‘Bubbling’ and Shielding….Day 144

After a ‘night on the tiles’ last night, we weren’t inclined to get out of bed very early today, so we snoozed on. Michael laughed at us and said they couldn’t decide, 100%, whether we were going to get over to Sutton today, ‘after last night’s shenanigans’, but we made it in the end.

It took me a while, mind you, to bring myself round from my slumber, and I think John had the same problem too. But we both woke up happy to have had such a great evening among friends, which has made us feel a bit more hopeful that we might get some balance to our lives even whilst the dratted virus is swirling around us.

We had a good journey across to the Sutton Sleaths, where Michael was already deep into Zoom meetings and thesis writing. Danielle was amazingly perky today, too, which I was very pleased to see. She had already done quite a bit before we arrived – well, she would, of course, as we didn’t arrive until nearly mid-day!

I was able to help out though – not all of the work had been done – and there was the delight of cradling Thomas at various intervals and playing with William for a good bit of the afternoon, when he wasn’t having his afternoon nap. Washing up and tidying a little bit in the kitchen (which I didn’t get finished), hanging out the washing, helping to prep the lunch and cooking the evening meal, all gave Danielle a little bit of respite.

William went for his afternoon nap, but was a little fussy, so Danielle let him lie alongside her in the double bed. William slept, but was restless so Danielle didn’t get a wink of sleep – which was a shame as she could have done with it.

Meanwhile, John had made a beeline for the ‘man-shed’ and, having climbed up onto the roof, was busy hammering the roof tiles into place. He may not have the energy and breathing capacity to walk very far, but he had sufficient for sitting, like a fiddler on the roof, and putting the roof tiles into place. I could hardly drag him away at the end of the day, he was having that much fun.

William also made a beeline for the shed with Grandpa, as he is now ‘one of the workers’ down there, but naturally, he wasn’t allowed on the roof without Daddy being there to hold him. No matter, he thought, I’ll play in the shed instead. “Come on, Grandma,” he called, “come and play with me.” So I toddled down to the bottom of the garden for a bit of imaginative fun in the shed. We didn’t last long though. Bang! Bang! Bang! The sound of hammering was deafening. “If we’re going to play in the shed, William, we need the ear defenders. Come on, let’s hunt for them.” I said. Well, we had a bit of fun seeking out the ear defenders, which we did find eventually. By which time, of course, William had lost interest in playing in the shed and was on to something else. Ah well, we were very companionable regardless and enjoyed each other’s company no end.

John and I left the family eating their evening meal and came home for a bite to eat, opting for that traditional English fare – egg ‘n chips. Delicious. I was in the middle of getting it ready, when my phoned pinged with the reminder that it was a Zoom chat with the College Girls at eight o’clock. Darn it, I was going to be late. It didn’t matter. I just joined in when I could and slipped naturally into the conversation with everyone. It was lovely to see everyone again. Alleluia for dear, dear friends.

Such a busy day that I didn’t watch any of the cricket or the news today, so I am not sure what has been going on, and sometimes, being ignorant of the horrors of the world is just what you need. I do know, however, that there’s a spike of the virus in Victoria, in Australia, which makes me think of Graham and Gail and all their friends who live anywhere near the outbreak. I know that it impacts on Jane, Sue’s daughter too. And with the spike in the north-west of England, I think of Janet and her family. The virus is lurking too near people I know and love.

In the UK, there have been 49 COVID-19 related deaths today in all settings and one yesterday in a hospital setting, and 950 people confirmed as infected. Despite the momentary euphoria of having been ‘out’ last night, it is a sobering reminder that absolute care is needed if we are not to spread the virus or catch it ourselves.

Be careful everyone, the blooming virus is dastardly when it hits – so let it not hit. God bless.