Well…. 2020 started out well enough, right? It is funny to hear the news reports now in January of 2021 saying today is the anniversary of the 1st diagnosed case of COVID in the US, because I certainly had not been hearing anything about it. January of 2020 I was getting the Christmas decorations put away as I usually do and had just found out I would be a guest on Quilting Arts TV.
Road To California Quilt show is always a great way to kick off the quilting year and this year was even bigger than ever. I got to go as a civilian for the first time in a while, without the responsibility of teaching or a booth! I have a much fuller report on the show in my ROAD blog post .
February had me in Arizona…Twice! My husband and I have a time share in Sedona which we enjoyed at the beginning of the month then I was back again but this time in Mesa, for the Quilt Arizona! show. Little did I know it would be my last show to attend for the year. Might have been yours, too! While in Sedona, we tried something that has been on my husband’s bucket list since forever, glass blowing! We warmed up a bit by taking a class on lampwork and made beads, then with trepidation we approached the blast furnace. Luckily the pros handled the most dangerous parts.
With my attention firmly fixed on preparing all the samples and step outs needed for 4 different segments for the Quilting Arts TV show I was still blissfully ignorant of what was now becoming an obvious crises for anyone watching the news. I headed off to Solon, Ohio to tape the show with my sanitizing wipes and hand sanitizer not for COVID, I was just terrified I would catch a COLD and look and sound terrible on camera. Oh, and knowing I was going to be on TV became a good motivator. In January I joined WW (again… ) and lost 15 pounds before the taping!
I was surprised by how quiet LAX was on my flight to Ohio, but my flight was full and most things seemed pretty normal. Watching the news for the 1st time in a few weeks COVID was the big story and much of what everyone was talking about on the set. It was the 1st I heard of the “20 second” rule of hand washing and suddenly everyone was questioning “should we hug?” By the time I flew home March 12 my flight was practically empty and I was getting messages from friends in Italy saying “This is no joke, our hospitals are overrun and people are dying in the hallways, take this seriously and protect yourself”. I decided to self quarantine for 2 weeks due to my recent travels, not wanting to take any chances with infecting friends or clients. Before the 2 weeks were up Los Angeles County was in full lockdown, where we would remain with some slight adjustments for the rest of the year.
At home and without pressing deadlines I found myself glued to the TV watching the daily news briefings with the County health director, then the mayor and then the governor. Feeling relived that there did seem to be a plan and that emergency hospitals were being set up and PPE acquired (there’s an abbreviation none of us had before 2020!) Unable to focus on much of anything at all but with an abundance of good weather I spent what time I could outside weeding. And weeding. And weeding. Digging up a TON of stones and ultimately, eventually installing weed barrier and bark. I took advantage of the “home time” to plant vegetables. Something which, in response to the drought, I had not done in years. In went several tomato plants, different varieties of basil, bush and pole beans.
Along the way I finished a couple of UFO’s and, one of my QATV segments being on making quilt labels, I even went around and labeled many of my older quilts.
Quilt Show Reno was canceled and with it the 5 classes I was scheduled to teach… then several guilds canceled or postponed their meetings…. One other highlight of the year. I was able to spend some time at the beach in Carlsbad, CA (where they still had restaurants open for indoor dining!! at least the ones that hadn’t boarded up from fear of the BLM protest, which was completely peaceful, scheduled for Pacific Coast Hwy that weekend ) I had been asked to write an article for Quilting Arts Magazine so I used that week at the beach as my “writing retreat” actually getting much of it done. yippee!! (being away from home makes it much harder for my inner procrastinator to suddenly decide to reorganize the pantry!)
With fall on the horizon and the situation in Los Angeles no better, I made the heart wrenching decision that travelling and attending Houston Festival would be inappropriately dangerous medically and asked to be released from my teaching contract, just ahead of the announcement that the show would not be held in person in 2020.
Finally accepting that COVID was not going away and we were not getting back to normal I started figuring out zoom. With my husbands help we built a system of camera mounts, got new cameras and pulled out the light stands. I participated in a zoom meet the teachers and started preparing my first virtual quilt presentation for the TLC Quilt Guild. With more time on my hands than usual and actually being home for Halloween for the 1st time in 5 years instead of at Houston Festival, I went a little nuts with my Halloween decorations, but only indoors. Our neighbors have the title for over-the-top outdoor decorations. This year with no trick or treating their yard had a steady stream of visitors willing to brave their “haunted walk”.
After Halloween it was a pretty quiet Thanksgiving and Christmas. We have a small family and were able to spend it together more or less as usual. My husband purchased a BIGGER TV which caused a domino effect of moving, eliminating, rearranging, and purchasing furniture. That meant that my Christmas decorations had to adapt, some no longer had a home, some had to share space with heaps of A/V equipment. Hopefully this is a one time thing and things will be more settled by next year. (Not so far, we are repainting the family room in anticipation of new flooring going into that room in February.
Somewhere during the year I finished a few quilts, and achieved a bucket list item of my own. Quilting Arts Magazine published a feature article on me and my art quilts as well as my article on painted tyvek embellishments in the Dec20/Jan21 issue!
We have much to be grateful for our family is healthy, and except for me still able to work (zoom classes coming soon!). Our delightful little doggies keep us entertained and encourage us to get out of the house for regular walks.
My Son had just taken a new job in January of 2020 and moved into a tiny apartment near the beach with his Girlfriend. Once COVID hit his company laid him off. Luckily he was able to find a new job quickly (not much of a problem for computer coders) but with both he and his Girlfriend working from home they found the walls closing in quick! Is that what they call new millennial problems?
I for one am happy to wrap up 2020 and look forward to more quilting, eating in a restaurant again and hugs!
Much Love - Retta
