Ginger

One of the neighbourhood cats in the community garden. My childhood cat, Sherry, was a ginger so I get a bit nostalgic when I encounter them. It's probably best not to stroke other people's cats in the current circumstances, although I did that yesterday without thinking, and next door's cat still keeps coming round for cuddles.

I didn't have a great day today. Partly work stresses (issues around deadlines, task clarity, technology and means of communication, all exaggerated by working remotely) and partly neighbourhood stresses around social distancing etiquette. 

There are quite a few older and vulnerable folk on my street, of whom a number still like to sit outside their door to get a bit of sun and perhaps some socially distanced interaction. We also have some younger kids.

The thing that was stressing me today was that kids from multiple households were playing together in the street in groups of 5-8 for most of the afternoon. And it was quite dynamic play, with football, segways and so on. Now my own kids (when they're here), and I play out on this street as we don't really have gardens. But not in the current circumstances. Quite apart from mixing across households, the dynamic play led to kids retrieving balls from near the front doors of the older/vulnerable folk who mostly retreated inside for the duration. I understand the needs of kids to exercise and play, and this situation is partly a product our our particular street micro-geography, but I found the whole thing really frustrating. But I avoid conflict and lack the social skills and existing relationships to actually say anything to anybody about this, so I'm just blowing off some steam here.

Take care everybody.