Steve took me out for a drive yesterday after we had
finished our training for the day. We went to see very special friends who we
have not actually seen in the flesh as it were, since way back in early spring,
well before lockdown. They have such a lovely home and a huge garden that looks
to us like a life time of constant back ache and hard work to keep looking half
nice and tidy. I am glad that I don’t have a big garden like that; I would be
found in no time curled up in a tangle of brambles that had grown faster than I
could pull weeds and imprisoned me before I could get my gardening gloves off.
We were ushered round to the rear of the house sit
down to chat take a cup of tea and the main reason for our arrival, to deliver
a birthday present. I had also taken a little piece of my handiwork hobby for
each of them. It is almost compulsory for dear ones to receive one of these
silly little gifts sometime in life. It may just be an age thing but I have
been thinking that I would like to give as many friends as a can a tiny little
thing for them to stuff in their underwear or sock drawer that will surface
occasionally and remind them of me and what a mad old bad I was, when I have
drifted off to greener pastures who knows when; it is not for us to know the
time or the season.
Maybe it is the age thing or maybe it is this
horrendous time in all of our lives, when we have had too much time to think
and chew everything over, think if there is anything left undone, anything that
should have been addressed. Any misunderstanding that should have been cleared
or a wrong righted.
This particular day visiting people who have been so
kind to me, kindness that I have no possible way of returning, although I know
that they would not think about that. I jolly well do though, and I know that I
am blessed with family and friends who make the world a far better place.
During these last months it has not been a great hardship
for me if I speak the God’s honest truth. My own lockdown began on March 1st
really, since that was when my husband first asked me to stay at home, though
he continued to work for another week to clear all the remaining work before he
closed his business premises as required.
We had more date in the diary at the end of that week that
was too late to cancel and that I did not want to cancel if it could be avoided.
That was a meeting in our home with friends who make up our small poetry group
Scribblers. We have met regularly once a month to read our work to each other or
to bring something that we wanted to share with the group. We also like to have
a cup of tea or coffee and nibble a biscuit then chat at the end before going
home.
I thought that it was possible that nobody would come that
day due to the virus but they did. We had cleaned thoroughly before they came
and we did the same thing after they had gone because these have been times
when one cannot be too careful. You wouldn’t believe how much I have missed
those poetry afternoons.
It has been a blessing also to have shared this time
with my husband who is also my boss in our work, my best friend and my
triathlon coach. We have frequently spoken about how hard it must be to be
locked down in a small flat with young children or worse still teenagers! This
would turn into hell on earth very quickly if you no longer loved or cared
about your partner in that situation. No wonder so many ignored all the social
distancing advice. I see that.
What I cannot see, is that we are in a position to go
back to normal yet but so many people are doing just that. I know that our
region has not been a hot spot as such but it has had its problems and worrying
statistics and I know of a number of people who have had the virus.
Missing our swimming has been an issue, but we have
been able to have a few dips in the sea, though none that were a good workout
if the truth be known. We did in the past know a chap who was a good triathlete
but did not swim all winter but worked on his running and biking alone. So, I
am thinking that it will not be the end of the world to have lost most of the
summers swimming. The quality will come back in time.
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