I wrote the first of my daily blog posts as I was worried that I might not manage very well being locked down for 2 weeks in Pisticci, all by myself.

Pause for hysterical  laughter here.

It turned out to be more like two months.

However writing this has been a great help as 401 days later and we are still not back to the ” normal”  which was 402 days ago. I look forward to writing it most days . It does feel like telling someone how my day has gone and sometimes it makes me go and do something so that I can write about it and not sound like a lazy layabout.

It still makes me fearful inside when I see   older videos of people on beaches and in towns all happily going about their business and shaking hands, hugging and kissing and taking life for granted.

It’s  a little bit like watching the beginning of “Jaws” where everyone is enjoying themselves not knowing that the shark is about to change everything .

I have been fine so far. In fact there can’t  be many nicer places to be stuck in during a pandemic.

But I can’t  believe how much I took my life for granted  and how I have changed. I thought I was living a day at a time and appreciating the little things, but I wasn’t  really.

In a way as my life became smaller  in area it grew as I noticed all the little things I had previously  only seen in passing. I think  I discovered that I had more resources, physical and mental than I had ever believed. What  a buzz I got decorating the outside of my house with flowers and making the inside even more homey and artistic and managing to make new things out of old things, and learning new skills.

Then I learned that I actually like living by myself. It’s not a second choice to being in a relationship. ( though I still need to see a few more people and not be quite so hermitty. )

I could go on and on, but I won’t. 

Today has been a nice sociable day.

I’ve been out for coffee with a friend,  had lovely unexpected  visitors, just like in the pre virus days , but with masks.

It was nice to discover I can still talk… and talk ……

I washed the bathroom floor and another part of the living room floor and dusted the stove after they had gone. Obviously no one would have dropped in if the house had been immaculate. 🤔

This afternoon I made another stretcher for my next portrait. And tried to make my roses look better on the latest painting, realising that it is hard to move on to the next painting when I am not happy with the last one.

I had a pleasant half hour sitting on the doorstep reading more of my David Hockney book. I am making it last as long as possible like trifle or strawberries and cream or a big piece of carrot cake.

I probably should have something to eat.

I am a waiting for somebody to come and collect a painting so am postponing wine time until after they have been. It’s been nice sitting outside again even without the strange cat.

Cheers anyways. 🍷🍷