Sow Many Seeds…something is bound to come up!

For the first time this Spring I will attempt to start plants indoors from seeds saved from our 2020 harvest. Since I’m not quite sure how many seeds to plant nor how many will take, I’ll just start a bunch and see what happens and ultimately, I will learn something from the process. This is where I am at in general with my life.

I have spent a good part of the winter coming up with ideas of how to move forward as a performer with a compromised immune system in times of Covid. Most difficult has been to maintain the motivation to create performance pieces when there is no indication when or where we will be able to perform.

I am a middle-aged physical stage performer who is not very up-to-date with YouTube, Tik Tok, and other social media methods of creating an audience. We use YouTube only whenever something breaks and we want to try and fix it. A couple of  successful repairs include fixing the broken weighted keys on a Korg keyboard we found on Sutton Ami and replacing the drive belt on our Sears riding lawnmower. It never really occurred to me that YouTube could be a source of entertainment or used as a performing platform. Much to my surprise, my 70-year-old tap dancing husband has opened my eyes to the possibility.

Most mornings he gets up really early, practices piano and then takes a mid morning nap while listening to a guy who reads stories people send in about Bigfoot. He informs me that they are not just Bigfoot stories but “encounters”. And that these story tellers had tens of thousands of viewers. The next thing I know, I’ve dived into the YouTube rabbit hole to discover the wild, wild west of entertainment.  It is pretty incredible that anyone can create a channel and make it available for the world to view. Bigfoot stories may not be my or your cup of tea. But it doesn’t matter as there is so much else to choose from. Personally, I found an interesting channel that features long lost 16mm vaudeville footage.

It made me wonder if my husband and I could come up with something for YouTube. Who knows, there might be interest in our failed and successful attempts at creating modern day vaudeville numbers… Watching, as we split our time between rural life and showbiz. Nothing like combining the visuals of tap dancing and wood chopping! Much like a garden you have to work, weed, and wait to see what successfully grows.

I could not write this article without thinking of Karen Hawley and Liz Davidson. Both these women had a big impact on my life, constantly encouraging gardening and art. Liz and Karen had an unbelievable sense of community, goodwill, positivity and generosity. They will forever be remembered as beacons of light in this community.

Andrea Conway
A transplant-surviving, Covid-isolated, tap dancing clown