Corona virus – Page 3 – Karla's Cottage

Puppy time and me time

Corona virus, dogs, drawing, Goldendoodle Puppies, paintings, Ryan

By Karla Nathan / October 4, 2020

My husband took a little trip this week, and I had pretty laid time. My watercolors are spread out in the dining room, so I can paint and be near the puppies.

They have kept me company while Rich was away.

Here is a snippet of the painting. I always start with the eyes. I’ll show the finished piece once the recipient gets to see it.

Besides painting, going for walks, playing with puppies, and battling an epic ant invasion, I’ve slowly started to work on getting the babies to intermingle.

It starts with a few play dates, then moves on to mixed cuddle puddles.

Although the play dates aren’t much more than naps yet, anyway.

The Sugarbabies have moved into the main part of our home along with the Butterballs. Sugar is much more possessive of hers than Honey is, so we are taking this slow, with supervised visitations. If I am not with them, Shuggie and the little ones go back to the bathroom nest.

Eventually, they will all be too big (and stinky, and I have to admit, they are edging up on that stinky part pretty fast) to be kept in here.
I have a nursery set up in the garage where they will be at night, then they will have the breezeway to hang out in on nice days with access to the yard.

Most of my time with Rich away on his trip, I had Sugarwings here with me. But I had one day, all to myself for the first time in months. I missed Rich, since his retirement, and especially since Covid, we have spent all of our days together.

But since Ryan died, I kept thinking I needed a day to just think of him, to be on my own, to not have any “have to’s”. Life is hectic and as people always say- it goes on.

I have been grieving, I have been sad, I have had him on my mind every single minute. There has been a Ryan sized hole in my life, but I haven’t had time just to let that happen. I’ve kept going.

Yesterday, I had my months delayed day. I spent most of it doing things Ryan and I used to do together. I walked with the dogs, played with puppies, and then took more walks. I cleaned the stove top with a razor blade (that was one of his things, he took pride in a job well done, no matter how tedious, he worked with a good attitude and got things done.)

I made a frozen pizza the way Ryan used to make them for me, extra cheese, chopped veggies, black olives, rosemary, and turkey pepperoni. Then, I binge watched one of our favorite shows. I missed his laughs, and our constant conversation commenting on what was happening on the screen, but I enjoyed my day.

I enjoyed thinking about how much fun we used to have together. I thought about the joy he was always able to express about the little things that made him happy. Like a brand new season of a good Netflix show. Pizza night. A walk. A shiny stovetop. Laughing about something silly a dog just did.

Ryan faced difficulties in his life, surviving bullying over his disabilities that left him distrusting people’s intentions toward him. He overcame addictions. He had been taken advantage of. He had suffered in his life. All of this left him with insecurities. But he also found a quiet happiness and satisfaction in hard work and small pleasures. He was a person who appreciated the moment when good things happened.

My day “with Ryan” was appreciated.

It was worth waiting for.

My Autumn Mantel,(and the mess that surrounds it)

Corona virus, cottage, dogs, Goldendoodle Puppies, puppies!, Sugarwings

By Karla Nathan / September 28, 2020

Before the Guncles came to visit, I switched up my mantel for a fall look.

I am glad I did, because I certainly would not have had time to do it now.

Because of this.

And this.

The mantel is about all that looks good in my house right now. We have gone to the dogs.

There is some remote learning going on too. Which takes up most of the downstairs.

And I’ve got my watercolors spread out to work on in here instead of out in the studio so I can be near the babies.

Which is where we all want to be.

During lockdown, it was important to me to keep my house serene and organized. That helped me cope with some of the stress of the situation.

But I think 16 puppies, a homeschooler and a messy house is a pretty lively, fun way to handle a pandemic too. There is some stress for sure (checking on crying newborns throughout the night to make sure they are not cold or smothered, mama dogs needing go out to potty every couple of hours= no sleep, and that homeschooler likes to try to watch TikTok during class), but I can’t complain.

Lively and Fun are two things I need right now.

A tad bit more of autumn cottage redoing

Corona virus, cottage, redos

By Karla Nathan / September 16, 2020

Have you ever looked at throw pillow covers on Amazon? I had no idea there was such a vast option to create a new look for the sofa!

