New Normal

Photo by George Angus

Covid-19 and 2020 are obviously now linked into eternity.

But I’ll remember the winter of 2020 for my discovery of 2 things:

-        A teapot cosy, and

-        A hot water bottle

Of course none of these are new inventions, or a novel product entering the market. It is not as if I’ve never seen it being used. Matilda has been preparing hot water bottles on going to bed for as long as I can remember and I grew up with a teapot cosy always somewhere in one of the drawers in the house.

But during this winter everything changed. It became close and personal. As with most good things in my life, Matilda’s hand is quite prominent here as well. 

On one particular cold morning, our 10h30 teapot appeared on the tray totally covered with a cosy (neither the spout nor handle could be seen). When I lifted that cover to pour our tea it was like the unveiling of something important. Heat emanated from this object and the handle was so hot I had to use my handkerchief to hold it. I lifted my pinkie in doing so – I’m not totally barbarian. OK, I might have been afraid of burning myself with too many fingers on the handle of this pot containing the lovely hot elixir, but I was able to blend caution with style.

As for the hot water bottle: For the life of me, I cannot explain why I haven’s used one before. Ignorance, apathy, stupidity… I don’t know. It’s definitely not vanity, or protecting my decency. For a man wearing long pyjamas, a beanie, a scarf and bed socks to bed, adding a limp bag with hot water to the mix will definitely not cramp my style.

In any case, one evening while she was busy with the kettle and her hot water bottle, I was  somehow prompted to say to Matilda, “Maybe I should try one of those as well tonight.” Goodness gracious! I am now so skilled in operating that bottle, it travels up and down my body like a lift in a skyscraper, tending to all the hot (or in this case, cold) spots. “Joined at the hip” has acquired a new meaning.

Now I check the load shedding schedule and plan the boiling of the water for our hot water bottles accordingly. And a teapot without a cosy seems so naked I almost look away.

As I’ve said, things changed in 2020.

George