Tomorrow All Will Be Back To Normal.

A new normal.

Strange to think that we will be walking, talking and running around all the while being hounded by an invisible foe. A deadly opponent out to become superhuman by living in us, humans.

Tomorrow being the first of May, worker's day, everyone will obviously stay at home but from Saturday, all shops and malls will be open and even though all will be managed with extreme caution and care, one can't help but wonder how safe we are going to be. Somehow I think that our local shopping mall will be as busy as can be because people are tired of only shopping online and being isolated.

The next two weeks will be telling. The number of those newly infected is comparatively low but nonetheless it still is increasing. Even in Oberwart the number has increased by one overnight. As the figures given to us are of the Oberwart district which also includes us, one can't help but look askance at anyone coughing or sneezing in our local shop.

Today I have resorted to wearing my fetching gardening gloves yet again whilst I was delivering groceries and at least my hands are getting some rest from the incessant cleaning with alcohol wipes. The poor car keys go through the wipe down process daily along with the steering wheel, gear lever and handbrake.

Driving with my gloves made me feel a bit like an extra in Driving Miss Daisy and I have to say, the ladies of yore had a point and possibly the smoothest hands well into their dotage. So many historical habits and customs make sense and hopefully they will come back into fashion, corona or not...

Biggi

And The Eyes Have It.

Disguise, not really.

We are all good citizens, walking around with half of our faces covered with either the generic blue mask or a string of homemade ones. The homemade ones are more funky and exhibit their own character or rather ours. Seeing that masks will be with us for most of the year we might as well get with it. A few people are a bit lax with their mask-ing and use their mask as if it was a hat or scarf, not bothering where they hold or touch it. Hardly they way we are supposed to handle masks.

Anyway, I was busy paying for Miss Maus's food at the pet shop when behind me in the queue stood a woman who looked familiar. Hard to tell when seeing only eyes, hair and not much else. Coupled with the fact that many women tend to look very similar. Hair, stature and features. Really. Erring on the side of caution, I smiled a friendly greeting when she also smiled at me and said:

" Hello, I thought it was you. "

Well, how about that.

" Hi, I wasn't quite sure, what with the mask and so on. Nice to see you here. "
( eh, I don't actually know her name and only really call her ' you ' ! )

She must have the same problem with names...
" Actually, I noticed your car in the car park and knew you would be here in the shop."

I must say, I was rather thrilled to be recognized and in such a way especially since I don't often see this Deutsch Schützner let alone the fact that she knows what car I drive. Of course, Bob and I are just the same and have an encyclopedic knowledge of who drives what... Ah, the joy of village life.

Biggi

The Reigns Are Loosened.

Life back to normal?

In a way I am looking forward to life resuming at a near normal level but on the other hand I am enjoying the more introvert lifestyle coupled with all the many opportunities to do absolutely nothing at home. Lounging, reading and eating are rather enjoyable hobbies!

The schools are next on the list of parolees and one wonders if the kids are not being sacrificed as the proverbial guinea pigs or if parents have sent a plea to have their angelic offspring go back to school. Shops have been open for two weeks now and so far so good. Restaurants are next on the exit list and that should prove interesting.

Eating out isn't only about the food but also about the ambiance and let's face it, the other people there. Nobody likes eating in an empty restaurant and sort of being on display but that might be our new reality. Firstly the restaurants can't have too many people at one time and secondly, many will be extremely cautious about stepping out to a restaurant. One would be a sitting duck for airborne thingies. Who knows how long these viruses can be hovering suspended in mid air?

Apart from the hovering viruses I can't help but wonder how healthy all that fumigation is? Have you seen those news segments where men in hazmad suits are spraying some ghastly looking stuff around hotel lobbies, hair salons or streets? That could be a whole new set of health problems in the offing. Keeping businesses clean after each and every customer is going to be a gargantuan task and I don't envy the one having to do it.

Hotels are almost last on the list but they can only open if all the rest of us have kept a vigilant social distance from now until the middle of May. The next few days will show if the slow opening of our economy has been successful at keeping the new cases to a minimum. Hopefully all goes reasonably well and that we can start on life after corona...a new normal for sure.

Biggi

Monday Musings About Lack Of Rain, Lentils And Life.

A storm is brewing...

On top of everything else we seem to have a spot of drought. The groundwater, which normally nobody really talks about, has been in the news lately due to its Houdini like quality. The soils are dry and the lawns are turning khaki. One forgets that water is more precious than anything and that we imagine that we'll always have enough. Hopefully today the gray and vicious looking clouds will deliver a batch of rain. Here's hoping.

Monday, yet again. April almost finished and as it appears so will the lock-down be. Driving into the village today brought this into focus. People were meandering about sans masks and standing awfully close to friends where hitherto they had kept their distance. The virus is still here and waiting to live longer through us.

Some husbands who have found themselves home bound for the last six weeks have taken to redoing yards, gardens and polishing their cars. A bit of wedded distancing? Hardly anyone has had the opportunity to spend so much quality time with their other half. There is a reason most wedding vows include the portent sentence of;

...for better or for worse / in good times as in bad...

