Mom called it “Going to Seed.”
She, my grandmother, three siblings and assorted cousins spent a week or so each summer at my uncles’ cabin outside of Penn Run, Pennsylvania. The accommodations were basic, the scenery beautiful.
While we unloaded the station wagon, Mom invariably announced that we all were just going to “go to seed” for the week. We didn’t have much of a choice. I don’t remember bathing in any conventional sense of the word. The cabin had a cobweb-filled bathtub. Creek walks and swimming in the pond were good enough — even for my elegant grandmother. Mom wasn’t above a late-night skinny dip. And, true to her prediction, we went to seed with carefree abandon, a ratty group of scruffy kids, a barely-pulled-together grandmother and a bathing-suit optional mom.
I’ve gone to seed since COVID-19 hit. It turns out that Mom’s description fits many scenarios. It’s been nearly four months since I’ve been to a hairdresser. A few weeks ago, I watched a YouTube video and trimmed my hair with sewing scissors. My nails look like they belong to a 10-year-old boy. A grubby one. I no longer change clothes for Zoom meetings.
We planned our “Nature” theme for this issue a year ago, and I think it’s both coincidental and appropriate because of the way COVID-19 has affected how many of us manage life now. Hygiene aside, with some of our usual social outlets curtailed, we’re looking for things to do close to home and outdoors. If you need a few ideas, we’ve got them here: from mothing (yes, it’s a thing) to bubbles.
Cycling is big, as anyone who’s tried to buy a bike or helmet lately may know. Our cycling blogger Diane Jenks gives us a list of favorite trails and equipment if you want to get started. On the cover are her friends, Greg and Linda Huth of Cleveland, avid cyclists who were kind enough to be our cover subjects. You may recognize Greg; he’s Cuyahoga County’s new law director and a bike builder.
Another socially-distance-friendly activity is golf, especially when paired with a grandchild. If you love golf, we’ve got a couple of experts who can tell you how to introduce the game to a younger generation of players.
If you’re feeling left out with all of the online learning going on around you, we have a story about how to take advantage of the area’s college courses. Most are free; all of them are interesting.
I have a hair appointment next week, but as I write this, there’s a major line break down the street and we don’t have any water. I’m going to seed. It’s okay; I’ve been there before.
~Marie
