Out of Sorts

How are you all? Well, busy, staying sane I hope.

I feel I'm managing two out of three most of the time but life does feel strange and I feel a little adrift and out of sorts. We are fortunate that we are healthy and our family are all well and we live in a beautiful area where it's easy to get out and walk or meet up with friends and family at a distance so I'm not really complaining. We are a lot better off than most but life is feeling a little flat.

Time to focus on the good things I think...

The first couple of weekends of our alternative to open studios have gone well and although the first weekend was a little breezy I managed to sit outside and chat to loads of people who came to see my portraits... all at a safe distance of course!

You can see all the portraits here.

40 portraits

And in between visitors there was time to catch up with my art journal.

There was a trip out to Aldeburgh for my birthday. A friend had been the week before and said it was relatively quiet so we decided to risk it. It was another breezy day but we managed a lovely long walk along the coast.

I always like to see the magnificent sculpture The Scallop by Maggi Hambling and just breath the sea air and listen to the sounds of the shore... waves breaking and gulls calling.

We ate fish and chips from the bag, sitting on the prom, which always makes them taste better. And although there were people were around it was easy to keep our distance and feel safe.

And when we got home there was the most amazing birthday cake that Stewart had ordered for me. Fortunately we had people to share it with and slices were delivered, although we still managed several slices each. My dear husband doesn't believe in buying small when large is on offer!

I'm enjoying a lot more reading and I'm currently enjoying Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo although I don't think I will finish it in time for our reading group Zoom meeting on Wednesday.

Today I actually picked some blackberries and although they will be enjoyed for breakfast tomorrow it is way too early in the year for blackberry picking! The world is definitely out of sorts... it's not only me!

And great excitement because tomorrow I have a hair appointment, which feels shallow and trivial but I can't wait. I might even manage a bit of lippy and something other than comfy trousers, although as I will be wearing my face mask, lipstick might be surplus to requirements!

So not much to complain about really... trying to live for the moment and not worry too much about the uncertainty of our future.