The Distancing Diaries - 22nd & 23rd February, 2021

Monday morning kicked off with my first Wii Fit session of the week. Afterwards I braved the rain to dash out to the Kinky Shed, collect the overnight ebay sales and wrap them up then caught up with Blogland and joined Jon for breakfast. 

It was a day of new beginnings, my Wii Fit needed fresh batteries, the final bar of the Himalaya Facial Soap I'd bought in India had run out and the bristles in the bathroom nail brush were so flat they were no longer fit for purpose. In the days BC (before Covid) I'd had dashed into town to buy replacements, in this new world I now make sure that when I open something I buy a replacement immediately so I was able to change the batteries and replace the soap and nail brush from my supply.

While Jon was out doing the post office and supermarket run, I scrubbed and swept the hearth in the middle room, topped up the wood pile and swept the rugs. 

Richard the postman delivered my latest eBay find, a 1970s embroidered mirrorwork Anokhi skirt, bought from one of the many charity shops currently selling online. We chatted about what we thought BoJo might have lined up for us in his Roadmap out of Covid announcement later, something that Jon's had scribbled on the kitchen calendar in capital letters since we went into lockdown.

Jon got back and santised the shopping and, as it had stopped raining, I dashed outside for an oufit photo.

Wear:Sleep:Repeat saw the return of Sunday's vintage Papillion Indian block printed midi skirt, this time worn with my trusty thermal poloneck jumper, possibly the most hardworking garment in my wardrobe.

The details: Vintage copper and turquoise set (brought for my Mum by her ex-boyfriend Bob when he travelled through Canada in 1966), Lotta from Stockholm clog boots (eBay), Fairtrade brass earrings (at least 20 years old), Mum's brass bangles.

Lunch was the rest of the olive and beer bread, spead with Roquefort and served with a sprinkling of chilli-infused olives.

With the scutters who dumped their McD***alds trash in the avenue on Saturday night still on my mind my theme for today's eBay listings was macs, which I photographed outside whilst Jon cleaned the works van. 

Liz called for me and we went on a socially distanced walk so I could introduce her to the delights of Johal's, where she stocked up on spices, dried pulses and baby aubergines. To fit into the purple theme of my birthday presents she'd ordered me some seeds, they'd only just become available and I can't wait to get them planted up.

With BoJo's announcment set for 7pm we'd avoided the news all day, bored with the constant media speculation. We ate halloumi and roasted veg for tea accompanied by a large glass of wine and watched House of Games for the first time, which we loved. We squeezed in half a Deutschland (we're on 86 now), sat through the announcement, Jon rushed into the kitchen and scribbled Wetherspoons? on 21st June (the day that social distancing measures may finally be over) and then continued with our cold war viewing, breaking off to watch The Great Pottery Throwdown before bed.

The fabulous Leonora, I don't remember the 1980s being that stylish!

On Tuesday the sky was so amazing that I sat outside for five minutes in my vest, leggings and bare feet watching it. 

Before breakfast I did my Wii Fit workout and scrubbed the stove top with baking soda.

We were running low on mailing envelopes and soda crystals so Jon & I walked into town and stocked up in Wilkos. I'd been trying to order my Barry M mascara online from Superdrug but it had been out of stock for weeks so popped into Boots and managed to snap up the last one on the shelf. We then called into Asda to buy a bottle of rum. That's three shops I'd been in, add to that the trip to Johal's on Monday and another visit to Wilko back in January, that makes a grand total of 5 shops I've visited this year. If everything goes to plan all non-essential retail will reopen on 12th April so maybe the next time I enter a retail establishment it'll be a charity shop.

Lunch was a Moroccan vegan pasty, which after walking up the Hill of Doom in gale force winds, we felt we'd earned.

I told you that my thermal poloneck was the hardest working garment in my wardrobe, here it is again as part of my Wear:Sleep:Repeat challenge, this time combined with my India Imports of Rhode Island cotton pinafore dress, the block printed Anokhi bolero I snaffled from eBay last week and the pompom hat I crocheted at the weekend. The fishtail plait was a precautionary measure from being blinded by windswept hair.

The details: East block printed cotton mask (two came free with the embroidered poloneck I bought from them last year), fake snakeskin Chelsea boots (Urban Outfitters sale buy), Radley bag and mixed metal necklace (both charity shopped).

The afternoon was spent photographing my stash of vintage gloves in the kitchen and uploading them to eBay - no outside stock photos today, I was in danger of being blown away!

Tea was aloo mattar with rice as we had a surfeit of shrivelled looking potatoes that needed using up (I'll probably plant the rest).

Tonight, after I've nipped upstairs and sorted out tomorrow's outfit (it's supposed to reach the heady heights of 15°C!), we'll be squeezing in another Deutschland 86 before Interior Design Masters and Forensics: The Real CSI

Stay safe and see you soon!