Author: ruthsilveira

Isolation Diary: Getting used to this new FB look. Why do things keep changing? Why doesn’t L’Occitane have my favorite lotion anymore? Okay, things are bad. BAD. I still have to get through my day. Which I did quite nicely until 10:30 pm when my sewing machine broke. I have lately (an elastic term, could be 3 days, could be 3 months) spent many evenings sewing while listening to books or podcasts. My tool is broken. I express myself thusly: Aaaarrrgghhhhh! I will seek repair and with what will I fill my evenings?

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Natalie R.
Macrame? I’ve recently felt the impulse to learn. Knitting things seems a good physical task right now, I imagine I’d like it once baby goes to sleep…

Tifanie M.
I have a sewing machine gathering dust and can drop it off this weekend if you like.

Ruth Silveira
Thank you, Tifanie! I found a place to take it for repairs and I have an old one I can pull out if I can’t busy myself some other way. I think I will pull out my sketch pad and begin drawing again.

Tifanie M.
Ruth, that is all wonderful!
Except I didn’t pull out that pad, I pulled out my old sewing machine and kept sewing.

Isolation Diary: Trouble everywhere, not unaware. But here are 3 things I know for sure: 1. Under the present circumstances it is good to have some unread books on your shelf. 2. If you live alone, you need a good back scratcher. 3. Sometimes the best thing you can do is make chocolate chip cookies.

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Susan J.
Sage

Isolation Diary: FB asks, “What’s on your mind, Ruth?” The old tale of King Arthur’s time about The Holy Grail and the Fisher King. Or how I imperfectly recall it. The King is wounded with a wound that will not heal. The kingdom suffers as the King does. We have a pestilent ‘king’ in the WH; is the country suffering because of him or is he there because the country was suffering? I suppose it is all one phenomenon. But not pervasive, not completely. There are true and good hearts active. Personally, in my little bubble, I had a very nice day until late in the afternoon when I finally became aware of what was going on. Still I maintained my equilibrium until Maggie (I was at her house at the time) asked me directly how I felt about the current situation. Or situations. Hard for me to avoid a direct question. And I went on a bit of a rant. Not about the current unrest but about the abhorrent betrayal of the Pennsylvania Democrats by the Republicans who, by keeping secret their covid positive tests (or at least there was one) from the Democrats but not the Republicans, and still meeting in committee, and declaring that all were safe, endangered not only the health and lives of the Dems in that committee but their spouses and children. This betrayal is symbolic to me of the pestilence that is manifesting in our country. I hope our Vote is a Vaccine.

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Ruth Silveira
And what is the wound that will not heal? In Trump? And his cult? This hole in their souls.

Susan J.
Oh, Ruth. As painful as it is to read this post, we all need to face these atrocities. On my darkest days, I then think: So. Now what?

Isolation Diary: Just thinking–I may be in this isolation for a long long time.

And that proved true.

Isolation Diary: I am remote from the upheaval. I am not about to risk my health and that of my family, my two daughters, my two sons-in-law, my two grandsons, one nearly 11, one 13 months; not going to do that. I am confronted, remotely, with a rogue president. The worst ever. And his nearly demonic followers. My emails each day are endless solicitations for money from the Dems. Endless. Every tactic used…this is great! this is disastrous! Send money. I have few tools to assess, mostly I ignore and stress about it. And now I am resenting all sides. And this bubble I am in is rather comfortable and I do have these chores I must do, or take a nap.

Isolation Diary: Even on a day like this in a time like this the universe can provide small treasures. I was in my garden, under a tree, obscured from above, quietly working on adjusting a drip watering system when I heard, and felt, a flutter of wings. The birds I normally see in my garden are sparrows, finches, hummingbirds, crows, and mockingbirds, none of which sound like this flutter. I look around and I see that a young hawk has landed not 10 feet from me. Stays for about 15 seconds and flies off. Never have I seen a hawk land on the ground. No prey in sight.

