Illustrated Epistle Extract: We Got Covid
Well, it was almost inevitable: finally we got Covid. I probably caught it from going to bridge lessons, as fewer and fewer people are wearing masks (our Lyttleton table have been insisting anyone who plays with us wear a mask, but we are in the minority).
It was like a heavy cold with extra aches for a day and a half. Even my eyeballs ached. How is that possible? One of my neighbours called to say that she had made muffins with a special ingredient. I was hoping it was marijuana (not legal in New Zealand, unfortunately), but it was chocolate. Nearly as good. And it was the first of many deliveries we received during our isolation.
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I did a lot of lounging around in bed, especially after a sleepless night. I couldn't concentrate to read so I listened to Lisa Tarbuck on BBC Radio ). Her show is so entertaining I had to switch to Joni Mitchell to finally drift back to sleep.
The boyf got it two days after I did and my sister in Auckland got it two days after him. New Zealand is surging.
This is an extract of my Illustrated Epistle, which goes out once a month-ish. It is a behind-the-scenes look at the life of a cartoonist (specifically, mine). I'd love it if you signed up at the bottom of this page, or here:
http://eepurl.com/cCOOeD
Or head to the archive to read more here.
Illustrated Epistle Extract: Being Healthy in New Zealand
As I write this we are still Covid free, but getting fed-up of mostly sitting outside bars and cafes, especially as we have had a burst of wintry weather. The boyf is super fed up as he doesn’t have as many down jackets and woolly hats as I do.
Because of my reducing-the-money-I-give-to-polluting-dairy-companies, I have amassed a small fortune with the money I've saved from having my coffee black instead of enjoying a latte. But my jar will keep filling up for a while before I feel it is worth the risk of eating out..
I'm waiting for three weeks to pass without hearing of a someone we know here getting Covid before I venture inside to mingle with people at random, without a mask.
We've also been looking into our long-term health. We are generally healthy, but we're getting older (shock!)
So we want to know that should anything happen we’ll be covered. New Zealand has a public health system that covers emergencies, but it is patchy when it comes to everything else.
This is an extract of my Illustrated Epistle, which goes out once a month-ish. It is a behind-the-scenes look at the life of a cartoonist (specifically, mine). I'd love it if you signed up at the bottom of this page, or here:
http://eepurl.com/cCOOeD
Or head to the archive to read more here.
Arctic Circle Cartoons - We Need to Stop Bombarding Bees With Pesticides
Even in New Zealand bees are dying at alarming rates. But pesticide use here is high. Bees and other insects cannot endure the onslaught of neonicotinoids, fungicides and other chemicals that are used to coat seeds (the ones that are bright blue when you open the packet), or are sprayed onto plants to control pests (only the biological controls have any specificity. Even natural pyrethrin kills a broad spectrum of insects).
Instead let’s make the soil healthier so that plants can look after themselves better. No dig, regenerative farming builds soil, fixes carbon and is better for bees and all of us.
Can You Tell How Much I Hate Social Media?
I wish I could leave Facebook, Instagram and Twitter completely, but they have become almost mandatory to be able to do certain things (following local events for example).
