Shielding, Day 135

We thought we might take it easy today, one way or another, after our exertions yesterday but, although we did have a lie-in, we both busied ourselves in different ways.

John had started the hedge-trimming the other day and was keen to get on with finishing it, if he could. I wanted to finish sorting out Mum’s bits and pieces and then visit her in the flat to see how she was settling in. So, after a short morning, some of which was spent in bed contemplating whether we might spend the whole day in bed, we got up and got on.

John was also keen to get on with his car, but in the end, the pull of the outdoors was too great so off he went to do the hedge. I faffed about before finally setting off to visit Mum. I am not convinced Mum remembers how to use the phone, so I was a little anxious as to how she’d been managing. I had deliberately left her to settle in and get used to her new regime for a few days, as I know she’d be thinking back to being looked after by me otherwise.

As it turned out, she was as happy as Larry. She was sat, with her legs up in her new chair, delighted to see me and thrilled to bits with all the care that she’s been having. She was pleased to have the washing and ironing back that I’d done, saying she needed clean things, so that was hopeful that she was changing her clothes. The flat all looked in order and there didn’t seem to be any odd things in odd places, so I was very pleased for her that she’d settled back so well. The plumber had been in today to mend a leak under the sink, and she remembered that he’d been, so it’s all looking good.

Mum is a great ‘squirreler-away’ of things and, over the years, has kept documents and all sorts of correspondence. Mostly, I think, because she doesn’t quite know what to do with them and also because she’s afraid of throwing something important away. I fished out yet more booklets and papers from alongside her chair and started to go through them today. Mostly old catalogues from 2018, but also some old bank statements – from 1979……. I asked Mum why she was keeping them, but she didn’t know. I asked her if I could throw them out, but no, they’d be needed. What for, I wondered? Well, in case, after she died, there was any query, she offered. I reminded her that they were over forty years old and surely the tax man wasn’t going be interested after that length of time? But she was adamant she wasn’t going to relinquish them. Had to laugh! Might have to be a secret hatchet job……

When I got back from Mum’s I could hear an odd scraping noise, which I thought was coming from the garage, but after a while, I realised it wasn’t. It sounded more at the back of the house so I went to investigate. There was John, up a ladder, hauling out the jasmine that was aggressively ingressing the roof space. He was having a whale of a time. Not only had he done a cracking job on the hedge but had enough energy to start on the jasmine too. Mind you, he was too knackered to do much clearing up of the brash, so I cleared the jasmine detritus and we have left the hedge cuttings for another day.

All in all, a good day with things achieved, allowing us to sit back, kick our shoes off and watch TV with clear consciences this evening. One programme that I like to watch is ‘Our Yorkshire Farm’ and tonight’s episode didn’t disappoint. It is a cracking series about a couple, with nine children, farming in the remote hills of Yorkshire. Worth a watch if you like countryside programmes and not yet seen it.

Mum made no mention of the small picture on her TV today, so I am presuming she has got used to the size of her screen now, but she did say she was having a bit of trouble switching it on again. Once again, she’d switched it off at the plug. No wonder it wouldn’t work. She’d done the same with phone, too. Made me chuckle. I have now put labels on the switches telling her to leave them alone!

And, of course, I watched the news today, which isn’t awfully encouraging on the virus front, with a great kerfuffle over people’s holidays to Spain, and the uplift in cases. 119 deaths in all settings reported today by the government, with four deaths in a hospital setting yesterday; and 581 people are confirmed as having been tested positive for the virus today.

We know the drill now, which we will have to keep up for a while to come. No-one knows how long, but I think it’s going to be the new ‘norm’. Take care everyone. Peace be with you all.