Week 44 - Snow!!

Monday was a crazy day...it was full of meetings, as usual, but there was also a proposal that needed to be completed and returned to a client. I had spoken to a colleague in the morning and agreed some actions. Then later found out that she had been taken ill. So once I had finished my meetings, I was on with finishing the proposal. I was unable to join the UkuleleLand practice as I was still working until about 7:30pm.

On Tuesday, I knew I was going to be working late, so I took a longer lunch. We walked out to the hatch to get coffees. I was admiring of their new window display. Woo had to go back earlier to get back to studying. We carried on walking a little longer, which was nice. 

It was a late night of working. Mark brought me up my tea, but I was talking on a video conference with colleagues in the USA, so by the time it finished, I was certainly hungry and wolfed it straight down. 

Wednesday was another busy day, but I did manage to finish in time. Problem was that Mark hadn't finished working and so no tea had been made. That is the situation we are in really. If one thing goes wrong, then it can all fall apart. I quickly made up a curry. Cooking isn't my thing and cooking spontaneously is even less of a thing for me. But anyway, I made it. Mark finished by just after 6pm, when my "feast" was ready. We settled into our games night. We played sevens. This picture below is of a hand I had, where I managed to control the whole set...much to the delight of everyone else...

Friday morning I decided to start with some yoga as my back had been playing up. I went for a core focused one, but it was quite hard work on my shoulders. 

Because Mark works 4.5 days, and had had a pretty full week, he was taking the afternoon off. He suggested I should have the standing desk so that I could find some different positions to help my back.

Bunnykins had another call with Granny and Grandpa. They focused on the bit of her maths that she as struggled with and she did say that it was very useful. 

In the afternoon, Mark went off for a run with Jason...It was a bit wet.

Saturday, was another slow start for us, well not Mark who was up to go to the post office and make pancakes. But eventually the rest of us were up. Woo and Mark went for a run down by the Frome from Lincolmb Barn. They ran about 5k on some fairly challenging and muddy terrain. 

Bunnykins and I went across to the park. She wanted to run the junior parkrun route. I ran all the way around, but Bunnykins was unimpressed. We stood ready to start, but as soon as we got going, she couldn't understand how I ran so slow. She tried to match my pace, but ended up with a fast walk. Her stride pattern is much longer than mine it seems. Mark says that running with a short stride is good for avoiding injury... so I guess that could be why. Anyway, we made it round, with Bunnykins running on and then stopping and looking back to see where I was, then weaving about to make her route longer. We both had showers, then I nipped off to pick the trail runners up. 

After lunch we all did a bit of tidying up, then Woo and I watched the next Matrix film. Well, I was half watching and half getting on with various tasks like making this year's Christmas cards into gift tags for next year. And then trying to sort out a photobook thing online.

In the evening the girls were keen to watch the next Bill and Ted film. Both were chuckling away throughout and Woo agreed with me that Death was the best character. 

Mark was up early (about 6am) for a run with Jason. He woke me from a fairly horrible dream and I was rather disgruntled all round. I went back to sleep and Mark went out. It turned out it was a beautiful morning for a run and he and Jason had a fantastic run (though they were lucky not to break an ankle given how hard it must have been to run on snow covered pot-holed paths).

This doesn't look so fun...

I was woken again at about 8am with my phone pinging with messages. I was really disgruntled then. But when I saw the content of the messages I was instantly cheered. It was Mark and Ben who had both sent pictures of snow. I looked outside to see that we had a snowfall of a couple of inches. 

I went to make sure the girls had seen....and Bear...

Then sat having my breakfast looking out at the park, which was already filling up with people making snowmen and generally running about. 

We decided to stay home, rather than head across to the park. I nipped out in my onesie to take some pictures of the untrammeled snow. 

And was shortly joined by Woo.

Bunnykins was inside, sensibly having some breakfast, but soon she was out, carrying accessories to build a snow person.

I left them to it and went in to get dressed.

By the time I returned, they had created an elegant lady in ballgown and were adding detail.

I sat a little while and drank my hot water, before I joined in with some of the final details, such as finding her a nice pair of earrings.

We went in and I got on with tidying up the kitchen. Mark arrived back, very muddy. I decided to paint a bit more of the mural. 

In the afternoon, Bunnykins had a party on zoom for one of her besties' birthday. Ursula had set up a quiz on kahoot.it. and I had been instructed to hide various letters in particular places for a treasure hunt. It seemed to work well. Though there was lamenting at not being able to have any cake. 

Meanwhile, Woo and I were in the workshop. I carried on painting the mural and Woo was creating some watercolour pictures. 

I feel a little like I am starting to forget what normal was like. I miss having things to look forward to. I miss seeing my friends; but at the same time - it feels more like I have now integrated that loss and I can't really feel anything about it. I do feel grateful for having such a lovely place as a refuge, I can find ways to be OK with being home all the time. But a flatness has descended. 

I think also, because work is really quite relentless, the weekend feels like too short a time to breathe, I don't want to do anything, because that would make the time fly and then I would be back to Monday again. I get that Sunday feeling for sure now. I feel it now. I want to both speed time up and get through the difficult bits while also wanting to slow it down so I can just rest. I have to keep on going, just like everyone else. 

The news at the moment is rather downbeat, unfortunately the new strains of covid-19 are not going to make this situation easy to get out of. But I have to believe that humans will find a way. It may take longer than we all want, but I have to believe that we will get there. I do believe it.