Day 112
It seems that Summer has finally returned (at least for this week) and it’s amazing the effect that the sunshine has on my mood. This morning I “Snow White” my way around the house, opening curtains and blinds, and singing shrill “tra-la-las” as I waltz from room-to-room. Darren is used to this behaviour and barely blinks when I spin past, merely popping good a morning kiss on my cheek mid-pirouette.
Last night I created little boxes of flowers for our kitchen window sill, a combination of a store-bought vase (subsequently massacred by moi) and some posies from the in-law’s storage (how do Mums just seem to have everything you need?!). There was oasis dust all over the show, but I am loving the finished product, and proudly stand in the kitchen, hands on hips, breathing in deeply (as per Chevy Chase in the National Lampoon films) admiring the view:
Unfortunately for us, the sun was hiding somewhat coquettishly behind grey clouds at the weekend – for our first camping trip since last September – so I left the sun cream and flip flops at home. It was a great trip though, albeit for one night only (there’s a song about that), and it was great to spend the whole weekend with Charlotte. Thankfully there were very few people around and we managed to hide down the far end of the field.
We have a natural fisherwoman in the making! No sooner had Charlotte’s Dad shown her the ropes (or lines, if you will) she was excitedly calling “it’s pulling, it’s pulling!” and when I checked, sure enough, the rod was bending right over! She reeled in a bream and was ecstatic, closely watching Darren gently remove the line from the fish’s mouth. They posed proudly together with her catch of the day as I took a photo. We released him back into the river and off he swam, clearly not passing on the warning to his mates, because within ten minutes she had caught another!
Being five and half and into unicorns/mermaids/general pink glitter, we were not sure how “into” fishing Charlotte might be, but it turns out she is hooked (sorry, I couldn’t resist!).
*****
The day was rainy and grey, but in the evening we sat outside under the awning, wrapped in blankets, munching on sausages. The smell of damp clothes and grass mixed with aromas from the frying pan, made us all feel very relaxed and happy. We have missed this.
The next morning we awoke to a bit of a brighter day, but the wind was throwing our toilet tent all over the place. We had staked our claim on this bit of land for a little over fifteen hours, but it was time to cook up some “makin butties” and pack our belongings back into the van.
*****
Today it is back to reality and I have survived day 2 of the hostage situation known as work. It’s the conformity that bugs me – not my actual job – and to be fair, this is eased by the fact that I am able to work from home. So far this week I have engaged in a “Shake It Off” workshop and some “Laughter Yoga”, so all in it hasn’t been bad.
Apart from the flies. An inordinate amount of flies have been circling me today and trying to steal my snacks. With all the windows open and me shouting “just f@ck off” and “I’m gonna kill you” every few minutes, passers-by must think I have Tourettes or that poor Darren is living with right moody cow.
Anyway, I have to dash, my hairdresser friend is coming over shortly to sort out my roots, and I must get the gin and tonic out of the fridge and find my mask!
#sociallydistancedfoils
#outsidehairdressing
#BombaySapphire