Lockdown: At Home - Patricia

What’s your name and what do you do?

I’m Patricia and I own Maven, along with my sister Catherine.

Who lives in your home?

My son Lalit, and since the lockdown was announced my partner Vince.

How would you describe your home?

 It’s a sunny, ground floor apartment with massive windows.  I feel like I live in a bungalow and I’m pretty happy with that.  It has a terrace which we have been hugely grateful for over these weird weeks.  

What have you enjoyed about your home during the lockdown?

The aforementioned terrace!  I have loved pottering there, making it look pretty with lots of pots and plants.  I’m not a natural gardener but have been chatting to my Mum and Dad (on the phone of course) loads about what to plant and when.  I have a little barbeque too and I have been flat out using it

 Is there a DIY job you've got around to that you're proud of?

I actually have tonnes of DIY jobs that have sprung up during this.  I’ve a towel radiator coming off the wall, a door that is sticking that needs planed, and my dishwasher has broken.  But I’m trying to be all zen about those and know that I’ll get them sorted when I can.  I have painted a wall and been hanging pictures up all over the place and am constantly rearranging furniture.

Does home schooling count as DIY?  I’m not proud of my efforts in this department at all.  That has definitely been the worst bit about all of this.  Lalit and I are not cut out for a teacher/pupil relationship!

 If you could change anything about your home, what would it be?

We’d have another living room.  Having an open plan living/ dining/ kitchen has had its trying moments in a lockdown situation.  I used to dream about having a super cleverly designed ‘tiny home’, now I want a house with at least four bedrooms, a study, an art studio, a Swedish hot tub, a massive kitchen and two living rooms ;-).

 What’s the most recent thing you’ve bought for your home?

A draining rack (see dishwasher issue above).

What’s been your go-to meal in the last few weeks?

At the start of this when I had tonnes of nervous energy and went bonkers and started Couch to 5k and everything, I was all about cooking the things I never normally had time to. So, I tried gnocchi and all sorts. Now, I’m pretty much using the BBQ every night.  So I’ll maybe marinade some salmon or chicken and have it with a salad or a jacket potato, really simple.  I’ve also been making lots of Margaritas, apparently that’s the drink equivalent of lockdown banana bread?!

Is there anything you’ve started to do during lockdown that you’d like to continue as ‘normality’ resumes?

Apart from wearing socks and Birkenstocks full time?

I’m always busy, always running about with 100 things to do.  So, I’ve actually enjoyed the enforced slow down (once I got over the shell-shocked first few weeks).  Like at the weekend there, we had a really lazy Saturday, read the papers for hours, played chess, drank a wee cider, and perfected poaching an egg. I need to allow myself to enjoy just hanging out at home a lot more.  

As the weeks have passed, I have become (slightly) more relaxed with the place being a (little) messy at times.  I have noticed I’ve been relaxing into this and not beating myself up if it’s not perfectly tidy and organised 100% of the time.  This is absolutely something I hope to continue.