Coffee & a Catch-up

Day 200...

And welcome to Sunday.

Another steady start to the day being very mindful that we needed to be up and about as not only did Simon and I have plans for the day but Molly and Dan needed to get on the road at a reasonable time.

The lovely thing about today was that the weather didn't look too horrid first thing and I got to put on smart clothes and make-up!

We had plans to meet up with a friend and so I took the opportunity to dig out clothes I'd not worn in what feels like forever and actually take the time and effort to apply more than just mascara and lippy! I also got to wear my sparkly Dr Martin boots for the first time in forever,  although it felt very strange wearing boots rather than the trainers I have been living in for the past few months.

Molly has travelled 190 miles today to spend the next week or so with her boyfriend and so while she set off on a 3 hour journey we jumped in the car for a quick 20 minute journey to meet up with our friend Mimi who we have not seen since the beginning of the year (or maybe even longer?!).

We were able to meet up outside and enjoy a lovely few hours chatting over multiple mugs of coffee, having a spot of lovely food and enjoying a surprisingly dry and at times sunny afternoon. It was lovely to be able to spend the time in someone else's company, while maintaining all the current social norms; the distance, the wearing of masks when needed, the 'logging in' of where we were but sadly missing the chance to give each other a hug.

We chatted about how we have all been coping with the last 200 days, how it's affected us personally, how it's affected our work as well as our outlook on life now and beyond this current 'situation'. It was just lovely to be out and about and feel like we were doing something almost close to 'normal'. Thanks Mimi for a fabulous Sunday afternoon...we must do it again soon!

The lovely Mimi and I enjoying coffee and sunshine

Once back home it was time to get the boring stuff done; the grocery shop for collecting tomorrow morning along with posting a few more items online for sale. And while I did that Simon spent time 'tinkering' with his mouse droid project which as I type means I have a small droid doing laps of my kitchen!

The rest of the evening was spent listening to my phone going ping as I was inundated with enquiries about the stuff I'd just put up for sale! Think it's time to step away from the laptop, enjoy a glass of something sparkly and chill.

Stay safe out there, keep your distance, wash your hands and wear a mask.

xx

Day 94

Day 94...

And it's the weekend and at least the weather decided to get a little more Summer like as it is officially the start of Summer! 

After a slow start it was sorting out a couple of helmet sales with Simon; one in the post to the UK and the other out to the US. We also had a few Ebay items that sold successfully this afternoon so that will mean more packaging to do once the payments have been received.

Simon spent some of the afternoon fixing his 3D printer after it had stopped working a couple of days ago. Diagnosis was that the hot bed had failed so he ordered a replacement which arrived this morning and sure enough new hot bed installed and a working printer once again. He has also been messing about some more with electronics for both his R2D2 and mouse droid projects as both will need combinations of flashing lights and noises. Apparently this involves programming an arduino...I would have jumped in and helped obviously but thought best to leave it to Simon and a little help from Ethan!!

Molly received the prints that she has ordered for her Etsy store today and they look lovely...won't be long before the Shutter Studios store will be open for business! Here's just a couple of the prints...

'Squad Goals'

'Don't be a prick'

I've managed to get quite a bit of my jigsaw done today at various points and we have had our first socially distanced gathering in our back garden...well I say we but actually I mean Molly and four of her friends. The great thing was we had disposable plates and cutlery left over from Molly's 18th birthday party last year so a little impromptu get together ended up having a tiki bar/luau vibe going on...we even had hawaiian leis as well!

And as all the girls were socially distancing outside I found myself as chief cook! The great thing was that all the girls brought something and had a lovely few hours listening to music, chatting and catching up on the last few months. The weather at times came over rather dark and threatened rain but thankfully the majority of the time it was dry, sunny and warm. We opened up the garage just in case there was a downpour so the girls had somewhere to shelter and I think they only dashed there once and not for too long!

So a Saturday that had hints of normality to it and I suppose the further we get into the easing of restrictions the easier we will find it all and the more accustomed to it we will become. Although I think at the back of my mind will always be the wonder of whether or not we are truly getting on top of this virus or whether we are going to see further outbreaks...and only time will tell.

Take care, stay safe 

xx

Countdown to Christmas - Day 15

15th December

So the observant amongst you will notice that despite this post being titled Day 15 it is actually being published on Day 16!  So first I shall apologise for being a day late and then I think my post will explain why.

Christmas is always a time for family and friends, a good excuse to get together with those we love and care about, and this weekend for us has been no exception.

Through the common interest of all things Disney we have over the last couple of years, and especially this last year, begun to find other liked minded individuals through the medium of the internet.  By following podcasts like WDW Radio or The Minnie Minxes we have been introduced to a 'whole new world' of all things Disney, and subsequently along the way have made new friends.

So this weekend has been spent with one of the hosts of the The Minnie Minxes, Michelle, and other Disney obsessed people and we even managed to connect with long time friend Emma by the power of Skype!

And at the same time our friends at WDW Radio were posting a blog all about 'My Best Disney Present Ever' and one from our friend Christy Viszoki, right at the bottom of the blog post, caught our eye - couldn't have said it any better Christy.

Disney and the spirit that it embodies brings about a kindness and warmth among people and ultimately new connections, friends and adventures.