In the past, I would either make coverings (in my sloppy, bad sewing way, that tied shut because I couldn’t make buttonholes or zippers), or I’d splurge and buy new pillows that I didn’t really need and created a storage problem.

Well, no longer. Well made pillow cases with invisible zippers are pretty cheap on amazon and arrive in a couple days.

I bought 4 of the cream velvet with Pom Poms for $9 each, but decided to only use two for now. I like the mix with the two warmer toned pillows for Fall. But 4 cream ones for winter will be ideal.

The two hydrangea with vintage text on velvet were also $9 a piece. All were Prime purchases, so had free shipping.

The lush, plush throw with fringe was $17 at Homegoods.

And oh my, that is about as cuddly and welcoming as a blanket can get.

The rest of the redo is just moving some things that I already had around. I thought the vintage blue mirror that holds a pumpkin my friend Tami made looked pretty with the blue hydrangea pillow.

Then, I added a blue rimmed plate to match. Blue isn’t a typical Autumn color, but I felt like the rich, deep shade suited the season.

Spring and summer are more to my taste than Fall. When the leaves start to turn, I start fretting about being cooped up for winter.

And this year?

With Covid still spreading, the dread of winter is really looming over me. Getting together outdoors with friends and family has meant the world to me. Losing that time to cold weather will not be easy.

I might turn into a shopaholic, serial redo-er to keep myself sane indoors. Look out, Amazon, your pillow cover supply is in danger!

Thanks to Ryan- Camping on the River and Playing with Rainbows with a Overdue Break from iPads

Corona virus, Dew Drop, family, Ryan, Sugarwings, Travel

By Karla Nathan / September 11, 2020

We made a quick trip to Asheville to take Sugarwings to be with her dad and sissy before school started.

Both girls are doing virtual school, which can be done from any place with WiFi. Which means more possible trips during the school year.

It seemed smart to let them get settled into the new classes before doing that, though. We wanted to have a visit, and be home before school began.

It was good for them to be together, and play outside. They made three foot high bubbles with a giant wand and modeled for each other with a rainbow light. There was hiking, waterfalls, and a walk through a bamboo forest.

Honestly, between losing Ryan, and trying to cope with the pandemic, we have been failing as grandparents. Sugarwings has had a lonely summer when staying with us, besides a few boat outings, and trips, we are dull on a daily basis.

I usually make efforts to take the grand fairies out during summer break.

A typical (non 2020) week would have included daily crafts, one outing to a zoo or discovery zone type place, one afternoon at a movie, and one project. Plus screen viewing breaks for biking, walks in the woods, or some other outdoor activity.

But in this summer?

There has been a scarcity of guidelines about screen time.

In the past, they were expected to craft while watching the iPad or tv. And to watch a TedEd or nature show on breaks from their regular shows.

This summer?

ha!

Half hearted rules were attempted, but as each week went by, this poor kid was going deeper and deeper into TicTok videos and YouTube, without any interference from me.

Time outdoors, without iPads was just what she needed.

And sister time, was even more necessary.

My husband and I were missing our far away family. Loading up the camper to go see them again meant a lot.

Our son has a new home on an acreage that holds an organic farm.

While it is hard for me to have Adam and Dewdrop so far away, I was comforted by seeing how he lives.

He loves his green building job. And lives in a beautiful place.

I miss them terribly, but knowing he is happy makes me happy for him.

Pulling our camper makes it easier to visit, and thanks to Ryan, we can do that.

We purchased the new trailer with Ryan’s insurance check and I consider it his last gift to me. We can travel away from home, but always feel like we have Ry Guy near us.

He loved giving me gifts and was always so excited about them that he had a hard time waiting til it was time to pass them out. He preferred giving them to me before the rest of the family came for holidays, because he was such a private person.

The wind chimes he bought for Mother’s Day will always be treasured because they meant so much to him. He and I used to walk around the yard, trying them out in different spots until we found the exact place that got the most breeze for the prettiest sound.

I can just imagine his pride in knowing that he had gifted us with such a nice camper. I hear his voice and feel his love every time we use it.

