Through new eyes
It seems like time for a spring clean. I know that it is not
spring yet but sometimes when I go outside, I can tell that we are turning a
corner. It is light at about seven thirty in the mornings now and yesterday I
heard a thrush singing from the topmost branch of our conifer again. I had
forgotten how loud it sounds. And it was there again at six at night, this time
calling into the darkness.
So, there was no excuse for me. It was time to spring clean
my car. It has not been used as much in these last few years and I have not
taken notice of what I had collected inside. There were lots of things I
thought I needed. I had a whole box full. I brought them indoors to sort. Amongst
the bric-a-brac were items showing how the world has changed in a few years.
In the bulging side pocket bent over with age there was a
road atlas. It is a several years old and no use at all now as I use my phone
sat nav and I am told it updates every four minutes. There was a folded waterproof
– one of those you use in an emergency when there is a sudden shower, I wore these
in the height of the pandemic. I remember going in this voluminous garment when
I went to the hospital for my first COVID jab to protect myself from the
dreaded virus. I even put the hood up and pulled the drawstrings against germs.
Inside the glove compartment there was a spare set of my
glasses, but I have had my eye lenses replaced recently and when I tried these
old spectacles on the world was not one I recognised.
Have you noticed in the news on our phones you can press to
find out how the strikes will affect you today? There is even a graph charting
where and when our services will not be there. Should I plan my journeys around
these so that I will not be in danger?
And another thing in danger seems to be our supply of eggs. Our
supermarket delivery offers us all types of unusual eggs to replace the local
eggs I ordered. This time our substitutes are Maran eggs. We have a speckled
hen which laid eggs all through the pandemic so that we never had to buy any,
but now she is old and of no use in that department anymore. She keeps us
company though and follows me to the car when I am going out. She is there
waiting on the drive when I return.
(Taken from my column in the Shropshire Star)
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