Happy Sunday!

 On Friday I got some major muscles aches, like I was getting the 'flu. How ironic that would be, since this year was the first I had gotten the 'flu jab. So I got the boy to come take me home cos the last thing I wanted was to be sitting in a bus during a Covid-19 pandemic looking like death...

Ever since then I've been resting at home. But it hasn't been so restful today.

First, it seems that my skin is reacting to the new batch of moisturiser I made yesterday and wore overnight. So I had to spend time apply enough concealer on my face to prevent shock and alarm in my household.

Then, I discovered that my family cannot read my mind nor correctly interpret my hints, so I had to take out the recycling that was overflowing onto the kitchen floor, and tidy it away into the outside bin. It took me 3 trips.

Then, I tried to print out Style Arc's face mask pattern  so I could make some to add to the family supply. But it would not print.

One software install and a system update later, I have already had to give up vacuuming the bedroom because the bag was full and we are out of spare bags.

I finally have my face mask pattern printed out now, and if nothing further goes wrong today I might complete one or two...

Alert level 3 shopping fantasy

In about a weeks time NZ will leave covid-19 alert level 4 (complete lock down except for essential services and excercise) to go to alert level 3 (contactless shopping allowed).

And I for one am looking forward to some patriotic shopping. I'm going to buy:

• Printed reading material from Unity Books
• Organic cotton yarn from Knitworld
• Selvedge denim  from the Fabric Store, Drapers or Miss Maudes
• Sewing magazines from Minerva Books

And lots of takeaways...hopefully from:

• Yumjars
• Hell Pizza 
• Burger Fuel

Mmm vegan fast food...

It takes one to know one

When TLM and I visited our dear friend in Taipei just over a year ago, we were baffled with her seemingly over the top hygiene habits.

For example, she had one "indoor" sofa and one "outdoor" sofa. Both sofas were in her living room - the difference was that you were only supposed to sit on the indoor sofa if you were wearing your "indoor" clothes. And you had to change into your "indoor" clothes after entering her apartment from the outside.

When she took us out for meals (wonderful meals, including great, great vegan meals), she never let us put our cutlery straight on the table. They had to go on a clean napkin or on the plates of food.

And she had ways of standing upright on buses without touching any of the support poles or handles.

There were also some pretty hardline bathroom rules too, but my mind must have blocked them out because I can't actually remember what they were now.

Our friend lived and worked in Taipei and Hong Kong through the SARS epidemic, and apparently that's when it all started.

And now. Now with New Zealand in an anti-Covid19 lock down, we wash our hands religiously, "avoid each other like the plague" (!) and spend a lot of time thinking about how long to wait before we can safely touch the package that the courier dropped off...now I understand.

Our dear friend passed away only a few months after we stayed with her, but wherever she is I hope she can see what's going on amongst the living and say "I TOLD you so!"