We are living in strange times. Many of us are finding we need new ways to work and also new ways to relax. Some of us are more isolated than ever before. Others, like me, are actually less so. I’m used to having a traveling husband, one kid away at school and the other two out at school and swim practice from 7.30am until after 6pm most days. Now we are all home and thankfully, all feeling well.
We are on week 3 of online school & college. For the first two weeks I stopped my work in favor of theirs. We established some new routines, took dog walks, implemented new exercise plans and looked at what we can do in the house to keep that feeling of moving forward in life, while we all know that for now there is nothing more important than standing still. I also washed a lot of dishes and the laundry ramped up.
For those two weeks I definitely couldn’t settle to writing and even reading was tough. On social media I saw a lot of buzz from authors, suggesting that a thin silver lining on this ghastly cloud might be people having more time to read new books. But I haven’t been feeling that way. I’ve watched the news compulsively, checked on twitter, talked to family and friends and tried to monitor the situation in both the UK and the US – becoming doubly anxious in the process.
One thing that has helped though, is re-reading. Last week I picked up a copy of The Masqueraders by Georgette Heyer as part of a facebook challenge to post all the many covers of all her many books. It was never my favorite Heyer by any means and yet I found myself sitting down and opening it up. I’ve re-read many of her books umpteen times, but this was only my second time around with this story. And what unexpected fun it was.
That’s because I realise that I’ve no interest right now in the unexpected. I don’t need any more worry about what is going to happen. The real world is offering that in spades. What I enjoyed – and what didn’t know I needed – was gentle humour, heroes and villians, romance, and adventure. The Masqueraders delivered. I read. I relaxed.
Of course I talked to my mum on Facetime about this. And she reminded me of my Dad, and how in his last months, when he knew that his pancreatic cancer was incurable, he re-read all his John Dickson Carr crime novels – and escaped. It seemed strange to us then. Not so now. Here’s my copy of The Murder of Sir Edmund Godfrey, which used to be my Dad’s. Readers of The Road to Newgate might want to take a look at this one 😉
And it doesn’t have to be a book either. This is the time for classic movies, for re-watching James Bond films in order, or Star Wars, or timelessly watchable favourites like Some Like It Hot, Singing in the Rain, The Scarlet Pimpernel or Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. We’ve watched a couple of remarkably similar Liam Neeson movies as a family and the predictability is honestly part of the pleasure! I’ve also been sneaking off from the family for half hour indulgences with episodes of the new BBC series of Mallory Towers. With nothing more to worry about than how mean Gwendoline will be and when Darrell will ever figure out what’s up with Sally, I’ve loved every nostalgic minute so far.
Here’s the cover from the series I first read (and re-read) in the 70’s and a photo from the new series.
I hope everyone out there is finding ways to relax and cope with the stress and uncertainty that we’ve all been thrown into by this virus. All I can tell you is that this is mine. Comfort reading. Maybe it will work for you too.
Kate
Kate Braithwaite 