The weather has been really weird today. It started off being a lovely morning – there was that feeling in the air that the sun was about to come out, the clouds would disappear and it would be glorious sunny day. There was a stillness in the air, a presence, with beautiful reflections on the canal. I worked out that the presence comes when there is no wind. There’s not so many days like this, but when it does happen, it’s just stunning !!
I then spent most of the day at the computer doing work. When I finally went outside to go for a walk with Honey at 6pm, it was cold, windy and raining heavily! What happened to the glorious day that was trying to happen this morning??!
It was so cold, I was reluctant to go for a walk at all, but Honey and I ran to Harrison Park, which warmed me up. I was thinking I needed to get my thermals back on, it was so cold! Then we jogged and walked back, oh and Honey swam some of the way too!
This evening, I got some coal from the shed and lit the fire. I had noticed it was getting increasingly cold on Discovery all day, but just put on some more clothes. However, this evening I decided it was time to light the fire, which I haven’t lit for 3 days.
I love sitting on the sofa, being heated by the warm fire, it’s lovely – I’ve missed that!
On This Day In History
A year ago today was Day 8
Here’s some extracts from that blog from Day 8
“It’s been a tiring day with little inspiration to write this blog…Most of today I have been feeling something is missing!
I haven’t been for a run or a long walk since Sunday, so I am guessing lack of movement maybe it.
I am also feeling the last few days my routine has slipped. I get to sleep about 2am and wake up when I wake up, which is usually about 9am or 10am. So perhaps bringing a routine into my life would be useful.
I am also feeling a lack of connection with the world. I am missing physical contact with friends. I am missing not seeing people I know. I am finding virtual and telephone connection with people is not the same – I miss connection.
I am feeling emotionally drained. As if I have been crying all day. I have that feel of wanting to curl up in bed with a duvet round me and sleep!
want a hug 
“
This is what I wrote in my diary on Day 8
-
-
- Struggling with no routine or exercise and staying up too late.
- Feeling emotionally drained today.
- Thinking of quitting magic and move to the Hebrides.
- Went to bed at 00:36.
-
Covid News Headlines on Day 8
-
-
- 13 year old boy dies in London.
- Two cases in Western Isles (Isle of Lewis).
- Worst economic crisis in 40 years.
-
TOTAL Covid Cases and Deaths on Day 8
Scotland
WORLD
UK
Italy
Spain
USA
TOTAL Covid Cases
(increase since Day 7)
1,993 (430)
856,700 (72,319)
25,250 (3,009)
105,792 (4,053)
05,923 (7,967)
187,321 (23,842)
TOTAL Covid Deaths
(increase since Day 7)
60 (13)
42,092 (4,312)
1,789 (381)
12,428 (837)
8,464 (748)
3,850 (702)
Lockdown Restrictions Corner
Parts of Europe are tightening their lockdown restrictions once again.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-56597319
France
France has announced that it is closing schools for at least 3 weeks as it tightens lockdown restrictions and goes into a “third lockdown”.
Lockdown restrictions introduced in some parts of France earlier this month are also being extended to other regions.
From Easter Saturday (Day 376)
- All non-essential shops to close.
- Travel limited – to 10km (6 miles) from home.
- National Curfew – of 7pm will stay in place.
Germany
There’s calls to tighten lockdown restrictions again.
The City of Hamburg is to introduce a night curfew on Friday.
Spain
Amid mounting criticism, there’s calls to revisit a new law introduced today that requires face-masks to be worn in outdoor spaces – including beaches and swimming pools.
Readers Corner
One sharing today.
Anna
Anna sent me another card she has done with The Paint Republic, she writes:
“My latest card, another The Paint Republic one. I’m really pleased with this one”
Wow! That’s really good – thanks for sharing Anna 🙂
As I come to the end of this blog, it feels like my life is lacking order. Reading over what was happening a year ago and see this is how I was feeling then too, I wonder, whether the hour change has a bigger impact on my routine than I anticipated? It’s interesting reading how I was missing human contact a year ago, where as now, it’s just “normal”. It’s going to be so weird when lockdown restrictions are eased and we can return to seeing people – having human connection once again!
I get a feeling of dread, reading that other parts of Europe are tightening their restrictions once again – these lockdown restrictions have been going on for so long, I don’t know how I will cope if we return to them, once everything is eased. At the moment it feels like we are all waiting…waiting for lockdown restrictions to ease. It’s been 6 months now since we have be allowed in each other’s homes…these lockdown restrictions since Boxing Day seem to be a lot longer than the restrictions a year ago.
I wonder how everyone else is feeling?
A year ago today, I shared a bedtime, which I love, especially when things are hard. So I am going to share it again now…
Below is the story in words, but I have also recorded it and uploaded it below, if you want to listen to it instead of reading it 🙂
So get yourself comfortable and I will tell you a bedtime story
Once upon a time, a long long time ago, in an ancient distant land, there lived an old man in a village. This old man was very poor and had lived there all his life.
The kings of the land were very jealous of the old man, because he had a beautiful white horse.
The kings would often visit the old man and offer him bags and bags of gold coins for the horse, but the man would always say the same:
“This horse is not a horse to me, he is a person. And how can you sell a person?”.
The man was poor, but he never sold the horse.
One morning, he found that the horse was not in the stable. The whole village gathered and they said:
“You foolish old man! We knew that someday the horse would be stolen. It would have been better to sell it. What a misfortune”.
The old man replied:
“Don’t go so far as to say that. Simply say that the horse is not in the stable. This is the fact; everything else is a judgement. Whether it is a misfortune or a blessing I don’t know, because this is just a moment. Who knows what is going to follow it?”.
People laughed at the old man. They had always known that he was a little crazy.
One night, after 15 days of the horse missing, suddenly, he returned. He had not been stolen. He had escaped into the wild. And not only that he brought a dozen wild horses with him.
Again the people gathered and they said:
“Old man, you were right, this was not a misfortune, it has indeed proved to be a blessing”.
The old man said:
“Again you are going too far. Just say that the horse is back…who knows whether it is a blessing or not? It is only a moment. You read a single word in a sentence…how can you judge the whole book?”.
This time the people could not say much, but inside they knew that was wrong. Twelve beautiful horses had come.
The old man had an only son who started to train the wild horses. Just a week later he fell from a horse and his legs were broken. The people gathered again and again they judged. They said:
“Again you proved right! It was a misfortune. Your only son has lost the use of his legs, and in your old age he was your only support. Now are you are poorer than ever”.
The old man said:
“You are obsessed with judgement. Don’t go that far. Say only that my son has broken his legs. Nobody knows whether this is a misfortune or a blessing. Life comes in moments and more is never given to you”.
It happened that after a few weeks the country went to war. All the young men of the town were forcibly taken for the military. Only the old man’s son was left, because he was crippled. The whole town was crying and weeping, because it was a losing fight and they knew most the young men would never come back. They came to the old man and they said:
“You were right, old man – this proved a blessing. Maybe your son is crippled, but he is still with you. Our sons are gone forever”.
The old man said again:
“You go on and on judging. Nobody knows! Only say this, that you sons have been forced to enter into the army and my son has not been forced. But only God, the total, knows whether it is a blessing or a misfortune”.
Sleep Well.
Jim xx
YESTERDAY's BLOG TOMORROW's BLOG
Leave a Reply