How can I be so busy in lockdown that my 10h00 Friday post arrives at 10h15 or 10h30? Many of you will have been able to go back to work and out for a drink or a meal with friends (or at least will be able to do so in the next day or so). But the virus is thriving in the area in which I live and all advice to us is to stay at home.

So I am.

And you would have thought that by now I would have exhausted my wool supply and not have any knitting left to do, written myself to a standstill, and watched every re-run and box sets that TV offers.

But I have not. Oh, the only thing I have exhausted is my supply of exam pads. When I write my journals with God, I use A5 notebooks. Over the years my friends have spoiled me with some beautiful notebooks I have kept for ‘special occasions’. Well those special occasions have come and I have been enjoying using notebooks with pretty covers and wonderful smooth writing paper. What a treat. Thank you to everyone who ever gave me a journal. I still have one left before I have to move on to some small school exercise books (with thin paper!), but perhaps I will source another beautiful one before I finish the last one in my cupboard.

But exam pads. Who would have thought I would run out of exam pads? And why is that important? Well you see I, together with half the world population probably, decided to keep a journal of lockdown. I didn’t want to use one of my pretty journals, and I didn’t know how long I would keep writing so I thought I would use loose leaf sheets. I grinned as I hefted my supply of exam pads – one new one and half a used one. That’s great. Plenty of writing opportunity there. But that was when lockdown was going to last for three weeks – or five weeks – or thirteen weeks? Eeek! (as they say in the movies). I have five sheets of paper left! What happens then? I guess I will have to destroy some of those little school exercise books.

And why am I so busy? Two important deadlines are looming ever closer, and I have just received two books to edit. My blog keeps me on my toes (usually) and my journals are also time-consuming. Then I walk, and cook, and eat and sleep, and every now and again make an expedition into town. So why don’t I buy an exam pad? Well, you see, last time I went they were out of stock. Completely. Not one to be had.

So there you are. I’m sorry I’m late today, but life is happening with a vengeance. But otherwise, all seems to be well.

Oh, by the way, does anyone have an exam pad they can spare?