Today is shaping up to one of those days were my mind goes blank in regards to what to cook tonight. Grandiose ideas were yesterday, boring everyday staple are today. Something with my personal favourite superfood....lentils and maybe not in a curried form. Do you also get stuck in a cooking rut? It isn't as though I don't have oodles of time to plan a meal. Still an hour or so to go for me to get cracking on a new culinary creation, as I do like to surprise Bob with interesting suppers.

But, I mustn't forget the most important bit...we are all healthy and have enough to eat and a roof over our heads. Life, precious and worth all the current corona measures.

Biggi

Others Have Said It Best.

Learning from history.

" A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history. "
Mahatma Ghandi

" Fear not for the future, weep not for the past. "
Percy Bysshe Shelley

" There are still many causes worth sacrificing for, so much history yet to be made. "
Michelle Obama

" Poetry is nearer to vital truth than history. "
Plato

" History, a distillation of rumour. "
Thomas Carlyle

" It had long come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things. "
Leonardo da Vinci

" The historian is a prophet looking backward. "
Karl Wilhelm Friedrich

" We must admit that history is enjoyable to a large extent because it enables us to pass judgement on the past. "
Douglas Hurd

" The most effective way to destroy people is to deny and obliterate their own understanding of their history. "
George Orwell

" A little library, growing every year, is an honorable part of a man's history.
It is a man's duty to have books. "
Henry Ward Beecher

Biggi

An Interesting Saturday So Far.

Garden, plants and insights.

Both of us had a real early start today. After many months of the street light outside our bedroom having been dormant, the council finally showed up on Monday to fix it. We wish they hadn't as we have a permanent bright light shining into our bedroom. Bob has woken up so early each day since, that I have even advised him to nefariously shoot out the new light with a sling shot...or try one of my turmeric and milk toddies. Relax, the latter it will be.

So, the two of us were sipping our first cup of coffee at a quarter to three, I was on the road at six and we were doing the lawn mowing run ( four different gardens ) by half past eight. We would have shown up earlier but some might have complained about the noise. There was a reason we started so early. A yearly outdoor plant sale was being held in Rauchwart. Bob and I had been planning for months to go there and since they moved it to a bigger venue due to corona, we decided to head out after all, happily discussing the various plants we would grow this year.

Rauchwart is many villages over and about a thirty minute drive through the most scenic panorama so it was a treat indeed. Once we reached the village we could spot the shimmering reflection of an over active spontaneous and out of place car park. Yes, half of Burgenland was bent on buying plants today.

Bob and I drove up to where the entrance was and couldn't believe how many people were milling about. It looked like any other street market and one would be forgiven thinking everything was hunky dory. Masks were worn but still, social distancing was going to be nigh on impossible. Without even hesitating for a minute we both agreed to not go in. We weren't going to risk it so despite being right there, we turned around and headed for home.

Most folks forget that the virus is still there stalking us and the loosening of the lock down won't prevent it from finding you, you or you. In the end we had a nice drive together and chatted about this and that while being so grateful to live in such a beautiful area. Proud of us for being cautious enough and responsible for and with each other...

Biggi

Waltzing With A Rubbish Truck.

One step ahead...

Today had an even nicer start than yesterday with the sun outdoing itself yet again. Birds were ecstatic, squirrels busy and the odd dog heard giving off the required territorial beacon. The vineyards couldn't have been more tranquil and quiet for a little while at least.

Walking up my first long hill I heard the loud revving of a big vehicle. Truck or tractor I wondered. As I heard it close in on me I stopped to have a glance and step out of its way. Yes, a truck it was. Today was rubbish collection in Deutsch Schützen and the truck was starting off in the vineyards.

I let it past, waved a friendly greeting and then carried on walking only to see it reappear a minute later. These trucks have a well choreographed routine and it was amazing to see the driver nimbly reverse up a tight road, change direction in seemingly impossible angles and all at a stop and start tempo that would irritate mere mortals.

After the third time of running into it or rather it overtaking me yet again, I didn't wave and mentally tried to work out their route as it was getting a bit crowded not to mention full of exhaust fumes. Well, I did feel rather proud to have kept time with a huge truck for half of their vineyard route but felt quite relieved when they headed in the opposite direction in the end.

Yesterday was rather comical as well. On the long path uniting Eisenberg and Deutsch Schüzten I met up with the council's mobile lawnmower being driving at the high speed of 10 kmh all the way. I could have kept up with him but thought it more prudent to slow down as it wouldn't have been much fun for either of us to travel together like an odd couple for a kilometre or so. It made me realize that I do walk very fast. Quite hard to change as walking is a sport to me and anyway, most of my walk I am envisioning my breakfast waiting patiently at the end of it...

Biggi

Shopping, Just Not Fun Anymore.

Many masks wandering about.

