Ma Bailey

I was rootling in my desk drawer for something yesterday and came across a photo Isaac took of me C 1998.

And I had no wrinkles! 

Sic transit gloria mundi.

Later, I was cutting my fringe in front of the mirror, and the strong low sun shining in through the window lit up two hearty and horrendous* whiskers - one each side of my mouth. 

*mid 17th century: from Latin horrendus (gerundive of horrere ‘(of hair) stand on end’) 

This is what comes of never seeing female relatives close to. One of them would have told me about the whiskers. When I lambasted Dave for letting me walk around like that, he said insouciantly 'I never like to comment on your appearance.' He will however, tell me about the Latin roots of words.

The one comfort is that whenever I've seen strangers I've been wearing a mask. But still, it make me wonder what I will look like to the world when all of this lurking at home is over. 

You know George Bailey's mother in It's a Wonderful Life?

Remember how she looked in George's nightmare experience of seeing the world as if he had never lived?

That'll be me by the end of this horrible winter.

Yes, I'm fed up. Aren't you?

Come, come, Sue, let's be positive.

These were the clothes I adopted for painting back in April, channeling aging-hippie Frankie from Grace and Frankie:

I'm still wearing them, except that now I have some snazzy silk-and-merino long johns underneath:

The trouble is that it's what I feel like wearing ALL the time, even when I'm not painting. Why bother dressing up when Dave doesn't care if I am the bearded lady and I never see anyone else?

I did, however, dress up for the Christmas zoom with the family, and for a Facetime with Het yesterday. And she noticed, bless her.

It's snowing here this morning, and settling. 

I'm not complaining, After all, it changes the view, and as I said to Isaac on the phone last night - 'It's the samey-sameness that is getting me down.' He groaned in recognition.

Right....now I'm going to get out a large canvas and a palette knife and splash some paint around. That might cheer me up.

Also, I came across a piece on the BBC News website yesterday and I'm going to try to follow it's advice. It's called 

Covid-19: Five ways to stay positive through the winter

Here is the link.

I hope you're making a better job of staying cheerful than I am, friends. (Although I have to say that now I've had a hearty moan I am feeling a whole lot perkier.)

Wishing you a day that contains some fun.