People in the flesh

July has been, in a very small way, a month of seeing people in Real Life; we have had three, count them, three social engagements. I am still trying to process whether this indicates a gradual retuen to some sort of sociability, or a continuing reluctance to leave my shell...

• Early in the month we were invited to a gathering of people involved in the drawing up of the Local Plan, to celebrate the acceptance thereof. I'm wary of this sort of event at the best of times, the assumption that people who have worked well (and amiably) together towards a specific end will have things to say to each other if you bring them together without that purpose. From which you may deduce that I am natually antisocial, because of course it was very pleasant. I was there as durham_rambler's plus one, which was not a problem: oddly, of all the people present, the hosts were those I knew least well. We trouped through their impressive house, and sat in their almost as impressive garden, and some of us drank Pimms (it's not a drink I particularly enjoy, but it adds to the summer ambiance if someone else is willing to drink it), and there was the odd moment of this person is standing closer to me than I am comfortable about but mostly it was fine.



• Mid-month we finally managed to agree a date to take F. out to lunch for a birthday treat (only a month after her birthday). We took her to our favourite farm shop, which she had not previously visited, caught up with all of each other's gossip over a very relaxed lunch in their coffee shop and then visited the shop itself before delivering her home. We all agreed that this was a thing we could do again; or we could visit F. and drink tea in her garden; or think of another way not to let the time between visits stretch so alarmingly. Which is good, in theory.



• Yesterday we made a lunch date with anef who has been in Durham for the Classics Summer School (Greek) and S. who has been commuting from Newcastle for same (Latin). Given how little I have been going into the City of late, and how even less I have been checking the possibilities of lunching there, I took the plunge and suggested they both come here to lunch. First time I have cooked for anyone but ourselves since - oh, actually only since June, when valydiarosada and D. stayed over on the way up to Holy Island, which suggests that I think of valydiarosada and D as more or less 'ourselves' - but it felt like a big step. People Inside The House! People Downstairs! We cleared the dining room table, which allowed us to sit well spaced, and open the back door for as much ventilation as was comfortable (if the weather had still been hot we could have opened the door onto the area, and created a through draught, but it wasn't and we didn't). And it was fun, even if once our guests had departed I felt too limp to do anything but lounge on the sofa and read Pratchett (Faust Eric, which I have no recollection of reading before, so it's almost like having a new Pratchett to read).

I'm in no rush to emerge from lockdown; but it's good to know that I'm not absolutely determined never to emerge, either. Balance is all.