My, how we are keeping busy

 

My, how we are keeping busy

I am seriously impressed with how hard everybody in my circle are keeping themselves busy. It’s the best way through the dark forest that we find ourselves lost it at this moment in time.

My day was changed for the better when a friend called on messenger from New Zealand and had a long chat about how we are coping and how we worry about all our loved ones when we cannot see them. The call was from Sally Potts who many years ago was one of the best athletes Steve coached. We became so close working together as she improved with every event. We have been to so many races together and grown closer all the time until she seems like an adopted daughter to us. It was such a lift, talking to her and her husband from their home so far away on the other side of the world. It truly made our day. Sally was one of Steve’s greatest success story’s as she made her way to podium positions and onto the GBR age group team where we traveled to big events together. 

 Here are Sally Webb-Potts who was call Webblet, James Clarke with their proud coach Steve.

Sally had planned to come back to the UK for a holiday catch up with family and friends in September, but sadly for her and us that has had to be cancelled for the time being anyway since if she did come over, she would risk not being allowed to re-enter New Zealand where they seem to have a more serious attitude than our government have. Strict is good as far as I see it. Lets agree to suffer a bit now and get through it quicker with no risk of a second wave. 

Today has been marked by so many people sending Easter greetings as well at evidence of how they are filling their time with art work and gardening all reminding us that this is in fact a beautiful world, even though it is blighted right now with a deadly virus. The end of that will come in time and we have to remind ourselves that life is very sweet and should be used to make people happy, to improve ourselves even in small ways

Last night our sleep was disturbed but something sounding like a mating season attempt from a noisy Tom-cat last night. Our little cat Birdy, was a self sufficient semi wild cat when she started to see us as a soft touch where she could generally get something to eat. Over time she spent more and more time with us but preferred to go out at night hunting for mice or anything else she spotted, sometimes bringing a present back to us. For a while we simply left her a bed in our garage in case of rain or for shelter on a cold night.

When the plague fell upon us I took her into lock-down with us not wanting to risk where ever she went that she might bring back this virus. She likes the regular feeding and the petting but she has not taken kindly to being kept in at night and bellows something terrible at the time we used to let her go and life her life in the shadows. Last night there was a gentleman cat-caller who made so much noise you would have thought it was a mountain lion shrieking and moaning his version of a romantic call to nature. She joined him in a duet several times until I got up and chased him off. An hour later he was back but it didn’t go on for so long and after calling a third time he sauntered off grumbling longingly. When I went out to see if she has settled she looked at me and meowed prettily looking like the very picture of innocence.

To top off my Easter day nicely I have just had a lovely chat with my daughter Jacqueline who is also making her garden look like an entry to a garden show and keeping her cheeky young puppy dog busy helping with the digging!

Self portraits here from Sharon and Andy Shaw are two more examples of how new or old skills are being worked on whilst there is a holiday type feeling of having all the time in the world yet being brought about with the idea of keeping occupied. Actually I feel they have not done themselves justice on this occasion. 

 

Here is one account of the unknown world and how a friend of a friend is handling it. Writing a poem about how you feel is most therapeutic as Jenny Gardner shows us. Well done Jenny we all know how you feel and you are not alone dear.

Highlights disappearing, my hair is going grey,

When will the Corona virus, eventually go away,

Nails once polished now scratched and torn

As I traded my beauty, for mowing the lawn

Gone are pretty dresses that I used to feel so good in

Replaced by tracksuit bottoms,  not to be seen dead in

I am trying not to raid the fridge, but eating more and more

When lock down is finally over, will I get out the door?

It’s boredom that’s the culprit, encouraging me to eat

And I’m also drinking alcohol till unsteady on my feet

I have watched a 1000 box sets, I have read a 100 books

Have tidied drawers, and tidied shelves, but nobody’s going to look

  

As not allowed to pop by, and share a cup of tea

There’s just the phone or email to say hello to me

So what is the point in dusting until all is spick and span

No, I need to think of other things, I need a cunning plan

SO I get up later, I just eat fruit, and up the exercise

This is making such a difference, as I shrink before my eyes

I’m running around the block now like a hamster on a wheel

Around again, upping the pace, this is feeling so surreal

BUT I am HATING every moment, this is not good fun

So I’ve decided to pick the duster up, and return from whence I’d come

And wine o’clock is coming, although it is only 3

PLUS a cake inside the fridge that is waiting just for me! 

An original by Jenny Gardner