Not gardening
It was raining when I woke up this morning. This was unfortunate, since a) I had planned to spend the day working in the garden, and b) yesterday's washing was still hanging on the line.
The rain didn't last all that long, but it was enough to discourage me from spending the day kneeling on a squelchy lawn. I spent an hour or two on the couch with my crochet, waiting to see what the weather would do.
Since the grey dreariness looked like it would hang about for a few hours at least, I decided to wash the windows while they were out of direct sunlight.
The windows were, as usual, utterly filthy: covered in a film of windblown muck accumulated over however long it's been since I last cleaned them. Window washing is one of those jobs I thoroughly dislike doing, mostly because I'm very bad at it. I always think I have done a decent job, and then the sun shines and it's all dribbles and smears. I'd almost prefer the dirt.
Still, it's got to be done occasionally. I dutifully carted out a bucket of water, scrubbie and squeegee, an old towel for dribble mopping, and the kinked, tangled, perished atrocity that is my hosereel. It was a decent hose & reel once, but it is quite literally falling to bits now. I have to go around afterwards and pick up the shattered bits of plastic the reel sheds as I handle it. Winding it up is another issue; I do it very carefully every time, but somehow the hose always ends up with kinks in it. 'New hose & reel' is now holding a prominent position on my post-lockdown shopping list.
With much scrubbing, splashing, rinsing and squeegeeing I managed to at least remove most of the dirt on my windows. Presumably I have achieved a nice collection of smeary marks, but since the sun hasn't come out yet, I can't see how bad it is. Never mind, they'll soon be disguised by a new layer of dirt.
I came inside for a bowl of soup, slightly delayed while I got sidetracked portioning out some for the freezer. Then I sat watching the latest Jamie Oliver while I downed my soup and did a little more crochet before heading out to the shops.
I didn't bother to wear a mask this trip. It was such a nuisance last time, and I don't think it really achieved anything. Many other customers were wearing masks of one kind or another, and even gloves, but plenty more just dressed as usual.
Visiting the supermarket is the one time I'm really reminded of what's going on at the moment. Mostly I'm just happily pottering around at home, keeping to my bubble without even thinking about it, but in public the unusual nature of current events is far more visible.
Social distancing, masks and hand washing are the obvious thing, but strangers are also politer and friendlier to one another, stepping back to allow passing at a distance, waiting patiently without a grumble, acknowledging one another with a smile or a nod. I'd like to think this sense of courtesy will continue long term, but I doubt it.
I'd gone to the supermarket for milk. Inevitably, I came home with two bulging bags of things I hadn't really intended to buy. But that's easy to do when you're caught up in the novelty of an exotic excursion.
And guess what I did when I got home? I remembered to bring the washing in.
The rain didn't last all that long, but it was enough to discourage me from spending the day kneeling on a squelchy lawn. I spent an hour or two on the couch with my crochet, waiting to see what the weather would do.Since the grey dreariness looked like it would hang about for a few hours at least, I decided to wash the windows while they were out of direct sunlight.
The windows were, as usual, utterly filthy: covered in a film of windblown muck accumulated over however long it's been since I last cleaned them. Window washing is one of those jobs I thoroughly dislike doing, mostly because I'm very bad at it. I always think I have done a decent job, and then the sun shines and it's all dribbles and smears. I'd almost prefer the dirt.
Still, it's got to be done occasionally. I dutifully carted out a bucket of water, scrubbie and squeegee, an old towel for dribble mopping, and the kinked, tangled, perished atrocity that is my hosereel. It was a decent hose & reel once, but it is quite literally falling to bits now. I have to go around afterwards and pick up the shattered bits of plastic the reel sheds as I handle it. Winding it up is another issue; I do it very carefully every time, but somehow the hose always ends up with kinks in it. 'New hose & reel' is now holding a prominent position on my post-lockdown shopping list.
With much scrubbing, splashing, rinsing and squeegeeing I managed to at least remove most of the dirt on my windows. Presumably I have achieved a nice collection of smeary marks, but since the sun hasn't come out yet, I can't see how bad it is. Never mind, they'll soon be disguised by a new layer of dirt.
I came inside for a bowl of soup, slightly delayed while I got sidetracked portioning out some for the freezer. Then I sat watching the latest Jamie Oliver while I downed my soup and did a little more crochet before heading out to the shops.I didn't bother to wear a mask this trip. It was such a nuisance last time, and I don't think it really achieved anything. Many other customers were wearing masks of one kind or another, and even gloves, but plenty more just dressed as usual.
Visiting the supermarket is the one time I'm really reminded of what's going on at the moment. Mostly I'm just happily pottering around at home, keeping to my bubble without even thinking about it, but in public the unusual nature of current events is far more visible.
Social distancing, masks and hand washing are the obvious thing, but strangers are also politer and friendlier to one another, stepping back to allow passing at a distance, waiting patiently without a grumble, acknowledging one another with a smile or a nod. I'd like to think this sense of courtesy will continue long term, but I doubt it.
I'd gone to the supermarket for milk. Inevitably, I came home with two bulging bags of things I hadn't really intended to buy. But that's easy to do when you're caught up in the novelty of an exotic excursion.
And guess what I did when I got home? I remembered to bring the washing in.
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