One step at a time

I always have a long list of ‘things to do’. I rarely get through the list and, now that I am older, I am finding that the list is getting longer before I’ve even started! Now, this may have something to do with being a lazybones and hugging my bed. For example, this morning, I woke at about 8 o’clock and, immediately all those tasks whizzed and whirred around in my head, leaving me exhausted before I’d hardly surfaced. Daunted, I lay back down again and snoozed a bit longer. In the end, I decided that I was going to rest awhile before tackling the ever-exploding house, and finally got up at 11 o’clock, having word-gamed, puzzled and read for a while leaning up against my pillows like Lady Muck.

Once I was downstairs, it was brunch time, so I got on and cooked paleo banana pancakes, drizzled with maple syrup and scattered with pecans, raspberries and blueberries – as per the nutritionist’s instructions to create a rainbow at every meal to improve John’s health. Hmm….. not sure I found any green to go into it though….. Anyway, it was very nice and it set us up for the rest of the day.

Thereafter, the plan was to whizz through some housework, visit my Mum and then relax this evening. Unfortunately, the whizzing didn’t happen. I laboured, more like – and even then, the toiling hardly bore fruit as there’s still more to do. I think it’s mainly because I get distracted and start titivating.

On the titivating note, I am pleased to report that John has been busy with setting up the radiator covers. I suggested that it would be good to do the hall one first, so he got on with that. All very good progress but, as with every piece of furniture that you don’t move for months on end, there was an awful lot of fluff behind the radiator that needed a clean-out first. Anyway, he has done it and I think it looks really nice.

John moved on to setting up the next one in the lounge – a small one just under the window by the telly. By now, he’s a bit tired but determined. I was in the kitchen when I heard a bit of a crash. Nothing major at all, and all it took was the dustpan and brush to sweep up, and a couple of plasters……. We now have two light balls instead of three. But John was fed up by then, so I suggested he leave the rest until tomorrow. What he’s done there, though, also looks good. Ooh, we ain’t ‘arf posh!

I did get to Mum’s and she was on fine form. I have been limiting my visits because of the news about the variant virus and neither John nor I having had the vaccine yet. Trying to be careful. Anyway, she was very cheerful and chatted happily to me as I went about the flat sorting a few things out. There had been a report this week that she had lost her false teeth, but all was in order when I got there and she couldn’t remember where she had found them in the end.

True to form, Mum’s memory remains poor and she’s struggling to recall people and places. I was the bearer of bad news when I had to relay the message to her that her lifelong friend, another Hazel, passed away last week. I explained that she had been in a care home for the last three or four years suffering from dementia. A fact that Mum really couldn’t remember. She recalled Hazel as being a friend but struggled to bring her to mind. Naturally, she was very sorry to hear the news and promptly said she’d need to send her condolences. Fortunately, I found a sympathy card in amongst Mum’s spares and she was able to sign it, ready for me to send it.

We always have a bit of a giggle though, and today was no exception when we were talking about the carers coming in. She said they were very nice and could be helpful ‘sometimes’. Ah – just sometimes, Mum? And that was when the giggling started – no, they didn’t get her dressed and washed in the morning, she didn’t think they did anything much. Not even get you your breakfast? No, she didn’t think they did. Then she wondered if they did. Then she realised she couldn’t really remember and she was at all sure what they did. Well, at least she’s good-natured about it all – that’s such a relief. I mean, there wasn’t a single criticism of me today, just ‘thank you for all you’ve done, dear’.

I wasn’t in the mood to carry on with any of the things on my list when I got back, so we did relax this evening and watched TV. Started watching the Pirates of the Caribbean which is always a great romp, but John got fed up half-way through so we swapped channels and I chose to watch The Masked Singer instead, which is of no intellectual value at all. John chose to vacate the lounge and watch a thriller on the TV in the kitchen.

• 23,275 people tested positive for the virus today
• 1,200 people died in the community today
• 423 people died of the virus in hospitals on 28 & 29 January

Who’d have thought it? We’re nearly at the end of the January and we’re still incarcerated. Day 25 of Lockdown 3 and Day 317 since last March.

Young Arthur is still doing OK and his Mum and dad are beginning to climb down from the shock of it all. Heavy times ahead with daily visits to the hospital though, so please keep sending positive thoughts their way.

And the cats are still sniffing their new beds but not going in! Any tips?

Take care everyone. God bless.