Reunited, And It Feels So Good

Sunday and today have been intense. 

On Sunday compiled a 5,000-word document from data provided in two different sources of un-edited text. I added another seven hundred words this morning and then went to a meeting of the Self-Portrait committee—the committee that irked me slightly at our last meeting. 

I am realigned with the committee! I’m very happy about that, too, because I’d been really enjoying myself working with the committee. I brought up their treatment of me at the last meeting and reiterated my main concerns that were heard this time, understood and appreciated. We had a great meeting and we are having another in a week.

I proposed that to engage young people, to sound more inclusive, and to sound less “artistic” and intimidating I recommended we stop using the words “self-portrait” and replace them with “handmade selfie.” And they liked the idea! 

Before I went to the meeting, I put a couple of hoses into the hot tub and when I came home it was almost empty. I had to bail the rest by hand and wash the whole thing with bleach—being careful to clean in all the vents and filters. 

This afternoon, I had to re-jig all the graphics for the Handmade Selfie show and revise the instructions that are included in its kit. And I had to tidy up my place and clean up because David is coming for dinner tomorrow night.

And tomorrow is busy, too. I have to shop for dinner, I’ve a lot of editing to do and then David comes for dinner. Fresh water arrives tomorrow too. But by Wednesday morning, I’ll be back in the spa.

Hard at Work

Saturday morning’s walk was wet, wet, wet. My fireplace roared as I baked myself some compensatory Ranger Cookies. By the time the cookies came out of the oven, the weather was less ominous and so we took another walk and I had a spa.

I slobbed the rest of the day away and went to bed early.

This morning, I was up at four and attacked the editing work the arts council asked me to do. I did ten hours of conscientious work on it today but I still have a long way to go. And, when I went to take a spa at the end of the day, I couldn’t. It’s got mold and so I have to empty it, sterilize it and refill it with fresh water.

My poor pets were bored because I was so absorbed by the arts council work. In the afternoon, I went into my bedroom and found them all sharing my bed:

Forester Dave Replies

This was the sky at dusk last night, taken from my deck.

Friday was cool and damp. It felt great to get into my own car again to go to the community dog walk. 

When I came home I was thrilled to get a message from the government forester, David, who’s in charge of Crown Land. He’s conceptually in favour of my pruning some trees on Crown Land near my property. I took photos of the forest behind my studio and the generator building, and screenshots of satellite views of my land in order to secure official permission and sent them to him and late in the day I got another positive message.

Scott, the arborist I consulted, has to come back. This is what David has asked for: “I would appreciate an arborist report that would include the number of trees, their species and size and the work he proposes to do. How high he will prune, etc.”

Now I wait to hear from Scott. But it seems clear to me that I’ll be able to do the work Scott outlines to David and I will get much more light into  my backyard and on my vegetable garden.

The balance of the day, I kept busy: I scrubbed my barbeque grill to sparkling clean, changed the filters in my air purifiers, went shopping for pet food, washed floors, vacuumed, etcetera. I also went to my post box and got a pleasant surprise: My vegetable seeds.

 We took a short walk in the afternoon, Her Highness and I, before retiring for a relaxing night at Pinecone Park. And I went to bed, exhausted, at seven thirty!

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I finally heard something from the arts council. The Self-Portrait committee is meeting this coming Monday morning. I’m going sans agenda and committed to not chairing the meeting. It’s now their project, not mine. I’m keen to help but not lead. 

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Today is drizzly. It’ll be a slow day because nothing is pressing. (Tomorrow and Monday are predicted to be beautiful and sunny.)

A Wonderful Lunch

Sheba and I left here together in the dark Thursday morning, just after 6:30 am. We went to get into the ferry lineup. I got my car and then went to the supermarket and was thrilled to be able to put my purchases into the trunk of the car.

We got back and I refreshed the fire before we left to go to François’ and Eoin’s place for lunch. 

They are renting a waterfront cabin whilst they build their new home. They rental home is long and low along the coast and the whole wall facing the water is glass and has a nice wood stove. They look over a small private cove they share with three neighbours. It’s gorgeous. I can hardly wait to see it in warm and sunny weather.

After lunch we went for a walk to two beaches I have never seen before. That was fun. And on the way home I passed a flock of wild peacocks and peahens and saw a huge mature bald eagle wading in a stream.

And then, after all that, I came home exhausted, built up the fire and chilled the rest of the day and evening away.

Wide Chris with Walnut, one of two Whippets that belong
to Françoise and Eoin. I love both puppies to bits.

This morning began with an email to my colleagues on the Self-Portrait project.

I got an email from the arts council’s program director asking me for an article about the Self-Portrait (S-F) project for inclusion in an important brochure they are printing for wide circulation on the island. I couldn’t answer his questions or provide the things he wanted because I’m in the dark about what the board decided to do with the project at their board meeting last Monday night.

I’ve been “driving” the project with my colleagues, keeping everyone informed. I “drove” it by planning everything together on Google docs and via emails copied to everyone.

But at the last fundraising committee meeting, my marketing plans were roundly rejected. My colleagues said they knew better what to do on Gabriola and that they would take our project to last Monday night’s board meeting to work out the final details of our planning with staff. Since then, I’ve heard nothing.

Arts council staff also asked this week if I would do considerable editing for upcoming publications and for some deliverables about the S-F project. I said yes to the editing. I did it last year and enjoyed doing it. It’s a concentrated week’s work. So this morning I wrote to the staff (copying my S-P colleagues) saying I’d do the editing but could not provide what they wanted about the S-P project because I’ve no idea what happened at last Monday’s meeting.

I’ve had to emotionally “let go” of the S-P project. I was prepared to bust my ass on it and lead it, but the board members on my committee prefer that they call all the shots henceforth. I don’t think they will achieve the same results I could have, but it’s their call. Besides, stepping back from the S-P project frees me up to focus on my life.

I’ve enjoyed my work with the arts council, and I’ll do more, but it’ll be at their request. But I reckon I'll avoid committee work. I continue to learn that I do best on my own.