I’d like to craft a sign to hang in it, in honor of him. For now, there is a photo of him hidden inside the refrigerator door panel. When we purchased the trailer, the fridge doors weren’t complete yet. I taped his picture to the liner of the door and had the technician leave it there when he added the permanent doors.

We also want to bring some wind chimes on our trips, along with some of Ryan’s ashes to sprinkle by the camper each time. He will always be with us when we are on the road.

A Getaway to the Asheville Mountains and Waterfalls

Corona virus, fairies, family, Ryan, sea shell fairies, Travel

By Karla Nathan / September 8, 2020

Asheville, NC is home to some kick ass waterfalls, and while visiting, we trekked down to the base of one and spent some time playing in the water.

That place was over crowded, as I feared many Labor Day vacation spots might be, so I was extra cautious and had the family mask up, even outdoors, when strangers got too near. And did my best to constantly scoot away from people encroaching upon my space as I gathered shiny, quartz rocks to make a fairy to leave by the falls.

Since others simply didn’t seem to understand social distance guidelines, I left the pools at the bottom of the falls and found a cozy, mossy bed away from traffic for this sprite to make her home.

She is in a shady area, so you don’t see how the crystal sparkles in the photo. But she is entirely made of glittery bits and pieces. And look at the itty-bitty, fingertip sized crystal heart that I found for her to hold!

It was the first part I found when I stepped into the clear water, and I created the fairy around that heart.

You can tell how beautiful the water is here. And the rocks shining through were either frosted with mica or crystal. Each was a sparkling treasure.

I didn’t keep any from there, since it was a park. But, I was so tempted. Instead, I left my fairy as a thank you for nature’s blessings to me.

She sits at the end of the trail, right by the first boulders of the pools, so I hope some kids find her there.

Being with my boy, and his daughters in such a magical place was good for my husband and I. Some days are harder than others without Ryan, but no days are easy.

Being in a tranquil spot with loved ones was much needed.

Summer has floated by

Corona virus, family, Ryan

By Karla Nathan / August 31, 2020

Ha! Sugarwings found the perfect spot for shade on the boat, hiding under the tube with her big sis. “Turbo” is a good nickname for her, that arrow pointing her way is pretty accurate.

Funny, last year the lake, and much of KS was flooded. We didn’t take the pontoon out a single time. That felt like a big issue and worry then.

But then 2020 came along, right?

I’d much prefer 2019’s deep puddles to what this year has wrought.

But as I’ve said.
We go on.

I find my happy moments.

Cherish what I have.

Appreciate that I’m lucky to have so much.

We have spent some nice afternoons and evenings on the lake, with loved ones and friends.

The water has been serene and just what my soul needed. Laughs with friends, snuggles with kids, lots of tasty picnics.

In years past, Ryan rarely came out to the lake with us. So, it isn’t a place where I expect to see him, like I do around the house or on walks.

The boat has been a pleasant respite from the sadness. And it’s been fun to be with grand fairies.

Our summer began on the boat, getting together for the first time in months with people we missed on Memorial Day weekend. After corona virus isolation, the experience was so rich and wonderful, I soaked in as much joy and sunshine as my soul could sop up.

Then my world crashed the next day, when we found Ryan’s body. One of the happiest days of my life was followed by the worst.

Labor Day is coming up this week, and summer is coming to a close. We will still have some lazy autumn afternoons to float along and enjoy the changing leaves.

Everything changes, seasons pass.

The virus is changing our world, but the best part we can do is hang on to what pleasures we can find, right? I am grateful for peace, wherever I can find it.

I am still redoing rooms, and moving things about

collections, Corona virus, cottage, family, Kitchen remodel

By Karla Nathan / August 23, 2020

A couple years back, I decided I needed a big hutch type piece to use in the kitchen for extra storage. I found a large base cabinet, and a tall book shelf with glass doors that worked.

But wasn't just quite right.

THIS piece is very much right!!!

And very old and well made. Look at the construction of the drawer!

This is what I had before (it is now in the studio, which means a big shuffle up out there and a cabinet from the studio being moved to the breezeway, and well, more shuffling).

See, it holds a lot, but wasn't just quite right. I did like the way I could see all the of the dishes behind glass, but all of this and more fit into the newer, larger hutch.