Today was earmarked as my shopping day with a visit to the big city. Yes, I braved Oberwart after having avoided it for the last two months. The only reason I drove there today is a store with most of our favourite Vegan essentials. Each day the local paper publishes a corona report for Burgenland and Oberwart district has as of today 120 current corona cases. With this in mind I was hyper vigilant.

On the whole everyone out today was clad appropriately and courteous enough by keeping the 1,5 meters distance in shops. Again, each supermarket had someone who disinfected each trolley and also disinfectant for us to use before going inside. Oh my golly, my poor mittens!

Dawdling, such as I am highly in favour of whilst perusing the shelves, is out of the question. Someone tends to be hovering behind waiting their turn. Passing people in the aisles is rather comical because none of us have worked out the rules of the aisles nor a correct code of breathing conduct.

All of our masks are not enough to keep the corona out otherwise we would all have passed out stone cold a minute into donning our masks, but some protection is had of course. At least my 'shopping mask' has multiple layers of material and is a good barrier for the moment.

Coming back home often reminds me of some old hospital movie...I run about with an alcohol laden tissue wiping down everything I might have touched. Mausi can't make heads or tails of all this as it takes me half an hour to store everything away and clean up before I have time to cuddle her.

Tomorrow I am going to look for a vegan online-shop and order tofu, beans & vegan butter by post and the rest I can easily get at the Spar down the road or our local shop.

The masked way of shopping is going to be with us for most if not all of this year and it is good so. A lot of us are going to change our shopping behaviours though and as long as we mainly shop at local-online shops, it might be a good thing...staying out of other people's way and supporting local.

Biggi

The State Of My Hands.

Following guidelines and common sense.

It wasn't as though I didn't already overindulge with washing my hands. Phobia, perhaps yes but imagination for sure. When we first got Miss Mausi I went into overdrive in regards to washing my hands. Every time I stroked her, off to the bathroom sink I went...cats do lick themselves all the time and eh, all over... Well, I don't go crazy anymore and after the many years she has been ours, neither of us have gotten sick despite not washing hands as often.

Well, now with the corona in play, washing hands has taken off again and looking at them now as I write, they do look like an old woman's hands. Yes, I am getting on in age but dear hands, please regress your wrinkles.

Putting cream on each and every time I wash my hands is not feasible because when I cook etc I don't want the food to have a perfumed aroma! And quite frankly, often I forget to put cream on. Soap has to be a proper soap and that does dry out the skin. When I am driving about I use strong alcohol to rub off any surfaces I did touch and then end off by wiping my hands. Yes, more horror for them.

There really isn't any good solution while we have to evade the little corona buggers and dry hands don't matter in comparison to what would happen if we didn't wash them so often. At least others are also in the same boat and when this is all over, some company will make a lot of sales if they invent a miracle cream that will transform our rough mittens into elegant soft hands.

Biggi

A Nation Of Mumblers.

An audible challenge.

Many many moons ago I remember vividly how my grandfather used to often remind me;

" Biggi, stop mumbling and speak clearly. "

well, words to lend favour for being rather introvert. I could never understand how he couldn't understand me and come to think of it, many of my uncles and aunts seemed to follow in his footsteps but thankfully not mum. That would have been a clincher. Oh no, she understood me...mumbling and all!

To this day I have a sad habit of speaking slightly louder and more clearly when I converse with someone older than me. Don't you want to cringe when you witness older folks being talked to as if they couldn't hear at all? Not everyone is hard of hearing...

Anyway, this afternoon I took someone in their 80's to the local doctors and it was too comical. First off, everyone wore masks and gloves, all very above board when it comes to corona. Thankfully I was told to wait outside while they were seeing to her. Not a step into the doctor's rooms. Yeah. The sunshine beckoned me from across the road and that was where I waited for her.

The windows of the rooms were slightly ajar so I couldn't help but overhear them ask questions, above and beyond the normal decible. Was it so loud because she was older or because the mask dampened any over-enthusiastic speech?

Naturally I meandered out of earshot but it got me thinking about how all of us are going to communicate with each other now that we are corona-clad? Hard to breathe in these masks most of the time but holding a longer conversation might prove to be a problem. Somehow it seems that we might be faced with more than just physical social distancing....

Biggi

Discovering The Fun Of Cooking.

A stay at home benefit.

Granted, a lot of us do cook regardless of lock down or not. Either because we don't have restaurants or take-a-ways near, want to save some money or because we enjoy the creativity that cooking each and every meal brings....most of the time. Going out for meals was never really an issue growing up apart from birthday's or special occasions. Eating, apart from those awful frozen dinners went hand in hand with cooking from scratch.

With a month of universal stay-at-homes, and no restaurants open many had to start on the journey of discovering their kitchens and the ease with which meals can be made and the fun had. People have the time and as nobody but themselves are tasting their creations, no fear of making mistakes. Isn't that nice and healthy to boot?

Eating out a lot equates to much more salt, sugar and fats. Have you ever watched a tv-chef put a little bit of butter into a dish? Yikes, half a slab at least and perhaps a dash! of olive oil. So in a way it isn't any wonder that obesity is so prolific in affluent parts of the world. Going out for meals is more expensive than cooking at home, not to mention the time and waistline lost.

