Looking for Distractions? How About Learning Something New?

For a lot of people, the online learning space is something completely new. Though it's been around for quite a while, it's become more popular now that we're in quarantine mode. 

I really like online courses, even before I was sheltering-in-place. You can take them from anywhere, at any time. Finish them at your convenience and at your own pace. Even better, many of the classes are free or very reasonably priced.

There's something for every hobby or interest, and several platforms to choose from. You may have already heard of Lynda.com (now owned by LinkedIn) or Udemy, but here are a few others to check out.

Reedsy Learning – free classes offered by Reedsy, a network for publishing professionals. If you're looking for some perspectives on writing, editing, marketing and distribution, there's a decent selection to choose from. Course content is delivered directly to your email inbox
https://blog.reedsy.com/learning/ 

CreativeLive – I've taken quite a few classes on this platform over the years. They specialize in photography and design for creative hobbyists and professionals. When you sign up, they usually offer special pricing for individual classes and course bundles.
https://www.creativelive.com/

Skillshare – another learning platform with lots of classes for creatives. In addition to design, crafting and writing, they also have classes in personal and professional development. All classes are available for one yearly (or monthly) fee.
https://www.skillshare.com

Prefer to be entertained instead? Maybe you'd rather relax and enjoy. If so, here are some suggestions for you!

The National Theater in London is closed until the end of June, but their YouTube channel is featuring their productions. You can set reminders for upcoming premiers and watch behind the scenes videos.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUDq1XzCY0NIOYVJvEMQjqw

The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has also uploaded several performances, including short videos and profiles.
 https://www.youtube.com/user/AileyOrganization/featured

Mural Arts Philadelphia offers short virtual tours of murals from around the city.
https://www.muralarts.org/virtual-tours/

Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History has a selection of virtual tours of current and past exhibits.
https://naturalhistory.si.edu/visit/virtual-tour

HERE BE NEWS for May 4, 2020

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Monday, April 27 - 
"HERE BE NEWS" - All the latest from the fantasy romance authors at Here Be Magic. Check out writing tips using the Heroine's Journey, and how to wash your hands with a Shakespearean flourish!

Tuesday, April 28 -
"FLASH FICTION - LADDER OF GLASS” - a delightful bite of paranormal romance by Linda Mooney.  

Thursday, April 30 -
“WHAT'S YOUR Q STYLE?” – Author PG Forte talks about “quarantining styles” and shares an awesome list of YouTube vids that will get you baking, gardening, self-sufficient, and maybe even singing in no time!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What's Your Q Style?

It’s occurred to me lately that we’re all developing our own methods of quarantining, our own personal style. Some people might call them coping mechanisms, I prefer to think of them as flair.

Take me, for example. I think of my own style as being very much Little Quarantine On the Prairie. I blame a lifetime spent reading  dystopian fiction (bolstered by random childhood classics like Jean Craighead George’s My Side of the Mountain and the collected works of Laura Ingalls Wilder). I’d always assumed that homesteading skills would be of critical importance during any time of global disruption. And, even though that doesn't seem to be the case, at the moment,  I’ve still found it intensely calming to spend a lot of my time baking and gardening and knitting…

Okay, I have to admit that last one is a little surprising. Up until last week, my one and only foray into knitting (which was way back during my tween years) had been a complete disaster.  I’d hated it. I thought knitting was boring beyond belief. And I was terrible at it. My grandmother lost patience and gave up on the whole idea of teaching me, and she was not a woman who gave up easily.  She finally decided that perhaps the problem had something to do with the fact that I’m left handed. (Pro tip: It doesn’t. If possible, I was even less proficient when I tried reversing the process.)

BUT now, many years later, on my imaginary homestead, I managed to turn out a very creditable scarf in only a couple of days…well, sort of. I had to go through five or six days of frustration—knitting and unraveling and reknitting the same several inches, over and over again, adding stitches, dropping stitches, making all sorts of mistakes, but then it all came together, somehow. And I went from cast on to cast off in a day and a half. It was awesome.  And, now…well, just between us, everyone’s getting scarves for Christmas. 

Luckily, my Q style meshes pretty well with my husband’s, although his is definitely more Winter is Coming, with an emphasis on keeping our larder well stocked, because God only knows how long this thing is going to last! He’s drawing on decades of earthquake preparedness practice, mind you, so we have candles and canned goods, camp stoves and flashlights, every food plant we can think to grow, and every solar appliance he could find. You may think I'm exaggerating, but I’m reasonably confident we can survive in our ark for a couple of years. Seriously. There are only two of us, and I’m looking at 50 lbs of flour.

Do you know how many loaves of sourdough I can make with that? Not to mention sweet potato roti.

But, obviously, ours is only one style of coping. My brother’s, for example, evolved as a result of the rather atypical circumstances in which he found himself. He and my sister-in-law were in the midst of remodeling their house when their state went into lockdown. And, apparently, construction is not considered essential in Pennsylvania…or maybe trucks were the problem? I’m not sure. Luckily, they had just gotten their walls and floors installed. Unfortunately, however, they were still several, critical days away from having a kitchen. They’ve been stuck for weeks now in Urban Forage mode, doing all their cooking in a toaster oven and on a hotplate set up in their laundry room.

So what’s your style? How are you coping with your own unusual circumstances? And what skills have you picked up or revived in the past weeks?

Below are some videos that I’ve found enjoyable and/or useful. It was only after I’d put them together that I realized how heavily weighted they were toward carbs and fermentation.  Hmm.  Interesting. Anyway, I added a few videos for entertainment as well—the “That Thing You Do” cast watch party is a treat for anyone who enjoyed the movie. More casts need to do this!  And the Les Miz cover is definitely #goals #lockdown #familysingalong GOLD—because, after all, you'll need something to watch while you're eating that popcorn, or knitting that scarf!  

Feel free to share your own vids in the comments!

How To Knit A Scarf For Beginners:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24lR2IRS57A

9 Survival Gardening Crops to Grow in a Post Apocalyptic World:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysKFLtixxlc

5 Ways to Quickly Become More Self Sufficient:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pd0AklR4Mug

Quarantine Quitchen:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oL9JRaQ57fw

Sourdough Beginner? This is the BREAD RECIPE You Need!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSrbVeIr-eY

Sweet Potato Flatbread:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRj0tPEjcBY&t=484s

Pantry Raid: Popcorn Edition:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBY5L3Ia9nY

6 Dairy Free Ice Cream Recipes (Vegan, Whole30, Sugar Free, Gluten Free):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxPc0n5cnq4

Easy Lacto-Fermentation Pat 1 - Sauerkraut, Kimchi, Dill Pickles, Jalapeno Hot Sauce:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aT2qvGIML7U

The Complete Beginner's Guide to Fermenting Foods at Home:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiNl0Jv6xTw

Quarantine Activity - Make Ginger Beer at Home:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpgSS7moEzI

How to Make Dandelion Wine | FERMENTED:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDXyfmBbyJM

That Thing You Do Watch Party to Support MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EXGqGTcyG8

Marsh family from Faversham go viral with lockdown adaptation of Les Misérables song One Day More:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRoMfg5ZgZU

HERE BE NEWS for March 30, 2020

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Monday, March 23 - 
"HERE BE NEWS" - All the latest from the gang at Here Be Magic.

Friday, March 27 -
“WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU'RE QUARANTINING” – From online concerts to celebrities reading aloud, virtual museum tours to cooking and exercise classes, author PG Forte has assembled an amazing list to keep everyone entertained – including great book recommendations! 

Thanks to PG Forte's list, you never have to be bored!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~