Shopping During A Pandemic - Adventure Year Week 45

Now that I've cleared quarantine and cases are continuing to rise even in rural areas, I decided it was time for me to take over the shopping duties, rather than letting my at-risk senior mother keep doing it.  Fortunately, our local stores and grocery have expanded their shopping options to include ordering online and receiving curbside car delivery for everything from electronics to groceries!  What a wonderful world for someone like me who hates going into stores to shop anyway!

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Ten images from this week in COVID-19 life. 🎯Online ordering with the Target app and waiting for car delivery ☕️Rice Krispies treats and double filtered coffee for breakfast 🚙 Kroger grocery ordering online with car delivery to parking lot 🍗Supporting some small local take-out businesses once a week 🧁Turning the bananas that got squishy, then frozen, into muffins 🧶Sewing washcloth animals that were unfinished from the 1980s 🌱Regrowing onions in the window 🧴Making our own foamy soap with Castile soap and essential oils 🌹Tulips blooming in spite of the cold weather and occasional snow

A post shared by Anne’s Adventure Journal (@anneruthmann) on Apr 26, 2020 at 4:49am PDT

Sales of my book continue to trickle in slowly during quarantine, and for all those people making tons of masks, I really hope this helps them come out the other end feeling compensated for all of their time and efforts.  Unfortunately the shipping times are lagging quite a bit, even since the fires in Australia in January, so hopefully no one needs anything urgently.

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Supporting fellow artists, creatives, makers, musicians, and healers is why #iamasmallbusiness . When our client load is full, the days may be long and tiring, but we wouldn’t choose anything else because of how it fuels us to wake the next day and keep going. When the client list had dried up because the economy has stopped valuing things of beauty and joy, creatives don’t stop creating, they just eat less, share more, and work with cheaper or recycled materials. Creative thought and blood doesn’t stop pumping through creative minds and hearts- it just finds new ways to be creative. While it does make creatives highly resilient, it also means we rarely get recognized as sole-proprietors or business owners because of how personal and individual our work may need to be in order to exist in the world. Solopreneurs may not employ as many people, but we contribute greatly to supporting a healthy economy and bringing the joy and beauty that makes life about so much more than work and suffering. I hope that during this time you are finding ways to continue supporting the “little guys”. The makers who work from their homes or their garage, making masks and PPE when the government and corporations can’t supply the demand. The musicians, artists, actors, poets, filmmakers, and writers creating beautiful works that remind us why life is worth living, and connect us to the beauty and joy and laughter we feel we’re missing. The chefs and the gardeners who help us understand that we can make beautiful things right at home that will continue to nourish ourselves and our planet in healthier ways. The yogis and dancers who are inspiring us to move our bodies when we feel like we’re in confined spaces with no where to go. I hope you’ll celebrate all of these little one person businesses with me and share more about your solo business as well. We’re all in this together and looking for ways to make each day brighter. 🙏❤️🌟

A post shared by Anne’s Adventure Journal (@anneruthmann) on Apr 23, 2020 at 8:41am PDT

A few of the books that have kept me grounded, healthy, and in a good mindset during this are all focused on growth and embracing the past while still moving toward the future.

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These books have been my companions this week as I’ve been in and out of deeply thoughtful spaces. The Runes are a way to dig into my own insight and feelings- they help me open the space to listen within and I find this particular text and interpretation a great opening to working with symbolism for growth as well. SARK’s Succulent Wild Woman offers words and stories steeped in divine feminine wisdom and joy, resilience and perseverance that help lift me up and remind me of the beauty that is always within. Hidden on bottom is my faithful journal, where I work out my thoughts and feelings to gain more clarity about myself and what my needs and wants are in each moment to stay honest and at peace with who I am and where I am. Have you been leaning on certain books and writings more during this time?

A post shared by Anne’s Adventure Journal (@anneruthmann) on Apr 22, 2020 at 7:06am PDT

I was hoping that I would be able to catch a few meteor showers under the clear and dark skies of the rural Michigan neighborhood, but instead I simply had a chance to enjoy stargazing from my hammock at night, but only until it got too cold and I needed to go back in again.

