In the time of the virus: an ordinary day

A quick post today, as I’ve been busy all day and didn’t get anything written along the way.

Today was an ordinary day, which is to say that as we’re still self-isolating we must of necessity keep ourselves to ourselves.  For me that meant a day doing some more of the things on my list.

• I took an old, no longer needed, fitted double sheet and began repurposing it.  I cut off the fitted edges to use as the backings for more face coverings, and I will use the centre of the sheet to make bedding for granddaughter’s new/old bed.  She’s coming to stay again in a while and I’d like it all to be ready in time.
• I cut out all the various pieces for the next batch of face coverings I’ll be making for another neighbour.  There are 6 on order, and they’re all ready to be sewn up.  While I was at it, I cut some extra backings ready for more.  Using the rotary cutter, cutting mat and rule make it so easy to do multiples – today I was cutting 4 layers at a time.
• I wrote up everything I know about my dad’s family (very little, sadly) and sent it to a friend who has offered to see whether she can find out any more.  She has a lot of experience of researching family histories, and in fact one of her lockdown projects has been to research the lives of some of the people who died in the Bath Workhouse as part of a bigger project to remember those largely forgotten lives.
• I went for a walk via the allotment.  Except I didn’t go for a walk, because I was enjoying pottering around on the allotment so much that I decided to stay there.  So instead of the walk I picked a large colander of french beans, sugar snap peas and ordinary peas for our supper tonight; I collected today’s eggs; I weeded, and tidied, and watered.  I took the table out of the shed and sat and prepared the vegetables ready for supper.  As I did so, I drank in the lushness, the beauty of it all, and reflected that my plot has never before looked so good nor given me so much pleasure (or produce) as it has this year.

• I sat and read a little more of Wolf Hall.  The more I read, the more resonances I see between C16 English politics and now.  Plus of course they had the plague.  It’s rather disconcerting.
• I started to think about some of the things I’m missing.  Best not to dwell too much on that.  There are things I’m missing that soon will be restored, and that’s good to look forward to.  There are other things it’s hard to imagine when they’ll be back (if at all).  Especially seeing warnings that we could see major outbreaks in the winter with massive loss of life, unless urgent and appropriate action is taken.  It’s hard to imagine this government managing to get anything right, having seen the succession of catastrophes they’ve chosen so far this year.

So.  Enough of these musings.  I hope I’ll see you again tomorrow xx