Oh, and the other things I bought from the corner shops yesterday were frozen puff pastry and frozen shortcrust pastry. I've never used either before, but how hard can it be? Can I just use a bit though? I am but one stomach.
So, today was INTERESTING! In a tiny, #stayathome way.
This morning, I did yoga, of course. Beginner's Balance, 30 mins. And, in the room where I do it, which is also my new home office and therefore the work bits and bobs are encroaching on my zen a bit but the hall is the overflow, the window has one of those white curtains that let light in but keeps peepers out. I thought it perfectly reasonable to do my yoga in my bright pink shorts and a thing to keep hair out of my eyes. I'm not going to lie, it's quite the look. But, hey, who cares? Yay, pandemic!
Anyway, I was mid-Mountain when I noticed a male figure, standing still on the other side of the street. He was holding a white shopping bag in one hand -- the new disguise -- and doing something with his other hand. It was strange to see someone stationary. Most of us are Darts at the moment. Whizzing from place to place, or getting our sanctioned exercise necessarily. He was still there, even after a couple of my plank-to-knees-chest-chins-to-Cobras. I paused my doodad, and peeked, and I mean peeked out the window. There he was. Brown beanie, dark green puffer jacket, white shopping bag, and, it looked like he was scrolling on his phone, fingers oddly splayed, but that might just be his scrolling hand position. He seemed harmless, and transfixed. I went back to my Mountains.
I half suspected him to pull a Chucky and suddenly be right at my window. But, I got through the 30 mins with no Chucky. I rolled up my mat, threw on my robe, and leapt upstairs. He was walking on, but I still got a crappy photo for you:
So, that happened.
After chatting with my family, I put the kettle on. I'd made a clandestine plan with Bex to MEET OUTSIDE FOR A CUP OF TEA IN THE PARK. We're both flying solo and it seemed perfectly reasonable to meet, with appropriate distance precautions for a CHAT. I whipped out my gigantic Thermos.
Brewed, she was. I grabbed a couple of apples (still in their bag) from the crisper, and whizzed over to the park on my bike. We'd arranged to meet on the steps outside the cafe (which was closed, of course). I waited happily for Bex. And ta da! She turned up! Here's what it was like:
It was lovely. We sat and CHATTED and laughed and enjoyed it.
Then, we spotted three of Hackney's finest coming across a nearby footbridge, not particularly towards us, we thought. After a few minutes of CHATTING and Bex wrapping a pressie for a friend, they approached. I'd hid the thermos by then, and wrapped up the orange wafers and stuffed them under my bag. We'd already said that if anyone got funny we'd say we were married or housemates or whatever. Plus, Bex is an Akktorrrr, so I said You do the talking.
Two coppers approached. Sorry, but, you can't sit here. Oh, I didn't know. Yes, sorry. That's OK. We didn't know. How are you? You must be swamped. Yes, we're very busy. OK, so if you can move along please. We can't have you sitting. OK, we'll be on our way.
I didn't say a word. It wasn't scary or anything. Just very odd. I like to think someone dobbed us in for enjoying a tiny morning tea, but Bex thought that the coppers weren't that well-organised.
Huh. I guess it's a bit soon for us to be socialising. Good to know.
Here are the constabulary leaving the scene:
So, today was INTERESTING! In a tiny, #stayathome way.
This morning, I did yoga, of course. Beginner's Balance, 30 mins. And, in the room where I do it, which is also my new home office and therefore the work bits and bobs are encroaching on my zen a bit but the hall is the overflow, the window has one of those white curtains that let light in but keeps peepers out. I thought it perfectly reasonable to do my yoga in my bright pink shorts and a thing to keep hair out of my eyes. I'm not going to lie, it's quite the look. But, hey, who cares? Yay, pandemic!
Anyway, I was mid-Mountain when I noticed a male figure, standing still on the other side of the street. He was holding a white shopping bag in one hand -- the new disguise -- and doing something with his other hand. It was strange to see someone stationary. Most of us are Darts at the moment. Whizzing from place to place, or getting our sanctioned exercise necessarily. He was still there, even after a couple of my plank-to-knees-chest-chins-to-Cobras. I paused my doodad, and peeked, and I mean peeked out the window. There he was. Brown beanie, dark green puffer jacket, white shopping bag, and, it looked like he was scrolling on his phone, fingers oddly splayed, but that might just be his scrolling hand position. He seemed harmless, and transfixed. I went back to my Mountains.
I half suspected him to pull a Chucky and suddenly be right at my window. But, I got through the 30 mins with no Chucky. I rolled up my mat, threw on my robe, and leapt upstairs. He was walking on, but I still got a crappy photo for you:
 |
| Shopping Bag person |
After chatting with my family, I put the kettle on. I'd made a clandestine plan with Bex to MEET OUTSIDE FOR A CUP OF TEA IN THE PARK. We're both flying solo and it seemed perfectly reasonable to meet, with appropriate distance precautions for a CHAT. I whipped out my gigantic Thermos.
 |
| That's tea. |
Brewed, she was. I grabbed a couple of apples (still in their bag) from the crisper, and whizzed over to the park on my bike. We'd arranged to meet on the steps outside the cafe (which was closed, of course). I waited happily for Bex. And ta da! She turned up! Here's what it was like:
 |
| Bex brought some excellent orange wafer biscuits (which we nearly finished) and her own mug for distancing reasons. |
It was lovely. We sat and CHATTED and laughed and enjoyed it.
Then, we spotted three of Hackney's finest coming across a nearby footbridge, not particularly towards us, we thought. After a few minutes of CHATTING and Bex wrapping a pressie for a friend, they approached. I'd hid the thermos by then, and wrapped up the orange wafers and stuffed them under my bag. We'd already said that if anyone got funny we'd say we were married or housemates or whatever. Plus, Bex is an Akktorrrr, so I said You do the talking.
Two coppers approached. Sorry, but, you can't sit here. Oh, I didn't know. Yes, sorry. That's OK. We didn't know. How are you? You must be swamped. Yes, we're very busy. OK, so if you can move along please. We can't have you sitting. OK, we'll be on our way.
I didn't say a word. It wasn't scary or anything. Just very odd. I like to think someone dobbed us in for enjoying a tiny morning tea, but Bex thought that the coppers weren't that well-organised.
Huh. I guess it's a bit soon for us to be socialising. Good to know.
Here are the constabulary leaving the scene:
 |
| The Fuzz |
Then I came home. Had a chicken sandwich, and got to work. I had to find a new image of Artemis to use for our upcoming Greek Gods & Goddesses collection, so set about searching some open cultural content catalogues for an image of her that we could use. The story we've written about her is of a huntress, butchering her kill, and not exactly the demure, smooth, marble Artemis you may have seen in ze museums. Anyway, I landed at the Smithsonian (which just put a bazillion things into the public domain which is fantastic). I did a search for "diana hunt" and found these beautiful designs for weathervanes and other signage in New York City, designed by William Hunt Diederich, American, b. Hungary, 1884–1953, and bequeathed to the institution by Diana Diederich Blake. They are a delight, and my favourite thing on the internet today, and are here for personal use only.
