Friday 10.04.2020

Ten days into the month - is that a sign that in "lockdown" the hours all merge into one amorphous unreality? No, not really.
Aim for variety with just a little bit of structure built in to mark the days. Most mornings early round the bounds with the dogs; a stretch of yoga (try www.yogawithadriene.com very unpretentious user friendly stuff), first coffee and then......
-writing
-reading
-long walk
-garden
-kitchen
-jigsaw
-longer walk
-emailing
-letter/postcard writing
-the day usually ending with a last walk round the bounds before supper........
..............and so on and so on.......but in any order for any length of time as the weather and the mood dictate....actually a massive luxury, all the while counting blessings for the fresh air and space up here on the hill.

And the "markers" are Wednesdays, which have become our shopping-for-oldies day, and the "weekend", in this situation an entirely arbitrary choice of Saturday & Sunday but habits die hard so truthfully not doing much different but perhaps a bit more Twitter, box sets, podcasts and guilt free pottering.......
Talking of which, here`s an enormously sensible take on how to deal with this bizarre situation........
https://www.chronicle.com/article/Why-You-Should-Ignore-All-That/248366 Guilt, you see, is a complete waste of energy.

And yesterday found another activity to add to the list as I reconnected with my inner 13 year old and went for a bike ride. Don`t do it often enough, always forget how enjoyable it is, exercising the legs up the hills and whizzing down them......and there`s a refreshing change of scene as well.

Went "round the block" for about 7 miles, no doubt breaking lots of the current "rules" but as I was only passed by 2 tractors and saw no-one else at all, not expecting to get my collar felt just yet.

Meanwhile the unifying factor across the last ten days or so has been the wind. It seems that whichever direction it came from it was.....well, chilly at the least, absolutely baltic and blowing hard at its worst, sun or no sun. but it means that taking walks - long -or longer - in changeable conditions and at different times of the day has been a sure way of introducing a bit of variety. It`s surprising how the sun being in a different part of the sky casting shadows in unfamiliar places, can alter perceptions and awareness.


OK, so here`s a chance to change the routine: a few hot cross buns...and I must check my sauerkraut. :)