A room with a view

 

Everyone seems to be back to normal. My friends have been on holiday, they are visiting houses and restaurants as well as going to events. But I am not there yet, and I don’t really know how to get back to normal.

Perhaps ‘normal’ has changed and we can never really go back. And yet the Christmas adverts from the supermarkets seem full of families having the sort of parties and fun that we used to have. COVID is not mentioned, of course, It seems that there is nothing to worry about in these sparkling homes.

Our house seems more sparkling than it was, now that we have had a double-glazed window replaced. It is a big sunroom door window, and it ‘blew’ two years ago. We had it measured up straight away but then things did not go to plan. I decided that it did not constitute an emergency to have a window replaced in a pandemic. It was not like the boiler service or a leak in a water pipe. So, there we were staring through a glass dimly, until now.

The difference is remarkable and what a joy to see both sides of the picture clearly instead of one side being misty and full of droplets. The glazier wore a mask and gloves and most of the work was done with the door open.

Now, I can see the birds bathing in the pool, the autumn colours of the trees and the sun bursting through the shadows. But there is a drawback (isn’t there always?). The new bright light shows up a tiny chocolate stain on the sofa. I knew it was there, like a pest, but I could ignore before the new window.

We have tried everything, special soap, foam for stains and cream for marks on upholstery. But nothing worked and as soon as I came in the room my eye went to that stain and the sofa was spoilt. It was only a small stain, but the material is a light colour and the blemish suddenly showed clearly. Then one day I remembered my mother used to rub stains with a piece of bread crust. I only had brown bread and she only ever had white, but I gave it a go – and believe it or not, the stain disappeared.

Now, we have a new house rule, no eating whilst sitting on the settee. Such a simple change in behaviour. Perhaps the smiling people on those Christmas ads. will have changed their behaviour too. Maybe they have all had COVID jabs and tests before filming with a window open, afterwards perhaps they all wash their hands.

(Taken from my column in the Shropshire Star)

Now visible a little robin taken through my new clear window