Hello! Once again, it’s been awhile. I can just blame the pandemic, but this time it was for a longer term gain! I switched from a blog template via Wordpress, to a fully-customized website blog! This enabled a friend to learn how to create websites, including all the legalities of cookies, and privacy agreements, etc. I enjoyed and struggled with her as we learned to deal with all of the current requirements that many ignore, or struggle to figure out later. We’ve used my blog as a testing ground so she can work to transition her work during covid to be able to offer custom websites that are not only incredible, but also done correctly from the start! If you have ever tried to have someone build a website, I’m sure you’ve experienced the challenges of insane costs, or having a designer actually finish it the way you want. I know someone who has had 6 people start and stop 3/4 of the way through, for various reasons, only for the next person to have to start from scratch! So, my short delay was for the gain of a new website professional I hope to announce soon, and to ensure my small blog is following all the international web rules that you never have to deal with!

Once again, back to my simple writings!

I’ve alluded to this mummy craft for awhile. I’ll finally be able to share the fun we got into and how a simple one-night craft became a multi-night affair of fun!

So we opened up my “Make a Mummy“ educational craft kit to have fun for a day. It is called the “Amazing Mummies Art & History Kit” from the Educational Design Company, done by Caleb Crowell.

So I bought this box on sale maannny years ago in an incredible toy store in the Pioneer District in Seattle. This store had everything - puzzles, magic tricks, toys for all ages, and science games. We love these stores and enjoy losing ourselves in the joy of wonder as we did as kids. The difference is that as kids we were never allowed to buy these things due to finances. As adults, we can allow ourselves to occasionally indulge, especially on fun road trips! So, I saw this “build a mummy kit” and brought it home. Sadly, there it sat for years, visible on my shelf, but I just never felt I had the time or the energy to “enjoy”.

Then covid hits, and all I had was time. One day I pulled the box out and asked my friend, “Wanna make a mummy with me?”. She laughed and said, “Sure!”. So, we opened the box and read the instructions and then spend the next few nights going into all the crazy details it offered. It explained how to do a simple mummy cast with clay. But it also included a back story of us helping out an ancient relative that we needed to learn how to honour and rebury using proper traditions. We cast two mummies, one to bury and one to display as suggested. We then learned the hieroglyphs that were to be written on the bandages so the gods and goddesses knew the name of the buried relative. We learned of the herbs used to soak the bandages with, and we spent nights going into all the details we could. I loved the morning where we woke up and the kitchen smelled of nutmeg and other herbs used to soak the bandages. We also were given a small selection of paint colours to paint the sarcophagus. But of course, I had to use my own paints and I had to mix and make the colours as authentic as possible.

We spent at least five nights of mess and chaos on this kit. It was some of the most fun I have had in a long time. We laughed and learned, and I kept trying to remind myself to practice being present and in the moment. It was not only a great distraction, but a great educational and connecting experience with my friend.

This is just one of the many things that were completed on our “let’s try new experiences during covid” pact! I’ve already said how we solved some murders, and I promise that will get into those in the near future. We’ve become quite the amateur detectives and cypher-solvers!

So all I hope is that you can look at any crafts you already have, puzzles, craft arts etc. and take even a small amount of time to let the rest of the world go by as you put on some music and emerge yourself into some “play”!

TV/Movies: With life under this pandemic being so insane, I’ve looked to find relief in fantasy. So, I’ve been watching the latest season of “Star Trek: Discovery” and binging the series “Vikings”, which is amazingly well done.

Reading: I am enjoying finally reading the fun books of Lemony Snicket’s “A Series of Unfortunate Events”. Yes they are a kids series, but the darkness and humour are enjoyable to us as adults!

Podcasts: I’ve been still catching up on “Stuff You Missed in History Class”. It is great to continue to learn new things and keep my brain functioning.

Music: I’ve been on a bit of a retro binge, the main bands I’ve been listening to are “The Jam” and “Madness”.