Creatures of habit
I am a person who likes rituals and habits. And though none of my days follow the same schedule, I am immediately set off kilter if the schedule I had planned gets waylaid.
I work from home most of the time. Between writing and practicing, teaching and preparing for choir, as well as admin work and the work of managing a family, everything except choir rehearsals and my performances happens in my house. My husband works on our farm, and literally walks across the road to work every morning. We share one home office, but he only uses the office for a few hours a week. And on the mornings he decides to sit at the computer without warning me I am a-NNOY-ed. Like, what the hell? That’s where I was going!
I recently read Daily Rituals by Mason Currey, a compilation of short entries detailing the daily routines of various famous artists. No two routines were the same, but generally it seemed like each person had a regular flow and way of moving through a day. I am in that in-between time where summer holidays have not yet begun but my work year is wrapping up and my whole flow is about to shift dramatically.
My husband is in a very busy season on the farm and has become hyper-focused on work. Our lives are almost completely opposite at this time of year; as I look for activities to entertain the kids, vacation ideas, and opportunities to visit friends we haven’t seen all year, he wakes up before 6am and runs around like the house is on fire until dusk. My routine goes away and his routine becomes rigid and demanding. He grumbles and rolls his eyes and sighs when I make summer plans - he was living his best life the first summer of COVID because we couldn’t go anywhere or do anything.
Such is the flow of living on a farm, and I consciously chose a part-time career so that these busy times on the farm wouldn’t pull our whole family under water. (Let’s be honest, mid-December to mid-April is the only not busy time on the farm.) So we ebb and flow, adjust and then adjust again, and every day is different though every year follows the same cycle. It is unusual in our current culture to live in a cyclical way, I think, but for the most part I love being reminded of the seasons and the different work that must be done at different times of the year.
But sometimes I also want to poke my grumbling husband in the eye. In a loving way, I swear!
Upcoming Shows
Can I tell you that this mini-tour has been better than I could have imagined? Because it has. We are having so much fun and the shows are going so well, it’s amazing! We continue in the Ottawa region next weekend. Come on out and tell your friends!
June 24 - Bowie’s (Smiths Falls) 8:30pm and 11:30pm - suggested $10 artist tips
June 25 - Montgomery Scotch Lounge (Ottawa) - 6:30pm - $10 cover
July 23 - Headwaters Farm (Cobourg) - Ticket link
Featured Song - the whole In Spite of Everything EP
If you haven’t listened to this album yet, you can check it out here and anywhere you listen online. There is also an accompanying art and lyric book featuring original artwork by Janita Wiersma that people at every live show have been snatching up. You can order a copy here or pick one up at a show.
Have a wonderful week!
xo
Shannon