Suddenly there is a plethora of cooking videos on social media ranging from easy pancakes to the slightly more difficult cream cakes. I can imagine that those who live in bigger cities are quite pleasantly surprised at how much money they save by staying at home and cooking for themselves. Not to mention the joy of discovering how easy and fun it is to make a dish of pasta, a curry & rice or a nice sandwich. Nice. I hope that after the stay at home has ended the good habits learnt will become permanent. The kitchen is the heart of one's home after all.

Biggi

The Two Sides Of Freshly Baked Crunchies.

The scrumptious aroma of chocolate crunchies wafting about the house.

Love it. My husband likes to bake on weekends and does so extremely well. Too well, I might add. During my corona based shopping forays he gives me an extended list of items well suited for his love of baking. Luckily he doesn't come with me to shop as he would find a whole lot of new inspiration in the various baking sections of supermarkets. Remember, one can't just look at baked goodies!

This morning he baked his second batch of chocolate crunchies and when I got back from my walk it felt like heaven coming into the house and breathing in the batch in the oven aroma. Oh, a day of self disciple on the cards.

Eventually Bob allowed me to break off a piece ( he wanted it all to cool down enough in order to cut them into perfect squares...in a perfect world!!! ) as he must have known that resistance was futile. Fresh out the oven needs to be sampled. No if when or but's! He used a bit less sugar than the first time and thus the cocoa became more dominant and addictive.

The batch he made should theoretically be enough for the next week or so, for those little extras one likes with a cup of tea or coffee but sadly, that plan isn't working out. Both of us have been heard to sneak into the kitchen to try another piece and then another. Gosh, that tray is like a little devil beckoning me to have more and more. Yikes, what a test of willpower...not sure if I can stand up to it.

But all jokes aside, it is so great to have a husband who loves to bake. Eventually, it might be a good idea to restart our bake & deliver service...bake because it's fun but before eating it all we would pack it nicely on a plate / tin and drive it to family, friends or neighbours in order to leave it on their doorstep with no strings attached.

Biggi

A Bit Of Buddha.

Thoughts are powerful.

" We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves. "
Buddha ( 563 BC- 483 BC)

" To keep the body in good health is a duty...otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear. "
Buddha

" It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you, not by angels or by demons, heaven or hell. "
Buddha

" Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace. "
Buddha

" You will not be punished for your anger, you will be punished by your anger. "
Buddha

" Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without. "
Buddha

" Whatever words we utter should be chosen with care for people will hear them and be influenced by them for good or ill. "
Buddha

" To live a pure unselfish life, one must count nothing as one's own in the midst of abundance. "
Buddha

" Do not dwell on the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment. "
Buddha

Biggi

Braving The Shops.

Healthy options.

Going shopping has changed so much. Firstly one has to get suited up as though one were to hold up a bank. The particular mask I wear is sturdy and judging from how much my glasses get misted up, my mask must be a great gatekeeper. It covers most of my face and the glasses the rest. Funny, how an older gent behind me in the line seemed to think that he knows me because his ' hello ' was more than polite. Never mind, there were plenty of people I couldn't put name to face.

I am so grateful that we live so close to my parents because now I can make sure that they stay at home ( even though they are far from that! old ) by doing their shopping. One way to payback all those years they pampered me. Mum and I have worked out a system. She writes a list and I usually don't stick to it. All those yummy vegan treats ( ranging from fresh mushroom, red paprika peppers to dark chocolate biscuits ) keep landing in her bags as I don't want them to be starved of treats and also to ensure that mum won't be tempted to go to the shops herself. Cunningly I try to be one step ahead...

Today I have realized that most folks love to hoard up on chips, chocolates and processed food. These are often sold out while the healthy options get ignored and have to be discounted. Yeah, I love it. All those foods we love ( beans, greens, pastas, nuts and fruits ) are suddenly discounted by up to 50 %. How great is that?

The irony of it is rather sad, come to think of it. It is exactly those types of foods that help us attain a healthy immune system. Apart from hopefully staving off Mr Corona, it helps to keep the confinement doldrums at bay as well as the extra kilos. I suppose I shouldn't complain as so far our vegan options are becoming more and more reasonable.

Biggi

The Sky Is Changing Yet Again.

The vapor trails are back in town.

This morning was the first time in a long time, well actually about thirty days, that I have seen the tell tale criss cross streaks in the sky that herald the resumption of flights. Or have they been flying all along but under cover of darkness? Who would be in those planes when most countries have kind of closed borders? Perhaps a few billionaires and politicians using their lear jets.

Austria has restarted the economy albeit very slowly. On Tuesday the home depot shops were one of the first to open and wouldn't you know, they had queues around the block. How many tools does one need?

So far nature and its inhabitants are still the net gainers from our collective stay-at-home and the animals delight in their new found freedom. Not many cars, hardly any planes ( well not much longer ) and thus not much pollution. The birds are so happy and chirpy congregating on bushes, trees and roof tops while the squirrels have thrown caution to the wind and are daringly hopping across roads. Suddenly I see them everywhere.

