lay days

Life has both sped up and slowed down. I have retreated into a comfort zone in uncomfortable times.

This morning, I put on a dress - plain, black, loose shift dress. It was actually great, nothing pulling at me, no waistband, plenty of room for me to sit cross-legged or slump into an armchair, airy enough when sweating it out in the kitchen. I now understand why my mum wore similar dresses as house dresses.

It's the first time I'm wearing anything else other than shorts in weeks (I have managed to resist spending all day in my PJs). Shorts have gone from weekend to daily staple (it is too hot to wear anything else), though I wear the same tops I wore to the office (T-shirts, boxy tank tops, sometimes a cute camisole). Skirts, jeans and trousers collecting dust on my worn-once rack have been washed, ironed and put away.

The key to getting dressed these days is that I must not feel silly wearing them with bare feet (mine is a shoes-off household). Perhaps I will wear dresses more often now. 

My fancy leather bags look sad, while my easy-to-wash canvas totes are working overtime. My shoes are forgotten, save for Birkenstocks (when running errands) and running shoes.

The hair product (a pomade) and sunscreen I bought in January are gathering dust. My skin is less dry, because I am no longer in an air-conditioned office all day. Some mornings I dab on perfume. The allure of fragrance doesn't go away, even in a pandemic.

My watches, once such a staple, sit forlornly on my dresser. I have to remind myself to wear the one that needs winding. I do occasionally wear a ring or a bracelet, and enjoy the occasional glimmer catching my eye as I type. 

I finally got around to topping up my underwear drawer after a purge of old ones earlier this year - there's fresh pleasure in browsing for things that sit next to your skin, when everything that goes over them has become more pedestrian.  

My yoga studio is closed indefinitely, so I have finally gotten around to practising at home - daily, to my surprise. I bought a mat for the first time in my life, as well as a yoga block.

Now that I cook more - there is very little else to do - I wonder why I don't own a more comfortable, sturdy apron. I'd always been happy looking up online recipes, but now I'm getting interested in cookbooks that I can linger over, even when I'm not cooking. I'm learning the importance of having some wine and whiskey in the house, since the after-work drink with friends is no longer a weekly standard.

A properly made-up bed seems very important now that I see it all times of the day. I've always loved a scented candle but now I use them more. I used to listen to music mostly when I commute, but now I've started tuning into radio stations as I potter around the house.

I hung up a little tapestry I bought in Bolivia three years ago but never displayed as I was saving it for the "right" spot.

The "right" spot or time or whatever, is now, it seems.

Wherever you are, I hope you are keeping well and finding calm amid the madness.