50+ things you can now legally like

And more importantly: that you can now legally do without being called an old sock. Kiki and Lilian found me already elderly when I accidentally said ‘goodness’ once, but I also foresee opportunities for puzzling and flower arranging with them in the coming weeks.

Gardening
I bought my very first pair of gardening gloves this week. At Gamma, I really took the time for this milestone purchase – by the way, this was before the whole country simultaneously went to the hardware store. Preferably not pink, because they shouldn't be able to see at the end of the street that I'm working in the garden. Not those loose ones, because you spend half the time pulling them up. They turned out to be pretty cool gray-black (haha, as if gardening gloves could ever be cool). To celebrate my purchase, I immediately spent five minutes picking up leaves in the front yard, then I was done with it. You shouldn't exaggerate right away.

Puzzling
It turned out that I arrived at the puzzle point way too late, because I've never seen ‘not available’ under a product on Bol.com as often as this weekend. I thought it would be fun to do the Santorini version of Ravensburger, with a thousand pieces and just as many white houses, but I think the rest of the Netherlands thought that was fun too. ‘Neuschwanstein Castle in winter’ was still available, which I can understand. My boyfriend immediately wanted to know any dimensions so he could make a puzzle board (!) for me. At least, he pretended he wanted to do that for me, but I think he mainly dreads a thousand loose puzzle pieces on the dining table.

Walking
On Monday I walked three kilometers, Wednesday five, on Friday I accidentally walked all the way to Hilversum (and back again) and on Saturday I did another five, much to my boyfriend's dismay. I've since put my Fitbit back on to track the kilometers and steps, and I'm at a steady 11,000 a day. To enhance the walking experience, I've since laid claim to the labrador Saar from our friends. I told you: walking is so 2020. 

Reading books
Such a paper copy, where you can comfortably flop on the couch while playing a Sunday Lounge playlist from Spotify in the background on a Tuesday. You have to stay a bit rebellious. I have ‘Where the Crawdads Sing’ and ‘We Are Angela’ ready, but first ‘City of Girls’ still needs to be finished.

Flower arranging and photographing my magnolia
The call has already gone around on social media and I obediently listen: stop hoarding toilet paper and buy flowers. According to Rutte, we can still poop for at least ten more years, so you might as well spend your time stocking up on flowers. If you're stuck at home, at least you have something nice to look at (no offense to your housemate). And photographing flowers is quite tricky, by the way. I capture the bloom of the magnolia in my front yard daily, which is allowed in times like these, but it's hardly possible to get it as beautiful as it really is in the photo. Now you might think: you've lost it with your magnolia photography, but I swear a woman just walked by and stopped to take a picture of my tree. And yes, she was indeed over 50.

Baking and roasting
This quarantine is at least good for one thing: I've spent more time in the kitchen in one week than in the last three months. The fresh soups and casseroles are flying off the counter, and maybe I'll start stewing this week. I once took an oath that I would never bake anything sweet, but I'm not entirely sure if that's going to work out. Maybe I've already googled the recipe for banana bread once.

But one reassurance: I'm not knitting or crocheting yet.