Day Sixty - Favourite Author, Stalker and Ironing

I have to say I think I've been a bit premature in preparing my house for summer. It's been bloody cold today and it wasn't much better yesterday. Even put the heating on this morning after I got back from my walk. I feared that once I had cooled down from the walk I would feel very cold. There was a sense of déjà vu as I walked this morning. No later than usual but there were more people about. Several people were en route to the station as they returned to work. But there were more walkers and more joggers about and as ever it was me who led the way in social distancing. Me, an older lady, who had to walk the rough and uneven grass verges walking in the road, changing my route and direction because other people didn't seem to believe that social distancing was necessary. I still feel sometimes though that it's me being pedantic?  But the way I look at it,  particularly for joggers, is that they are often breathing hard, breathing through their mouth so there's got to be some expulsion of vapour, potentially vapour containing the virus? Little unnerved this morning. There's a guy who walks a dog. I see him most days. Sometimes he's a waver. But I got the weird impression that he was following me this morning. I was making an effort to social distance and get out of his way but every time I looked he seem to be heading in my direction. I have to keep an eye on it. Lord knows I may be starved of human company but I don't need a stalker! 

Do you know what struck me? Particularly when I'm out walking and when I'm working in my study  looking out of the window and that is the total number of people jogging. It wasn't like this before lockdown. Have all these people taken up jogging for the lockdown, purely so they can do their essential exercise? Or is it just the concentration of people all seeming to go out at similar times. I've no idea. I just throw these questions out there because it's something that's intriguing me.

You know what? My author friend phoned me back last night! I was delighted. We had a 20 minute conversation which was most uplifting. Because I think she is such a wonderful writer I have her on a pedestal. I worry that I am no more than a nuisance- an irritating nuisance -  and she is simply being kind to me. I won't embarrass her by naming her.  Not that I think that she will read this blog but because I respect her so much. She calls me her "ideal reader" which is very flattering. In fact when the paperback edition of her most recent novel was published the publishers included a quote from the review I wrote and printed it inside. She says that it's still the quote she cherishes the most. I was quite choked when she told me that. But what was so interesting in talking to her is her optimism and upbeat attitude towards this pandemic situation in spite of her understanding what a serious situation it is. I hope we can chat again in the future since I have no idea if and when we will ever be able to meet in person again. I'm still miffed that we had to miss the Van Gogh Experience in April. She had treated me to the ticket too which was so kind. I hope they refunded her.

Here is something else that this lockdown has provoked! I've done ironing now for the second time this year! It's something I've chosen to avoid over the years. Because standing up is not the most comfortable state for me these days. And I'll level with you I sometimes wear things that would've looked much better had I ironed them. Of course contrary little wotsit that I am, I'm ironing things now when no one is going to see them creased or uncreased! But that's a little misleading for today I ironed all my…...tea towels! I tidied out the tea towel drawer and I've systematically been putting laundered tea towels in the ironing basket instead of back to the drawer. So now I have a beautifully tidy drawer full of lovely, ironed tea towels. I feel quite good about it. 

I haven't looked at the news today. I don't know what's happening in the world. I don't know what progress has been made in regard to coronavirus. I don't know what manner of faux pas the PM and the government have made today. And I don't care. 

This is the sixtieth day of this blog. SIXTY DAYS!! Sixty days of my life dictated by a venomous, little bug. Of all the sci fi and dystopian books I've read I never anticipated this........ And I still can't imagine how it will end. I feel we've a long, hard road ahead........