Self-isolation Day14!!!! Made it!

I'm late writing this tonight. I wanted to finish a vine leaf on the Mellerstain firescreen, but haven't quite made it.

My day began with another phone call from my brother, whose first Woolworths home delivery had arrived. In this New World we share our joy about grocery deliveries (and, in my case, take photos!). In between deliveries he is working on a new book, and is enticing me to undertake a couple of tasks. Tempting.

I managed to have breakfast, coffee and prepare myself for 11am Exercise with Martin Buzacott on ABC Classic FM. I came across a notice about this yesterday - 10 minutes of music designed to aid exercise. Thought I'd give it a try. When I found myself in the middle of a concerto. I worked out, that it is, of course, a national station, running of Eastern Summer Time and I should have tuned in at 10.30! Maybe tomorrow.  It did prick my conscience enough that I walked 1000 steps up and down the apartment before returning two missed calls from friends, which required, of course, more coffee.

It was sunny and warm, so I took my knitting out on the back balcony. I don't usually sit out here. From my seated eye level I can see new shoots appearing on some of the succulents and a host of new blooms on the zygote.

I then remembered the washing I had put in the machine and forgotten. I hung it out around 2pm. It was different to my usual line - no jeans or socks, several pair of leggings and several sets of pyjamas. All but one item was dry when I took it in at 5.30pm.

Yesterday I did not mention that I had two courtesy phone calls from charities I support.  They are loosing support as people lose jobs, and are trying to shore up what they can. They were both interesting young men and both at the moment working from an office. The second call was from UniSA's fund raising sector. He had been a teacher at Gepps Cross Girls High School while I was Principal and talked of all he gained from the experience. I was taken aback - but not so much that I lost the opportunity to recruit him for my Conversations with Baby Boomer teacher project! He's agreed to be interviewed next week!

After doing some problem-solving by email for a friend, I headed out to the Western balcony for more vitamin D and knitting. The spider has been active, reorienting her webs to a horizontal position rather than the vertical one of earlier this week. I love their shapes and texture.

My casserole dish lid garden appears to be well underway

Today our government announced free childcare for workers, and those in need who have had to cancel it. Commentators have claimed, rightly I think, that we are achieving in weeks changes that would take decades under non-virus conditions. This is addressing the dilemma of those still in employment having to choose between continuing to work or resigning to look after their children as child care centres close because parents out of work remove children because they can't pay.  These decisions are being made nationally - which in Australian terms, means not by the Federal, (Australian) Government  but by a council made up of the heads of States, Territories and the Prime Minister.  This group, now called the National Cabinet, usually meets a couple of times a year as the Council of Australian Governments.  It is, in my view (and I worked within this structure, so declare an interest), a very powerful, useful democratic structure, which favours evidence-based decision making and consensus. Today's childcare decision and decisions to upskill nurses, bring back recently retired medical personnel and find ways of using the skills of those whose overseas qualifications have not been recognised in Australia are good examples. Ideology-based arguments don't survive long in this forum. I hope this model, or at least its spirit, has a long-term influence.

I watched all this unfold while working on my Fair Isle scarf. I managed to complete another band - bringing me to two complete patterns. Only 6 more to go. At my current knitting rate it will take me about 18 days. I might need to talk less and knit more (not going to happen!).

I managed to begin to work the outer layer on a vine leaf. More work needed before I move to the next colour.


And yes, it is now 14 days since I entered self-isolation, so tomorrow I can go outside my door! At the moment my plan is to visit my letterbox, dispose of my recycling, green bags and a very small bag of landfill garbage and take a walk. Maybe at the beach.

On a friend's suggestion I did open a bottle of bubbles! It's a milestone, even if the Stay Home message means I will not see a big change in lifestyle!


At the moment I plan to continue this blog. I will certainly post tomorrow. After that I may move to every second day, or shorter one day, longer the next. I didn't set out to rival Defoe's Journal of a Plague Year!