42. Sunshine and fresh air

I keep saying there’s no room for vanity at the moment. Here’s the proof:

Personally I think I look like a bag lady without a trolley (actually, that could have proved handy). I wore joggers over my pjs (didn’t want to expend precious energy on getting properly dressed), tucked into my baggy boots, all topped with my fleece-lined parka buttoned to the neck, a cashmere beanie AND a wind-proof hat. Armed with a cushion, bottle of water, a book and my mobile, off I traipsed across the lawn to the only bit of sunshine - conveniently where the garden seat is. Once I got rid of all the spider webs, I was just about done in and missed the cushion, landing on my non-existent bum but past caring.

It felt great. Fresh air, direct sunshine, a mild breeze - definitely worth the effort. I watched the red kites, gazed across the empty fields and refused to think about when they plan to start building, turned my face to the sun - and occasionally read a paragraph or two. There’s something slightly surreal about reading a novel set in the extreme heat of the Australian outback, wrapped against the Yorkshire elements! Unfortunately it’s only February and the sun is too low so I only got about 40 minutes and then had to go in - no sunny spots on our lawn big enough to move a seat to:

The poor cat was completely thrown. He’s so used to having it all to himself that he kept stopping and checking me out. Then he did his usual bolt across from A to B and hid under a shrub, emerging for a suspicious sniff before bolting from B to C and over the fence to find a rabbit or two. He definitely did not appreciate this invasion of his space but I’ll make up for it with a lot of chicken, the taste of which has turned to something I prefer not to dwell on. Another staple gone from my meagre diet. Broccoli still tastes good tho.

But it’s only Day 10. Yesterday I couldn’t have made it to the patio door. Just getting from the shower back to the bedroom was a struggle. Last month, I couldn’t have made it down the stairs! Keep thinking forward, Jan!