Before I went on my bicycle ride, I was busy with a lot of things.
I was working on my triangle-playing for the Zoom Ensemble that Bimbo’s organising.
You can hear me on the Zoom Ensemble page. I was playing rather more silverily then. I’m afraid I’ve got a bit rusty lately.
I was learning to speak Welsh.
I was doing yoga.
I was doing some experimental cooking.
I was reading books for Ellie’s Book Club.
Teddy was encouraging me to make masks on my sewing machine for people who need them.
But then I went off on my bicycle expedition.
I didn’t realise I was going to be away for so long. The seaside was much further off than I’d realised.
And since I got back, the Baby has been taking up a lot of my time.
(I meant to give it just the little snippets of string to play with, but somehow it found that big ball.
I’d better put it away out of reach as soon as I can. I don’t want the Baby to strangulate itself.)
So what with one thing and another, all those jobs have been neglected for quite a while.
Oh yes, and also I was tidying up, and sorting out a big boxful of different things.
One thing that turned up in the box was a key, and I set myself the task of finding what the key was for.
I did rule out a lot of things that it wasn’t for.
I was very busy. No wonder I needed a holiday.
I almost need a rest now, just thinking about all these things waiting to be done.
I’ll try to multi-task. I’ll start up my yoga app, and set up my triangle, and get the key, and see if I can combine them all. And practise some Welsh at the same time.
I can use the key for playing the triangle.
Dw i’n joio chwarae’r triongl ac dw i’n joio gwneud yoga.
Well, the key is not the perfect beater for the triangle.
And unfortunately the Baby likes to swing on the triangle.
I have an idea.
Look Baby, this bag is full of marbles. You can put a marble in each of these holes.
It likes that. Perhaps it has a special talent for tidying up.
While it’s busy, I’ll pursue my key investigation.
Let’s try the fairground ride.
It was made in Japan, but the writing is in American. I’ll translate it.
It means “Holiday land aeroplane ride”.
If only I’d remembered that I had this, perhaps it would have been enough to make Walrus feel he was at the seaside.
Can I wind it up? Yes I can, but it doesn’t need my key.
If you look at the box as well as the roundabout, you can enjoy most of the elements of a good funfair in the comfort of your own home.
We could have set up a whole seaside scene.
I could have invited Walrus to come and enjoy it, six feet six and two thirds inches apart, and then he wouldn’t have felt the need to go off to the seaside in real life.
Which was a reckless thing to do, in this pandemic. I hope he won’t get arrested.
This is an immersive experience, with sounds and sights and ice cream.
The weather was chilly when I was at the seaside, so it’s very realistic.
I think I’ve got an old 78 somewhere, of fairground organ music.
Yes, here it is. His Master’s Voice.
Listen, it’s a Marenghi organ, with 92 keys.
Can you hear the triangle? So pure and silvery, you can’t help seeing the beautiful organ in your mind’s eye.
But I shouldn’t be sitting around listening to old music.
It’s not the time of year for swimming trunks or ice cream.
Better get back into my warm clothes, and get things done.
Oh, there’s the phone.
That’s a very good idea.
It’s so good to get advice from someone who really knows about babies.