Tuesday, July 14, 2020

Home life


Dave found this chart on the net and has pinned it up in the kitchen so tonight I am having fish and chips (heh-heh.)




I hope you can read it. If not, here is a link. 

I had a revelation a few days ago. I was telling Dave how much I like doing the quick crossword on a Saturday, which is the only day we get the newspaper  printed on paper. It takes me ten minutes and it’s a little bit of trivial fun I look forward to. In the evenings we often do cryptic crosswords together and they’re also fun, but the quick one doesn’t make my brain ache.

Dave said: 'Well why don’t you buy yourself a whole book of them?'

And I blurted out: 'Because I would feel I was wasting my time if I was sitting doing crosswords during the day.'

Dave: 'You don’t have to be engaged in meaningful activity every single minute of every day, you know. No wonder you’re always exhausted.'

And I realised that there is something inside me telling me precisely that I do.

I know where this feeling comes from: it comes from my mother. She was exactly the same, and even into our adulthoods the second question she would ask on the phone after How are you? would be What are you working on? i.e. what craft or creative activity?

This attitude has served me well in the past, but I think under lockdown when we spend so much time at home, it's punishing. 

Sometimes in the afternoon I do sneak off to bed and watch Neighbours despite my mother's strictures, and now I have ordered a crossword book. It looks as if we have a long confined winter ahead of us with a second wave coming: I need to be prepared.



The other news is that Dave designed and made me a table easel with scraps from the shed, and I love it. 









Lastly, there is  a new review of DAYS ARE WHERE WE LIVE. Whoop, whoop!



Have you bought your copy yet? 
And one for your friend's birthday? 
And one for your mother? Your father?
Just askin'. 



3 comments:

marmee said...

Oh yes I tend to feel so guilty about just simply doing nothing or indulging guilty pleasures! I have in my life had two serious debilitating diseases and both were firmly tied to not acknowledging fatigue or feeling unwell. These days I knit while watching whatever I fancy on my computer...two birds with one stone? But in truth the knitting gives me such pleasure too! As always Sue, such an apposite quote!

Anonymous said...

I read your blog on Tuesday - and liked the idea of sending a friend a copy of ‘Days’ for her birthday.

Amazingly, the order placed on Amazon straight after reading your blog dropped through her letterbox early evening on Thursday, her actual birthday!

She was absolutely delighted, and is looking forward to reading it.

Thanks for the nudge! All the 5* ratings show how much it is being enjoyed, so it makes for a good present.

Thea xx

Sue Hepworth said...

That’s amazing service, Thea. I thought it would take longer than that.
Thank you for buying it. Xx

Hi Marmee, yes, knitting is something to do while watching telly. I do it too. Xx