What I've done in August
Well, this is awkward. Turns out I may have been premature in reviving this series last month. In this weirdest of years, while July was a fairly lively one and things seemed to be on the up, August has been rather dull by comparison.
On the plus side, the flexible furlough scheme has meant I've done several days of work this month - about half of my usual full time hours, which has kept me occupied, and means my pay packet is larger than it has been since March.
The highlight of the month was seeing my best friend for the first time since Christmas - the only friend I've met up with since All ThisTM kicked off. We got takeaway milkshakes and had a socially distanced catch-up in Tonbridge Park, with her one year old son playing between us - a lovely afternoon which did my soul good.
I also managed to squeeze in a day of volunteering helping to set up Refuge Ease, the new charity shop opening soon on Tonbridge High Street. My efforts of carrying shop fittings up the high street were rewarded with a chance to go onto the roof of the building (formerly Woolworths) and see Tonbridge from a whole new angle.
And it goes without saying that my August soundtrack has been Taylor Swift's new album, Folklore. It doesn't quite live up to Lover - yet - but ask me again once I've listened 1,000 more times.
Where I've been in August
I haven't had any days out to speak of in August - a combination of not knowing my work schedule until the last minute, and the busyness of the school holidays have meant that visits to castles, gardens, wildlife parks and botanical gardens haven't happened this month. That's not to say I've been stuck indoors, but my excursions have been mainly local, on foot and on my newly-fixed bike, exploring footpaths across fields and the like, finding parts of my local area that I never knew existed.
What I've eaten in August
Despite the Eat Out To Help Out scheme, I've only dined out once this month. Tonbridge Castle launched a new semi-regular cream tea service overlooking in the Castle Lawn, and we booked into the first sitting. On a stifling hot day, we rued the Normans' lack of air conditioning as we tucked into huge scones, served with generous portions of cream and jam, oodles of tea, and cakes too. It sounds like it's going to be a regular thing, so keep an eye on the Tonbridge Castle Twitter account for updates.
Back at home, my baking adventures continue. I've whipped up a couple of batches of cupcakes this month, using my new piping set to decorate them. I also, finally, hopped on the banana bread bandwagon, thanks to the heatwave turning the bananas faster than we could eat them. The banana bread was a roaring success. The blondies (white chocolate brownies) I attempted the following week were less so.
What's next?
I'm hoping to go to Norfolk for a few days in September, for a very welcome change of scenery. Normally we go abroad at this time of year but after being stuck in Fuerteventura when Spain went into lockdown, and with quarantine rules changing daily, it's not worth the risk.
At the time of writing, coronavirus cases are on the increase again, school and universities are due to return in September, and talk of a second wave is very much rife. So once again, it's hard to predict what life will look like by the end of September - we could be closer to returning to new normal, or we could be wending our way towards a new lockdown. Fingers crossed for the former, but all plans are still on hold at the moment.
See also - what I got up to in:
- July 2020: Castles, wildflowers, and a return to blogging.
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