I’m still not prepared to admit summer is over – certainly the weekend weather was more summer-like than autumnal – but this week there were quite a few things to which we have to say goodbye. Including, it seems, to group gatherings, as the Covid19 clouds are gathering on the horizon and we are mentally preparing for another lockdown to be announced.
Monday – I’m saying goodbye to holidays and hello to being back at work (at home). After two weeks away, there were only 378 new emails waiting for me! And four loads of laundry. Although we only got two done today.
Tuesday – Two more loads of laundry done and the Laundry basket is briefly empty! So we say goodbye to laundry… for a few days at least. (Laundry never really stops though, does it?) I’m grateful for the soup we had stowed in the freezer because it meant not having to think about lunch. Dinner was a big mess o’ vegetables (nice antidote to all the heavy food we ate on holiday) as we try to clear out the the fridge – I made carrot bhajis, and they were really simple and very tasty! In the evening we watched TV and finally reached the end of The Mandalorian.
Wednesday – I was supposed to re-start my running regime which I guess I did. But I didn’t finish my 30 minutes as I had to return home early. I was grateful again to find another tub of (different) soup in the freezer so I didn’t have to think about lunch today either.
I saw on social media today that Healthworks, a local complementary therapy centre that opened just after I moved to the area, is closing. There was no reason given, although I wonder if it was the impact of Covid or if Jo, the director, is going on to do other things. I loved this place. When it opened, I felt this was a positive sign for the area, that if the area could support a complementary therapy business, there was hope that it really was up-and-coming. I didn’t go often, but whenever I did, I felt better just going into the building. The whole place was painted out in bright colours, and always felt welcoming. The people who worked there were always great, always caring, and the therapists were all top quality. I’d just started going back last year for massage to work out the knots I get in my back, shoulders and neck, but of course Covid put a stop to that. I’d been meaning to go back since lockdown restrictions were lifted but never got around to making an appointment. And now I never shall have that opportunity again. I’m sad about that. And I’m sad to see such a brilliant local business that supported so many local therapists go from the area.
Thursday – today is World Suicide Prevention day. Maybe that’s why I feel so sad. Or maybe it’s because I had a coffee from Mustapha on the way back from grocery shopping in the morning and my internal body chemistry has been turned upside down. Today I had a call with a colleague who is not in a happy place. Not sure I helped, but I listened.
Today was also a day of much food prep. I cooked a batch of pea and ham soup (translation – piled all the ingredients into the slow cooker and left it for 6 hours) and boiled up the last of the old potatoes to make potato salad. Today I said goodbye to procrastination, gave myself a mental slap and got organised with sorting out some issues at work.
Today also came the sad news of the death of Dame Diana Rigg. Before she was in Game of Thrones (no, me either), she had other groundbreaking roles such as Mrs James Bond in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service and of course, the iconic Mrs Emma Peel in the Avengers. In an interview for the BFI, she explained that the Avengers was originally written for two men, but when one of the actors unexpectedly dropped out, they re-cast Honor Blackman in the role but there was no time to re-write the script, so you had a woman playing a role written for a man – ground breaking stuff for the 1960s! A woman who was smart and tough and stylish and assertive. When Honor left the series, Diana Rigg came on board as Mrs Peel – again, a clever, stylish and physical character. The women of the Avengers were not waiting to be rescued, they were out there fighting off the bad guys in hand-to-hand combat. And looking fabulous while they did it.
I include this video tribute to Mrs Emma Peel, and also to Dame Diana Rigg.
Friday – I am so close to saying goodbye to the Couch to 5K programme. After today I have just one more run remaining and I am done! I’m still not managing to run 5k in 30 minutes. I get to maybe 4.25k, but that’s still OK. What will I do after this? I need to plan my transition to whatever comes next. Will I keep running? Will I go back to yoga? Is there a third path that I will pursue?
Saturday – we are saying goodbye to our old sofa. We’ve had it for 18 years so it owes us nothing. We just need to arrange to take delivery of the new/old one we’re buying and then get the council to come and take away the old one.
Sunday – one last get together with friends before Covid restrictions come in and we say goodbye to meet ups across multiple households. We hosted an afternoon tea for my friend’s birthday, with tea and scones and coconut cake. The cake is a Nigella recipe, from How to Be a Domestic Goddess, using lots of butter, lots of sugar, and four eggs. It’s so good but also so rich. I eat a big slice and say goodbye to my waistline.
A bit of levity to end the week. You can’t tell me that Kora the caracal doesn’t know how cool she looks when she does this.
Tales from Tobhamhor 
I like your weekly entry, makes me wonder if I could do something as interesting. I’ve booked-marked that carrot recipe because it looks amazing. RIP Diana Rigg!
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Thank you! I figure if I write a weekly update then I commit to writing something substantial at least once a week. It also helps to keep track of when things happened in this featureless landscape of time we are going through and also to remember things that are going on, be they good or bad.
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Yes, I’d like to try to publish one, too… one day, well-said!
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