Today in Scotland has been called ‘Freedom Friday’!! With lock-down entering Phase 1 and the first stage of exiting lock-down.
Today was also super hot, I believe, across the whole of the UK!
Last night I manage to post my blog before Bedtime Chi Gong – which meant I was in bed at 11:12pm and asleep by midnight! I also decided to change my routine in the morning – my clock radio came on at 8am (rather than 7.30am) and I got up at 8.30am (rather than 7.50am). Just enough time for Honey and I to have breakfast before Morning Chi Gong.
The result meant an extra hour in bed. Alas, I still woke up at 7.30am – as my body clock is currently set to that time! But I certainly felt more rested and refreshed today.
After Chi Gong, Honey and I headed out for our early morning walk (although it was 10am) to Kate’s Park. Then home for some work, etc…before our daily afternoon walk.
I also bumped into Aileen, on Easter Road, who was going for a run! That was a nice surprise – she lives at the other end of the graveyard!
Despite it being super hot and talk that everyone in Scotland would be heading out to sunbathe – as we are now “legally” allowed do that – Holyrood Park and Arthur’s Seat was quieter compared to Tuesday and yesterday!
I wonder, as it is now “allowed” to go out and socialise and sunbathe – whether people are not going to go? That certainly seemed the way today. Or maybe they were all at the beach instead?
I tried to capture some photos to show the amount of folk out on Holyrood Park – but being such a big area, it is harder to capture.
The two photos below are in a Photo Gallery so you can click on them to see them full-size.
There was certainly different households meeting – as more groups of people were sitting socially distanced from each other.
The main photo of this blog is of Honey “swimming” in the pond which has nearly dried up – you can see how muddy it is – on her legs. The first photo in the blog, is a photo of the pond. In the winter it spreads out over quite a big area, but it is now rapidly drying up. I reckon in a couple of weeks it will just be mud! I will let you know.
This morning on The Chris Evans Breakfast Show, Chris Evans was talking more about the book – How Not to Die by Michael Greger. He seems to get a theme and then talks about it for a few days. I still haven’t looked up the videos. What Chris Evans was saying today, was that Michael Greger puts out daily videos – in a blog!! A daily blog 😉
He’s released 10,000 videos! Wow – if that is 10,000 blogs – that’s nearly 28 years of a daily blog! Now, that is impressive!
Photos below are in a Photo Gallery, so you can click on them to see full size.
Readers Corner
Brian
Brian sent me some photos this morning saying:
“My first ever early morning walk – before the lockdown lunacy begins!”
He was out and about BEFORE he started work this morning. I’m impressed!
His two photos are in a Photo Gallery, so if you click on them, you will see them in full-size.
Helen
Helen sent this lovely poem to share, which she says:
“A poem by a poet that I really like”
The poem is by Laura Ding-Edwards. It can be found here (https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2569659093157603&id=645956815527850).
I’ve also included it below, with the photo.
🌈 T O G E T H E R 🌈
It feels like things are not ok
And this “thing” will never go away
Like all around is caving in
And no-one knows where to begin
What-ifs and fears are on the rise
And nobody’s able to disguise
The sadness of this sudden change
To life, routine; it’s very strange
But sit a moment with that thought
Forget the things that you’ve been taught
For a while there’s no rat race
A slower life put in its place
We suddenly have the space to stop
Appreciate the things we’ve got
The cusp of spring still breaks its sleep
Our birds return to trill & cheep
And hope & kindness start to bloom
As we find ways to lift the gloom
And so in this uncertain time
Take stock, reflect and redefine
Keep in mind it’s not forever
We’ll make it through with love, together
©️Laura Ding-Edwards @rainbirdroots
Thanks so much for sharing that Helen, it’s a lovely poem and describes it exactly how it is.
Tomorrow is the Quaker Cabaret Ceilidh! Which I am co-hosting with my friend Robin. But also doing a 5 minute magic act, including magic I have never performed before! Some completely new magic!
Also, Majk Stokes will be performing – he was the guy I helped to host at his Album Launch and Helen became an instant fan, just hearing his music!
So PLEASE come along and watch – it’s going to be a fun evening. With a raffle too – one prize includes a virtual magic lesson with me 🙂
It is on Facebook Live – from the Ceilidh Collective Facebook Page, which you can find by CLICK HERE
(https://www.facebook.com/CeilidhCollective)
It’s going to be a fun night! Check out the poster.
If you miss it, all the stories of co-hosting it will be included in tomorrow’s blog!
It won’t be available to watch on Facebook afterwards. So if you miss it LIVE tomorrow, you will have to wait till the next one.
Another short blog. Maybe that is good for me, as I can go to bed earlier.
Nothing much to report on – except it has been another scorching hot day. And lock-down seems to be easing across the UK.
This evening we had The Melting Pot / Virtual Pot (the office space I use) end of the month drinks – in Zoom. Not so many people turned up and I had to pop in and out, to go to Tom Brace’s Big Isolation Quiz.
I hope to get up super early tomorrow morning and jog to Portobello beach and back – before it gets busy and too hot. I hear that the beach gets busy in the afternoon.
Hope you’ve all had a great Friday.
Lots of Love
Jim xxx