Excitment

I saw a fox going into the garden at the end of our street tonight on my way from the tube. That was exciting.

Marmalade and I are in the studio working most days at the moment. Some days I’m working online with students. When I’m not, it’s a laugh.

It’s also freezing, part of the price I pay for an inexpensive studio is that it has no integrated heating system. There are heaters which may or may not blow a fuse, if the kettle hasn’t done so first. It adds excitement to the day. In this lockdownish time, things that would have been classed as exciting pre COVID are pretty sparse, more mundane events have necessarily been upgraded and an electrical outage is right up there with, well I can’t think of anything else to match it frankly.

Keeping warm is the main priority of the studio residents.

I have one of my Dad’s hand knitted cardigans to put on over everything, I’m wearing thermal leggings under everything, petticoats, and scarves too. I have fingerless gloves. One day I wore a fur collar on my head and a knitted shawl.

Grandma what big eyes you have.

Marmalade wears many thermal layers simultaneously. She can barely bend her elbows. Please note that she’s not got chubby, she’s just well prepared for our present working conditions.

Em has taken to wrapping herself in an actual duvet, I’ve offered to make button holes and attach buttons so that she can fasten it, look a little less homeless and actually use her arms for more than keeping her duvet in place. If GorJus could, she’d definitely wear a heater, she sits on one when she can, she’s awaiting the arrival of thermal socks with an anticipation usually reserved for a hot date or a holiday.

GorJus, Marmalade and BelVita are all wearing knitted hats, Marmalade thinks she could do with a more exciting hat arrangement, but really glamorous, warm hats that don’t involve the skinning of small fluffy animals are like hens teeth. I could knit her a new one but it’s a long held belief of mine, that one knitted beanie is as stylish as any other. Style free that is.

I might make her a bobble and see if that does the job.