It’s been a while since I started the week with one of these posts, since the start of February to be precise. That’s most probably because weeks have been pretty similar this year - eat, work, sleep, repeat and all that - and there’s been little to say. However as the whole country works its way through the milestones of the roadmap out of lockdown we’re doing more - we’ve still not managed an outside pub or restaurant visit, nor do we really have any plans to. Up until this weekend it’s been too cold to do that.
We’ve not been total hermits though - we’re gradually going further afield and planning more, and it’s great to have some semblance of normality return, with more to follow. We’ve had haircuts, our second jab, had a flying visit to Norfolk to see my parents for the first time in six months and made plans for a UK break or two. MIL’s house move is progressing and MOH is acquiring childhood stuff from his family home, which is both interesting and challenging for all involved.
MOH has started his new job, and we’re both still working from home. I’ve bagged the warmer of our two spare rooms while MOH has finally made use of the throw in his home office, and once or twice even turned on the electric heater. He’s still brilliant at bringing me tea and cakes/biscuits, and workday lunches are usually very planned or a bit ‘put together’ from leftovers in the fridge - aka Fridge Tapas - definitely a discovery of lockdown!
I randomly won a competition just by retweeting a tweet - if I’m honest I never thought anyone ever won those, but they do, as I have. My prize arrived this week and included these five jars of jam (or four jams, one honey), a bottle of rhubarb vodka liqueur, a morello cherry candle and an apple scented diffuser - all of which I can’t wait to try.
I had a lovely week off at the end of April, which cannily ran into the bank holiday extending my time away from my day job for a little extra time - it was my first full week off since last October, which is quite a while. I’d had a few days off in between, but it was nice to spend some time recharging.
I was keen to make the most of my time off and so put some structure around my days, as otherwise I knew I’d spend most of the day wondering what to do - I have lots to do and some times the choice doesn’t help. I managed daily yoga sessions - these were short (and wobbly!) - and I promised myself I’d spend at least 21 minutes a day reading. I mean, it’s not a long time so it is surely something I could commit too going forward, and mostly I have. I also spent some time really thinking about things and finally posted my word of the year, yes just before the end of April!
During that week I also got myself back into a blogging rhythm which I’m hoping to continue with. I got out and about on foot and had a first session of craniosacral therapy, something that’s new to me and I first heard of in a podcast. Looking into it further I thought it was something that could help me overcome the stresses of lockdown, and it has. I’ve since had another session with a further one booked. After the first session I felt that my body was able to relax more, and for the first time in a long time got what was meant by ‘melting into the earth’. The second session was different bringing different feelings to the fore, but it also got me logging off an hour earlier than usual and out into the evening sunlight, which in itself is quite an achievement.
On walk home the evening was one of those with that glorious golden light and a sunset that would be worthy of any horizon, but if you look closely you can see the traffic speed hump in the foreground and a litter bin on the right hand side.
I’ve some more time off in a few weeks, and we’ll be heading up to the Lake District for the holiday which was postponed last year and I’m looking forward to that. That will be the last of my leave carried over from last year, and then I can start on this year’s leave! We have plans for a long weekend away in Sussex, which is basically us in a hut complete with a hot tub in a field, and another few days in the gatehouse of a walled garden later in the summer.
All that thinking means I’ve also had a realisation about living life, as I’m sure many of us have had in this past year, and while I’m going to do that annoying thing of not saying anything more right now, it’s been quite an eye opener and given me plenty more to think about.