Life Goes On.

Life Goes On.

Well, thankfully life does go on for those of us who have managed to avoid the Corona Virus so far. It is not a sufferance at all for the two of us since we are happy just being together. In fact, though this may not be an appropriate thing to say; It is almost as nice as when we are staying in a gite in France somewhere or a week in a rented apartment in Austria or Switzerland on a training holiday. Though we would go out for our bike rides instead of having to do all our riding on our turbo trainers. We are lucky again there, because being an older couple, we have an empty nest with a little box room where we work out on our bikes with a TV to follow a coached set, or maybe watch part of the Tour de France or the Giro d’Italia, and not have to put the bikes and training stuff away after each set, we just leave it set up for next time, though we do of course change sweaty towels and bike kit. 

We do love each others company and so being at home as we are now is very enjoyable. It seems wrong to say that and I know some people would not enjoy being restricted in their homes during this lock down situation. We have often said to each other, just imagine the horror of what conditions are like if you are a family with three or four children and you are all herded together in a tower block flat, without even a balcony. It doesn’t bear thinking about. Then you would have to go out to the nearest park, when the parents exercise time would be swallowed up keeping track of the youngsters whilst they let off steam.

So we are thankful that we have enough room to move around, even though our little terraced cottage is not big, it does have a small back garden. We have not spent much time in that either, because one of our next door neighbours has been ill during this time and we did not think wise sit in the garden while we could hear her coughing alarmingly behind the window just above our garden. Thankfully she appears to be recovered now, though at her worst an ambulance crew was called in.

Another plus for the two of us is that we are very like minded in most area’s and so we don’t have arguments about what to watch on TV and so we have not even had to discuss preferences whilst all the big theatres are streaming shows on YouTube free. We both love ballet, opera and musical theatre, so we have been lapping up the theatre treats that would cost an arm and a leg to go to see in London. Andrew Lloyd-Webber has added all his major shows to the list of those freely available. Several of these have already been shown.

The big treat tonight will be the 25^th Anniversary performance of Phantom of the Opera recorded at the Royal Albert Hall in 2011. Things could not be any better for me since Ramin Karimloo will be playing the Phantom and the marvellous Sierra Boggess will be Christine. I am hoping that Hadley Fraser will be Raoul. Steve and I have been to concerts to see our favourite Phantom by a mile, in another guise with his Broad Grass band show that mixes his love of country music and his theatre work. We went to the London Palladium for one of those shows and have dragged some friends along to the Capitol Theatre in Horsham too. Earlier this month we had tickets for the Palladium, again to see Ramin, this time in The Secret Garden but that was cancelled in the current crisis. So anyway; Big fan here.

This show tonight will be shown in a number of countries. We will sit in our own armchairs at home tonight at 7pm. I understand that there will be an internet after show party and that you need to email: whatamasquerade@gmail.com  giving your name, age, and location if you want to watch or join in wearing show character fancy dress if you want to feature.

Big night in then tonight.

 

Other diary stuff from me is that Steve and I ran our fourth 10km in seven days this morning. We were lucky not to catch the rain shower that occurred during the night before we got up just before 5am. It was a beautiful morning once we got started. The sun struck us about 50 metres earlier today, at about the three mile mark. As we finished the run it looked like another great day but then once we made the turn we saw the rain coming in over the English Channel and knew that we had enjoyed the best of today’s weather. We were lucky to see the Bluebells whilst the day was still lovely and bright. Poor wildlife score though, just two deer and a short air display with a family of crows, showing just how easy it is for them to see off a huge Red Kite almost double their size. Lazy old Kites can’t be bothered with trouble makers and back off quickly enough.

Luckily, I found this poem when we got back and I looked at those I follow on Instagram. This poet is one of my favourites, James Marchiori and I have just enjoyed reading his book, To My Beloved Heart: Edgar Allen Poe’s Last Journey.

This poem seemed to go with my today thoughts very well .

At last the Sidewalk by James Marchiori

How empty appears the destiny

in a stolen time,

in days of captivity.

What I saw across that wall

in the crowded days.

I never breathed.

A consolation in marble hours

and walks in a mile.

The consolation of pebbles,

now dear friends.

Once trampled when there was

n time at all.

I knew my soul is old

and does not suffer

restriction at all.