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! 

Puppy Parkour

It's been a very strange week. Back in the labs, I've been busy trying to refresh months and months of training I last used years ago in a few days, so I've been exhausted.

With lock down, hubby has been running Missy 5 or 10km each morning and, after work, I've been walking her in the afternoon. The park gets stale after a while, but we're behaving and not driving places, so I've been venturing further afield and up random paths. I'd heard there was a skate park in the area, so after blundering upon it, decided Missy just had to have an Urban Lock down photo shoot.

Isolation is making me a little peculiar, I will confess. 

I've managed quite a few Skype calls so I haven't been completely isolated, and hubby and I have managed to get a good start on the garden. I've also been working on various large craft projects, and in between finished this little wreath:

I'm sure we've all seen the rainbows in windows, and this was my little attempt. I'm rather pleased with it.

I won't lament about the current situation as we are all experiencing it. I've decided to focus on those about me and what's going on with them. The news has been relegated to a check in the morning and evening, and that's it. 

I will continue to explore the area in the meantime and hope I find more places and I didn't know exist!

A Very Odd Week

I think I am not alone when I say this has been a very strange week.

I will tell it from Missys perspective. 

Monday: Mother was doing that strange thing she sometimes does where she stares and talks at the laptop. She's a bit stressed out but that's OK, Father is home early! And he's getting to stay home all week too, or maybe all month, they don't know, but that's great. I don't know why Mother is upset about that. 

Tuesday: Father was keeping busy in the garden, he doesn't want to distract Mother from the laptop. It's got nice now so I can sleep in the garden. 

Mother should have a longer break from her laptop, so I lay on her feet to try and stop her. It didn't work, 

Wednesday: now mother is on the laptop at night too. First to Grandpa and Ruby, then next with Granny and the cat Elvis. She's doing lessons, she says we all need to keep in touch, but that's silly. Why can't we just visit them? I haven't seen the cat in ages. 

Thursday: I'm not sure I like this routine. Father avoids mother so as not to distract her, and mother clearly needs someone to cheer her up. I tried bringing her a squeaky toy as she was talking at the laptop. She laughed and took it off me so my work is done. 

Friday: Father is much happier today. He says he's going to get paid until the end of the month, and from there the company will see what the government is planning. Mother was happy, but then spoke lots and lots at the laptop and now isn't happy. She's not staying at home like father anymore and says she has to go back to her old job. I don't much like this all. Everyone is being very upset and strange.

Long story short, hubbys work has closed due to Covid19 and I've been redeployed back to the labs - making me a front line worker. After a week complaining that I missed my colleagues and wanted things back to normal, karma bit me hard. Be careful what you wish for. Can't say I terribly want to go in, but the better part of my nature tells me that it's for the greater good.

We decided on Saturday to practice our social distancing and visit Penicuik House. It's a nice little gem of a walk - the old Manor suffered a fire that completely destroyed the internals but left the exterior building intact. It was too expensive to repair so was basically abandoned. 

We had planned on going to Flotterstone, but I think the rest of Edinburgh had that idea so we took one look at the car park and declined. Still, we had a lovely walk and a picnic by the river and my spirits were improved. It was nice just to get out and go somewhere a little different. Missy certainly appreciated it and is in better spirits herself. Whilst I'm sure she appreciates the company, she's always been very sensitive to our moods and knows something isn't quite right. 

I don't have a big project update, but I'm keeping myself very busy with a lot of hand sewing. Here's an in progress shot, any guesses on what it's for? 

I imagine next week's post will be a bit of a ramble too, and for that I apologise in advance. I think it's important for history, and ourselves, to make note of the current situation and record how we feel and what's happening. 

Keep safe everyone. 

Everythings Gotten Real

No big surprise as to what I'm referring to, the big bad Covid-19. But let me wind back a week, and I apologise in advance for the rambling nature of this post.

The week started off with Missy playing Goldilocks in the in-laws bed. They had kindly volunteered to look after her whilst we had a sneaky trip off to Disneyland Paris. My sister was due to meet us there and we were all super excited about it. 