Pheasants are mating again because the males are strutting about with gay abandon luring any unsuspecting female for a quick rendezvous. Deer are munching on the various fields and still mostly the whole troupe. No encounters with cars.

As for the tiny animals such as bugs and bees, I should think that they are getting fat and prosperous although judging by the loud sounds coming from our neighbours, the bees are still having to struggle with man. Lawnmowers are cutting a swathe through lushious and nutritious grass thereby breaking up an important food chain. And all for the sake of neat and tidy lawns. Bob has dropped a few hints already about the length of our lawn...oh yes, our yearly battle continues. Who will win this year? The bees and bugs or the neighbour's opinion of us?

Biggi

Deliveries.

Everyone is in a good mood.

Usually I have to make a big effort to engage people in a conversation. They always seem to be in a hurry thus discounting the benefit of exchanging a few words, sentences or sentiments. Most of us should have had a few minutes to spare but thanks to corona virus everyone suddenly has oodles of time to spare. And willingly so. Just love it.

It has been a month of food deliveries now and in a way I have established a few regulars. They don't get frightened anymore by seeing me masked up as though I wanted to hold them up. Whereas before I would have to either hoot or try to phone them to come outside to collect their groceries, they now stand in wait for me and a chance to exchange a few words.

Being quarantined might have much to do with it and often I am the only person they get to see but regardless, I enjoy those seemingly meaningless platitudes which actually mean the world to people. What more do we want apart from being greeted, seen and heard? Isn't it the ' How are you / Oh it's nice to see you ' that makes someone's day? Talking about deep secrets is overrated and frankly better left to the neighbourhood quizzies to unearth.

Driving around our village was a revelation of what a positive effect a month of staying at home brings. Families ( by themselves thus still keeping social distance ) were going for long walks, smiling and enjoying being together. Kids are gaining the most from all of this because how often do their parents have the time and inclination to go for a long walk with them. Let's hope the good habits and moods stay beyond the quarantine...

Biggi

Two Keys In A Pod.

Keys, always hiding in plain sight.

Tuesday after a long weekend, an extremely long weekend, takes some getting used to. Not that there is much work to be done outside the house due to our current restrictions but I did need to do some errands for one of the older villagers. Yes, after days of enjoying cocooning inside I had to leave the comfort of it.

It isn't as though the drive to town is a long way but nonetheless one does need to get everything sorted before driving off. Routines keep me grounded and just like any other day, the last thing I did was reach for the car keys....and reach I did because they were not there! Oh yikes, Bob must have put them somewhere else when he drove to the shop on Saturday.

Being married for a wonderfully long time I am wise to where my beloved tends to put keys but they weren't there. I even patted down every single jacket and jeans pocket but to no avail. Nothing for it but to phone Bob and work, pleasantly ( not accusatory!!!! ) asking him where the car keys were. He told me where he thought they might be and rang off, but not before hesitatingly asking me to check the car in case he had left the keys in the ignition.

Not finding it anywhere I headed outside ( mentally cursing my husband's mad-scientist behaviour in regards to keys ) to check the car. Hallelujah, they were still in the ignition and thankfully it wasn't turned on so that the battery was spared over this long weekend. I went back into the house to lock up, when Bob phoned me back:

" HONEY, I just remembered that I never drove our car this weekend. I only used my work van! "

" Aaah, sorry Schatzi. I found the keys and they were in the ignition. Was it really me????

" YES "

" Oh dear. Sorry Schatzi....oh dear, was that really me? Your habits are rubbing off on me. "

Of course he had already rung off before I had finished my sentence and was no doubt regaling his workmates with the follies of his wife and her forgetfulness. What next? Perhaps putting our pot of salt in the fridge and the butter on the shelf!

Biggi

A Long Weekend Already Over.

Easter, however different it was, is almost over.

Isn't it funny how one views time. Even though it seems eons ago that our Easter weekend started, Thursday afternoon, was only four days ago. I still vividly recall greeting Bob when he got home from work and doing a sort of cheerleader dance welcoming him home for the four day Easter weekend. A long four days filled with everything and nothing. Reading, eating and relaxing. What more could one want?

Apparently, time stands still for no one and wouldn't you know it, work starts again tomorrow. A back to routine. A getting up early. Organizing lunches and sort of counting down to Fridays. Time, where does it go?

With the added stay-at-home bonus I had imagined that time would slow down but already 25 of our days at home have gone. Somehow I haven't read all the books I had planned to and as I am suddenly used to this new reality, there is a part of me that wants it to go on for much longer. I know, I shouldn't say it but hasn't it been nice to have had this time out from the madness we call life? So far we've had the proverbial month of Sundays and on the whole it has made most of us a better people.

Just judging from our little village, only this morning while I was doing my walk, I encountered a young gal jogging past. Normally she gives me a rather sullen greeting ( if at all ) but this morning her face lit up as she smiled her ' hello ' at me. As horrid as the last few weeks have been for so many, it has also carried many blessings with it and has afforded us the time to realize what is important and what not.

