Heavenly Beverley : Strange Days...(Apologies to The Doors)

This post has been swirling inside my overloaded brain for over a week, with changes to the title and content. As ever, I have been searching for that silver lining, that absurd moment, that witty observation. In my quest for spotting the upside, I have scoured cyberspace, in particular, my Facebook buddies' posts to preserve what is left of my sanity and sense of humour. However, I have realised that the bulk of my "feel good" stories are based right here in Heavenly Beverley.

For starters, Michael's delusions of grandeur have reached new heights. Whilst watching the current live update by our pollies, Michael noticed a Facebook comment that he read as "Darren West is watching you", rather than "Darren West is watching with you" (!).

Darren, our Labor Agricultural MLC (and local superstar) has been our knight in shining armour during a couple of crises and he and Michael have enjoyed a blooming bromance over the last few years. Darren refers to Michael affectionately as "MacGyver", given Michael's practical assistance over a pesky car matter late one afternoon. But, I do suspect that their relationship has not quite escalated to the loftiness that Michael mistakenly assumed!

My phone is causing issues by playing with its settings without permission from me. Maybe, my trusty mobile has taken issue with the number of notifications I have been asking it to download and responded accordingly to reverting to SILENT whenever it damn well feels the urge. Alternatively, the phone may have taken lessons from Madame Cat on attaining solitude and becoming a God. Give me strength...

Back to Michael. Last night, I was awoken by his arm in the air, poised to descend with some force onto my beleaguered head...Quick as a flash, I enquired the purpose of this action. Rabbits, he responded, there were rabbits in our bed. I asked for clarification. Were the rabbits planning a meeting with Mister Carrot, the delegate from the Salad, who had appeared to Michael in a previous visitation? Or could the rabbits be persuing Mister Carrot in order to eat him? I could see the headline..."Carrot Carnage in the Country"! Michael's response was that Mister Carrot was nowhere to be seen, only rabbits.

And I live with this man...

Ten days ago (that seems like a bloody century!), we farewelled Len Zuks, Beverley Artist-in-Residence, friend, mentor and all-around Good Guy. He and Michael had spent two weeks basking in each other's company, boys in mansuits, playing at the old tip or experimenting with abstract painting. They shared coffee and wine and food, whilst sharing memories spanning nearly forty years. That final evening, I retired to bed at a reasonable hour, whilst Michael, Len, Celeste and Marylou partied on. These were fabulously quirky days that we will cherish as we move through the uneasy and uncertain near future.

COVID 19 has certainly thrown us all in the Deep End. Interestingly, I am not as panicked as I thought I'd be. Calm and rational decisions, not my forte, have been surprisingly easy to make. The Gallery is closed. Michael is in isolation. We are somewhat enjoying this forced retreat from the masses. I think that we have spent so much time in each other's company over the years that we cope with close quarters better than most.

Only when I consider the Worst Case Scenario does my head threaten to implode. Or explode. Or both. The chances of Michael securing an Intensive Care bed if he catches COVID 19 are less than Buckley's. In other words, zero. So, my current Mission from God is to keep Michael well. We are doing everything possible to maintain that goal.

To finish this weird and rambling tome, in no particular order, are some of my strategies for living in this Mad World of ours -