Over the past week, Mabel has discovered, and has fallen in love with, our front room. The room that Lisa calls ‘the winter room’. It has the wood burning stove and a soft carpet laid out in front. The apple wood creates heat and light, and in a dimmed and snug space, just whispers “relax, be calm”. Mabel is not alone in loving this room.
One minute more, each day, of daylight. The days are getting longer and the nights are shortening.
But, being back at work now, I miss out on the daily dog walk. That one or two hours of fresh air, stimulation of the senses, and valuable daylight won’t return until we get to the February half-term. There are still the weekends of course, and I see each day as a precious thing.
Two hundred and ninety days ago we entered into the first nationwide lockdown. A few days after Boris Johnson delivered a live speech from Downing Street to announce it.
Tonight, we received a near as dammit repeat of that; hours after Nicola Sturgeon in Scotland and twenty-four hours after Sir Keir Starmer demanded it.
Today we took delivery of the rapid lateral flow tests at school and tomorrow we embark on the repeat testing program of staff and pupils. The aim to identify asymptomatic carriers and to ensure non-infected people can remain at work or learning.
I meditated today for the first time in a while. It helped. I want to start regular meditation again and yoga too.
What a day?!
The Bald Birder 