Just having a moment in time with the perfect macchiato. Appreciating the little everyday things has to be the way through the sludge of lockdown. Although it is blog day again so soon. It is strange how the time goes so slowly yet passes quickly in some ways.
I’m convinced that having a routine is crucial as that is my way of seeing the time pass. Particularly when laundry and cleaning days seem to come round so quickly.There is no end in sight yet and for us in the most vulnerable category we could have to stay locked up for another year; seems incomprehensible that such a thing is happening.
We are so fortunate to be somewhere so rural that we can break the rules and go outside without any fear of breaching distancing guidelines, as there is no one around.
The focus for me has to be home as we’re not able to leave it apart from trying to get a little daily exercise. It’s difficult buying shopping for a week knowing you’re not going to be able to pop out for something missed or wanted. So we have huge quantities of vegetable and fruit (lucky us)
M has complained to Waitrose about the lack of delivery slots as have I, but he’s actually had a response and an assurance that they will contact him again this week with a resolution. Hurrah. I don’t mind so much when we can put in orders for fish and veg and then our friends will just collect for us but I don’t like giving someone a massive list and them having to trawl round Waitrose for us.
There's lots of time to enjoy the garden which is coming along with some lovely bright tulips:
We’ve taken delivery af lots of vegetable plants for our raised bed which isn’t finished yet so we have all sorts in pots: purple sprouting, borlotti beans, endive, Treviso, tomatoes , runner beans and more. I have never had a proper vegetable patch before so I hope I have green enough fingers. Apart from being a bit feeble I am also a fair weather gardener but maybe I’ll be compelled by the promise of home grown vegetables.
I did harvest some rhubarb yesterday and made rhubarb and ginger relish which should be good with mackerel or pork. Today I’ll make stock from yesterday’s roast chicken and make soup with cannelloni beans, spring cabbage and lemon.
Maintaining chocolate supplies hasn’t been difficult as there are so many online shops. My favourite at the moment is one from Ocelot that is dark chocolate with nice crunchy little bits of buckwheat.
It’s not been quite warm enough to sit out on the patio but I’m looking forward to having coffee outside and an evening rose. We are debating whether to invest in a Morso outdoor oven, justified by us likely being locked down all summer. They are wood burning so should produce delicious meat as well as great pizzas.
I’ve had lots of pots from Jane who sent over a box full so I’ve been painting some of those as well as the tulips from the garden and from a bunch that M had sent to me. A lovely surprise.
My panther of the week is Fred Cuming who did mostly landscapes but I like his blurry flower paintings:
I have sent of half a dozen paintings (pictures of) for the online exhibition which I’m still not sure when is on, but nothing seems to need to be done quickly at the moment.
We have just had some compost delivered so I’ll need to do some planting; we also have some more veg arriving today, so in contradiction there is some pressure to get them planted; it would be tragic if the little plants died.
I’ve had no communication from Papworth which I imagine is given over to coronavirus patients. I know I can contact the transplant team if I have any concerns but I only have vague overall worries about not having blood tests and the other monitoring. I was due to have an echocardiogram as well as the usual xrays and spirometry. Who knows when it will be safe enough for me to go out.
A final update on Ralph who has now become part of the family. He has settled down since his anxiety when he first came and he is such a nice companion. He likes company so follows us or one of us around. He usually curls up in the bathroom while I have my bath, or lies on the sofa in my studio while I paint.He also likes to stretch out on the bed all night and always likes to be picked up for a cuddle. He does go out now although has been having fights with the neighbourhood cats; I don’t know if that’s the reason he spends most of his time at home sleeping, but I suppose that’s cats for you.
I have been spending a lot of time sleeping too and can manage a good 10hours a night. I like to think that is good for my body repairing itself still. It also means shorter lockdown days I guess. It’s already 12.30 now and I’ve got up, had my nebuliser and a coffee, then it’s lunchtime before I know it and into the afternoon descent before dinner and bed again!