A fairly ordinary week, if ever there is such a thing these days. There are signs of normality returning although we don’t want the same normal anymore. Some comical things too….
Walking with Rachel
We delight in our countryside and love spending time strolling through it. All good, you might think. Besides our local Downs and neighbourhood, we have walked at Grafham Water in Cambs while retrieving some windsurf kit for Hannah. Yesterday we ambled along a the Grand Union Canal, our little part of the marvellous network of inland waterways.
Have I told you about a new app on Rachel’s phone? Cleverly it identifies all kinds of plants, trees and bugs, and she’s gradually building up a personal album, naturally earning a few badges along the way.
It’s a kind of school field trip for grown-ups with us merrily enjoying a walk when suddenly I realise I have left Rachel behind. I turn around and she’s photographing a new unidentified leaf. Or is it a bug on a leaf? Or is it in focus? “Oh drat it’s gone…. oh well let’s carry on but not too fast, I’ve got to earn my Creepy Crawly Badge”.
So nowadays we are adding a few more Latin botanical names to our lingo. Grasshopperous, pinkiepetaltery and the like. Actually I quite like it although it does make for a somewhat disjointed stroll.
It does bring interest though. Only the other day we (actually I mean Rachel) spotted a tiny rare orchid on the Downs near our house. On hands and knees, Rachel duly photographed it and no doubt feeding some bigger database of where our flora is up and down the country.
It brings a certain stop-start feel to our conversations and daily exercise in our quest to hit 10,000 steps a day. It feels a bit like driving in rush hour and never getting out of second gear but nevertheless it is very enjoyable; I actually love it! It is just taking me time to adopt this new pace.
Why Mummy swears
The other night, using my earbuds in bed, I was listening to ‘Why Mummy swears’ and giggling at ‘Mummy’ taking time off work to have her 5 wisdom teeth extracted. Rachel asked me in the morning exactly what was going on and why I was chuckling so much(!). I quickly explained how I’ve started listening to ‘Why Mummy swears’ on Radio 4 and how this is something I can identify with. Mummy had bunked off work several times and explained she had had her wisdom teeth removed – all five of them!
The swearing and ranting all brings back reminders of why I retired from work. I do wonder if I should start writing or podcasting about ‘Why retired civil servant rants’ and I can tell you, I would have plenty to say.
Met with former colleague
On Tuesday I had coffee with someone I used to know through the blummin Council as I believe she’d be a good trustee for a charity I am involved with. Naturally we talked a little about the work I had left behind and I must admit I could feel my blood pressure rising.
As I walked home I chewed this over. While she is a great choice, I couldn’t help but reflect on the angst this reminded me of. I feel sad that the last couple of years at work weren’t my happiest: I don’t feel I retired at my peak which was probably 3-5 years before.
Some socialising
Feeling brave we have had some socialising with friends, albeit in a social distancing way.
Last Sunday David and Becky came for breakfast as they were borrowing some bicycle pannier bags for their impromptu cycling holiday (naturally having disaster written all over it with missed ferries, getting lost, getting wet etc). It was hard not being able to give Becky a fatherly hug. I didn’t even want to “take the risk” knowing how she has been teaching lots of unruly school children this last term.
Our patio has been a good venue. Yesterday our friends Barry and Angela came around for a natter and I pretended it was a post-parkrun nosh up with coffee, home made bread rolls and marmalade. We managed to welcome the Wilkinson family from Church which was nice.
We have also thoroughly enjoyed being able to provide Wednesday night meals for some folk, a kind of Meals-on-Wheels. Each time I wonder whether I should be praying I don’t inadvertently trigger food poisoning amongst some slightly delicate people. In all seriousness, it is an opportunity we have in being able to bring a smile to folk and serve our local church community in our own way without the inevitable complexities involved if this was an official church ministry. It is actually quite liberating!
Coronavirus – calm before the storm?
Probably like you, we often talk about the latest developments with the Coronavirus and shudder at our Prime Minister’s ineptitude.
We worry if there will be a second spike. Perhaps another time I might do a blog post on the ways in which we might prepare for this and hoping avoid too much exposure.