Just Peachy

Today has been an offline day. I decided early this morning – before I woke – that I’ve had enough of the outside world for a while. So after sending the daily “I’m still alive, how about you?” text to my FFL – and receiving his reply – I switched off my phone and unplugged the internet*.
 
Over recent weeks the desperate news from many parts of the world has sucked me into a bit of a vortex of thinking I need to know the latest about Ukraine (thanks to Blipper Max Blazer I do have a bit of an understanding of what it’s like to be living through that particular hell), from Gaza, from Sudan, Haiti and various other places.
 
Of course I don’t need to know anything at all. And because I constantly question the independence and the bias of the news that I hear, I’m never sure that what’s being said is impartial. So I try to listen to more, to give myself a broader picture. But honestly, sometimes it is just too much.
 
So I’m having a break. The phone and internet will probably go on again tomorrow, but I think I may have a much longer break soon.
 
You may remember my friend Marian who had a Retreat at Home last year? She spent six weeks out of touch with everybody, only contacting her daughter to drop off a box of anything that she needed at the end of her (long) drive once a week. I admired her for doing it, and right now it feels an attractive thing to do. I shall mull on it…
 
Anyway, back to this morning: It didn’t take me long to forget all about everything except what I had planned for the day Chez Mima. And I got on with it.
 
Without the distraction of podcasts, emails and texts I think I have been more productive than usual. And definitely more relaxed.
 
Instead of loitering over my morning cuppa listening to the NY Times’ Daily podcast, or a report from Aljazeera, I drank my tea, gazed across the property, and got on with the next thing on the list.
 
Lunch was eaten at a point when I felt hungry, because my phone is my time-piece and I had no idea what time it was. Not that it mattered a jot.
 
I’ve done some line-trimming, some tidying and I lifted some old brassicas and gave them to the very excited and appreciative chooks. I have put a big patch on the worn and torn knee of my gardening overalls, using a piece of fabric from a damaged pair of chinos that brother #2 abandoned here in 2018. I knew they’d come in useful.
 
Bean and I have had a couple of games of soccer, a long walk and a chase or two around the garden.
 
I can still feel the ‘pull’ of podcasts and newscasts. But I shan’t bother with any of them today.
 
The Blip is a peach looking ready to eat, but in fact rock hard still. They have been badly affected by the drought and I don’t know if they will ripen before falling this year.
 
 
*=Obviously things were switched on briefly to post this Blip. But please forgive me not being here again today.