Return to bygone days

?

Not at the 'socially distanced' stage yet, but was pleasantly surprised at going into town today, just how 'normal' ('normal'...remember 'normal'?!) everything was, not a mask in sight, shoppers smiling and chatting, the market bustling, shops with loo rolls, paracetamols and other 'essentials' for sale, the sun shining, it felt like being in a parallel world and I wondered if I've been having a long bad dream about the 'crisis'.

It cheered me up no end, and I've come back to sitting in the garden in a deck chair reading a book...with a cup of tea (in a china cup and saucer of course). Ah, soggy sandwiches - I remember them well, along with the Thermos flask and wasps! Have a lovely dayflowers]

I don't mind the home baking although I had to give it up due to an allergic reaction to flour but under no circumstances would I wish Terry nappies on anyone. Yes they looked lovely when they were soft and white blowing on the washing line but don't you remember the smell of the nappy bucket or how hard the nappies went after a few boil washes.

As for picnics....we never gave them up. We often take our sandwiches wrapped in foil and regularly have picnics in the car because the weather is too cold to sit outside.

We were just saying the same thing Katek. We plan on doing the same sort of thing. Taking the dog for a solo forest walk, we rarely ever even see anyone whilst out. We plan on the whole coffee and a soggy sandwich in the car too ?

The benefit to being this old is we remember the days when we had far less than we do now and we know how to make do and mend !

Napisan! Ah how well I remember that smell as I fished nappies out of the bucket with tongs! Amazing what you can get used to! I’m drawing the line at taking floral pattern folding chairs on my drive but thought I would add a hard boiled egg to my picnic.......perhaps a scone and jam as well?? Size of a house before this is over!

I would pack hard boiled eggs too, along with a screw of salt. There would also be a damp flannel in a poly bag to wipe sticky fingers on afterwards.

Ah, the soggy tomato sandwiches. Used to love those.

My first post after years of lurking so I know many of you a little bit even if you don't know me . So, hi everyone!

I had a long letter from a friend this morning, a real letter, not an email. Most letters we get these days are of the 'this is how much money you owe us/you haven't got' variety or short notes. My friend decided to write me a long chatty letter like we used to do instead of emailing, not much real news but lots of chat and remembrances. I curled up on the sofa and laughed and cried while I read it, and this evening I will read it over with my OH again.

Tomorrow I am going to sit down and answer it and I've searched out some old snaps of the two of us to enclose in it. Thinking about what to write is giving me as much pleasure as reading hers. My hands aren't what they used to be so the writing will be a bit shaky so it will take a while but who cares so long as she can read it.

For me there are lots of things that have disappeared from our everyday lives that could do with reviving. I don't want to do away with electronic communication (it's quick and doesn't kill our trees) but the snail variety is sometimes a nice change.

At least with modern stamps and self seal envelopes, you wont be sending a free sample of your potentially infected Saliva with every letter delivered!

We are planning days out in a smilar way. Summer is coming, gardens will be open, we have a beautiful national arboretum nearby. We can visit those walk round, avoiding other people and then go home to tea and cakes at home.

Home baked cakes, of course.