Biggi

Life Without Hairstylists.

One forgets how good they make us feel.

Slowly but surely it dawned on me that another effect of the general lock down is the state of reporters' hair. Unless you are a whiz at doing your own hair ( roots and cut ), dealing with this lock down has seen some funny images.

Look, firstly, hair is hardly important when compared to what is going on but a bit of a laugh does tend to lighten the load of constant bad tidings.

At first it was the styles which made me take note ( don't forget that I worked in a salon for over twenty years and thus look at hair first ). None of those smooth and glossy styled hairdos on our morning show presenters but more pony tails and other do's we do at home. Suddenly those gals become more like us ' normal ' peeps. The men didn't have any problem those first few weeks, but now, the tide has turned and the fringes grown and unruly at best. Yes, dear men, unless you clipper cut your own hair, the Hippie 70's are back!

CNN, our news channel of choice takes all this to a new level. Since most of their reporters and presenters do their segments via a home computer with Skype, it also means that they do their own hair and make-up. Yes, the reason everyone looked a bit different wasn't only due to Skype but also a lack of stylists on hand.

This morning I was watching the Home Shopping Channel ( yes, serious case of cabin fever ) and there the blonde hostesses ( they do remind me of air hostesses ) were sporting a rather large regrowth...imagine what everyone will look like in a month time? Especially when one isn't used to tinting one's own hair or cutting it. Yes, a bit of fun is ahead of us seeing who has been grey all along or who looks better with long hair and who starts a new hairstyle fashion...my guess is on the men growing in those wedges and mullets from that golden ' 70's ' decade.

When the salons are open again, they will have more than enough business and perhaps enough to cover the loss of those past few weeks.

Biggi

In A State Of Prohibition.

Oh dear, it doesn't bear thinking about...

Slowly but surely most of the world has stopped everything and entered a self imposed quarantine. Rightly so because this bug is too nasty for words. We in Austria started quite early and in hindsight, it seems that we do have a more luxurious quarantine. Essentials can be bought and plenty of leisure time had.

Well, about two weeks ago South Africa shut down its economy and enforced a 21 day lock down....with one condition; no alcohol and no cigarettes. Yikes, all that time at home relaxing sans extra alcohol. At least it was announced a few days before the ban went into effect and social media was awash with clips of folks queuing up for hours in order to purchase three weeks' worth of alcohol. If I had still been living there, I would have queued as well! The government must have its reasons for banning it during lock down but still, for a wine lover like myself, it would be a case of rationing every sip during it. Never mind those addicted to cigarettes.

Three weeks, you might say is not too difficult to master as those who like their vino surely had done serious calculations and bought accordingly. Yesterday, all of a sudden social media had become a platform for those bemoaning the state of prohibition. What gives, I thought. Surely they are nearly through the lock down? Oh dear, turns out that the government has added an extra two weeks of quarantine...wish I could send them wine from here. Thankfully our village is awash with great wine and plenty of places to buy...

Biggi

Human Insights By Dr Johnson.

Dr Samuel Johnson ( 1709-1784 ); dramatist, novelist, critic, editor, poet and conversationalist.

• Whatever you have, spend less.
• The true art of memory is the art of attention.
• Always, Sir, set a high value on spontaneous kindness.
• Almost every man wastes part of his life attempting to display qualities which he doesn't possess.
• All envy would be extinguished, if it were universally known that there are none to be envied.
• He was dull in a new way, and that made many people think him great.
• Claret is the liquor for boys; port for men; but he who aspires to be a hero...must drink brandy.
• A cucumber should be well sliced, and dressed with pepper and vinegar, and then thrown out, as good for nothing.
• If a man does not make new acquaintances as he advances through life, he will soon find himself alone. A man should keep his friendship in constant repair.
• All intellectual improvement arises from leisure.
• The longer we live the more we think and the higher the value we put on friendship and tenderness towards parents and friends.

Biggi

Another Look At Yesteryear.

Awesome animals and more.

Why is it that the males of the species tend to look more colourful? There he is strutting among blades of grass calling for his beloved...

Obviously these bevy of high-q beauties have long since landed at the end of someone's fork, but I still think that they are stunning.

Nice pose! How easy and simple life really is...getting up and grazing in one's backyard.

The blossoming cherry tree at my parents' house many years ago. Tranquility squared.

Agh, the pheasant Lothario has found his mate and seems to be making romantic moves!

...My old man and the tree...amazing how tall this cherry tree is which of course poses the problem of how to get to the top layer of cherries...surely they must be the sweetest and juiciest? Anyway, another trip down memory lane and even though these photos are seven years old, I can still remember where & when I took each one of them...

Biggi

Taking Care Of Masks.

A new chore to do.

Since Monday it is mandated to wear masks ( scarves and such are acceptable too ) when entering a supermarket. I am all for it and look sharply at those who dare to go bare. Monday saw each supermarket chain give a free mask to everyone that was going to shop and since I was dying to try one, I accepted one.

