Coronavirus: Ora et Labora

Week 8 of Sheltering in Place (SiP).  Being at home is not novel anymore.  It's not as irritating as it was a couple of weeks ago.  And I find, that having got the hang of it, a loose "schedule" has developed, with time divided between ora et labora, prayer and work, as the monastics put it. 

My schedule of labora (labor) is not a rush-for-the-train schedule, but more like what farmers followed, back in the day of small farms, dictated by the chores that have become due.  These include washing clothes, baking bread, making meals, exercising, being entertained, virtual visits.  And now hobbies!  Mine are learning cello and gardening.

A few years back, I rented a wonderful cello from the University of Orange instrument library.  Then I tried to get lessons, but those kept falling apart, largely because of my ridiculous schedule.  In SiP, I have time, and a friend referred me to her teacher, Sarah Carter, who was willing to teach on Zoom.  I've had three lessons now, and I can play Twinkle, Twinkle and French Folk Song, three scales, and can read the notes pretty easily.  I'm gripped by possibility.

I have also made progress on gardening.  Stephen Panasci, a landscape architect, took my sketchy ideas and make a full garden plan.  He has installed two raised beds in the backyard, which will soon be my Farm.  And later this week will install flowers and shrubs around the Property. This will create many new outside chores.  Happily, I am NOT spending my summer writing a book, so I will have time for this.  I'll have lettuce and radishes pretty soon.

I think the idea with prayer (ora) is that it punctuate the day, alternating with work.  In this category I count meditation, exercise, my classes in spirituality, reading the papers thoroughly and actual prayer (Dear God, Please give us all the strength to see the truth and learn to respect the ecosystem.)

I count "reading the papers" as prayer, because I'm trying to understand God's will, which many define as "what is in front of me."  Therefore, I need the news to help me in my discernment. A vast truth is unfolding that asks of me that I spend time with it -- some hours every day -- stretching my mind and my understanding to encompass this vast experience.  And I have great need of Their (God's) help in having patience with all the people who annoy me -- the deniers, the one-issuers, the live-and-let-diers -- as I read the news.  My judgements get in the way of taking in all the information, so I need to let my opinions go (not easy).

I never imagined being cloistered in this way.  For today, I am moving through my new routines with sun and wind and spring blossoms.