About a week ago, I was in Zoom with an international veganic farming group. We were asked to share where we were and the current conditions. It was grey and seasonably warm as I looked out my window at the grass-exposed path to our hoophouse. There, the reclaimed juice bottles with winter sown seeds were poking out of the shrinking pile of snow on its west end. So, I typed into the chat, “Hello from near Boston, MA, USA, where it’s drizzly and thawing.” The joke was on me. A few days later, we got hit with 2-3 feet of snow. We were lucky. We only lost power for about an hour and were all shoveled out by noon. Boston schools were canceled for 2 days, but cities on the South Coast were closed the whole week.
My deadlines this week had been menacing, but became much less important. When things are out of your control, it’s futile to stay the course, and often counterproductive to try. So, I took advantage of being home-bound. I did some art and garden prep for the spring. We sat around the fireplace in the dark as a family one night, principally to stay warm, but the quiet togetherness and storytelling was nice. I’m open to life’s surprises and speedbumps. Sometimes they prompt an even better course of action. My chronic to-do list took a back seat as my priorities shifted. Flexibility is a superpower.
Something else that bent and didn’t break during the blizzard was our hoophouse. The cattle panel roof is now even more warped than it had become from last month’s snow storm. It is still fully functional though. I posted before, during, and after photos on Instagram. As always, the sun often warms up the winter hoophouse to a pleasant 60ºF. The inhabitants are quite happy and oblivious to nature’s roof redesign. Soon I’ll be sowing the seeds for some of this year’s fiber and dye plants alongside the already established herbs and greens that survive year-round.
This hoophouse event (and Ani Difranco via her song on my IG post) reminds me that it’s better to bend than break. Plus, bending adds character. Is there anything you’re struggling with that you can let go of today? (I promise, it’s pretty freeing.)
I’ll have paintings in Cambridge, Attleboro, and Providence this spring. More info below…
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Here is info on my upcoming show:
- Spaces, CAA @ Canal Gallery, Cambridge, MA; March 4 – April 15, 2026;
*Opening Wednesday, March 4 from 6-8pm
- Flower Show, Attleboro Arts Museum, Attleboro, MA; Thursday, March 26th – Sunday, March 29th
- Solo Exhibition, The Gallery at Central, Providence, RI; May 6, 2026 – June 2, 2026;
*Opening Friday, May 8, 2026 from 5-7pm
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Until next time,
joç
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