Wait, Where'd the Weekend Go?

So I've officially lost track of days. Working 4 on and 4 off has completely destroyed my sense of the working week, and with no one around me working, I have nothing to base my understanding of days around!

The days that normal people consider a weekend were quick to pass me by - Missy had a Dog Furiendly online doggy disco and fuss hour where we all played various games including the above treasure hunt (she had to be photographed with an object each colour of the rainbow) and we enjoyed the sunshine and made a new planter.

Missy clearly approved of it! This will host either brodbeans or radishes. Our plan is a British vegetable garden this year, and who knows, the way things are going we can always resort to trading radishes for loo roll or something! 

I finished my Quarantine Quilt this week, which I'm super happy with! All made with scrap fabric (although truth be told, the bag of scraps doesn't look any lighter). 

And that's it. Tomorrow is officially my weekend, so hopefully I'll have some more updates for you all next week! 

Until then, stay safe. 

Wandering in the Wilderness Wood

So the wanderings have continued and we found the Wilderness Wood this weekend.

Its been an odd week - my new shift pattern has made me completely lose track of days and after each day I've generally been too exhausted to do much. As such, it's been a very odd week as everyone I know is working from home or furloughed, and so are bored and cooped up whilst I'm probably the busiest and most worn out I've ever been.

But Missy is always there to help (as above on my latest in progress sewing project) and give me a cuddle, so all is well. I've reached the resignation stage of this lockdown, and will simply weather it through.

I've had dreams of visiting the beach, and of all the other wonderful days out I will have with friends and family when this is all over.

So I'll leave you with delightful crab and his seahorse friend, from Mariska Vis-Bolmans book "Sew Cute Creatures" . 

I want to focus on the small happy moments of this week. Of cuddles on the sofa and seeing friends online. Of watching my sisters new kittens playing on Skype. Missy rolling in the grass in the sun and stealing my ice lolly. 

And of thoughts of adventures to come. 

Easter in Incarceration

OK. So, maybe this whole social distancing thing is getting to me. I spent all of yesterday in a pretty foul mood that boiled down to the fact that it was a lovely day and what I actually wanted to do was go out with my husband and Missy and explore a castle or something.

I'll rewind a bit. If this lock down can be compared to the seven stages of greif, this week was anger. We've had shock. We've all seen the footage of Italy and heard the numbers in Spain. Then we had denial. It's all fine really, we just gotta sit tight and really, it's just flu. We're fine.

This week is anger. People have been so aggressive. Media is blowing up and scapegoating anyone who is outside when it happens the sun is shining, and the mobs are baying for blood. I feel judged every time I'm in my car driving out my estate to go to work - working in a critical role to provide safe drinking water. At work people were cross, no one can agree on anything except that the higher ups are clearly doing things wrong. I don't know if it's fatigue from the longer days we are now doing (skeleton crew, 4 on 4 off shifts) or what, but no one had anything nice to say this week in the labs.

So I was in a foul mood yesterday from having to just smile and deal with everything. Hubby suggested we walk to Bellsquarry, which he cycles past on his commute, and seemed like a nice woodland area, so I conceded defeat and went along. 

Instantly we were treated with a delightful mother duck and her babies. All my frustration melted away as the tiny fluffy bundles squeaked after thier mother and I was reminded by nature that not all was bad. Its Spring. Ordinarily a favourite season of mine (truth be told, they're all my favourite for one reason or another!) but I do love watching everything come back to life and the warmer days with the promise of lazy summer afternoons int he near future.

Spring also brings Easter. Its a highlight on my social calander as this is usually the first big outdoor outing we do as a family. For obvious reasons, I had cast that thought and hope from my mind and focused on the day for what it meant. 

Rebirth or New Birth, Christian or Pagan, however you look at it, this is a time of year for accepting the past and moving forward. A time for the world to shake off its winter slumber and step forth and grow into something beautiful. I hope that, however difficult these past few weeks have been, and certainly for many more yet, that we will continue to embrace and grow the good we are finding in it and shake off bad habits of old. 

Ironically, I think my family are getting closer (perhaps not always getting along any better, but more prepared to lay aside thier hatchets, which is a marked improvement). My mother is volunteering to deliver food out to the kids from her school, an altruistic side I had rarely seen from her and hope to encourage. My neice is reaching out for help on her school work and we're stepping in to do what we can. PE with Joe every morning. The weekly clap for our carers. Good things. Let's not get carried away shaming those who do wrong, let's focus and praise on those who are doing the right thing.

Right. Apologies. Time to get off my high horse. For Easter we decided on a virtual picnic. As you can see Missy approved!

We also had our time honoured egg decorating contest. I made an Elvis inspired egg and won the "most entertaining" category. Fortunately I am not judging next year, so I have plenty of time to come up with something else!

I'll leave it there for now, the evening is drawing in and it's time for some Easter eggs, a cup of good hot tea and a stupid movie. A perfect way to finish the day. 

Crime Scene

It was one of those early spring days, when the morning is cool and crisp but by mid afternoon it's very pleasant out. It was unusually quiet on the morning rounds, although this freed up the squirrels for the hunting hound to chase...

OK. I have might have been listening to far too much Poirot and Mrs Marple than is actually healthy, but they have helped fill in the quiet of my evenings. The greatest problem with this lock down is that, as we can't go anywhere, our conversation is mostly about conversations with other people. Of course I have been getting out to work, but it's a routine lab so one day is much like the other, providing that the instruments behave themselves.

So is there a murder? 

Missy has certainly found herself in a crime scene, well, the crime scene challenge that it. Its hard to see on the rug, but there is an outline of treats about her, the crime scene outline. Basically the company that does the dog walking also does training, so they have been setting lock down challenges to help keep the pooches occupied. Missy has aced them all so far and it's been fun to do. 

We haven't ventured far from the usual beaten path this week, but have picked out some nice routes for next week that we are hoping to try. 

My latest craft project is most definitely resembling a crime scene! (I have just finished a big project, but haven't had the chance to get it on the dress form for photos).

And that's it, really, the second official week of lock down. My mum has volunteered to help deliver food to the kids at her school that are struggling (just Wednesdays) and I think that will do her the world of good. She claims she's happy in her own company, but I think this last fortnight has made her realise just how out and about she is and how often we all visit, as she was starting to suffer from cabin fever. 

That's it really. I've organised a virtual Easter picnic for next weekend, so there are sure to be some photos of that at the least!