Lockdown diaries ~ week 1 🏇

Welcome to my blog, what better time to resurrect it that during a pandemic crisis. This is the woeful tale of two star-crossed lovers who have already had to cancel their wedding and are now in lockdown away from their new house *cue the violins*. It's not all bad, it's almost like being on some kind of forced holiday where you aren't allowed to work and are forced to confront all the abandoned creative projects you've let pile up under your bed (just me?). I've been documenting the days in my journal in preparation for some kind of blog project so here goes.

Our lockdown preparations began on Monday night (23rd March) after Boris's Big Announcement, when we made the decision that Ed should move in here with my dad and I, rather than be isolated solo in our partially furnished house with no running water. So during the night we hurriedly gathered up his essentials and moved them here, feeling as though we were completing some kind of secret mission.

Day 1 (Tuesday 24th) - the day began with some tidying and making space for Ed and his plants, I didn't think it was possible to fit more plants in here but we did it. We ate soup for lunch and then went for a lovely walk where we saw a heron and some sort of exotic pheasant. Yum roast chicken for tea, and then we spoke to Elli on the phone. In the evening we watched Liar (catching up on last night's episode which we missed due to the whole moving house situation).

Day 2 (Wednesday 25th) - we went for a run, then I made my first curtain (!) getting ready for when we can eventually, one day, move into our house. Lasagne for tea. Then we had our first housegroup zoom meeting! Very fun. Ed and I watched Shaun of the Dead (apocalypse feels).

Day 3 (Thursday 26th) - my dad made poached eggs for breakfast, then Ed and I recorded some songs for our church livestream on Sunday. After lunch we went for a 10 mile bike ride! Ed made stir fry for tea. We started watching The Vicar of Dibley with dad too, 3 x episodes today. At 8pm we stepped out of the front door and clapped for the NHS with our neighbours.

Day 4 (Friday 27th) - we went for a 4/5 mile run in the sun (we don't know exactly because our running apps both give slightly different results, Ed's is more generous). Ate Biscoff on toast for breakfast. I made another curtain and some collages. We had a drone flying competition in the garden and we were all quite bad. Spaghetti bolognese for dins, followed by The Vicar of Dibley and Stranger Things 3 (Ed and I are rewatching).

Day 5 (Saturday 28th) - I baked some tangzhong buns from my Kim-Joy recipe book, we decorated them as turtles, at 11am we had a family zoom call for my uncle's 50th birthday. In the afternoon we went for a bike ride with dad and came back for a cup of tea and a bun. Buffet-style leftovers for tea, and then Ed and I played Mary-Kate and Ashley Sweet 16 on the PS2 late into the night (best game ever, if you know you know).

Day 6 (Sunday 29th) - had a lazy wake up (I forgot to change my clock forward), followed by church lifestream at 10.30am. Played Animal Crossing, soup for lunch, and then I cleaned the bathroom v thoroughly whilst listening to Vashti Bunyan (dreamy). We went for a nice walkies and I took my camera and got some nature snaps. We saw a woodpecker and a rat! After dins we watched Dibley and Stranger Things (spot the routine!).

Day 7 (Monday 30th) - a 4 mile run, then I repotted and staked my pothos plant before brekkie. I videocalled my family, then had soup for lunch (again, it's good). I drew come corvids, then did some sculpting with air dry clay. We had pasties for tea whilst watching some Top Gear. Followed by, you guessed it, Dibley! Ed and I had a Monday night prayer meeting on our own and then watched Liar #whokilledandrewearlham.

Other news to note: 

• We had a nest of robins in the garden which was very exciting but a local cat came and ate them. 
• Ed is pretty good at Guitar Hero on PS2. 
• The weather has been really nice and sunny.
• I planted this random bean I found and now it's growing.

• I've been needle-felting lots. 

• I'm glad to be in lockdown with Tom the cat.

• I have a plan to make my next Unlikely Style Icon post about Alice Tinker. I'll have to source the images myself as apparently no one online shares my love for her outfits and has cared to post any pictures of them. Challenge accepted.  

Hope you're all finding the small joys in this mad time ✨✨✨✨✨