On Becoming a Hermit, Sort of ... Day 8

Day 8
(Tuesday, 24th March 2020)

It's now a full week, since the PM's announcement of a more serious level of social distancing, in the late afternoon of Monday, 16th March. It feels like a month! Goodness, have we come a long way into this pandemic crisis. I feel like I want to give a big hug to every Doctor, Nurse, Carer and all those who are under so much stress with the burgeoning patient load, including my own son and daughter in law.

Anyway, on with today's events and ramblings.

We were up at a reasonable time this morning, as B had an appointment with the physio, but she'd arranged to do it via FaceTime ... and guess who had to hold the phone! It actually worked very well, from different angles as instructed by physio, utilising the consummate skills of the cameraman, who, albeit if the physio had seen his occasional postural alignment, she would no doubt have commented!

This was followed, a bit later than planned by some more Tai Chi, but not before I tasked myself to replace some fencing to block the hole in the wall where the stream enters the lower reaches of our garden, but that had been washed away during the several torrents that had caused so much flooding during the storms of the past couple of months. B had been down there with Guide Dog Puppy (GDP) Taz and he had walked up the stream and got through the hole into the neighbours 'small holding', with the attendant risk their hens might have ended up the targets for some vigorous play that might well have ended in a costly chicken bill or at least some very excited hens.! 

More Qi Gong was followed by coffee and a brief serious talk with B about preparing for the possibility of at least one of us getting the virus. A preparation that would involve internal isolation from one another as far as possible to reduce the risk of both of us getting really ill at the same time. I guess it's a good thing to talk, at least so we get ourselves mentally prepared for that event. Likewise a conversation about preparing for the possibility that any of our children may need our help, if things get difficult for them. But that will involve a decision based on having to maintain social distancing as far as possible, unless they or our grandchildren need some rescuing in some way or other. But we cannot plan for this. We shall have to respond when the circumstances present themselves.

The day finished with a two hour session using this Zoom conferencing facility for our Hallmark rehearsal. Different, but well thought through by our esteemed Musical Director, Tim Briggs. Never before have I sang harmony to one other voice whilst Tim directed us. Not being able to hear anyone else's voice (apart from Tim, who was singing one of the parts) is novel, but it focuses attention on one's timing and particularly pitch. I was doubtful this whole idea would work, which it only partially does for the singing, but for it became very clear that its value for our morale is beyond measure. this is another expression of the good that can be found in community, leaving thoughts of those selfish folk who've been panic buying food and hoarding it for themselves, out in the cold for a while.

As a footnote, I have always been moved by people of all ages getting together to sing in harmony. I am not on my own. There are many members of Hallmark of Harmony, who are of like mind, but I think in our present predicament, we are more than ever moved, not just by harmony singing and music in general, but also appreciating (more than ever) how important it is to be together. The only way we can do this right now is over the internet. Let's hope that doesn't let us down.

See you tomorrow.


Today's Music Choice from Clemency Burton-Hill's "Year of Wonder" is Viola Concerto in G major 1: Largo by Georg Philip Telemann

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