A Kind of Normality

                   This photo of two running club mates is a few years old 

                             when there was no need for social distancing.

The last seven months has been spent trying to keep our ‘World within virus madness’, under firm control.

We have tried to the best of our ability, to keep our heads on straight.

To carry on our lives as triathletes as near to the normal level as possible.

We have tried to avoid feeling sorry for ourselves.

To keep working hard at the things we care about in life.

No matter what other people say, or think is the way to go.

As this disease has changed so much in everybody’s life styles, we have worked to stay strong.

To stay focused on that distant light at the end of the tunnel.

It has affected of business enormously as it has for many.

So, striving to concentrate on what we know.

Things that we know we can do.

Trying to do them better than we did before.

 

So today was a special day because it was the first time since February,

that we have taken our Sunday run with our old club mate.

We have only met her at a good distance a couple of times during this period.

We have stayed in touch by email Facebook and text though.

Recently I sent her a message to tell her that we had a very pretty new run route.

I asked her if she would like to test it out sometime.

What I did point out was that the run was a bit longer that our old Sunday run of 10km

Her running is a little faster than ours though not that much difference.

On our, at least fifteen years of running together,

she would start a little later than us and pass us somewhere on the route most times.

So if she wanted to try this route, she would have to run with us at our pace to avoid getting lost.

This morning we met at the old usual parking spot and started off spaced a little apart.

Sometimes a little behind but mostly a bit ahead of us.

At junctions of the myriad of tracks in the woods she would turn to see the right direction.

We thought she would enjoy the new run and not be too phased by the increased distance.

It would be possible to get a little lost if one was not sure of the way.

It won’t take long until she learns the new route though.

 

One day we hope to recommence another old custom of going to a tea shop after our runs.

May the day come soon when we all feel safe to do things like that again.

I don’t see that happening for a while yet, so that pleasure is still on hold.

Fingers crossed.

The time will come when we can chat and put the world to rights over coffee and cake once more.

 

 

 

Taking it easy for a change

The October mini series of storms presented by Alex seems to me to have just been a bout of normal autumn weather. Maybe having been caught out not forecasting something terrible some years ago, that they now lean toward over egging the strength of what is to come. Or maybe I just slept through it?!?!?!? There has been a bit of local surface water, but nothing worse than is normal and I hope it stays at that level. Our little cottage in raised above the road level by about 8’ anyway.

 My only concern is that there will be a space in the storm cycle to allow us to get our planned 8 mile run in tomorrow morning. We have done two of that distance this week and three was the aim. We have two chances. Our base policy is that if we go out to run and it starts to rain while we are out… that it just too bad, but we don’t go out when it is already raining hard; we are both too long in the tooth to be that stupid.

We are having a day off today in preparation for the 3^rd 8 miles in the morning if we are lucky. We just did two Qigong sessions earlier this morning about an hour all told, and then we have been having a nice easy day.. Steve made some superb bread rolls for our weekend breakfast treat. We don’t take breakfast during the week.

 

Then I finished off a bit of sewing that I had been doing in short sessions, and that item just needs the buttons to be sewn on. I’m not sure if I like it or not but I felt I had got into a bit of a rut as to what pattern I chose. We will see. Steve likes it so that’s a good start. Later on, I cut out the next on my endless list of sewing projects this time I have gone back to boring old form, with a simple shirt pattern.

 

 I had a volunteer assistant for that, but let me tell you that my little cat Miss Birdy is not a lot of help; but likes to be as close the cutting edge as possible and is quite determined not to move out of my way and gives me the death ray look if I push her away. You've heard of a Sewing Bee, well this is a Sewing Cat!

 

  Right now we have a perfect bit of background music going on. It is a concert from in Vienna on You Tube and that is lovely AND has our favourite tenor Jonas Kaufmann singing his heart out. We had never seen Schlőss Schőnbrunn and both stopped in our tracks to look at the palace and magnifiscent gardens. Steve goggled it, while the concert was in progress and it seems that it has 1440 or more rooms that is in a similar style to Versailles. Steve was seemed almost annoyed at the fact that in all our years of travelling around Europe with our Antiques that transport that we had never visited it or even been aware of its beauty. If all goes well Covid wise that is, we have a race in Graz that is reasonably close, not two hours away, and are now churning over how we can wangle a bit of sight seeing in at the same time. Fingers crossed on that one.

Other than the concert this morning, we have been binge watching Marcella on Netflix. Anna Friel is excellent in it, as are a huge selection of Britishsoapoperafederationofextremelygoodjobbingactors, which is the only distraction because you will be saying ‘Oh, what have we seen him in’? and mostly the answer is Corrie or East Enders or Casualty.  

None the less it is superbly done. We have watched two episodes a night all this week. We highly recommend this series.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend.

 

 

 

Mud! Ah yes, I remember

Those of us with the good sense to get out into the countryside to do our training have been so spoilt this summer with the weather.

So many lovely warm days and really when you think back over the summer months very little bad weather.

We have an abundance of wonderful woods and downland to train run in, or mountain biking if you prefer.

So, after a summer that has been so dry that we have hardly had to deviate off the tracks to avoid any puddles,

even though in fact, one of our mile measurement spots, on one of our run routes is in fact,

during the winter months, a large puddle, but that has been bone dry all summer long.

The shape of the dip was still apparent though.

 

So I guess that as far as mud is concerned, we have had it coming for some time.

Bit like President Trump testing positive for Covid wouldn’t you say?

All those months, when he has played the whole thing down, almost never wearing a mask.

Even at the press meetings, when he has been shoulder-to-shoulder with his senior staff members,

to report on how the pandemic was spreading and how people should be prepared.

 

So the latest news from the White House is hardly a shock to anybody.

It has been a period when we must all have raised our eyebrows, simply wondering how he has not managed picked up the virus.

One would think that given his age of 74, that somebody on the White House staff,

would have explained to the President of the United States,

that the age factor and being just a little overweight, would place him in an at risk group.

However I personally I would say that he certainly looks strong, upright and resilient.

 

Meanwhile it looks like ‘Storm Alex’ will fix any smugness we had left.

He now sets about wrecking as many tress as possible.

That won’t take long in filling that big old puddle on the top of a hill that is a turn point for us on one of the 10km runs we do regularly include. 

So Welcome Autumn,

in your coat of many colours,

its good to see you.

Admiring your ever-changing beautiful face

‘til the trees all turn to thick black lace.

 

Another short rhyme that even my husband knows is this little gem:

Thirty days hath September,

All the rest I can’t remember.

Do not feel sorry at sweet summers end

Do not mourn the soft falling of the leaves

As one door slams, one slides ajar my friend.

 

Do not regret the loss of sun kissed days

When Summer’s shimmering smile starts to fade

Nature consults us not, on her set ways.

 

Do not forget sun’s diamond cut facets

Reflections in a long-mirrored hallway

High summer’s myriad floral assets.

 

Of Octobers quicker, darkening days

Is born Autumn’s golden rusty-brown glow

A show-stopping miracle as trees sway.

 

Glory upon glory thru’ Winter’s trend

Do not feel sorry at sweet Summers end.