What have you been up to lately? I’m curious, interested, OK, I’m nosey.

But it’s been fascinating finding out about things that friends and family have been getting up to. It has been in turns interesting, imaginative and illuminating. I am quite sure that we will emerge from this lockdown with fabulous gardens.

I know lots of folk who have been potting and planting, pruning and painting fences. If you are a lucky soul able to source flour and eggs, there has been much baking and bread-making. Trying new recipes has been a ‘thing’ with someone I know working his way through a Ukranian cookbook, with watermelon skin jam being just one such recent culinary adventure and another friend sent me a piccie of a delicious looking lamb with jewelled cous cous. The jewels being ruby red pomegranate seeds, a more joyous sweet ping once popped in the mouth, is rare. Another friend has taken to trying his hand at upholstery and the photo he sent of a remodelled stool, looked mightily impressive. Then when he said he had ordered more canvases for his abstract art, I decided to award him my virtual gold medal for lockdown leisure idea.

I have been cooking lots. I have been running. I have scattered some wildflower seeds and planted some freesias. We’ve played scrabble and Kerplunk, I taught my daughter to make pizza and my son to make custard buns. We’ve done PE with Joe Wickes, drawn pictures to post to far away family and a rainbow for the living room window and I know I am a bit late to the party, but I have gotten very in to ‘The Crown’ on Netflix.

I’ve also thought that the trees seem greener, the birds seem louder, the bees seem chubbier and the air smells fresher. I have no idea if all this is actual or perception. Maybe I am simply slowing down and noticing more. Maybe as my world shrinks, I am realising the beauty on my doorstep. Perhaps with the horrors all around, I am cherishing the things around me that are powering on doing their own unique, stunning, special, spring thing. I don’t know...

But, what I do know is that I am lucky. I am lucky to be able to work from home. I am lucky that as I type, as far as I know, all those that I care about are in good health. I am lucky that I have a garden and space. I am lucky that I have technology to keep in touch with people and a fridge full of food. So many people are not so lucky. They don’t have the opportunity to potter and play. They’re vulnerable. Maybe worried about health, money, where they live or who they live with. I’m really interested in those people. I’m hoping they get the help and support they need and that they emerge from this safe, with the chance for their own, enjoy the greener grass moment too.