OYSTERHOOD is reclusiveness or solitude, or an overwhelming desire to stay at home.

— @HaggardHawks

Goodbye lockdown. Hello herd immunity! That’s what I was thinking while walking along the Liesbeek River this afternoon. In my neighbourhood, I saw workers returning to building sites, only a few wearing masks; child carers talking to one another on the playground without any attempt at physical distancing; children playing in the park; homeless people everywhere; beggars and hawkers on every intersection. Walking might have been a good idea for the body, but my soul despaired. My walking path was mostly empty though… Sigh.

I couldn’t fall asleep last night and read and was online until around midnight when I just forced myself to turn off the light and eventually drifted off. Searching for warmth, this morning The Cats decided to embark on an Occupy Karina campaign and made it nearly impossible for me to do what I needed to on my laptop. Luckily, I could enlarge the texts I was reading and could type with one hand. What we do for (feline) love…

My neighbours phoned and said that they had a delivery for me…! I think I did mention already why I love these people. They are the best neighbours one could possibly wish for. And this is what they gave me today…

Straight from my beloved Elgin Valley. Late in the afternoon, when I was cooking tomato soup for tomorrow and sausages for tonight, Salieri decided to join me on the kitchen table and urged me to open the wine. It was all her doing, I swear.

Love the cork!

I placed a different kind of order online today: from The Hoghouse Brewery. Delivery on Friday for me, and a much more important daily delivery for the MAITLAND SOUP KICHENS. It’s super-easy to donate when you place your order with The Hoghouse Brewery, just add some cash to the cart for pots and pots of soup to be cooked.

SOUP SHARE

We are supporting the local Community Area Network in Maitland with fresh soup. 100% of your donation contributes directly to the ingredients. Each donation of R50 covers the ingredients for 5 litres which feeds 12 hungry humans a warm, tasty and nutritious meal. We provide the hands, the facilities, the fuel.

I know the people behind the initiative and admire their dedication and care, to their co-workers and their communities.

And I remember the Hoghouse feasts, the fantastic food and the beer. May these days when we gather to celebrate friendship return as soon as possible. The world can be a very lonely place nowadays. I don’t feel it as much when I am alone at home. I feel it when I see my neighbour in a mask, grieving for his friend who died much too young because of Covid-19.

Be kind to yourself. Be kind to others. Stay at home.

“Physical distancing remains one of the key strategies to curb this pandemic.”

— NICD

OYSTERHOOD is reclusiveness or solitude, or an overwhelming desire to stay at home.

— @HaggardHawks

I cannot tell you how excited I am about this book. I love the title, the cover, and I can’t wait to get a copy later this year. To read an interview with the author, click here: BARBARA BOSWELL on her AND WROTE MY STORY ANYWAY.

Barbara Boswell followed Toni Morrison’s advice:

If there is a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, you must be the one to write it.

Thank you! As a reader and a scholar of South African literature, I have been longing for this book for many, many years.

This excitement can be rivalled for me personally only by the upcoming publication of the Afrikaans translation of Die vyfde Mevrou Brink, vertaal deur ERIKA VILJOEN. The book is at the printers! The fact that it exists now in the language of André’s soul puts my literary soul at peace. The memoir could never feel complete without this translation and I hope that readers will welcome it into their hearts. Baie dankie, Erika, Danél & Protea Boekhuis!

I had no intention of facing the booze queues today, so it was a quiet morning in bed, working with my faithful catssistants. No real literary work can happen without their input.

Today is International Children’s Day and my Mom still insists on celebrating with us, so we had a Skype meeting with her in the morning and laughed a lot together to begin the day, week and new month. Two happy children! And we owe so much of that happiness to her. Thank you, Miś!

The view of the Mountain from my walk AT NOON today. Every time I look up at the “little pebble”, as a friend once called it, I have these lines from Four Seasonal Observations of Table Mountain by Antjie Krog echoing in my head:

I did not have to navigate crowds while walking, but the carelessness of people does not cease to astound me. Most were behaving kindly and thoughtfully, but why not every single one? I am not asking that everyone performs a somersault when encountering another human being. It is just a mask. Why is it soooo difficult to wear a mask properly, over your mouth and nose, and to keep a safe distance to other walkers passing you? WHY?

The other day I saw someone I usually admire advertising face masks and praising their loose fit. I could only shake my head. The whole point of a mask is that it fits tightly and doesn’t have to be fiddled with all the time…

Breathe, Karina. Breathe (in your masks).

Heard on the radio today that when Covid-19 takes away your sense of smell, you even can’t smell coffee. NOT SMELL COFFEE!

Photo by Yongqing Bao.

I am writing a bit earlier today than usual, because I want to cook myself a nice dinner and relax tonight by watching recorded TV dramas.

Another drawing. Inspired by an image of a kite.

Be kind to yourself. Be kind to others. Stay at home.

“Physical distancing remains one of the key strategies to curb this pandemic.”

— NICD