Lockdown Diary - Monday 2nd November 2020

A full Monday ahead starting with meditation, followed by yoga, then, in the evening, November's book club.

Forty-five minutes of guided meditation is a great way to start the day and the week, though occasionally sitting still for that long is a challenge, especially so early in the morning.  Recognising this, our guide will be doing a mixed movement and sitting meditation next week.

Coffee next whilst I get on with a few bits of admin for yoga at 10.

After yoga time to get changed into normal clothes before working with son #2 to make lunch. He's working today, unlike me, so we're doing this in his lunch break.  After lunch I need to go out and deliver something to a friend, though without contact, which is a shame.

The remainder of the afternoon is my own and I plan to read Sunday's papers, go for a walk, maybe find time to do a bit more reading - 'Ulysses', 'Idler' magazine and the Hawkwind book I'm slowly reading.

Just back from just over 30 minutes walking, the sun is starting to set but the rain held off, which was good. I need to try and do the same tomorrow, though I always find it more difficult when I'm working.

I finished the papers earlier so I'm going to sit and read books for a while, before the next thing I have to do.

The carers arrive for the evening call, the final one of the day.  My wife had her last dose of antibiotics this morning, so, all being well, as the effects of that wear off she should start to get back to 'normal'.  I think the community matron said she was going to visit later in the week to check on her recovery, so fingers crossed.  One minor positive: I am back in the carer's good books again as the reusable night bags were delivered this afternoon.  Makes life easier for everyone.

Dinner is going to take a good hour to cook and, as I'm attending book club tonight, I won't be able to help as much.  My contribution is prepping the carrots whilst son #2 does the rest. 

It's now 7:30 p.m., I have a cold bottle of cider in my hand and it's time to Zoom in to tonight's discussion.

Good discussion of 'The Many' by Wyl Menmuir - lots to talk about as it's quite an intriguing book, despite being short. I can't recall a book that has generated such a fluid perspective on what happened within. As always the session ended with the selection of the book after next, this time for January 2021! In many ways I'll be glad to see the back of 2020, but I fear 2021 will start off equally badly.

Book club finished relatively early and so sons 1 and 2 joined me to watch the remainder of the 'Autumn' episode of 'The Third Day'.  I'm not sure I'm much the wiser, but it does mean we can move on to the final three episodes starting tomorrow night.

An interesting album I'm slowly inhabiting, or vice versa, is 'Quatermass Seven' by Little Barrie & Malcolm Catto.  It's not released physically yet (but is digitally) but this track, 'After After', is on YouTube, so enjoy!


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