Isolation day 93

Up early again this morning. The birds were quiet, and I wondered why. When I looked out of the window, I understood. It was extremely misty first thing. It made the walk along ‘The Yellow Brick Road’ interesting though, as the trees emerged from the mist as I got near, dripping and sometimes creaking with the weight of water on their leaves. It was yet again a pleasure to be up and out.

One jogger and her dog, and two dog-walkers today. The jogger pounded past me at speed, but the dog wanted to stay and play. The other dog walkers were doing the same circuit as me but the other way round, so our passing each other was fleeting and wide distanced. All good. I wore my mask, but the others weren’t wearing theirs.

Spent the early part of the morning tidying round and vacuuming the downstairs rooms in anticipation of the District Nurse visiting, to come and do Mum’s blood test. Mum, bless her, did as she was told and drank plenty of liquids one way or another, got up and dressed, had breakfast, and was all ready for the dreaded poking and prodding of her arms by half past ten.

The nurse came, masked, gowned and gloved up and began what is now the ritual of trying first one arm then the other to encourage some blood flow. Nothing doing. “Has your Mum had plenty to drink?” she asked. I confirmed she had. More rootling around for a vein that didn’t wriggle away. Still nothing doing. “I’ll have to ask one of my colleagues to come and do it.” the nurse sighed, “I can’t get anything at all.” So, we’ll be on for another day of fun and games soon, I expect. Mum was as good as gold though, I have to say, throughout the whole procedure.

By the time the blood test drama was over, John was up and at ’em. He has also spent the day tidying – mostly moving stuff from one location to another. Stuff from the garage to the man-shed, and vice-versa – a repeat of similar activity a week or two ago. I expect it’ll all be repeated again in due course. He’s feeling a bit better and no longer coughing badly, but he is wondering why his back is playing up a bit now though……

We were both pottering about, John in the garage and me in the hall, when a van drew up outside. John has started selling one or two bits of equipment surplus to requirements and so, purchaser and seller carefully socially distanced and the transaction was made with money changing hands. John’s eyes gleamed – he can buy more bits for the Lotus now…….

Not long after, another vehicle drew up – this time, it was a big lorry with the laminate flooring we’d ordered. Ooh, exciting! We’re planning to put it down in what was the company office, but what we’re now calling ‘The Gym’. It might not be called the gym for long. Depends on whether we actually use it as one…… is there enough room to swing a cat? Not sure about that, but the cross trainer is in there, so we might have a little go at improving our fitness with that piece of torture equipment in the not-too-distant future. Maybe.

After lunch, Linda called with a little bit of M & S shopping. We had an enjoyable ‘path chat’ and I felt better for having had the company, even if it was only for a few minutes. She brought some ready meals for Mum, for those occasions when she doesn’t like what we are planning to eat and, of course, some little cakes. Posh cakes from M&S. Mum’s delighted.

A bit later on, I decided I’d adopt the same routine as yesterday and have another little rest upstairs on the bed. And, like yesterday, I dozed off and woke up two hours later. Clearly, I didn’t get much more done today!!! I mean, I had thought the idea of an afternoon nap might be a good one, but I have only ever thought of it as a power nap. You know, forty winks. Not a hundred and twenty winks. This is not going to plan.

By now, it’s tea-time and more food prepping required. Mum had wandered upstairs to her bedroom as she couldn’t find John or me. John was showering, and I was still coming to my senses. However, when I said I was going downstairs, she willingly followed me down, and was happy to help with prepping the veg. But she was miffed as we finished our meal when I reminded her that it was quiz night and we’d be upstairs chit-chatting away to our friends this evening. “Join us.” I suggested. “You’ll have company then, even if you don’t know the answers.” But she decided the lure of The Repair Shop was too great and she’d rather watch TV.

Once again, we thoroughly enjoyed the company of our Centre Stage friends. They are so easy to chat to and bring such humour to the proceedings that it sets us up for the next few days. It’s always a giggle. Counting my blessings.

I have mostly put the news and reports of the latest on the Corona Virus to the back of my mind today. I feel irritated with the politicians and I’m running out of patience with their nausea-inducing platitudes and sometimes bare-faced lies. However, I am still interested enough in the current situation to think of all those who are ill or who have died and remember them in my prayers.

For the record then, the NHS has reported 8 deaths in hospitals up until 5 o’clock yesterday, confirming 39 for the day before. The government has reported 184 deaths in all settings and 1,115 people confirmed as infected for the same time period.

May God bless them and you all in everything you do. And, at the very least, as my friend Margaret said today, take some time to smell the roses.