Day 19 - Phil Collins

Two and a half weeks in to lockdown and already this life is feeling almost normal. There is a new routine (or lack of) for everything and the pace of life is so slow and uneventful compared to how it was.

I popped round to my lovely grandma's earlier with some shopping essentials and we chatted from a safe distance (how often do we now use this once obsolete phrase?) in the garden. She is amazing. 98 and totally unfazed by all this. She just says her life hasn’t actually changed that much, which I guess it hasn’t, apart from that she is seeing less of people and can’t go to church. Normally I would stay longer and have a coffee with her, and probably some biscuits with a best before date of Jan 1982, but these days I take my own bottle of water and have a good excuse to pass on the biccies. We talked about the usual things, Corona, both world wars, politics, immigration, Corona, Spanish Flu, and how weird I will look when my hair is the same colour as hers in a few weeks... I miss giving her a hug and kiss goodbye, and the first time I had to leave her like that in lockdown I cried. But these days (it’s only been just over 2 weeks ffs!) we laughed, did virtual hugs and kisses and I walked away happy instead of distraught. It’s all about adjusting.... 

It’s a beautiful spring day today, and after our daily walk, Mia and I sat in the garden and painted canvasses with acrylics. Usually on a day like today we would be off to the coast or the countryside, and while I really miss days out, the simple things at home are actually just as enjoyable. One thing that is taking some getting used to however, is the fact that all neighbours have, shall we say, “very different tastes” in their afternoons spent in the garden. Without wanting to offend anyone (in case they read this blog and they obviously know where I live) our afternoon has been spent painting (quietly), listening to music (with headphones) reading (in silence) and talking (in a normal tone) to each other. Everyone is different of course, and part of lockdown adjustment on a nice day is getting used to Phil Collins, Cher, heavy metal, constantly creaking kids trampolines, yapping dogs, and the general details of some of our neighbour's lives shouted loudly in conversation to each other even when sitting together. (Disclaimer 1: my neighbours are all lovely people and they are entitled to spend their days in their own gardens exactly how they want. I am not complaining, simply observing. Disclaimer 2: Everyone has their own taste in music and just because Phil and Cher are not mine, there is nothing wrong with the people who enjoy this music) 

The canvas I painted earlier was of a silhouette of a Venetian skyline at sunset. It’s far from a masterpiece but I enjoyed doing it. (Note to self, wear cotton buds in ears next time a relaxing afternoon of painting is planned)  Venice is one of my favourite places and we have visited many times. I leaned back and closed my eyes and felt the sun on my face. I pictured Venice and the day we will go back. The beautiful canals and the old coloured buildings. I pictured walking over the old bridges again in a world where crowds of people are allowed and not a scary health hazard. And I pictured sitting on a wall by the canal, watching the sun go down, drinking wine from a plastic refillable litre bottle, because it’s so much cheaper than doing similar in a canal side restaurant. And I will do the same again, because when in Venice I prefer to use a local shop for local people, and get the best seat (floor) in the house and watch the sun go down on the beautiful city of Venice. And hopefully this will happen again soon. 

(Pic is not Venice (obvs) but is still a sunset and my fave place in these times, Clifton Moor lake.)