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

— @HaggardHawks

First day of ordinary life: a morning walk on the Promenade with my love and breakfast at the deli near the lighthouse.

Our friend Caroline of Caroline’s Fine Wine Cellar relocated to a new shop in Sea Point and we went to visit her there for the first time after our walk.

Caroline has great taste and her collection is simply wonderful. And it is not just for wine snobs – she has wines for all, prices ranging between just under a hundred rand to well over a few thousand. There is a shelf for a few bottles from Austria, and I bought the Zweigelt for Christmas.

Next stop was the Book Lounge, where #MyBookLounge lucky draw hamper and the books I had ordered were waiting. Getting all those books felt like Christmas. I was delighted to get them home and start choosing which to keep and which to give away to friends (I have a few of them already, so the extra will be happily shared).

At lunchtime, I met with Mom and Krystian on Skype again, and we just laughed and laughed after discovering how to use different backgrounds for our chat. This is my absolute favourite:

Yes, I did do some work today as well, but the day was just about going places and doing nice things. It had to end at The Hoghouse, of course. I bought us a takeaway dinner and took it to my love’s house, where we had a delicious, quiet evening at home.

I am relived to have dodged the COVID-19 bullet yet again, and I am glad to be vaccinated and to live in a city where there are so many places and experiences that can make one so easily happy. I am also very grateful for all the beautiful people in my life. And all the laughter, despite everything.

(That a certain someone is eleven point five million rand poorer also makes me happy. We need so much more such justice in this land.)

Be kind. Wear a mask. Support local. Get vaccinated, please.

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

— NICD