Lockdown February 2021- Week 7: a Birthday Sack of Potatoes.

I didn't do it at Christmas, or New Year, or even Valentine's Day, but I finally did it for my birthday.  I made a bit of an effort: freshly washed hair, face scrubbed and moisturised, even a hint of make-up.  I would have taken the dressing-up a little further, but the only place I wanted to go that day was the woods, so my brightened face was paired with a snuggly woollen jumper, loose jeans and mud-caked hiking boots.  I did, however, reach for my pink wool beret, which is my way of saying "I don't know or care if it's fashionable right now, but it makes me very happy."

We feel so blessed to live on the edge of the town, in walking distance to the canal where kingfishers, coots and cormorants dart, float and fly, close to the woods where red deer stroll and red kites soar.  Being able to enjoy and trust in Nature has been one of life's gifts from my parents, which I am passionate about passing on to our boys.  You might remember the RSPB bird watch, which kept our 6 year old glued to the window for well over an hour, identifying many different species.  His excitement is contagious and long-lasting.  I'll have just sat down with hot cuppa and he'll suddenly shout from his bedroom window "EVERYBODY- IT'S A FEMALE PIED WAGTAIL IN THE LAUREL BUSH" whereby we all dutiful down tools immediately and rush to assemble.  Or I'll have just locked the bathroom door before hurriedly abandoning my plans to see a "LOOK LOOK LOOK- IN THE PURPLE PLUM- A MALE BULLFINCH AND THERE'S THE FEMALE BULLFINCH". Luckily, our windows are double glazed, so the avian display usually stays until we join him by the window.  I'm looking forward to when he spots a bearded tit. 

Looking out the back windows, we can see beyond the back garden and across the farmland towards the canal.  The rolling hills of the ancient Ridgeway is our beloved backdrop, peaking at Pitstone Hill, framed by the lonely leaning tree of Ivinghoe Beacon and the wooded hills towards Ashridge.  It's a beautiful view and why we risked everything to move to this house.  But sadly, Dacorum Borough Council are planning to build an unprecedented amount of housing on this huge swathe of precious land, a proposed 55% increase of housing, claiming the loop-hole that "we are permitted to take land out of the Green Belt through our Local Plan in 'exceptional circumstances'..." claiming that the growth needs of Dacorum cannot be met "just on previously developed land". There are many pressure groups gathering momentum to fight this decision and if you haven't added your voice yet, please do so before February 28th, 2021.   These are the lungs of our town, our rich biodiversity, where families take walks and deer frisk and play.  You can read my open letter here, addressed to our local MP.

Half-term has been glorious.  A few days of inevitable teacher-on-holiday illness aside, we have all just relaxed and enjoyed doing nothing in particular.  I know lots of people thrive on routine and schedules and timetables, but I really don't. I've enjoyed losing myself in a book whilst the boys rediscover the joys of open-ended play.  They've been getting on better than ever, finding a rhythm that suits them all.  They even mastered the true art of all bouncing on the trampoline at the same time, despite their very different ages/sizes/skills.  I've stopped thinking about the education element of their playing and just let them get on with it.  I've finally calmed that feeling of needing to document their reading/writing/drawing/building/maths, replacing my camera phone with my genuine interaction and presence, or better still, my measured distance.  Even our seedlings seem to be thriving after a half term break from home-schooling.  Perhaps unschooling is the way forward after all? I've been (re)considering the pros of alternative education paths, but the factor that always pulls me back to the love of state schools is the unparalleled buzz of the mixed and varied community- a true microcosm of the real world, an opportunity to learn from and to socialise with people from all different backgrounds.

And this is why literature in lockdown is more important than ever, taking us to worlds beyond our walls.  I've mentioned the Hertfordshire Library Ready Reads service before, but it has been a life saver for many people, along with bookshops, local and online.  The book I'm reading with our 6 year old is 'The Boy at The Back of Class' by Onjali Q. Rauf about a London primary school's newest pupil: a boy from Syria, leading to many discussions and research about Kurdish culture and identity, asylum and pomegranates.  My current novel is something I should have read years ago, 'The Book Thief' by Marcus Zusak, leading me deeper into the backstreets of Nazi Munich, where the kindly accordion playing foster father, on the waiting list to join 'the Party', is honouring a wartime promise made long ago to his old Jewish comrade.  Indeed there's nothing like being immersed in the hell of 1938, through the eyes of a Jewish German community to realise that Lockdown 2021- for the healthy and well off at least- is not so bad after all. 

Having more time to read and relax has finally made me more aware of the world beyond our shores.  Generally, I've been too tired to watch the 10 o'clock news and apart from the main headlines, I've avoided reading too many news articles.  Our PM has just announced our tentative steps out of lockdown, scheduling back-to-school plans, outdoor meet-ups and hand-holding solo visits to nursing homes. More on that next time, but for now, I've been alarmed at the Covid-denying governments around the world: Brazil, Belarus, Turkmenistan, Nicaragua and until very recently, Tanzania.  The latter is a country close to our family's hearts and origins, outraged to learn that it's also led by a President who, last year, publicly denounced the wearing of facemasks and despite pressure from the WHO, has refused to reveal the figures of lives lost, blaming a rise of pneumonia instead.  The personal stories must be heard to put increasing pressure on such governments who refuses to support its health workers and forces its teachers to go into homes to bring kids back to school.  Just hours ago, President John Magafuli has finally conceded that Tanzania has a problem with Covid, finally endorsing the use of facemasks.  He is yet to welcome the foreign made vaccines to begin to protect its people.

I feel very lucky to live in a country with lockdown, school closures, our state healthcare system, a free vaccine programme.  And it is thanks to this feeling of safety and protection, that we enjoyed a cosy stay-at-home half term, starting with the best pancakes I've ever made and ending with (in my son's words) "the best birthday ever".  It was indeed the happiest of happy lockdown birthdays imaginable, starting with my three boys overbrimming with excitement,  bringing me drawings and parcels and plants before I'd even opened my eyes.  They'd chosen a Birthday Princess card for me, showing where I can colour it in all by myself.  Among the houseplants and chocs, they even brought in a gift-wrapped sack of seed potatoes, which I must say, is an absolute first.  In the afternoon there was a cluster of doorbell deliveries, summoning us to retrieve bouquets and cakes, parcels and cards; my phone pinged with messages from friends and family.  Special mention to my mum and dad who sent three boxes of homemade chocolate treats and watercolour-illustrated letters to all the boys.  Brothers, sisters and best friends parcelled up  cakes, flowers and books.  I went to bed feeling the love from every corner of the world and it felt so good to be remembered.  Special thanks to my super husband for orchestrating the perfect day.  He even managed to make it a warm sunny spring-like day and magic the first daffodils to bloom in our garden.  I went to bed with a full tum of homemade pizza, red wine and chocolate cake, and a heart bursting with joy, gratitude and love.

Winter Sunset Over Grove Fields