Author: Tom

Ruffy mentioned that lockdown is a good time to tidy up and sort everything out.

I got out my box, and found a great many useful things in it.

I’ve already started using some of them.

You may ask what is that silver thing.

It’s a kaleidoscope. Inside, it has three mirrors.

The way you use it, is to look through one end, and it makes everything into a pattern.

Nice, eh? Though it does make the tidying seem quite urgent.

I wonder what happens if you look through the other end?

Scary! (I did it in front of the mirror.)

So, I was getting on well with sorting out the box, when the phone rang.

My friends all seem to think I must be bored.

I said I’d ring them all back when I’ve finished my tidying.

I really can’t talk now, just when I’m getting my belongings into some kind of order.

I wish I hadn’t gone out last night.

I wonder what Ruffy would say if he knew.

Someone may have posted something in the post-box just before me, and left little viruses on it.

I won’t like it if I get ill, and I’ll feel bad if I use NHS resources just because I’ve been stupid.

I won’t like it at all if I die.

Even Lopsy isn’t silly enough to go out when she’s been told not to.

She has quite a serious underlying condition. She has no internal organs at all, except possibly in her head.

Her mood is very up and down.

I hope my biscuits will cheer her up.

I’ll be more sensible from now on.

I’ve put away my strategy suit.

I did my yoga first thing.

I had a healthy breakfast. Fruit and only a little bit of a stripy biscuit.

Teddy says Lopsy was pleased with the biscuits I gave her.

She made Ted see if he could find them when they were camouflaged against her furry stripes.

Teddy’s very kind.

I’m going to plan my day.

Ruffy says he’s sorting his cupboards.

That’s a very good idea.

I’ll go and sort out my box.

Then I’ll be ready to make decisions, and start the new, sensible, lockdown life.

(cough, cough)

I think that was just the dust from the box, making me cough.

It doesn’t seem to be a continuous cough. Not yet.

And anyway, I don’t think symptoms show up that quickly.

I wish I hadn’t gone out last night.

But I must learn from my mistakes, and do better in the future.

(cough, cough)

I hope my stripy biscuits will cheer Lopsy up.

I found a stripy envelope to pack them in.

I’ll send it first class, because it is urgent.

The post workers are overworked at the moment, so first class may not guarantee next-day delivery.

Specially as it’s a second-hand stamp. I didn’t have a new one.

But the post workers are nice people.

I’m not supposed to go out at all, because I’m Extremely Vulnerable.

Not even to post letters.

I could have asked Strawberrry to post it for me.

She’s the helpful little bear who lives up the road, always pleased to help.

But it might have been too heavy for her.

Anyway, I’m tired of being stuck indoors. Twelve weeks is a long time.

I hope Ruffy isn’t reading this, because I’ve made up my mind.

Please don’t tell him.

I’m going to go out to the post-box.

It will be quite safe at night. There’ll be no one out in the streets, no germs around.

It’s a special occasion, so I’ll put on my strategy suit.

I’m waiting till it’s really late.

I haven’t been out of the house for more than six months.

After I’ve posted this packet, I’ll go for a nice long walk.

Fresh air!

All the space in the world!

The moon doesn’t seem to be shining tonight.

I can’t see any stars.

Better get this posted.

Perhaps it wasn’t sensible to come out.

The NHS letter said that I am at high risk of severe illness if I catch the virus.

Stay at home! Protect the NHS! Save lives!

I’ll go home now. I’ll go quickly.

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.

I didn’t know that people were reading my blog!

Ted says that Lopsy was very upset by something I said about her.

I’m very fond of Lopsy, and I wouldn’t want to hurt her feelings for anything.

I tried to write to her.

What can I do to make it up to her?

I’ll make her something stripy. She’ll like that.

A stripy scarf?

Those are rather big stripes.

And it’s not really the time of year for stripy scarves.

I could draw her a stripy picture.

But Lopsy could probably draw a better picture herself.

She’s quite Artistic.

I wonder if I could make some stripy biscuits?

I’ll have to use that funny flour that Ruffy got me.

It’s hard to get ordinary flour these days.

I hope I haven’t said anything mean about Ruffy.

He’s been very kind. It’s not his fault that I don’t like being given advice.

Well, he can have some of the biscuits too.

I’ve got butter, and sugar, and cocoa.

I tried a small one.

They’ve come out all right, I think.

I’ll give Lopsy the bigger ones.

She has more capacity than me.

I hope she likes them.

They did take a very long time to make.

My friends have been ringing to check that I’m all right.

I started to worry about the people I haven’t heard from.

I rang Bimbo.

He had a big operation while I was in the cupboard.

That’s funny.

With such a long nose, Bimbo is usually very sensitive to smells.

We said we’d practise our instruments, and maybe play a duet in a day or two.

I’ve set up my triangle.

I might play it at clapping time this evening.

I’ve got a yoga app on my tablet. It’s brilliant!

A very nice rabbit called Georgina shows you what to do.

I think that’s the Tree Pose.

I hope to build up to three seconds.

Of course I’m a bit creaky. I always am in the spring.

The Cat Pose is quite easy.

And the Camel Pose.

Also the Table Pose.

There’s peaceful music in the background, and Georgina is very encouraging.

I like the Easy Pose.

Georgina calls it Seated Meditation.

I find I get quite carried away, meditating about things.

I didn’t like the name of the Corpse Pose. I didn’t want to try it.

But I recommend it. It’s not difficult at all.

And then Georgina says “Well done!” as though she can see how hard I’ve been trying.

I told Teddy I’d got the app working.

Skype? Oh dear, another App.

What’s he on about?

I shall go and do some Seated Meditation.