Lock-down Day 222

In case you're wondering why I'm still giving the headings as 'Lock-down Day ...', when my life appears to be 'back to normal'? Because in most aspects it may appear to be no different than it was before the lock-down; but our country is STILL in lock-down. Level 1, true, but the country is still not back to working on the proper legal process. One person in this country STILL has absolute power - and it's not our president. He has no power at present. Rules and regulations are STILL put into law (sorry, can't think of the correct legal term right now) WITHOUT parliamentary oversight! We are still at the mercy of the whims of the same people who believed that buying open-toed shoes should be illegal!

Anyway ... I've caught up on what little I missed yesterday, and just after nine my cigarette parcel arrived! Now I've got plenty of papers and filters! I don't know why they wrap it in bubble wrap, though?

Back at home, I let mippies out right away ... only ... they stay under my feet! Ha Ha! So different from our old home, where they nearly ran me over in their haste to get outside! Well, I cleaned the litter boxes, then went to open the front door - Mewthos and Ziva hadn't gone out back, but waited for me to come open the front door! We all went outside, mippies exploring while I busied myself with these palm fronds. Or whatever they are.

And then that black and white cat came and attacked, right on my porch! Went after Mewthos, then, when I came out to chase it, it really got into Ziva! They had a heavy fight before Ziva dashed off up a tree - I was able to deter the stray before it could follow Ziva! Then, as I was coaxing Ziva back down, I heard it going after another cat outside! Now, my mippies aren't supposed to go outside ... but Lady Jane doesn't listen! Well, I went to the gate and tried to chase the stray, but outside Janey is on her own. Sorry! She learned that very quickly, and as soon as the stray had left, she came running inside ... all the way into the house! And stayed there!

I can see that at one time, the garden received a lot of care and attention - though not in a while. I can't tell how long a while it's been untended, though. We also had almost 10 mm rain since Sunday - I didn't go out to check yesterday. Everything is going green ... fast!

Inside, I'm giving mippies their treat, then fry my own dinner which I share generously! 

In my cigarette order is something new, well, new to me. Cigarette papers with tips. I've been wondering what those 'tips' are and now I know. They are a strip of thick, harder paper. Similar to what I used to use when I made my own filters. Only with these, there's no cotton wool involved. If I've done this right, then you simply add that strip in place of the filter before you add the paper - and you've got a rolled up strip of paper serving as a filter. Of course, with a filter the nicotine, etc. is 'filtered' through the cotton wool (or filter), whereas with this filter tip, I pull it directly, unfiltered, so to speak.

Who would have thought that, after 30 years of smoking, I'm re-learning everything from scratch, eh? I still sometimes wonder what my mum would have done. I wonder whether she would have just stocked up big time, once cigarettes became legal again - or whether she would have followed my example? What motivates me, when I get frustrated with the amount of work it takes to chop and roll is knowing that somewhere out there some government official is waiting for his share of the sin-tax to buy himself another fancy car ... and that my work ensures he's waiting a little longer! While at the same time, somewhere out there is a farmer, who's labour I'm personally appreciating. And who is receiving a fair pay for his efforts. To me, that's motivation enough. Of course, it helps a lot that my home-made cigarettes really do taste much better!

Well, mippies are settled down everywhere - Mewthos and Ziva in the lounge, Janey next to me on the chest of drawers ... I'm not sure where Mini is. On my desk in the lounge, I think. Time for me to settle down as well ... watch an episode ... read another chapter ... then sleep.