The Distancing Diaries - Day 128 & 129

On Sunday, the sun streaming through the bedroom window woke me up just after 6.30am. Accompanied by the lads, I went downstairs and brought mugs of tea back up to bed where Jon & I read until 8am.

After a poached egg on toast I painted my nails, slathered my hair in conditioner and caught up with blogland.

Barry M nail paint of the week is Salt Lake.

Jon's plan for the day was to continue with the kitchen cupboard - a huge task, as you can probably tell by the amount of time he's dedicated to it. I continued with what I'd started on Friday and cleaned the rest of the downstairs windows both inside and out.

I deadheaded the plants and swept the patio, then raked the gravel, collecting two buckets of lime tree debris and did my best to squeeze them into the garden waste bin, due for collection on Wednesday.

WEARING: 1970s Van Allen printed cotton maxi dress (eBay, 2004)

Although we had rain the previous day the pots were really dry so I unraveled the hosepipe and spent a good hour thoroughly soaking everything. As you can see from my strappy dress, although it kept clouding over it was deliciously warm in the sunshine.

After a break for lunch, I weeded the veg patch and pinched out some errant shoots from the tomato plants. There were a few still in trays so I transferred them into pots and dotted them around the patio mixed in with the flowers. After I'd cut back the brambles the sky had turned an ominous shade of grey so I put everything away, locked up the shed and spent the rest of the afternoon catching up with blogs before my weekly hair wash.

After tea (salad with Greek sagnaki, spinach parcels and veg pakoras) we watched the first episode of the BBC's serialisation of the epic novel, A Suitable Boy which Jon summed up quite accurately as being a bit fluffy. Beautifully shot but somewhat tame & a bit soap-operaish, we've been spoilt by The Luminaries & Mrs America - we prefer our TV with a bit more of an edge. Hopefully it'll improve.

Monday's weather (day 129) was every bit as miserable as the BBC had predicted that it would be. I had to double check the time when I got up as it was a lot darker than it should have been at 6.15am in late July. I did my daily Wii Fit workout, took a cup of tea upstairs to Jon and caught up with blogland. Neither of the lads was in the least bit interested in staying outside, both doing what they needed to before scuttling back to bed.

WEARING: Vintage Eastern European hand-embroidered blouse & 1970s Ayesha Davar block printed midi skirt (both eBay) 

 With the scattering of lime tree leaves, dark skies, incessant rain and 12°C temperatures you could be forgiven for thinking it was Autumn but no, it's just your average British summer day - and as someone who normally spends most of their summer working outside, sadly there's nothing unusual about the current weather.

After our fruit & yogurt breakfast Jon cracked on with the cupboard building. My annual pill check* is due in September and, as the online booking system had been suspended, I rang the hospital to see what the procedure was. The receptionist told me that she'd arrange for a nurse to contact me as the rules were constantly changing and she wasn't sure if the department were still posting out repeat prescriptions (as they had been during lockdown) or if visits had been reinstated. Within an hour I was called back and was given an appointment for tomorrow afternoon, in normal times there's a waiting list of at least six weeks, the nurse also gleefully reminded me that hospital parking was currently free, two lockdown miracles!

*Yes, I might be 54 in December but the NHS say that up to the age of 55 there's still a risk of getting pregnant - motherhood is something I have no intention of ever happening - hence the reason I'll take my chances and sit in a hospital waiting room in the midst of a global pandemic!

The postman arrived with a lovely package. Our dear friend Lynn lost her lovely Auntie Gladys in the Spring and she'd sent me some of her sunflowers to plant in the garden. I'd never had the honour of meeting Auntie Gladys but Lynn often told me what she'd been up to and I know I'd have loved her. Find Lynn's blog HERE.

With the rain showing no signs of stopping I went upstairs, rifled through my somewhat depleted fabric stash, cranked up the sewing machine and set about making some masks. I needed one for my hospital appointment tomorrow and although I already have two, one made by Liz and the other a hardcore neoprene number Jon bought me, it wouldn't hurt to have a few more options.

From the left: 1960s Jonelle Marrakesh curtain worn with Hmong tribe silver serpent earrings; William Morris's Strawberry Thief recycled cushion cover worn with Indian brass & enamel earrings; 1970s Tatton by Bevis recycled screen-printed curtain worn with Indian mirrored earrings

Of course, you know me, if it's worth doing it's worth overdoing and, with a break for noodles in between, by 3pm I'd made a handful.

Technically there's only three but I used contrasting fabric on the back of two of them, making them reversible.

From left: 1970s recycled gingham souvenir Spanish tablecloth worn with silver hoop & chain earrings; Secondhand cactus print duvet cover worn with Kuchi tribal earrings

The more eagle-eyed amongst you will recognise the fabrics I used....

I've used them all around the house.

Using up odd scraps of fabric, some elastic from my stash (I buy in bulk from Ebay as I always need it for mending stock), secondhand thread and a free pattern which I downloaded from a gorgeous website from where my friend Lynn treated herself to a posh frock (HERE) the total spend was a big fat zero plus I got to spend the day listening to 6Music - despite the miserable weather I had a brilliant time.

Tea was a vegeburger (a Morrisons' Miami burger), a grilled Portabello mushroom, spiced potato fairies and Greek salad. We've just started watching The Durrells, I know we're about four years behind everyone else. Trouble is that it's on ITV and I'm already hating all the adverts.

Apparently it's due to cheer up a bit tomorrow, just in time for our National Trust adventure but I shall pack my bus nutter mac (along with the flask & sandwiches) just in case.

Stay safe and keep smiling!