A year and a day!

 Dear Marmite

Another milestone! I have been living in this house for a year and a day. When I first got to the house, the boiler wasn't working, two of the toilets were broken, the oven didn't cook anything and the fridge froze everything. I didn't even have furniture. I sat on my suitcase as I didn't have a chair and I slept on the floor. Looking back, I have come a long way. 

I have also got a baby which wasn't even in any of our imaginings this time last year. Today she is two weeks old and such a cuddly bunny. Conversation about body functions hasn't progressed very far though. Richard, the proud father was holding her last night when she did a massive poo - a veritable poo-nami as he described it. Today the washing machine is rinsing off the evidence of the mammoth outpourings - enough said. All Mums have been there.

I am not one for takeaway meals but I do have a nice thing going with Nasser's family. As everyone should know, Syrian food is the best. Nothing else even comes close, except possibly a Sunday Roast. Very often I have soups and and such like delivered with a smile but the other day Amira produced a feast to welcome the baby - and what a feast. It looked good but tasted like something out of this world. Richard with his chef-palette spent the meal trying to identify all the subtle flavours in the rice. I am just sorry you weren't there to try it, Marms.

I try to reciprocate and make biscuits and cakes for the family. I am a little embarrassed by my offereings in truth. They come nowhere near what we are given. Sometimes I cook things just to fill up my time and then I have a fridge of stuff that needs eating. This is really not a good way to plan meals. I have even taken to clock watching so that I don't have anything less than four hours away from the last meal. 

I have made myself stop buying cases of wine that look very interesting because I can't get through them. They are really nice wines and better than your average supermarket ones so I don't like to just open and imbibe. They are too special for that. I imagine having friends round and opening them then. I have 4 boxes still in store so I just need lots of friends now.

Other things I do to pass my time during this lockdown manage to get me through the day and stave off boredom. I have been doing a fiction writing course with the OU through Future Learn. I am still not sure there is a big story inside me bursting to get out but I do find it passes the time and I look forward to writing. That can't be bad. 

I have also joined the local art group  FB page which encourages people to put pictures in the window of their homes according to a theme once a month. This month it is portraits. I have lots in my folder but feel I should try and do something special for the theme. Watch this space.

If only I could go swimming though. That gave me a great reason to get up early and get my day into gear. I do stretches in the bedroom and sometimes I do them without purpose and then get annoyed with myself. I also aim to get out of the house each day. I sometimes spend hours at night reading too.  It pains me how little I have to think about. 

One year ago, nobody was really talking about COVID, nor did they use words like "lockdown". In one year we have a whole new lexicon related to our small lives and a very different way of living. You, Marms, are lucky to have a normal-ish life in a country that is now relatively back to normal. My friends over there are playing tennis and meeting up for coffee - even having meals out. Wow... what a life... one can only dream, and dream I must.

Love you

XXX