I never quite know what triggers a mood. But today has been a good day and I have been in a good mood. Might be something to do with seeing Freddie and Harriet through their lounge window; or perhaps the cuddle John gave me; or maybe the lovely sunshine that emerged this afternoon. Who knows?
I was conscious that the Kenilworth Sleaths are feeling a bit stressed what with one thing and another, so I asked if there was anything I could do to help. As it turned out, Harriet had a couple of errands that needed running, so I said I’d pop over to collect whatever needed delivering and do what I could. They are all still in quarantine and possibly going-stir crazy. But it was delightful to talk to Fred-Fred through the patio window at the front of their house.
I suggested that Harriet put the items for delivery out on the path, so that we wouldn’t be breathing the same air. That is supposed to make you laugh, but I see the seriousness of it now that I have written it down. Anyway, Freddie was on his little tablet playing a game, so I joined in through the glass. We had a lovely time and we could hear each other, so we had a nice little chat. I finally dragged myself away, conscious all the time that my presence was making Mac bark and Paul was probably trying to work. I didn’t see Paul or Lily, much to my disappointment, but I suppose people can’t be paraded on a whim, can they?
Anyway, errands run, I came home to fill the car up with trash. We had booked a slot at the local tip to take the junk that John had put together out of the garage and all the re-cycling that we couldn’t fit into our regular bin. There was such a lot of cardboard, courtesy of Mr Amazon, from the parcels that had recently arrived for our birthdays.
We were on time for our slot, but had to wait about fifteen minutes until a vacant parking space became available. Then we got to it and, in a very short space of time, we were done. Ooh, that was satisfying! Must book another slot at the tip again soon!!
Once we were home, we had a bite to eat and popped some cakey things in the oven so that we could have Kaffee und Kuchen in front of the computer screen as we Zoomed in on Sue and Rod for a natter this afternoon. We had such a lovely time, sharing our current experiences. Although, I must say, I think I hogged the conversation a bit. It feels like a long time since I had a proper chat to someone other than John, so I was like a runaway train.
One of the lovely things about where the computer sits in the Computer Room, is that you face south. This is marvellous when the sun is streaming in (although sometimes you have to shut it out, it’s so bright) and this afternoon was no exception. The sun was moving to the west, low in the sky and casting the most subtle shadows and brightness into the room. Nice. Filled my soul. Hope.
We had another cuppa after our afternoon chat but I decided I didn’t want to sit about, even though I felt a bit weary. I am keen to get that room decorated. I promised I wouldn’t bore you with a blow-by-blow account of the decorating, but honestly, does prep never end?
‘Right,’ I thought, ‘I’ll wash down the skirting boards and get painting them.’ Hahahahaha……….no, you won’t, Mrs. Stop up the gaps with decorators caulk first; sand down the walls (long story); fill in the little holes that you missed the first time round; shift the furniture, then shift it back again, etc, etc…… and I still haven’t got to the gloriously exciting bit of putting paint on my paintbrush. Maybe tomorrow.
As I sit here looking at the latest figures regarding COVID infections and deaths, I look up to my right, out of the window, and see a beautiful, bright moon, shining on me and filling my soul differently. So soothing. If it wasn’t Bake-Off tonight, I’d be making John sit outside, under the new patio heater, wrapped in warm blankets, sipping a steaming mug of hot chocolate, moon and star-gazing. We don’t do enough of that. Another ‘maybe tomorrow’ scenario?
So, 11,299 people have been reported as infected with the virus today. 608 people have died of it in the community and 216 people have died in hospitals on 22 & 23 November. We knew that’s how the figures would tip, but it’s still distressing to think of so many families losing loved ones in a single day.
Keep smiling, folks. And take care. God bless.