Tuesday, April 14, 2020

The Windowsill


It's been more than five years since I first blogged a photo of our kitchen windowsill. It has grown considerably more cluttered -- more than even just 2 1/2 years ago. My collection of found bottles, mostly old milk bottles, may be getting a little out of hand! (I've got a few more on the dining room windowsill.)

That right-hand orchid has bloomed twice for us. The left-hand one I picked up free just a few weeks ago when Homebase was giving away its plants prior to closing for the coronavirus. If and when it blooms, its flowers should be bright red.

I went out for groceries again yesterday. At the risk of exposing myself to multiple environments, I went to the produce shop for vegetables, the butcher for meat and the grocery store for everything else. I'm trying to spread our money around and help the small businesses. The produce store is a particular challenge, because it's very narrow and there's no way anyone could be social distancing in there. But the owners have restricted it to three customers at a time -- likewise the butcher -- so that helps.

Then I took Olga to Fortune Green and the cemetery, where a fair number of people seemed to be out and about. Of course we kept well to ourselves. ("We" = me and Olga)


The pigeons on West End Green were not social distancing. Nor were those two women on the bench, but maybe they live together.


Here's yesterday's cemetery clean-up find -- an ancient space heater, I believe? Into the bin it went.


The pink campion is blooming in the cemetery's butterfly garden. We have some in our garden, too, but it hasn't made an appearance yet.


I found these little potted plants decorating a grave. Appallingly, at least one of them appears to have been painted silver, presumably by an over-enthusiastic florist. Looks like the plant's persevering, though.


This tattered fabric flower was lying around, looking like its own exotic species. A Triffid, possibly.


Olga, tired on the walk home, yawned on a path paved with shadows and fallen cherry blossom petals.

Dave and I are back to work today, though of course we're working from home. Dave will resume teaching via Zoom and various other platforms, which he is not enjoying. I think he struggles with being so remote from his students and not having the face-to-face interaction, the opportunity to personally demonstrate musical techniques and correct their playing behavior and that kind of thing. I'll be working once again on some library projects, but honestly, I think it will feel like the never-ending Spring Break. Which sounds nice, but there's an aimlessness to it too, you know?

16 comments:

Yorkshire Pudding said...

If I was still a teacher, I am sure that "Zoom" and the novelty of online teaching would have lost its lustre by now and we'd be in tedium. At least there would be no marking to do. That was the bane of my life. So many unrecognised hours. I love your window sill. Nice things there that speak silently and subtly of the occupants of your flat.

Moving with Mitchell said...

Your photos are always wonderful. I love that kitchen window sill. It seems like it would be a very slow process if all the social distancing and other behaviors are completely voluntary, but who knows!

Ms. Moon said...

Like Mr. P. I love your window sill. It really is very calming and lovely.
Lily's doing the Zoom thing with her kiddos' classes and it's difficult. There is so much that's hard these days and every morning it seems like I awaken to this new reality, shocked again.

ellen abbott said...

I like your kitchen windowsill too. our yoga class is sort of hit or miss remotely.

Jennifer said...

The aimlessness of it---yes, I do know. I'm so tired of this situation, Steve. I'm trying not to complain and to stay cheerful but it's really starting to get to me. I was supposed to go to work one day this week to answer phones, and I was so looking forward to it, then yesterday I got an email to NOT come in. Apparently they're cracking down on even the handful of people who have been going up to the school and now it's no more than two or three absolutely essential people and that's it. I was disappointed.

I love your sunny windowsill with the glass bottles and the plants. And Olga is such a beauty! What a great photo of her. I'm glad you're all safe and well.

gz said...

Lovely windowsill portrait...and the one of Olga and the fence too

Red said...

I'm sure many teachers would have problems not having direct contact with the students. I'm sure this situation will pass but I think it will take longer than is being predicted.

Edna B said...

I think your windowsill looks just great! The flowers in the cemetery are beautiful, especially the tattered fabric one. Cherry blossoms! Wow, my tree isn't ready for blossoms yet. It's still too cool here for flowers. You stay safe and have a wonderful day, hugs, Edna B.

The Bug said...

I love that star shaped planter - so pretty with those succulents in it!

I'm working from home today (or I will be once I finish reading blogs). It's been ok, but there's a wee lag when I do remote work on my office computer & it's making me feel a little bonkers. :)

Sharon said...

I know what you mean about the aimlessness. I'm sitting here with my work computer open with nothing much happening. My work takes a lot of interaction with users and that just isn't the same virtually. Also, pretty much all of our development projects are on hold right now. It makes "working" very strange.
I love seeing the windowsill again. You've gotten quite a collection of old bottles.

Anonymous said...

You make me want to collect things on our walks and display them in our windowsill here. It looks lovely. Love seeing Olga in that sunlit and shadow photo. Beautiful. I hope you and Dave find ways to make this "work from home" stuff work. It does sound challenging.

Vivian Swift said...

You know that a guy already wrote the book on stir-crazy. Xavier de Maistre, in 1790, under a 42-day house arrest for dueling, wrote an 80-page book called Voyage Around My Room. He treated his furniture as major tourist attractions. I'm trying to remember if he did his windowsill...I do remember that he spent a lot of time discussing his bed linens, because he was very fond of them.

I read this book back in the late '90s. NOW I know what drove him to become an author.

Catalyst said...

I saw a meme today where a wide-eyed scary looking guy says, "You used to say you wished the weekend could last forever. So how do you like it now?" And why do people dump their trash in a cemetery, I wonder.

37paddington said...

the day looks so lovely and spring like in your photos. i take this quarantine day by day, with no thought as to how long it can possibly last. it's all so surreal.

Penelope said...

Great photos, as always. I especially like Olga and the shadow effect.
It is interesting how people are struggling to be content with solitude. I am quite used to it and I don't think it bothers me as much as it does some other people. I participate in a Cajun talk show two to three times a week, so I believe that helps. I have been on for nine years so it is like a virtual coffee shop. It would be difficult to not have that connection.

jenny_o said...

Your window picture would make a good watercolour. It reminds me of the paintings of Alex Colville, which you can see here if you're interested: https://www.wikiart.org/en/alex-colville

I love the photo of Olga yawning - she's putting her heart and soul into it :)