Submitted by: Heather
Materials: Paper
Isla and I are recording the winner of every game we play; card games, Backgammon, Bananagrams, any game. At the end of COVID, one of us will be treating the other to lunch at Wendy’s.
Submitted by: Heather
Materials: Cat, cards
Photo of Opie. He struggles to hold the cards as he has no thumbs. But he is very good at poker face. Always looks bored.
Submitted by: Anita
Materials: Phone, whiskey, boyfriend
Seven nights of sleeping in my son’s hospital room as he recovers from a ruptured appendix feels like double isolation. There is a no visitor policy in place due to the virus, which made Owen and I feel alone together. He has been good company. But having my boyfriend Kurt on the other end of my phone before bed, enjoying our preferred nightcap together, was a crucial distraction at the end of a stressful day.
Submitted by: Monica
Materials: Wood, metal, cotton
I always feel a close connection to my four shaft floor loom, Sylvia. When we work together, time melts away. We start with what looks like chaos, 400 lengths of cotton thread, and with time and careful work they get placed in their proper order. Before long, new beautiful fabric emerges. Every time it feels like magic.
Submitted by: Oliver
Materials: Dogs, humans, concrete
Milton follows the rules and makes sure we walk with distance between each other. This pandemic gave us the opportunity to stay with my mom. Since rescuing him, Milton has been scared of other people and other dogs. But since we have been here, he’s become best friends with my mom, her dog, and her partner. It has been incredible so see how this isolation has been the opposite for him.
Submitted by: Oliver
Materials: Paper, ink
I always forget how much I love working with fresh food. But when life gets busy, it tends to be the first thing I push aside. This isolation has given me the time to work on through the recipes in my favourite cookbook and trying to go to the store as infrequently as possible means I get to get creative, too!
Submitted by: Oliver
Materials: Wood, plastic
Being home for an extended period of time means there is space to get back into the things that brought me joy when I was younger. Sometimes the best way to ground myself is to play Nickelback on the uke so hard the strings can’t take it.
Submitted by: Maddie
Materials: Wet nose, pearly whites, exceptional personality
One of the best parts of spending time at home is that I get to spend lots of quality time with my furry friends (husband included)!
Submitted by: Kit
Materials: Steel & cedar
My sister Rebecca made this clock from memories. More specifically, she made it from the basketball hoop that hung outside my childhood home for over a decade. Listen to the clip below to hear more about how this clock bridges distances.
Submitted by: Kit
Materials: Cat, spider plant
Bu is the furry one; Karen is the leafy one. These two have been my constant companions while stuck inside. They have a bit of an antagonistic relationship—Karen is constantly teasing Bu with her beautiful long leaves, while Bu is always trying to get a bite of Karen. Their rivalry keeps me entertained, and Karen’s dry foliage and Bu’s too-early meows get me out of bed in the morning. I like that we get to share our lives together in this tiny space.