These last few weeks I have been wearing a tight winter-neck-scarf that can easily be pulled over my nose and mouth and which fits snugly while feeling safe. The free mask I got at Spar felt rather skimpy. I could almost feel batches of air coming through the sides and underneath so that I quickly pulled it off and pulled up my trusted neck scarf.

A friend is making face masks from a pattern posted by a South Korean woman and yesterday I got two. A manly black one for Bob and a flower power daisy pattern for me. Before we even put them on I dropped them into the basin for a hot water wash...they kept their shape beautifully and after letting them dry on the line, I tried mine on. Brilliant. It fits and is far more sturdy and able to play gatekeeper to those pesky viruses.

Mask and face clothing is now a staple and with it comes the daily care. The whole point of these masks is to keep them virus free and thus they need to be washed daily. A new adventure but one that is worth it. Since it looks as though the next few months will be masked, I am going to get a few more masks...a rainbow of colours to cheer up everyone that sees me but judging by the looks I have been getting, more a case of daft how she's overdoing it.

Biggi

A Bit Of Picturesque Cheer-Me Ups.

Delightful Eisenberg, a calm oasis amid the storm.

An awesome start to the morning...a morning in April two years prior ( my camera is still on the mend, but suffice to say that these images are similar every year.).

Freshly felled logs that give off the most divine scent.

Simple blades of grass yet so effective in transporting one to tranquil places. Dreams aplenty.

April mostly sees our Dorfstrasse turn pink albeit this year it happened at the end of March but was magical to walk past nonetheless.

New beginnings, showing us that life carries on regardless of hardship or not. We will get through those tumultuous times and begin anew on the other end of it.

A stark reminder: the vapour trailed sky of two years ago, and in off season too. Isn't it wonderful to have a clear sky days on end? Let's hope that some habits don't return after our collective #stayathome .

Biggi

Shopping With A Difference.

A new way of shopping possibly here to stay.

Everything takes longer. Getting out of the car-an age as I need to carefully put on my latex gloves ( they drive me nuts ), don my glasses ( nothing should accidentally enter my eyes ) and pull my elastic scarf up to my nose. Of course trying to put car keys into a little bag with plastic finger extensions is frustrating to say the least. How do medical professionals do this all day long? They are saints.

Thankfully during this corona crisis all supermarkets have waved the deposit for their trolleys and today they had nice young men handing out face masks and wipes to disinfect the trolley rail. Nice. Very impressive and it gives one a little piece of mind.

I chose mid morning in order to avoid the hoards but it transpired that all thought along those lines. Pushing a trolley around the aisles is far from fun because working out a meter to this person and the one on the side is jolly annoying. Some folks couldn't care less about distance and wavered their trolley this way and that.

Look, I got it done and felt quite satisfied once I had stowed everything in the boot and had disinfected the car's interior. My stash of alcohol gets whipped out every time I have finished a particular shop and used to wipe down steering wheel, radio buttons, gear lever, handbrake and door handles. As annoying as it is, I feel good to kill any potential virus daring to hide in our car.

Getting everything back into the house and trying to remember which bag handles, door handles and keys are in need of an alcoholic wipe, can get rather tricky...the final pleasure after all the bits and bobs are disinfected is a quick cuddle with Mausi. Poor dear has to wait an age before I can pick her up and say hello with clean hands...

But regardless of the hassle involved, it is the least we can do to stop this horrid virus spreading about.

Biggi

A Few More Thoughts.

History, teaches us many things.

" The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much, it is whether we provide enough for those who have little. "
Franklin D. Roosevelt

" That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons of history. "
Aldous Huxley

" The world we see that seems so insane is the result of a belief system that is not working. To perceive the world differently, we must be willing to change our belief system, let the past slip away, expand our sense of now, and dissolve the fear in our minds. "
William James

" History is the sum total of things that could have been avoided. "
Konrad Adenauer

" Indeed, history is nothing more than a tableau of crimes and misfortunes. "
Voltaire

" The very concept of objective truth is fading out of the world. Lies will pass into history. "
George Orwell

" The megalomaniac differs from the narcissist by the fact that he wishes to be powerful rather than charming, and seeks to be feared rather than loved. To this type belong many lunatics and most of the great men of history. "
Bertrand Russell

" History, a distillation of rumour.
Thomas Carlyle

Biggi

A Bit Of Nostalgia.

Nature, I love it.

Our daily bread...

A blanket of white snow cones peeping over a wooden fence.

The green in our part of Burgenland is a feast for the eyes and especially when framed by stunning flowers.

My favourite photo spot for solitude...have never actually sat there. Somehow this encapsulates what #stayathome is all about. Stillness and solitude.

A happy rabbit family of yore...sadly I fear they might have become dinner. Cruel to think that these cuties are gone within a sitting.

Just want to take them home and cuddle them...

Biggi

For The Love Of A Haircut.

For better or worse might now include a haircut!

