No longer leukaemia…. but isolation, Day 34

My early starts have been getting later and later. To the point that I almost don’t even know what an early start is any more. The alarm goes off, and I snooze it – several times. Do I really want to get up and do another chore? No, I’ll just snuggle under the duvet for a bit longer. But this morning was different. A family ‘Zoom’ session was planned. Not very early at 9.30, but it meant I had to be ‘compos mentis‘ a good hour sooner than normal, with a cup of tea in hand at 8.30.

We were delighted to see everyone who could make it, webcam-to-webcam. The children, wriggling all over the place with parents un-handing them and peeling them off the various bits of equipment, were the entertainment. It was a good catch-up though and went on longer than the half an hour originally planned. Next time, though, maybe a ‘Zoom’ session without the children, no matter how entertaining they are to the grandparents? The parents were exhausted by the end of it, I think!!

I know it’s Sunday, but it didn’t feel very Sunday-like today and, for the first time during the lock down, I didn’t want to ‘go to church’ and I forgot to light my ‘Candle of Hope’ this evening. The online service all looked interesting, and I knew prayers needed to be said, but no, not today. So instead, what did I do? Chores!! The ironing pile beckoned so I waded my way through it, with thoughts of ‘Philomena, (my home help) where are you when I need you???’

While I did the ironing, John did the baking. He’s such a whizz at preparing his own special recipes now: bread, fruit cake, banana bread, and chocolate sundaes. And now he’s stocked up for the week ahead. I think he’s even enjoying it – well, he’s certainly singing and humming a lot to himself anyway!

In amongst the flat lining of the hours that stretch before us, unexpected things happen though, don’t they? We had no expectation of a parcel or visitor at the door today so, when the doorbell rang, I was startled. I flew to the front door to see who was there, only to find no-one. In front of me though, was a little bag, a note and a hand-painted rainbow. Who would be leaving us a mystery parcel, I wondered?

This was written on the note:

In the little bag, were a good half-dozen freshly baked, home-made fruit scones and half a dozen pieces of flapjack. Scrumdiddlyumptious or what??

Well, Mum was pleased and as proud as punch that the Kershaw girls remembered her and her poetry readings, as you can imagine.  I was thrilled that they had taken the time to bake and call and deliver such a delightful surprise and we were able to have a little ‘Contact the Elderly’ tea party after all! (I didn’t have any clotted cream either though….)

I hope the girls will be pleased to know that I put the hand-painted rainbow in our front window and they will see it if they pass by.

And so passes another day of highlights and low-lights, the latter being all of us in a bit of low mood today, if I’m honest, with the expanse of ‘we-don’t-know-where-it-will-all-end’ ahead of us and John shaking his head and saying ‘I don’t get it…’ to a variety of things that do or don’t happen.

But still, I am counting my blessings – we heard from Kelv via the blog which cheered us up; we chatted to the kids; we had blessings from the community, and we have food and warmth and each other here in our lovely home.

Prayers for all those in distress today, from whatever the source, but especially those who have been touched by the virus – all 5,850 infected, of whom over 10% (596) have died, some in the prime of their lives – and all their families. God bless them all.