The Distancing Diaries - Day 168 & 169

 On Friday morning (day 168), after my final Wii Fit session of the week, I checked the weather and confident of a dry day loaded up the washing machine and by the time Jon came downstairs for breakfast it was pegged out on the line. Stephen was due at the vets for a check-up after a month on his thyroid tablets and, while Jon & he were out, I downloaded some books on to my Kobo.

Yes, I know nothing beats a real book, but when you're a prolific reader an e reader is a travel essential and there's the added bonus of having no glue to melt in the heat which means you don't need to chase up the beach retrieving the crucial last pages of that gripping thriller.  My Kobo (which was still boxed and came with a free case) cost £18 on eBay a few years ago. 

WEARING: Organic cotton dobby blouse (FabIndia in Goa, 2018), 1970s Third Eye Indian block printed maxi skirt (eBay, 2017), Rajasthani pendant threaded on a Banjara tribal coin necklace

Blog reader Kev popped round. I was hoping that the elastic would have arrived for me to finish his masks but it hadn't. Thankfully he wasn't too worried, he had another barter - in return for me patching his two favourite pairs of jeans, he offered us this amazing carved wooden sculpture which had been brought back from British Malaya, back in the 1930s.

Obviously I said yes. I've done some research I think it represents Fūjin, the green-skinned Japanese god of wind. Hopefully it'll provide us with some extra protection for the next storm. A neighbour had given him these lamps to put in the bin but he offered them to us first. I'm sure we can find a use for them. I'm pretty sure they're 1980s British Home Stores, a British high street chain that went bust a few years ago. Their clothes went downhill in the 1980s but their lighting department was always really cool (I googled BHS to find out the date that they closed and discovered that they've made a comeback and are back online selling homewares).

By now Jon and Stephen were back from their adventures at the vet. Owners are now allowed to escort their pets into the clinic (which makes the experience a lot less traumatic) and masks have to be worn although Jon said he was followed in by a skanky sort without one and nothing was said. Anyway, Stephen had another blood test and the vet promised to call with the results within the next 24 hours. 

After our noodles we'd planned to do some work clearing the border we'd started last week but it had gone so cold that we decided to do stuff in the house instead. Jon set about repairing an old chainsaw and I made a start on patching Kev's jeans, finishing the first pair and making a start on the second.

It was so cold that eight hours after pegging my washing out it was still damp. I rescued it and hung it up in the utility room to dry before joining Jon for an Empire IPA, half a pizza and salad at the kitchen table.

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We spent the evening drinking rum and watching Gardener's World and a documentary about Democracy and Theatre in Ancient Greece with Dr Michael Scott. Aren't we highbrow?

On Saturday morning (day 169) Jon got up first, saw to the lads and brought mugs of tea up to bed. The sun was shining and the sky was blue and we pondered on the fact that for the last ten years we've been at End of The Road Festival either as punters or crew. A year ago today me and Heidi got to hang out with Jarvis Cocker (and made absolute fools of ourselves as we were so giddy with excitement and daft on gin).

Jon got up to make a start on the sausages whilst I stripped and changed the bed, loaded the washing machine and gave the houseplants a bath. After our sandwiches I pegged the washing on the line while Jon washed up.

Once dressed we made a start on the semi-cleared patch, digging up the weeds and tree roots as best we could. Jon found some wood on the pile to use as a border and we made a mental note to pick up some grass seed next time we visited Wilko.

The lads were rather interested in the new area, was it a giant litter tray for humans?

Next up Jon tipped out the contents of compost bin and added it to the soil.

Once that was raked through we added a couple of bags of shop-bought compost and mixed everything in together.

When we popped into the house for tea and a bag of crisps I discovered that the postman had been. The company I bought the elastic from had mixed up my order and sent me 1 metre instead of 10 but after a swift email I was reassured that 10 metres would be dispatched immediately and I could keep the rest for free.

On a happier note our winter seeds had arrived. Look at that gorgeous (recycled) packaging! If you've not heard of Real Seeds I suggest you check them out immediately, their ethics are bang-on. 

WEARING: Vintage Indian gauze midi dress (eBay, 2017), 1970s Phool waistcoat (Eyewood Vintage, 2018), Clarks' boots (charity shop)

We moved the cloches over along with the chillies and dwarf French beans. We'll plant our seeds tomorrow (weather permitting!)

The vet called. When Stephen was tested a month ago his thyroid level was 70, yesterday after four weeks of tablets it's down to 30. What a result! Obviously he'll have to continue with the tablets but he's so much better, much calmer and not drinking as obsessively as he was (although he still can't resist a puddle). His appetite is loads better and he's put weight on. Hooray! 

Tea was couscous with cheese, pickles, salad and leaves from the garden.

Tonight we'll be drinking rum & watching Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy on the BBC iplayer. We've seen it before (we even had a rare outing to the cinema to see it when it came out) but I absolutely love John Le Carre (The Spy Who Came In From The Cold is the greatest spy novel ever written) and will happily watch it again and again.

Stay safe & see you soon!