CHRISTMAS

This will be the strangest and saddest Christmas for many folk. The Covid19 Virus has impacted on family and social life with a huge bang.

In Germany where I live and no doubt in many other countries in our world, Christmas is very much a family get-together time. Attending church services, sharing gifts, and enjoying a special festive meal is an integral part of the festive season.

I will miss the small Christmas Market which takes place each year in our small town. Warm scarves, caps and gloves and cosy jackets are the winter apparel. The delicious smell of roasted almonds, and sizzling grilled sausages make one's mouth water. Meeting friends one hasn't seen for a while and warming our hands around a glass of mulled wine is an absolute joy. My heart goes out to the stall holders who will not be making any money this year. There are normally stalls with homemade jams, biscuits, knitwear and jewellery. I always manage to find special and unusual Christmas gifts for friends.

We are fortunate in that we are able to go for walks in the beautiful farming area and the forests which surround us. This is not the case in several other countries and folk are confined to small apartments. I think especially of the elderly who are so often alone and the young families with small children. There are many folk who are lying in hospital beds attached to tubes and machines as those brave carers and medical staff do their best to help them survive the virus. I think about them especially and wish them well.

I have just had news from a friend in Hamburg , a beautiful city in which we lived when we first came to Germany. She and her husband have both been tested for Covid19 and the results are positive. I wish them  well and may the symptoms be light and recovery speedy.

Despite the sadness, the loss and the fear, Christmas is still a time of giving and thankfulness. I wish all my readers, wherever you are in the world, that you and your families may be spared and that you stay healthy and positive.

I have learned one thing during lockdown and that is; there is always something creative we can do. Whether you are an artist, a writer, musician, crafter, or in fact every one of us,  there are ways we can improve our skills or learn a new one.

May you enjoy PEACE, HEALTH and perhaps discover a new and exciting path in your lives. 

Warm hugs from chilly Bavaria. 

CHAMMI

FROG RESCUE

Today I rescued a frog.  What a way to start the day. At the bottom of the window well in our cellar was a little brown frog.  He had almost lost his identity because he was the same colour as the pebbles.  How he managed to fall into the hole is a mystery.   Being round and tubby makes it somewhat difficult to fall through the bars on the surface.  Oh well, we shall just call him Houdini.

 

My husband called the Rescue Squad which consisted of one person,  'Me'! I lifted the frog gently into my hands.

UNLOCK - NOT LOCKDOWN

LOCKDOWN has to be one of the worst words we are hearing at the moment. It is a tough time for everybody.  One is faced with isolation and little social interaction.  

As an artist, I am used to spending many hours alone in my studio. However, exhibitions are not possible at this present time.  How do we, as artists handle that? 

TIME TO EXPERIMENT

 Over the past few weeks I have been experimenting with acrylic pours and jewellery making.  What a lot of fun it has been. Suddenly , it all made sense and I started producing something that did not look as if it had been painted by a demented elephant.  

I am not sure if the breakthrough was good for me.  The playful attitude and acceptance of less than perfect art slowly disappeared.  My quest for perfection reared its stressful head.

CORONA YOU HAVE NOT KILLED MY MUSE

We spent some time in South Africa this year.  Beautiful Hermanus is always a special place for me.  I avoid going to Cape Town.  Like any other large over-populated city in the world, it is loud, dirty and the traffic is horrendous. We were fortunate enough to board one of the last flights to Germany. Corona hit the world with a bang and life changed overnight.  Restrictions, lockdowns, fear and death chased my painting muse away. There was a sense of complete helplessness in the face of a virus of which I had never heard.  Our small town in Bavaria is a lovely farming district so walks in the fresh air were part of our rather isolated lives.