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Will you look for clear skies and Lyrid Meteor trails tonight or tomorrow while the moon is dark? I may need to wrap myself in a few heavy blankets, or drive to some remote location to stare at the sky through the car windshield, but stargazing is one of those little treasures we have right now while the skies have less pollution and smog.

A post shared by Anne’s Adventure Journal (@anneruthmann) on Apr 21, 2020 at 10:11am PDT

Observing myself and remembering what this time feels like in all of its rawness and realities.  I definitely thought I was going to be more productive than I have been.  It's quite surreal how some people like essential workers are busier than they've ever been, while other people are facing the reality of "doing nothing" every day, and yet some feel like work is just continuing as normal, while others are needing to adjust to entirely different ways of working online from home.  This experience is quite different for everyone, and I'm really curious how the impact of this time will play out over the next decade and more.

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Quarantine self-reflections: 1. No desire for productivity podcasts but all the desire for music that touches my soul 2. No desire to watch news or TV but could definitely watch more movies 3. Motivation to be outside is dependent on the temperature exceeding 60°F 4. Craving one take-out meal a week just for a change of flavor and complexity 5. Prefer to only meet family I’m not staying with outside for a walk and only one person at a time to limit exposure 6. I max out at 3 video/calls a day and my ears are becoming increasingly sensitive to audio 7. Still have a solid morning routine and get fully dressed as if I could leave the house despite rarely actually putting shoes on 8. Pretty sure I’ve lost 8lbs and maybe a size, but all of my clothing is stretchy so I can’t tell anyway 9. Have zero desire to open my laptop unless I absolutely have to in order to place an order or deal with important email 10. Alcohol isn’t as fun when it’s not social 11. There have only been two days out of the last month that have been nice enough to lay in this hammock, so I take whatever I can get 12. I recognize what a privilege it is to be able to stay home right now, and my heart continues to hold space for all the people on the front lines, grocery lines, home with symptoms and concerns, trying to parent and help kids learn something, experiencing deep loneliness at home, in the hospital and worried about seeing tomorrow, worried about where the next meal will come from, and all the other concerns and challenges being worked through during this time. Even when I try to find a little moment of peace for myself in this hammock, I also hold all of those concerns in my heart and share them with the universe for healing. ❤️🙏

A post shared by Anne’s Adventure Journal (@anneruthmann) on Apr 20, 2020 at 5:33am PDT

This week I got to celebrate some of the first bulbs of spring popping up in the yard- so I'll take any little moment of joy that I can get.

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I find hope in these flowers, because I can’t seem to prevent the waves of sadness, disappointment, hurt, and concern... but I can keep bringing my feelings to the garden and showing them how beautiful these flowers still are. This particular batch of flowers from the yard have survived and somehow continued to grow the last several days during sleet, rain, snow, and freezing temperatures. They may be a little tattered from the battle to keep growing, but they remind me that I too can be resilient and colorful in the face of dark emotional weather.

A post shared by Anne’s Adventure Journal (@anneruthmann) on Apr 19, 2020 at 5:08am PDT

Easter Pandemic Celebrations - Adventure Year Week 44

The images and videos from this Easter are unlike anything we've ever known.  Completely empty plazas, streets, and churches of Italy due to stay home orders have provided the opportunity for the creation of a video and musical tribute that would never be possible otherwise...



I also caught most of the NYC St Patrick's Cathedral Service, as it was televised on ABC Network television.  I don't know if Network TV has ever televised this Easter Service before, so it was a rare and interesting experience to be watching the priest and church staff go about their normal service while sipping iced coffee and eating yogurt with a towel wrapped around my head at home.



My favorite quote from the sermon "I even have a bloody mary while watching"... which he says "isn't the way to do it," but seems a bit hypocritical from the Catholic Church who continued to keep the Brotherhood Winery alcohol flowing into church communion services during the prohibition.  Hmm?

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When we listen closely to the sound of the universe, it can fill our heart with the power of love, hope, forgiveness, compassion, support, and surrender. May your heart be open to the power of this eternal wisdom.

A post shared by Anne’s Adventure Journal (@anneruthmann) on Apr 12, 2020 at 3:17am PDT

It continued to be a week of ups and downs, and navigating the space of trying to make the most of the least, while grieving all the future plans that have been cancelled, leaving only uncertainties in their place.

