Another week, another month is coming to a close. June will be arriving In a few days - many people are looking forward to resuming activities after the COVID-19 stay-at-home orders. During this time when concert halls and restaurant dining areas were silent, lots of creative ideas were generated as people strived to stay connected while socially (or physically) distancing. Musicians performed together via online collaborations, virtual wine tastings and cooking classes were held, grandchildren sent (in the old-fashioned snail mail) handmade creative crafts to their grandparents, 3D-printed tools were developed to allow for opening doors without touching the handles.....the list goes on. 

As for my new experiences, I ordered produce boxes for home delivery and tackled chopping up a giant rutabaga for the first time. Roasting it with other vegetables (carrots, onions, and celery) yielded 2 large casseroles filled with healthy and delicious goodness! Here's a photo of them, piping hot out of the oven.

Rutabaga Bake

Another creation I worked on was my cloth mask, hand sewn with pleats on the sides to resemble surgical masks. It's made with a double layer of cotton fabric, with a pocket between them to insert an extra layer of filter when necessary. If I rest my glasses on the top edge, it keeps the fabric tight to my face. This became my go-to mask when I'm heading downstairs to the lobby to pick up deliveries and mail, or just going for a walk in the neighbourhood. Although social distancing guidelines are posted in the building's elevators, some residents don't keep their distance or don't wear face coverings, so I use my cloth mask as a layer of protection. When going to grocery stores with more people at closer distances, I'll use disposable surgical masks. Please remember to follow the distancing guidance while we continue to fight the pandemic.  (It's not visible in the photo below, but a few weeks ago I also attempted my own DIY haircut - guess how the results turned out?)

Mask Creation

One morning while taking a walk in my neighbourhood, I passed by the local community centre and found this empty baseball field. As group sports had been suspended for the past 2 months, the field is overgrown with yellow dandelions. It was quite a pretty scene, despite the fact that dandelions would usually be promptly weeded out. I turned it into a creative abstract art image, to simulate the action that typically takes place on a baseball diamond, with players running around the bases. I'm sure baseball players can't wait to restart their games, just in time for summer. 

Overgrown Baseball FieldBaseball field overgrown with dandelions, due to cancellation of group sports in COVID-19 pandemic.

What creative activities did you engage in during this time of self-isolation and social distancing? Did you find new ideas or subjects for your photography? Please share with us!