Here we go again…

Monday: Is it HEATWAVE weather again, or just normal July…who can tell anymore? It has been a weird day, or rather, it has been what would have been a totally normal day 18 months ago, but now is weird. I ventured out to a shop and got pissed off at the people not wearing masks. Screw what Boris says, if we’ve still got COVID going round we should still be wearing masks. It’s basic human decency to ‘suffer’ a little inconvenience to reduce the risk (ANY RISK) of killing someone with a virus you gave them. Anyway, even with all of the selfish sods wandering the aisles I still managed to buy some wool…whoops (Super chunky in mustard/gold).

Tiny pumpkins have been knitted, a gift of strawberries was received from a neighbour and I was surprised with a hand whittled token of affection which will be painted at some point I’m sure.

Thunder and lightning at about 6pm which, thanks to the meteorology course I took earlier this year, I know is caused by charge seperation happening in a rising column of air, leading to the negative charges collecting at the cloud’s base and the positive charges at the top, producing an electrical field strong enough to allow for cloud to cloud lightning strike…the sort of which I saw this evening (#NerdForLife)

I also found time to listen to an episode of the Philosophize This podcast and now I need to read some Henry David Thoreau.

Tuesday: The weather today is more of the traditional British variety. Is it just me or does warm rain feel really weird?

Did some dog-sitting for an hour this morning, which basically consisted of 50 minutes of trying to stop her from eating bumble bees and 10 minutes of feeding her treats. Then I drove to Coventry as chauffeur to someone picking up their new car. I had forgotten how nerve wracking it can be trying to listen to a sat-nav as you negotiate a multi-lane roundabout, but we got there and back in one piece so I’m chalking that up as my adventure for the week.

I found a lovely, share-able story about a crane masquerading as a giraffe (here).

Wednesday: You know those sunshine and showers days where it is still warm and the rain seems to fall so slowly and lazily that you can almost watch the drops as they go past? It was one of those days today. I managed some exercise, which was pleasing even though it was anything but enjoyable, and I made a little progress on my ‘Finish What You’ve Already Started Before Starting Something New’ mission. Ammonites were added to a cushion, some honeycomb knitting is being blocked and some artful photos of a glasses case were taken.

We keep a copy of Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations in the bathroom (which I think he would have appreciated) and today I read his views on why it is ridiculous to expect kindness or compassion from someone who has repeatedly shown themselves to be cruel and thoughtless. I think we are constantly appalled by the actions of some people (who we can all name immediately) because, as normal people who try to be decent, we imagine that everyone has lines they will not cross. The vicious, selfish and callous people have no lines though. They dismiss any guilt or remorse at the harm they have caused in the past so why would they consider ever stopping? Anyway, I am now determined to stop being surprised when I hear about arseholes being arseholes, it’s a waste of my energy, which I could be using to delight in wonderful humans being wonderful instead.

Thursday: Today was another Slightly Strange in a Perfectly Ordinary Way one because I had a visitor for whom I made a cup of tea. I literally cannot remember the last time I made a cup of tea for someone (it doesn’t help that I only drink coffee…who wants tea made by a coffee drinker?!) The whole experience seemed to have an odd effect on time. Our conversation took no longer than an hour or so but it felt as if I had been socialising all day, as in, it was exhausting. It was good too though, we set the world to rights and I almost remembered how to behave in polite company (it will come back to me eventually, I’m sure).

I FINISHED A BOOK!! Woohoo! (Stern Plastic Owl – Robert Wringham) Yes, finishing books is still a cause for celebration. I actually backed this particular book on Kickstarter, because I have read others by him and I enjoy his humour. Apparently there is also a novel on the way, which will be nice.

Friday: I felt a little discombobulated today, maybe because of yesterdays socialising, but probably just because of a lack of sleep. My neighbour and I discussed whether there would be a market for hand crocheted ‘snot-balls’ and I thought there would be, but that we would probably have to go through the dark web to find the true fandom. Come to think of it, a conversation like that could discombobulate anyone.

Last year I received an orchid as a present. Just as any reasonable person would, I had always believed the hype about how difficult it is to grow them, so the simple fact that I had been able to keep it alive for a year was enough to encourage me to re-pot it recently (expecting instant plant death to result from that of course). Now I have many new flowers developing, which is worrying…

Saturday: Today is my birthday. Not a big one with a zero at the end, nope, that was last year. I somehow managed to wangle it so that my Big Birthday happened during a global pandemic, who could have guessed that I’d get a second birthday with such an excuse to NOT go out and party?! I actually enjoy getting older, as contrary as that sounds nowadays, but I do not care too much for the day itself. Maybe it’s that I’m not really comfortable being the centre of attention, or that my minimalist self wishes for fewer presents, or that I’m not a big fan of cake, but I am trying to be less whiney about it. I know that the people who buy me stuff do so with thought and care (I’ve told everyone else to stop buying me things and/or give some money to charity instead) and we are a practical enough family that we each have lists of things we would appreciate as gifts.

Wrapping paper flying around the room like confetti…

This year’s haul is basically books and kits for trying new crafts…what the F am I complaining about?! Birthdays?! Bring them on!

Sunday: Today I was determined to kick the ass of ‘Finish What You’ve Already Started….etc’ so that I could begin one of my birthday books guilt-free, lounging on my metaphorical chaise longue (should I put a chaise longue on my Christmas wish list?) With this mission in mind I spent the day in my PJ’s and dressing gown on the sofa, knitting and sewing my fingers off. Was I dignified? No. Was I dressed to make tea for visitors? No. Was I comfortable and delighting in being old enough to not care about that stuff? Yes.

By 4pm I had completed four of the almost finished projects that live by the side of my chair and so book reading was begun.

For those still keeping score: The cherry tree was pruned quite severely but each and every severed branch has new leaves at the ends, so I’m feeling pretty smug about that…cherry pie all round next year!

Featured Image Photo Credit: Unsplash.com