Monday was a laugh. Tuesday was hysterical, my husband managed to goad Captain Hook and Mickey mouse into a play fight in Cafe Mickey. Wednesday we joined the dark side and did all the star wars parades and events. Thursday, parades were cancelled and the hand san was replaced with medical grade stuff. Friday Disney announced it was going to close on the Sunday and staff were cleaning tills every five customers, were no longer taking fast passes off guests and we're having them put directly into a bin - in short, things escalated very suddenly.

My boss text me, telling me to work from home Monday. We were all in a fluster, had something happened? BBC news were reporting more of the same stuff, nothing seemed particularly crazy. We were anxious as to whether we'd even get home the air was so charged with unknowns and worries.

We got home absolutely fine. The in laws told us about the panic buying and I spotted a few silly posts on Facebook, but didn't think too much of it. 

Once we were home and actually had to do a shop, I did lose my temper. No rice, no pasta, no noodles, no potatoes, frozen section completely raided, practically no cheese and obviously the cleaning section was non existent. I do one shop a week and, being sensible, had run down the stock in the cupboard and freezer before going away. I actually needed these items. 

It's an eclectic menu this week. 

Nonetheless, we'll be fine. A work colleague messaged me today to explain my bosses cryptic text - everyone is to work from home if possible for the foreseeable, they didn't think I was some plague carrier and were separating me as a precaution, as I had feared.

Got to look on the bright side, all this time stuck at home will give me more time to focus on crafts (as well as cuddle Missy)! I was in a disney mood before the holiday and put together this cute project bag made with an old jumper that had shrunk in the wash on me.

Right, my rambling rant is done. Not sure how things are gonna pan out over the next wee while, my calender has suddenly cleared as all the events I was planning on attending have been cancelled. I'll have to look into some new places to walk Missy, that's one thing I can say that's definitely positive, the weather has started to turn to spring and its actually beginning to warm a little. So expect some new walks and a lot of craft bits! 

Getting ready for Spring

Either we are in the eye of the storm, or spring is starting to wake up and ease us into the year ahead. The temperature high this week has crept up from a balmy 7C to an almost tropical 10C!

Nicer weather, and the ground beginning to dry, means nice woodland walks! Missy is pleased to with the improvement too, bunnies and squirrels are peeking out thier winter hidey holes and she has enthusiastically greeted them.

Whilst she has been chasing small furry things, I've enjoyed all the late winter flowers as carpets of snowdrops have been popping up. I've also started to get the calendar filled up with dates for interesting events and our explorer to do list is getting pretty long.

Its still chilly in the evenings, so I've managed to get a good dent in my project to do list. I've got mother's day sorted for the MIL and I'm pretty certain she'll love it:

There are some bigger projects on the machine, which hopefully I'll share soon! Until then, we shall be enjoying the respite from winter. 

Leaping into a New Month

It's been a rather odd weekend. We've had the unwanted Storm Jorge battering down on us, so it's been another weekend of grand plans put aside for another day. Not to say that we didn't have a good weekend, just that we kept things closer to home!

Saturday we really put into action our plan for Lent (not that any of us are religious) but the aim is to put a bag of things together each day to give to charity (we stretched this to include my mums school, my dance schools tombola, upcyling projects and passing forward to friends). It's kicked us into action to get the loft cleared out and boy the things we have found that we don't even remember owning. Long overdue! 

Today was a an eclectic day of plans made, plans cancelled, other plans made and last minute, oh, OK, let's do that! Long story short, I got my mums summer holiday booked for her, we baby sat Wee Ben (who was far more thrilled about it than the photo makes out!) and we managed to get out to Dechmont and go ghost hunting. It was very soggy, but both dogs had good fun and it was nice to catch up with my older sister and her family. 

Ah, dechmont. It's soon to be a no go walk. They have officially started building on it and have made a small carpark around the side of the buildings for dog walkers for the time being. I must organise my younger sisters Addams Family photo shoot we'd been planning forward to her next visit! 

I've been busy craft wise! In order to keep out the storms, I've been getting creative and pushing on through the odds and ends of the up cycling bag. Lo and behold, some very retro draught excluders! I was aiming to make them as vintage and retro as possible and was super pleased with the outcome. 

There's plenty more projects in the works, so expect some odd peices next week!

And hopefully nicer weather. I think we could all do with a break in the weather!