One thing that is noticeable in these strange times is that in a very short space of time, you just adapt to the new ‘normal’. In our ‘previously normal’ every day lives, we rush around fitting things in, worry about various random things – ‘must do this… must do that…’ and then, all of a sudden, the things you worry about just change, overnight.
I’ve found myself contemplating how a lot of what we just take for granted and grant importance to, in our lives is just irrelevant in the overall scheme of things. Take, for example, the deck oil that I used the other day. Under normal circumstances we would toddle off to the DIY store, stand for some minutes discussing the merits of this oil over that oil and what colour? Which would be best from the vast array of choices? The other day, I was simply overjoyed just to find a tin, the colour didn’t matter and guess what? It all looks just fine! I probably got the whole job done in the time it would have taken to go, choose and get the stuff home!
Since ‘toddling off to the DIY store’ is not really an option*, you find yourself just managing with things you already have, adapting stuff and making things out of it, instead of automatically dashing out to buy new. Having too much choice just complicates things but, of course, it does help to have the luxury of time which we have now, but didn’t have so much of before.
*well, technically it is, apparently you can phone/email your choices and then just go and collect it from outside, but you do need to be able to identify exactly what you want.
I’ve never been so grateful to my wonderful Mum for her ethos about ‘make do and mend’ and ‘think outside the box’ for ways to get things done. She’s an absolute master and it seems I learnt a lot from her – thank you Mum! Love you loads! 💖 💖
Today the weather was cold and damp and definitely not an outdoor day.
Mark (who doesn’t much like sitting still) decided to tackle the boiler room… another of those gritty jobs that sit in the back of your mind nagging to get done. He had already spent a day some months ago, pulling everything out, clearing out a lot of inherited junk and stuff we don’t need, reorganising what we did need etc, constructing shelving racks to make the space better organised etc. Last time the chimney sweep came, he was most impressed that he could actually reach the flue without doing some kind of gymnastic exercise! 🙄 😆 But the room is dusty, and badly in need of a freshening coat of paint. Needless to say it’s one of those jobs that is not only gritty, but involves taking everything out into the lower hallway – one of the main guest thoroughfares, so not one that’s easy to schedule in. Today was the day. As you can imagine, it’s also pretty warm in there and not really space for two to work effectively, so the best I could do was take regular drinks and bake some flapjacks to support the workforce. 😉 😇
For me, today was more relaxing. The weather was cold and damp and definitely not an outdoor day. More faffing really.. taking down the winter curtains in the breakfast room, ready for the summer curtains (in the meantime I’m commandeering the breakfast room for my sewing machine – there’s lots of light and space and I’m finally going to get around to making the curtains for our kitchen, which was lovingly decorated last November. 😁 I’ve also got a hefty backlog of repairs and alterations to do and other little projects that I’ve been wanting to get on with for ages. There’s space in there for me to create an orderly queue of actual stuff and take them off my eternal ‘to-do list’ 😬
48 hours ago we were in the garden getting tanned and wearing shorts, according to the forecast, it’s quite likely that we’ll be shovelling snow again in the morning… can this year get any more surreal?? 🤔 😂
Stay safe everyone xx