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How does the unknown make you feel? Have you acquired too much baggage and responsibility for it to be freeing and adventurous? Most people would say that unknowns make them feel insecure, protective, and defensive. All of these responses represent an attempt to grasp to a past set of knows, rather than opening up to a future of unknowns which might end up being far better. I used to operate in the space of wanting to close up and become defensive to protect what I knew because it gave me a sense of security and comfort that didn’t require me to change very much. While in that place, I kept repeating the same mistakes and getting the same outcomes. However, once I started to embrace the possibility that unknowns may actually turn out better than what I already knew, my life took a very unexpected turn toward abundance and unlimited possibility. When I stopped clinging with entitlement to what I thought was supposed to be mine, I opened up to possibilities I’d never dreamed would become a part of my life. This is part of the process of enlightenment in Buddhist philosophy of non-attachment. Lightening our load. Lightening our expectations. Releasing our determinations. By not being attached to a particular set of future outcomes, we allow ourselves to grow and change in ways we never thought possible. As a monkey learns how to swing from tree to tree flying in the air, it must travel lightly, let go of the branch it has been holding onto, and trust that the next branch will support its weight or that it will land on a stronger branch than it had aimed for. If you can try to adopt this mindset with the state of unknowns in the world right now, than you can see opportunities that you would have missed if you were looking for a particular set of outcomes. You’ll be able to see yourself and the world around you in new ways. You’ll have deeper trust in yourself and the unknowns ahead.

A post shared by Anne’s Adventure Journal (@anneruthmann) on Apr 15, 2020 at 10:40am PDT

When we're at our best, we're just appreciating the little things that we have in this moment...

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When all else fails, I take delight in nature’s gifts. Flowers give me hope that tomorrow can be brighter.

A post shared by Anne’s Adventure Journal (@anneruthmann) on Apr 13, 2020 at 4:33pm PDT

When we're at our low points, we're giving up on trying to do things because we just lack the energy to show up for fun things.  Even Max, who was first excited about having humans home all the time to play ball with, has resigned to the idea that maybe we won't actually be up for playing ball as much as he'd like us too.

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When you resign to resting because your humans aren’t willing to play ball every time you demand it, but are still hopeful and watching just in case they change their attitude and show signs of playfulness.

A post shared by Anne’s Adventure Journal (@anneruthmann) on Apr 14, 2020 at 8:37am PDT

The practice of self-fulfillment in a time of isolation is a very real challenge for people who are facing it for the first time.  I've been practicing it for a long time and even I find myself slipping into moments where I forget that it is still ultimately me and me alone in charge of my joy.

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Can you fill your own cup? Full to the point of overflowing love, care, compassion, and forgiveness? Today was one of those days when I really needed to fall in love with myself for a little bit because my cup was feeling empty. I remembered my resilience in the face of all that I’ve already overcome. I remembered my accomplishments big and small that filled my heart and made a difference in the lives of others. I got in touch with people I care about and let them know I’m still thinking of them. I allowed myself to be vulnerable and yet still safe in my own care. I journaled and faced all the things that weigh heavily on my heart and reminded myself that I can be strong even when I feel tender, and brave even when I may feel scared. I used to wait for other people to fill my cup and often found myself running on empty, chasing something on the outside that I needed to be cultivating for myself on the inside. I’m not going to pretend that it’s easy. It’s a process and a practice that is learned through conscious cultivation and deep self-reflection on our inner needs. The good news is we can practice every day and the sooner we recognize how to fill our own cup, the quicker we can get to feeling a sense of fulfillment no matter where we are, who we’re with, or what’s happening around us. I still look forward to long hugs and generous smiles and late nights full of laughter, but until then, I continue to practice filling my own cup with the self-compassion and universal love already available to me.

A post shared by Anne’s Adventure Journal (@anneruthmann) on Apr 16, 2020 at 3:54pm PDT

For those times when we can show up and muster some good energy, I'm glad we still have ways of sharing it with the people we love, even if it's just over video chats for now.

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Thank goodness for all the laughs we can share on video chats to make the quarantine days better.

A post shared by Anne’s Adventure Journal (@anneruthmann) on Apr 18, 2020 at 10:34am PDT