Stars of lockdown

Koshka plotting...

And he won....of course 

I was on a zoom call earlier and the window cleaner was washing the windows. I was very spooked initially but then it got me thinking about some earlier days when I worked at home. It wasn’t the norm but that day I had a tricky call to make then a report to write and I decided that on that winter day I would work from home. The pets were delighted to have me there and I’d forgotten how much their need of attention was less than helpful. 

I decided to sit by the Christmas tree and put their lights on so I was lifted from the December gloom. I had my laptop balanced hopefully alongside Fruin the cat who would only settle on my remaining lap. 

Robbie the golden retriever finally went to sleep with a toy in his mouth ( it’s a retriever thing-it’s often underwear that’s stolen only to be presented to people who come to the door). All was quiet so I made myself pick up the phone and make that phone call which was too easy to put off. 

I steeled myself and dialled the number. They answered and so the conversation began.

I didn’t know the window cleaner was coming. 

I noticed him first at the end of the house. I held my breath, would the dog notice. Oh yes he did. 

He stood up and barked as if Count Dracula was washing the windows. The toy dropped out of his mouth with a clatter. That set off the grotesque singing Christmas tree. My sister bought it to tease my husband one year. Why had we kept it and why was it switched on? Any movement set it off, so to add to the mayhem of Robbie barking, the cat clinging on to me as I tried to get up and close the door, a tinny version of Rocking around the Christmas tree began at volume. My credibility was crawling out the door.....looking back I’m only glad it wasn’t zoom although some telling oaths may have been muttered! 

Then working from home was unusual, now it’s my life. But since lockdown it’s mostly  with video. I know we’ve all learned the smart top, comfy leggings routine but managing the pets is a whole new level of difficulty. Back in the day when you had to stand up as you answered the house phone, our male retrevier used to take the opportunity to hump your leg. Trying to keep your voice even whilst shaking off a very persistent large dog is no mean feat. Although his peak moment was when I had to pull him off the Minister who had come to visit. He had spent the hour telling Robbie how beautiful he was,so what’s a dog to do? 

It’s a rainy day of ‘summer’ today and I’m reminiscing whilst this generation of cat and dog play the , ‘who gets the bed’ routine. Earlier this week I was distracted by the cute wee dog shuffling along the top of the sofa to sit almost on the shoulders of the Chair of thé meeting. Initially he looked like a cuddly toy. The next meeting it was a cat that intervened. But my favourite cat moment of lockdown was with another man of the cloth. There is something especially wonderful to see something unfold that the présenter is totally unaware of. Of course the stars of lockdown pets have to be Olive and Mabel. If you haven’t seen them do click on the link.

OK. Maybe I need to stop writing, have my shower and start the day. I have a friend visiting, in person! I’ve forgotten how that works......I’m noticing how much more comfortable I am staying in. Lockdown has shaken my confidence. I guess it will gradually return? 

Anyone for the pub?

So I’ve used knitting projects to help me get through lockdown. It’s really helpful as it’s mindful and you get to create something for people you care about. That part is especially satisfying. I’m also writing something which is taking time and not just energy but emotional energy. I hope in time it will be valuable. 

Now I’m telling you this because it’s not leaving much space for writing my blog. And life is still in a very predictable pattern which in some ways is comforting and creates a boundary it’s difficult to breach. Not because it will result in anything terrible ( hopefully) but it feels safe. England are opening the pubs today. I can’t be alone in thinking I’m going nowhere near a pub once they open in Scotland. I live in a city with a plethora of pubs, many with ancient history’s of body snatching, stories of loyal dogs, of hauntings or famous visitors. Our pubs have books describing them, there are many pub crawls and even literary ones. 

In a medieval city, they tend to the cosy and dark. Good luck with two meter distancing or disabled access for that matter. The days are long passed where we enjoyed a late night drink in the Grassmarket  and bought fresh rolls in the local bakery to soak up some alcohol before we headed to bed. The old Royal Infirmary was so close to a local pub you could page the on call doctor so they had to leave behind their pint and head back to the ward. ( yes that was a long time ago when rules were made to be broken or just ignored). 

The Old Royal Infirmary Edinburgh 

This city has seen plagues come and go, had hospitals for tuberculosis and special wards for  polio patients. It was where the first big outbreak of HIV and AIDS were identified. Part of the  hospital that housed the specialist wards and ICU for COVID 19 was initially the poorhouse. And of course it’s had asylums for people coming back from wars with shell shock and those whose mental health issues took them away from society. They even housed women who were pregnant out of wedlock who were never allowed home. Edinburgh notoriously dealt with the plague victims in a terrible way. Mary Kings Close now tells of the bricking up of 300 residents to stop the spread of the plague. Leith Links is on top of mass graves as are parts of Bruntsfield. 

Mary Kings Close-the buried City underground 

I’m taking comfort from this potted that times do change and even pandemics that fundamentally have changed the way we live will pass. But not without a terrible impact like those gone before. I would love to see a special garden dedicated to those who suffered during this pandemic. A place where people can mourn their loved ones as this pandemic has robbed many of the normal rituals of grieving. 

But that’s not going to help the thousands who have lost and are losing their jobs. I’m fearful for them too when our social security system is so punishing and the opportunities so few. The balance between protecting health and protecting the economy is incredibly challenging. But encouraging people back to pubs as they are in England seems to  put economy before health and that feels scary from my position in Scotland. Ours has definitely been more of a slow easing and personally I’m grateful for that. But as we witness inequalities widen we must as a compassionate society be prepared to invest in supporting the most vulnerable economically too. 

And not as charity donations, welcome though they will be; this needs to be a fundamental shift from neoliberal economics to investment in all our citizens futures. Crisis can lead to wide scale change if we let them.