Well, it's been 2 months since my last post and how the world has changed!

I also find Steemit greatly changed as well and haven't a clue what "communities" are or if I meant to join one or many? And if I am NOT joined, does my post just go out into the great void of the dark unreadable expanse of the interwebs? Who can say? If YOU can , please say in the comments!

I'm almost uncertain really what even to post. I've done almost NO art in 2 months. I'll share the last sketch and the first "underpainting" of that sketch (base colours decided but really just the ground for future colour build up)

Here is the sketch, of course in my animal series:

And here the first layer of colour:

I'm not even certain where to begin? I suppose the vast changes to our world has certainly affected us all somehow. Luckily, living in a rather rural spot, though connected to more built up towns and only an hour from a major city is an odd precipice to view this Brave New Word.

The New Normal

is the phrase one hear's or reads often, at least in my area of the world. Though I should say "reads" as we are meant to be self quarantined.

I found more sociability in the beginning of this than in normal times

and when we were first just 'advised' to self quantine I found when I did go to the shops, I'd have conversations with more strangers than was normal. Of course we'd be about 4 feet apart (not the Appropriate distance come to find out) yet none the less, standing in line in a busy shop (though not as busy as in cities) in the early days was rather a social affair, espcially for a dyed in the wool introverted hermit like myself.

Now, with LOCKDOWN in place, the sociability seems to have stopped

and as our state is in the 'lockdown' which means most shops are shut and we are only 'Allowed' out to do food shopping or doctor visits or other 'essential' (which for me has meant getting lumber and concrete and more garden soil) This new phase, however, has people looking askance a bit more at one another.

Red taped lines or X tell us where to stand in line,

how far apart, and taped "boxes" inform us where to stand at registers, and behind the perspect/plexiglass quickly fastened windows in front of these hard front line workers at registers. Their lives have certainly taken an odd turn.

Prior to this New Normal, this Brave New World

I was already greatly self reflecting on the coming year. Having rather found 2019 to be a bit of a "write off" and a dud, I looked Hopefully to 2020. I even endevoured to start doing video and Youtube, which I did, though not being able to decide if I wanted to share garden, art, or simply ethereal vibe videos. Honestly, in the end, it hardly mattered as the world sort of came to a halt one day and here we are:

The NEW NORMAL

It is odd and hard to make plans.

Being someone who already 'self quarantines' and does 'work from home' it's an odd mix of normalcy and bizarre. THOUGH I must admit, that my Summer income is much supplamented by holiday rentals and that market is GONE. My lovely little antique house sits empty on the Cape, after just investing in new windows finally, for a busy coming season that was meant to start in April. I had even been saying, "My how busy and early our season has become for rentals" and then...Yeah New Normal and all cancellations and well, MUCH less money.

I feel greatly for all the young people who live paycheck to paycheck

with heavy student loan debt (If you're not from American this might sound odd, but believe me, 19 year olds with 100,000 debt is our OLD and NEW normal I'm afraid) How will they live? If they can go home to parents that's something, but what of young parents with children who also live paycheck to paycheck, with mortgages and credit card bills, utilities, fuel...

And the small business owner.

I know I've been that and there is only a THIN margin of reserve, if I had to pay employees for months I'd fold immediately, as many small business are doing. Even my rental business, as I'm not technically an 'employee' of airbnb (which has always been unfair as we house owners foot ALL the taxes yet get NONE of the safety net of unemployement) and well, there IS no rental market, especially when people are forbidden to leave their homes and soon, possibly their states/towns...

Yet, we must go on, musn't we?

We still have to rise each day and face it. It's there waiting for us to fill it, these days. And if we are lucky enough to have more days ahead, it's our business and hope to find ways to do so productively and with any possibility with Some joy or Calm.

Thus, in the New Normal, I am trying to find my way back to a New Schedule

and a way to structure my days to better meet the current needs and also to face the reality that the OLD means of income might not be there at the other end of this. That means trying to use this time to ramp up and find out HOW one can MORE and more work ONLINE and from Home. That is my uppermost goal at present...that and

MY garden and poultry

I've always been a bit of a dabbler in the Homesteading ways. Never really considering myself A Homesteader, but always gardening, keeping chickens, quail, making things myself when I can like butter, or bread (though I no longer eat bread, that was a happy accident of dietary choice Pre-Event) Yet, I find myself wishing to amp that up, so I've greatly enlarged my area for veg and currently have a half finished bit of construction of new posts and fencing and concrete and such. Thus the necessity to visit the big box lumber stores (as the small ones are sadly NOT open)

My window sills are full of newly sprouting seedlings

My growing quail are awaiting their larger outdoor home and my chickens are still happily laying and just faffing about for them the Normal has stayed the same.

I suppose my NEED to return to Steemit now is 2 fold

one for the sanity of feeling a bit of the Old Normal and also to find out how to make up this New schedule of what is needed in the new world of do ALL work from home. Surely a few fractions of digital coin from votes might not seem like a lot, but

in this Brave New World, all pennies, rather physical or digital , are surely being carefully counted and considered.

and so I'll count and consider and plan and plant and grow and build and above all, I'll HOPE.

And I HOPE all of you out there can find your New Normal and I HOPE that you will share it with me in comments and guide me in the New Normal of Steemit as well, because Boy oh boy,

Do I need the safe virtual Village of Steemit now more than ever! Social Distancing is the norm here.

Well, until I post again, hopefully tomorrow I look forward to seeing some of you in the comments.

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My Previous Post: Hatching quail eggs in my Seaside Home

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