I might miss the display area behind glass when it is time to dust. The new one has much, much less of that.

But it holds soooooo much, much more inside the doors and drawers below that I am very happy with it.

My Apple Watch has been broken for months. And I have been too cheap to replace it. But when I saw this, I didn't have second thoughts about being cheap, I'd looked for so many years for a hutch that had this much storage space.

Plus, I have been on an organizing, cleaning, and storage redo blowout lately.

When this came into the house, I decided to take every single thing out of all of the other kitchen cabinets and rearrange every bit of it.

Maybe it is my way of dealing with grief.

Maybe it is from being cooped up in the house for so many months.

Either way, my many redos have been helpful. I've fixed up Ryan's room, the gazebo area, both little grand fairies' rooms, the breezeway, part of the studio, now this. I'm running out of house to redo.

Even though I knew this hutch was ideal when I first saw it, and was ready to buy it in snap with no thought, I did have a horrid moment when I realized how heavy it was, and how many other big pieces of furniture would have to be moved to make space for it.

And remembering that Ryan, my "Machine", was gone. He was so strong, and so helpful, that was his nickname. He just kept going, working hard and making it look easy.

He was always around to carry and move things for me.

I was knocked over with pain as these thoughts went through my mind.

There are going to be a lot of those moments. A lot of that pain.

But we go on, don't we?

My very strong, older grand fairies came over to help. We used pads to slide the piece through the house. Between the two girls and my husband, they hefted it out of the truck and lifted the large top piece onto the base once they got it into the kitchen. It is even heavier than it looks, and we all missed Ryan while it was being moved.

Kindnesses sparked redos

Corona virus, cottage, family, flowers, friends, Ryan

By Karla Nathan / August 16, 2020

While my friends and I have gotten to be pretty good at meeting up for walks, socially distant porch parties, and other safe activities where we can visit in ventilated places somewhat apart from each other, we haven’t figured out how to do a Mosaic Day together.

We used to gather most Thursdays in Shan’s basement studio, catch up on each other’s happenings, and glue glass bits from the vast bins of colors Shanna had for us to dig through, onto all sorts of items.

Over a year ago, I started this pot, and since I couldn’t make it there every week, or sometimes brought a pressing work project from home instead, it took a long time to progress. But just as I was getting excited about completion, Covid hit and all production halted.

Then recently, my sweet and talented friend offered finish the pot for me and I was thrilled! My design was done, the background and grout were all that was left, and she was going to help with the grout anyway.
Plus, this way, I could call the pot a collaboration with a master stain glass artist!

(See the stunning piece hanging behind her? Also, please notice the beautiful doodle, one of Sugar’s babies, Shan’s home is full of pretty creations.)

How generous of her to do this for me.

When Ryan died, we received a planter jam packed with greenery. It has been a couple of months now, and while I’m slightly sure I could’ve kept them alive as is, I was relieved to have something larger to transplant them into.

While I was at it, I repotted some other plants and spread the arrangement into some extra pots too.

Then, while picking up supplies at Hobby Lobby, I saw these blue coffee pots on clearance and got one to go along with the refreshing of the kitchen I’d started with the new plantings.

Cheerful, right?

And cheery is very much appreciated right now. Missing Ryan is a constant with me, and I know always will be. I write notes to him, talk to him on my walks, sit in the gazebo and listen to his wind chimes. I think of all the boring little details in my life that he would have listened to me telling him about. And how he honestly would be interested in hearing them.

For the first few weeks, it seemed like we had so much going on, kids to entertain and feed, places to go, chores to do, projects to work on. Dinners to cook, shopping to do. I complained to myself that I just wanted to be left alone.

That I wanted to crawl into bed and not get out.

That I wanted to be alone to be sad and not do anything at all.

Looking back, I wonder if I was doing it right all along, by just keeping going. Not just keeping busy, but being active and part of the world around me. Which isn’t easy to do in the Age of Corona. And it isn’t easy to do when I am sad. But for me, it probably was the best thing I could do.

Heart break will always be with me. But it also makes me realize that the good that surrounds me might not always be with with me. I work to treasure my blessings, appreciate what I have, and to keep my home as much of a pretty, and peaceful sanctuary as I can. To reach out to friends and family that I love.