Isolation Diary: My slim thoughts adjacent to the passion outside…..why do I bother? But since I’ve started this entry I guess I will continue. Delighted today with Zoom improv, a Zoom chat with a friend, and later Zoom D & D. In between I was brought to my knees by the DWP. Just wanted to request a replacement green bin to replace a sadly broken one. On hold for……the happy jazzy tune I hear on hold was fun for 2 repeats, but by the twelfth and twentieth….?…and finally my phone battery died and I lost the connection. Tried myla311 and was caught in a Kafkaesque dialogue that finally defeated me and I was left teary eyed on the floor. Hey, there is always duct tape! Which I have.

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The next day.

Ruth Silveira
Today, I got through with only a tolerable wait. Exchange of damaged bin for new bin will take place on June 12. I did not attempt the website again, I spoke to a person. A person who I intend to use as an inspiration for an improv character…..so I got a double win today! A bin and a character!

Mandi M.H.
Ruth Silveira ha that’s great!!!

Isolation Diary: These may be intermittent from now on. I am surprised that I continued this practice for so long. Last night I attended a Zoom play reading and participated in discussion afterwards and submitted some remarks by email as requested. For me this was an identity infusing experience. I guess I mean that I was able to exercise and use parts of my mind and experience that haven’t had much exercise lately. I don’t actually know if my comments were helpful but I was grateful for the opportunity. In isolation I am becoming familiar with the reality of never acting again, or directing. How do I feel about that? I had been considering not acting anymore before this covid19 thing. Hmmm, won’t go into that. Just sayin’, I was so delighted to, even through Zoom, encounter and experience the wonderful people of theater and Sacred Fools Theater Co.

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Noel B.
I will agree that it is hard to replace physical human contact.But the mere act of exchanging ideas even if it is thru zoom is not something that should be dismissed.
I do not know what exactly your comments were and in what context they were made but I can only believe that any comment made from one person to another is immeasurable in value.

Jaime R.
It was absolutely helpful!And it was so delightful to see you again, even if only in a small box on my computer screen!

Aviva P.
As an AD I never know if anything I do is helping anyone. I know this isn’t about me, but I’m just really glad to hear this reading series made you feel good.

Holly B.
You go girl!!!!!!!! Such a great actress, why give up now??

Anna M.
Yes. Zoom is not ideal, but it is MUCH better than the proverbial nothing! And I view it as a new medium to explore.

Laura E.F.
I hope you keep it up Ruth! You’re so wonderful, and Fig needs to be in on thar RICH heritage!

Isolation Diary: Okay, here I am again. The world is nuts, I’ve had a fun day and am in sort of a goofy mood. I have littered my FB feed with comments about the current insanity. Played D and D today during which I created a beautiful collar out of Owlbear fur and feathers, tried to make friends with a wolf, failed, was temporarily trapped by zombies, participated in the demise of a wizard, and found more sausages hidden about my person than was reasonable. Is this anymore absurd than what is happening in DC?

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Ruth Silveira
And by DC I really meant the administration. Not the demonstrators!!!!!!!!

Isolation Diary: I did something today I probably wouldn’t have done if I hadn’t been home so much lately. I hung a picture tile on the wall in the bathroom. I have a ‘thing’ about hanging things on walls. Perhaps much of my fear of making a mistake is gathered around poking a hole in the wall and making a royal mess of it. Perhaps I should be grateful that the ‘mistake making fear’ is concentrated on this relatively benign problem. I have had this tile with a picture of otters (my favorite animal!) for years. Years. The bathroom is the perfect place for it, the colors are right and otters love water, right? It has been on the counter, leaning up against the wall, obscured by hairspray (which I never use) and a net bath sponge (which I never use) for years. Today I nailed a picture hanger into the wall and hung the tile, took 5 minutes. It looks great. Why?! did this take so long to do? Fewer distractions and excuses. And an impulse to just move forward with something. Time to look at what’s there. Time to look at what’s here and there. I think we are moving forward.

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John M.
you could have just moved the hairspray and the net bath sponge!

John M.
but I know the feeling of procrastinating for years over doing something, and then finally getting around to it and finding the effort is a tiny fraction of what was anticipated.

Laura E.F.
We’re adjusting the still lives we live in. Me too!