Shielding: Day 120

Great excitement this morning. The gazebo has arrived!! Not that we’ve done anything with it today you understand, as it’s been another mizzly day, but tomorrow….. well, if the weather is kind enough to let us set it up without getting drenched, that is.

Other than that, not a great deal to report really. Same, same, same. Failed to get up early and failed to do the chores that I thought I might. I did do my duty and go round to my friend’s, however, to water their greenhouse plants and check up on their outside pot plants – which didn’t need any more water, of course, as they were happy enough with the rain.

On my return, Mum had made it out of bed and had had her breakfast which was an amazing feat in itself and had me bouche-bee, as they say in France. I spent a little while on the phone to various people this morning discussing what to do with Hazel, and we’re beginning to make plans for her return to her flat.

The most disappointing conversation I had was with the doctor’s surgery though. Two weeks ago, I had written a letter asking for support and advice. I hadn’t heard anything, and I was beginning to suspect that the doctor was on holiday and the letter was still sitting in her in-tray. Sure enough, that was it. The letter had been passed to a different doctor yesterday, but there is ‘such a backlog’ that they can’t deal with it for another week. Blimey!! The whole point of writing when I did was to try and get some advice before the 1st August, when we get more information on what the shielding situation is. Ah, well, never mind. We think we’ll make our own decisions and hope for the best.

After lunch, I was decadent and sat and watched daytime TV for an hour before I admitted to myself that my tiredness wasn’t going to improve unless I had a nap. “I’m off to lay on the bed.” I announced to anyone who would listen and planned an hour just resting. “No worries,” John replied, “I’m off to do the Lotus.”

I hadn’t been there long when the phone rang – it was Michael and ‘William-in-the-buff.’ Phoning for a chat and also to see if we could look after William in the garden tomorrow while they attend a follow-up hospital appointment for Thomas. Of course, I said yes, so I hope the weather plays ball.

I read my book for a bit and then, wouldn’t you know it? I dropped off to sleep, only to emerge about six o’clock in the evening. As I woke, I imagined I could smell the delicious aroma of someone cooking. I was hopeful. Is John cooking the tea? Unfortunately, when I got downstairs, the delicious aroma had been clearly imaginary, and John still had his head down among the wires on the Lotus. No meal on the go…… shame.

We enjoyed a delicious meal in the end though, which Mum picked her way through. A quick stir-fry which suits John and I down to the ground, with vegetables a bit al dente. Mum doesn’t manage anything unless it’s very soft. We ground our teeth a bit as we watched the struggle between Mum, the meat and the veg….. neither of us quite knew how to stay cheerful in the face of it. But she had cake for afters, so all’s well that ends well.

After we’d eaten, Mum toddled into the lounge for her evening TV viewing, and John and I toddled upstairs for a fantastic evening on Zoom with John’s Uni friends. We had a lovely time. Pete and Fran had done a quiz which we could answer (!!) and then we had a good old natter afterwards. Brilliant. Thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

All in all, quite a good day even if I did feel fatigued. However, I haven’t wanted to watch much of the news today – I am sure it’s still lock down fever, but some of the people you see and hear on the news seem to have less and less common sense as the days go by. And to watch smug and arrogant politicians is beginning to pall – especially in the light of what really is needed to keep us all safe and solvent.

The numbers of people dying from COVID-19 is still unacceptable, I think, with 138 deaths in all settings as of five o’clock yesterday, and 398 people infected with the virus. The NHS reports 5 deaths in hospitals for yesterday and 8 are confirmed for the day before.

I am still in the anxious category but hoping that that will change a bit once we can get Mum settled back into her flat, and we can go out, out. Fingers crossed. In the meantime, of course, stay mindful, everyone, of the right things to do to keep the virus at bay.

Love wins. Peace be with you all.