Week four of lockdown two where Philip Green’s Arcadia empire went into administration, Boris announced the rules for Christmas and pubs were told they could only serve alcohol alongside a substantial meal (rumour has it a scotch egg is enough!).
In my world, I helped friends move into their beautiful new Hackney home and my Geordie pal Lizzie announce her pregnancy to the world with a photo shoot on Walthamstow Marshes. This would usually be quite an ordinary request, but this is Lizzie, and Lizzie doesn’t do ordinary! We shot a series of photos, alongside grazing cows and her very disgruntled chihuahua, as people passed by looking baffled by the woman wearing a sheer red gown, heart shaped pasties over her nipples, with a small dog and a long beard… pretty sure no one can pull off a beard as well as Lizzie!
At our place, I spent a weekend dog sitting Eira, which meant sleepovers and trying to tempt her outside for walks around Springfield Park and Hampstead Heath (carrying her much of the way because her legs are too short to keep up with my mates!). Mike, who started his sauerkraut business Chef Goodigutz last lockdown, tested out cheese toastie recipes and we were the lucky guinea pigs! His cheese toastie business is coming soon, but in the meantime go buy a jar of his immune boosting and totally delicious sauerkraut.
We spent an evening sitting around a fire in the garden, staying up late talking and admiring the waxing moon. The full moon lunar eclipse fell on 30th November under the sign of Gemini… eclipses are one of the most important cosmic events we experience because they signal big endings and beginnings, and usher in change. I joined an online moon circle, pulled a Moonology oracle card and tried to take a photo of the moon in all her glory. I need a bigger zoom lens!
We bought a baby Christmas tree (currently naked!), along with what looks like everyone else in the UK. I guess we’re all chasing a bit of festive cheer to help brighten up these darker days. I’ve even surprised myself and somehow managed to do all my Christmas shopping already… the days of traipsing around Newcastle city centre on Christmas Eve are well and truly gone. I won’t miss them.
