stay in cuddle mode for endless hours. Today we played outside in gorgeous 75 degree weather, and I can confirm that she does have legs and can run! She weighs a whopping 2.9lbs at 8 weeks (Teddie was 2.4 at 9 weeks) but isn't really overweight. She is a perfect little love ball and once again I am overwhelmed with love and appreciation for all this breeder has done with her doggies. Such fine little babies, both of them! 

Somewhere near NYC I realized I'd brought my stitching, but had no needle. We got off the highway when we saw a Michaels sign, but could not for the life of us figure out how to drive to the front of the store so that I could just run in and get one. We gave up and carried on. Note to self: I can survive a long ride without stitching. Maybe it was because I had Teddie on my lap the whole time. If she hadn't been there...might not have been the same!

Now that the puppy is here safe and sound, with her dear little cousin Rudy living a few blocks away, I can rest easy and focus energies on art again. The art piece for the museum is well underway, and I have multiple classes booked at Michaels for the next few months. More classes might crop up at Staples, too -- but I have concerns over the local impact of Coronavirus, and am waiting another week to book them. 

At this point, I'm still fighting the exhaustion from the trip, and before the trip, and the time change, too. Early to bed, to cuddle my girls, and catch up a bit. Ellie is happy, Teddie is happy, and while Tessa seems a little confused (dopey puppy!), I think she will be happy, too. Good night!