Today’s Daily Stoic writing prompt: Can I get the most out of where I am right here, right now?

Pandemic realities: There really isn’t much of a choice in this. Provided your mental health is OK, and provided you’re not dealing with the issues much farther down on the Maslow Hierarchy of Needs (where food, shelter, and security have to be there before you even think about self-actualization), and provided you’re not facing trauma (which is also not a given), your choice is you either find a way to find meaning within the considerably-narrowed confines of what is possible now, or you tread water. I’ve had to mourn the loss of the life that once was possible, and then move forward with “determining what to do with the time I have been given,” to paraphrase Gandalf.

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And here’s my entry from the An Tir 48 Hour scribal challenge. I finished second in my category (Advanced). My calligraphy was the weak point (probably because of the large error I had to fix on the left-hand side (where the gold is). In retrospect, I should have selected another motif for the whitework on the capital as I got a lot of comments about it looking “smudged.” Whitework remains something I need to really slow down on, because I’m capable of doing a decent job but I have a tendency to rush.

I have also been able to get a substantial start on the scroll I couldn’t quite get going on yesterday. I’m generally happy with it so far. Coronation has been announced for September 4. I am not sure whether I’ll be able to secure a spot (limit is currently 100) but I’m going to give it a try.

I enjoyed a nice walk today in gorgeous weather; the white Russian shirt I ordered arrived, as well as a couple of sets of dice. Yesterday I backed a very evil Kickstarter for a Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired dice tray and dice tower in gorgeous woods with cutouts, very reminiscent of some of those found in Usonian homes. I’ve also booked a massage for next Monday.

The long weekend was nice. I’m ready for a full vacation week, though.