30 Days of Magic: My Magical Face

 My face is an interesting thing. I don't think much about it, except when I see it in a mirror and say "Wait a minute, why don't I look like Harrison Ford, circa 1983?"

Then I remember I'm 12 years older than Ford was in 83, and even he doesn't look like himself these days.


This is one of my favorite female pictures of me doing the witchy thing.
I have always been Earth, the Crone, Winter, The Mountain Between my People and Trouble for the coven, in every iteration, by sheer virtue of age. This was Samhain, at least 10 years ago.

 This is me now. Through the magic of clothing and contouring, I'm looking a bit more like myself these days.

And this is nothing resembling a Black Magic Woman. This is the dark magic face, the one that curses and binds and has no problems with ignoring "harm none."

What am I doing during quarantine?

I'm keeping busy, loves.

I've been cleaning. (with help) I'm running low on curb space for trash bags. I've found my dutch oven (Missing 7 years and declared legally dead) and my cookie cutters.

I've been knitting. Because I need the soothing.

I've been reading online.

Sparrow's nest has children's stories. I read these for my grandsons. But sometimes, even adults need a bedtime story

Wild Hunt, chapter 1 and 2 are up. The rest will be at my patreon.
That's https://www.patreon.com/NickRowan $1/month gets you all the reprint you want

I've been doing daily photodumps at Tumbler
https://nicholasrowan.tumblr.com/

I'm going to move a couple of chairs and use the front room to choreograph new drag routines.

Stay in.
Enjoy the videos.

Things to do while quarantined

All right, so we're all stuck at home for the next month. There's talk of going back to school April 24, but I'm not sure.

Anyway, so we're going a little stir crazy after we have burned though all the netflix we really wanted to watch.

Here are some ideas to fill all those hours we're used to working.

Establish a routine. If you're working from home, work at the same time every day. If you're off, as I am, try to get up at the same time and do the same things to start your day

Start a new hobby.
Michaels is still doing Buy Online, Pick Up In Store orders and offering curbside delivery.
Drawing takes a pencil and paper. Writing, ditto although a word processor is a good idea. Origami just takes paper and a youtube tutorial. Crochet is yarn and a hook. Knitting is yarn and 2 needles.

Weed your current hobby supplies.
(tomorrow's task here, I just found a rubbermaid of yarn)
Shopping for craft supplies and using craft supplies are two different hobbies. We all have more than we need. Sort it out, label each potential project and get rid of the excess. That 1970s hideous yarn you will never use. The tiny orphan balls (or use them up, right now for that scrap afghan)

Weed your library.
I have stacks and scads and boxes of books. I have 4 bookcases full and need a couple more. But am I going to read all of these? Unlikely. Some have monetary value. Some have sentimental value and are autographed. Some are just ephemera and need to go to new homes.

Do the house things you always you would.
I've put off a lot of housework. Am i doing it while I'm off? Yes. I've cleaned out cabinets and closets, cleaned up my art, cleared out the catch-all of my front room. I'm running out of curb space for the trashbags of stuff. And I found my dutch oven, missing these last 7 years!
Get organized

Plant a garden
(this also gives you an excuse to go to dollar tree for seeds, they're 25c/package)
Planning a garden. Starting seeds. Digging the plot and planting, then the daily tending can help you establish a routine. If the supply chains start having trouble, you have food. If they don't, you have tasty veggies this summer.

Exercise
Just because the Gym is closed doesn't mean you can't do something.
The Y has online classes https://ymca360.org/
Chris Hemsworth is offering a 6 week free trial of his new fitness app
There are lots of dance tutorials on youtube. (work up that very choreographed drag routine!)
Create your own routine

Take an online class.
There are lots right now.
Make pasta with Nonna Nerina, an 84 year old Italian grandma
Gardening classes
Some universities are offering classes too https://www.theladders.com/career-advice/7-elite-universities-offering-free-online-online-classes Just little schools like Duke and Harvard.

Visit a museum or zoo online.
https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/travel/a31784720/best-virtual-tours/
Want to go to the Louvre, the Vatican Museum, the Smithsonian?
The San Diego and Atlanta zoos are clicks away
You can even do Disney Ride Throughs and pretend you're there.

Join Pinterest.
If you want Disney snacks after your virtual visit, there are lots of copycat recipes on Pinterest.
You can find anything you want here, from recipes to craft patterns to organization ideas.
(I'm valarltd and my copycat recipe board is here: https://www.pinterest.com/valarltd/food-copycat-recipes/)

Learn a new language with Duolingo
It's a challenge. but Duolingo is fun and easy.

Read.
Get some of that reading in. Go through your shelves. Go to Project Guttenburg. Get free ebooks everywhere. (Including here, if you leave a request in the comments)

Expand your cinematic vocabulary
Check out AFI's lists for suggestions. https://www.afi.com/afi-lists/
Or try the 1000 movie challenge https://www.listchallenges.com/1000-movies-to-be-seen
Or the 1000 movies to see before you die. (I've seen 258 of them)

Blog or keep a diary
These are Interesting Times, folks and diaries are useful for the future.

Before you go to bed, make a plan for the next day.
Tomorrow is Thursday
I will get up, get dressed, make my bed, put in my teeth
I will eat breakfast (cold cereal)
I will swish and swipe in my bathrooms
Declutter 15 minutes in my bedroom and clean off my nightstand
I will put away dishes and wash more.
I will soak cookie cutters
I will scrub my tubs and mop my bathrooms
I will clean out the Nitro so I can pick up the washer on Friday
I will work with my cleaning crew
I will plan my garden based on seeds I have
Dinner is cheddar brats and tater tots