Feest Isolation Days –23 June
People who have been shielding are beginning to be able to move out of their houses and cautiously back into the world. Yesterday’s announcement is the first in what promises to be a big week. Later today, the government will let us know the plans for the next stage of unlock. The Monday death figures are the lowest since lockdown began with “only” fifteen deaths from Coronavirus. These figures, together with the number of new cases below one thousand after nearly 140,000, tests are all moving in the right direction. Maybe we could begin to think about the first things we might do out in the world? Hand washing, socially distancing, mask wearing, non touching of surfaces will obviously still apply.
I suspect that the first shop I will go into will be to buy cut flowers for the house. While Reg the Veg have very kindly supplied us weekly with a posy chosen by them, and our lovely neighbour has popped roses and even lilies round a few times, I want to choose my own bouquets. We always have fresh flowers in the hall and the drawing room. They have become a feature of our lives and our home. Some women buy shoes, or handbags, I buy flowers!
If you have missed the news from America, Trump’s first rally in Oklahoma was not a success. He was expecting over a million people to attend, thanks to teenagers on tiktok apparently who pre booked tickets. They built up his expectations, but there was always going to be plenty of room for his supporters. But they didn’t come. The Fire Department in Tulsa said there were 6200 people at the event that could seat 19,000. I’ve never seen the man look so dejected. Maybe he’ll throw in the towel?
Here, the day has been windy and wild and the promised heat wave doesn’t begin until tomorrow. When it arrives though it is supposed to be very very warm. Up to something like thirty degrees! Whew. Too hot to do much at all. Let’s hope that the beaches don’t fill up with people who aren’t socially distancing as happened during the last heat wave during the pandemic in May. I’m not sure what the ramifications were from that, but I suspect the scientists do!
Hard to imagine everyone being sensible in that sort of heat though. We’ve passed the longest day so a bit of summer warmth is welcome but so is a good bit of common sense. The weather will no doubt change at the weekend in time for the outside garden visits to and from the kids. I’d put money on it.
There’s no point in stressing about the weather though, it will be what it will be. There may be some areas we can control in our life, but not ever the weather! Stress levels might be increasing over the next weeks as the country tries to move back into the world with tiny baby steps. Enter Ted Talks to give us a bit of help. I don’t know where you stand on Ted Talks, but I’ve found many of them to be deeply appealing over the years. Two are relevant to now and I thought I’d share them both with you. They are brief yet pack a helpful punch. The first one is all about making stress your friend. Who doesn’t want to understand stress better? A friend? You’ll have to watch to see how that works.
The second talk promises to increase the life of the participants by seven and a half minutes. If you follow the full advice, ten years more might be coming your way. Certainly interesting work! And who couldn’t use an extra seven and a half minutes? Or ten years!
Even more time to smell the flowers I’d say!
The lilies in the garden are certainly lovely at this time of year. Enjoy!
With love
Kathy x