'28 Days of Clay', 2020
A small pinch pot made each day, marks the time spent in UK covid lockdown no 3, Nov, 2020. Items found on walks with my two young children are pressed into clay, conversations recorded in short snippets of writing.
Making marks with twigs I found in the bottom of the pushchair, collected on one of our many walks, who knows when. I'm starting to lose track now, this weeks has started to become a blur and I don't remember which day I did what. I had been keeping a paper journal but now there are some days missing.
Bristol will be classed as a tier 3 at the end of this lockdown, that means pretty much everything except restaurants and venues can open. Bad news for us two, a chef and arts administrator 🤷♀️. I went onto the government retraining site for suggestions, put in all my skills, it said I should be, wait for it... an actor. Super useful. 😂
But, on the plus side, my world actually got a little bigger today because we swapped the baby into a new car seat, and it was the first car journey I've made in almost a year where she hasn't screamed the whole way. 🙌
We had cold hands, tantrums, spilled hot chocolate, muddy shoes and wheels, children being carried, busy streets and agoraphobic tendancies, not enough for lunch and a walk that was too long for all of us.
BUT it was a walk, we all got out together and drove somewhere different and we made it home in time for dinner. I'm calling it a win.
The baby naps so we do our nails, bribery with varnish is the only way she lets me cut them without protest. I let her decorate mine, they look worse than they did when they were chipped but I don't mind.
.
.
.
The park empties as it's getting darker earlier. I'm glad. We stay out in the cold fog, lit only by street lamps. It feels much calmer. We go on the swings. I go really, really high. She's jelous that she can't swing yet and gets quiet cross with me. As we walk back I ask for her help, tasking her to collect things that are shrivelled or dead. She thinks it's hilarious.
There's a crack in the curtains where the light shines in. I see the dust swirling. Need to hoover, I think.
She sees it and begins jumping around, she's trying to catch it. "Look, It's magic fairy powder mummy! I'm going to collect it and make wishes."
I don't feel so bad about not hoovering now.
We didn't leave the house in time because apparently it takes an hour to put on tights when you're only 4.
I try to work out whether I've done enough sometimes, if it was a 'real job', what would the appraisal say? Or would it be on a points bases? How would I measure it?
Breakfast - porridge again, 10 points
Lunch - pasta again, not very creative but the sauce was full of veg, 10points
Dinner - resouceful, someone else made it , 5points
Washing up, 5 points
Washload, 5 points
Shopping, 10 points
Walk, 10points
Cuddles, 10 points
Songs and pattacake, 10 points
Tea and biscuit treat, 0 points (sugar, tut tut)
Face painting, 20 points
Bedtime and stories, 20 points
TV time -20 points
Raised voice -20points
Unfolded washing in every room -50 points
Didn't hoover again -20
Bad mood at times -10points
115-120
Damn it -5 today. Needs improvement. ❌
2 minute pot, I rolled some found flowers into the ball of clay and quickly pressed it into shape. I can see all the reasons this one might not make it but I made it anyway. I'll clean up any cracks, nail marks or uneveness when it's a bit harder, it seems so easy to overwork the porcelain and make it too thin.
These last of the summer flowers, my daughter picked for me, stopping to gather from plants overhanging gardens. "I'm the boss of this walk" "OK, that's fine, but can I be the boss again when we get home?" "Erm, no. I want to be the boss forever. Even when I'm sixteenthree and even when I'm eleventyone" she stomps on ahead, we go in circles a few times 😂
She hands me a flower "that's because I love you mummy... and because I'm so, so kind." She thinks for a second, "But I'm also a bit naughty." And lets out a cackle.
"Well, I think that's everybody" I say "everyone has a bit of kind and a bit of naughty in them and it's up to you to chose which one."
"Hmmm... I choose... both!"
Can't fault her logic 😂