The other day my honey started to notice his growing hair and not in a good way. Normally any hair daring to be too long gets dealt with chop chop! A phone call to my parents ( who happen to be the best stylists under the sun. Both of them! ) meant a sure fire quick appointment for a short back and sides. Suddenly the event of social distancing has made itself felt in regards to hair.

Well, yesterday Bob took it one step further and asked me to organize my parent's clippers because, as he put it;

" I can do my own haircut with it....or maybe you can help me with it? "

Oh no. No way Jose! I know my darling husband and contrary to popular opinion, some men are more fussy than us when it comes to haircuts. Imagine if I coughed or sneezed ( not even for because of corona ) and by mistake turned a number 3 into a number 1? Yikes, where would I stay so as not to have to hear that I might have done it on purpose?

Bob's hair actually looks quite spiffy and funky when it is a bit longer and since his hair has started to go grey, it has straightened quite a bit making his hairstyle a kind of Dr. McDreamy one. My McDreamy! Alas, he wants it chopped off and as of yesterday, by any means necessary. Well, count me out. So far I have been rather successful diverting his attention with funny photos posted online which surreptitiously appeared when needed. Those photos of hairstyle mishaps and those really utterly horrible haircuts done by parents when one was young. Parents who were NOT hairstylists. Need I say more...

As for my parents...everyday when I go to drop of stuff I have started to notice that my mum's hair is freshly cut and looking great. What else are two stylists going to do whilst in quarantine apart from playing hairdressers? Mum, you hair looks great, but don't go any shorter...

Biggi

Villages Might Just Have An Advantage In The Social Distance Stakes.

A village where everyone knows your name...

It took a few days or perhaps weeks before everyone came on board and changed their thoughts on corona from it being just like the flu to the virulent killer it is. Only yesterday I noticed a highly disguised person walking to the local shop. Scarves, hat and face mask!

Slowly but surely the reports of people one knows being struck down with this virus are circulating and coupled with the daily news stream from all over the world, the social strictures are more than being met.

For the last two weeks I have been doing food deliveries around our villages for those older folk who are most at risk and thus I can be seen driving along the neighbourhood roads. The local shop opens for the afternoon at three o'clock and that is when I go there to fetch the various deliveries.

The shop also happens to be across the road from my parent's house and so I can keep a watch out for them and drop off anything they might need. I don't want them to go out to public places at all and even the odd afternoon drive through the vineyards tends to elicit a frown from me. My my, how the times have changed...it used to be me trying to sneak out unseen but now my it's my folks' turn and they time their drive around the vineyards so that I don't notice their car missing in the driveway. Murphy's law I tend to run into them when they least expect it...in the vineyards.

Yesterday afternoon whilst driving past my neighbour's gate, I noticed her standing in it and stopped to have a two meter distance chat through the car window. I was amazed when she mentioned seeing my car constantly scooting about, and kind of hinting that I wasn't keeping to the stay-at-home credo. Perhaps I should get a big letter stamped by our mayor!

Burgenland is the smallest and most rural county in Austria and also has the least number of corona cases. By far, which makes me wonder whether it might have something to do with everyone being aware of everyone else's conduct and business...those transgressing the social distance credo are quickly met with a frown and an inkling of becoming fodder for neighbourly phone calls.

Of course it also helps that most of us in the country have big gardens and those can be used for daily exercise. Just this morning I met an elderly gal walking up and down inside her garden, never crossing the swell onto the street. We had a quick chat ( at a distance of course ) and I could see she was heading for a serious case of cabin fever, but both her sons live in the village and thus can keep an eye on her and make sure she has enough food to see her through.

Biggi

Who'd Have Thought That It Is April Fool's?

A bit of much needed levity on hand.

One almost feels a bit silly being silly in these serious times. Laughing should almost be done in private...well, everything is done in private now. How can we laugh when so many have it so bad, but laughing might just be a good bit of medicine. If only for today.

April fool's is more my parents thing ( more to that later ) and Bob and I merely guffaw at the purported news blunders accredited to it. Well, not this year...Bob got a hold of Miss Mausi before the sun was even up and came rushing into the lounge with the most dire state of affairs:

" Quick! Help me with her. She has got poo smeared all over her! "

Takes a whole lot to send me into a proper April and my dear husband, this didn't do the trick...if on the other hand he'd have screeched and held her at arm's length instead of cradling her like a baby, I would have fallen for it. Nice try though, but laugh we did!

A bit later, mid-morning I considered phoning my parents and telling whichever one answered the phone not to forget to send the other one into April in the usual way. Mysteriously, in the last thirty odd years and always on the first of April, there has s been a sighting of a big pile of dog poo in, or just on the doorstep of the house. Worked like a charm as mum could be seen most April fool's mornings with a bucket and mop in hand...well, not this year!

I casual, on the off chance that the date had been forgotten, mentioned that their neighbour across the road had phoned me about a big pile of dog poo outside their front gate. Well, this year mum had a bit of a giggle and wasn't the one sent on a fool's errant...It was good to have a bit of a laugh. Happy April Fool's...

Biggi