Life and Death on the Beach

Today I found a body on the beach. Actually, over the past few months I’ve found several. Most moving was the demise of Sid the squid. I say squid and Sid but, as I’m no expert, he (or she) could be an octopus. The website of the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation informs me squid and

Covid Christmas

“Leave it on the doorstep,” I shout. Clumps of cinnamon scented bubbles slide down my legs forming white rocky outcrops on the bathmat. “I’m in the bath!” Well, I was. Now I’m shiveringly naked shouting through the open bathroom window at an unseen parcel deliverer. At this point I don’t care whether the parcel’s delivered.

Roaming 1

My plans to tread the ground in Barcelona, Bali and Australia this year haven’t quite come off. Infact, I’ve travelled no further than 20 miles from home – often on foot, thereby emulating my 18th century forebearers who probably wouldn’t have wandered more than 10 miles from their front door – in their lifetime.   And there’s

Gr-owning Glory

My hair costs me the price of a weekend break per year. I know this because, since lockdown, I’ve missed three hair appointments, saving myself almost £150.  Thing is, my hairdresser, Ray, has been tinting my hair to a shade approximating my schoolgirl blonde for the past 15 years. Thereby re-establishing the ‘real’ me: mousy

Another Angle

Lockdown is enabling me to see the world from a different perspective.  Last week I viewed my kitchen from an unusual angle – lying on the cold slate floor with my legs propped up on a chair. Due to daughter having contracted Covid19 at her lab we were all being tested for antibodies. The nurse

Meat…and poison!

This de-cluttering malarky seems to be very popular.  On yesterday’s walk two pine bedside tables standing forlornly on the pavement attracted my attention. I’d already painted them duck egg blue and replaced the boring wooden knobs with funky ceramic ones – in my head, of course – when it hit me: a) they’re too bulky

Alone But Not Alone

I’m still finding it difficult to understand the dichotomy of self-isolation and social distancing with the sense of togetherness that Coronavirus is creating. We’re striving for non-contact under a threat that’s pulling us together. Our aloneness is our weapon against this virus – provided we all take up arms together. Togetherness is everywhere: communal shopping

Size Matters

Courgette-ism Despite having spent most of the night in A & E, son is in fine fettle at breakfast. Daughter is writing shopping list. “Courgettes!” I shout. “Some in fridge already,” mumbles son through a mouthful of toast.  “You can never have enough courgettes,” says daughter, adding one kilo to the list.  “What is it

Haves and Have Nots

Trod on my diary as I climbed out of bed this morning. Before lockdown my diary was my constant companion. Now, its buff pages with their promises of ‘Yr 11 Macbeth’ and ‘Hair – Ray’ are a forlorn reminder of my previous life. I turn to next week: blank, blank, blank. Even my dentist has

Talking of Stuff

Requests via our street’s WhatsApp group have escalated. Started with a pint of semi-skimmed, then indoor television aerial to: can someone please pick up my reading glasses from Sainsbury’s?  With COPD, Dad had no choice but to self-isolate. So far he’s taken his bed to pieces, cleaned underneath and reassembled it, created a running circuit