To not curl up in the darkness.

Stitching my world back together

Corona virus, flowers, Ryan, sewing?

By Karla Nathan / August 1, 2020

The day Ryan died, I was in the middle of making this flower I had crafted to stitch together a hole in a favorite shirt.

I was waiting for him to come downstairs for our planned walk. As I worked on the shirt, I texted him a couple of times to ask if he was okay, since he was running so late.

After the shock of finding his body, and dealing with the dozens of emergency personnel that go along with a tragedy like that, I found myself back at the table, numbly stitching away on this flannel.

Over the next few weeks, while I still could not bear to speak to many people, and my chest twisted up into shards of pain with every breath I took, I found myself still stitching.

The creations were an outlet for me, my mind could wander with memories of my boy, as my hands stayed busy.

I have never been into sewing, but embroidery seems different. I call it “painting with thread”. After surgery, early in March, while Covid was amping up, I could be creative while elevating and icing my knee.
So luckily, I was already immersed in the hobby and had a selection of supplies out, when I really needed them.

Having these shirts to keep me occupied, didn’t take my mind off of Ryan, but sewing them did give me quiet time to think about him and I could feel myself being stitched back together a tiny bit with each flower.

I can’t say that embroidery has brought me peace, because I feel like breathing will always be painful now.

But I think it has helped me along towards peacefulness by the repetitive and simple process of pulling the needle in and out of the fabric and by choosing pretty colors to put together.

Ideally, it is best to be working on these flowers while listening to wind chimes in the gazebo. And after a long walk on the trails Ryan and I had walked together on over and over.

The walks can be tough, each step reminds me of a laugh or something he said as we passed in that exact spot. I have learned to never go on a walk without wearing pants with pockets and filling those pockets with tissues.

And to never waste tissues on tears. Tears can drop on my feet, or on the sidewalk, but snot really shouldn’t. And I am a snotty cryer.

I save the tissues for nose blowing and let the tears go wherever they want.

Maybe I will be able to do some artwork in the studio soon. I have cleaned it top to bottom and rearranged it a bit too. I am easing myself back into my old life, making myself ready to be artistic again.

For now, I’ll keep stitching, and trying to hold myself together as much as I can.

Filling my arms with furry hugs

Corona virus, dogs, Goldendoodle Puppies

By Karla Nathan / July 26, 2020

Well, guess what? Not only did we take Honey to Free State Pedigrees to be bred by Felix, we dropped off Sugar there for a date with her previous beau, Wally.

Oh my.

Am I of a right mind? Two litters at once? And later in the year? I always said I would never have winter puppies, because we have a perfect set up for summer pups. And I believe the babies need fresh air and a place to run (as well as for housebreaking themselves).

But November, when they are old enough to run and wrestle and play outside, can be mild in KS. And I have worked out a plan for keeping them in our garage, with a dog door to get in and out if needed, when it is chilly and at night. Then in the daytime, they will have access to the fenced yard with a bed in the breezeway for their nap times.

And with the two week age difference, I will be able to provide the needed attention at the appropriate growth stages. But I sure will be busy doing it!

Which is just what I need. It has been two months now since my son died. Two months of missing his hugs and the kisses on top of my head. Two months of missing our walks and our laughs together.

An armload of furry sweetness won’t replace Ryan’s hugs. But it will be a very welcome distraction from heartache. Plus, even though both of our dogs were taken to meet their boyfriends, it is never guaranteed that they will have successful dates. It would shatter my hopes if we’d decided against taking Sugar in to see Wally and Honey ended up not having pups after all.

I decided I would rather double my odds. I need some puppies in my world right now.

This is Wally, the father of the Sugarbabies.

And I think I am not the only one suffering. With the state of the virus spreading now, I am sure there are many people who would love to have a doodle to cheer them up.
We will be offering a discount on pups to families who have been directly affected by Corona.

If you are interested, please check back here for updates. Sugar’s babes will be ready possibly the week of Thanksgiving and will be small to medium F1b goldendoodles. Honey’s will be ready approximately the week of November 15 and will be medium F1 goldendoodles.