Hello Monday

It’s an interesting concept – ‘the beginning of the week’. Interesting, because every day feels the same these days. It’s no wonder that John asks me a hundreds times a day, ‘Is it Monday?’ or ‘Is it Tuesday?’ etc. You can see how easy it will be to drop into the realms of: ‘S/he doesn’t know what the day of the week it is! Do you think s/he is alright?’ We do know who the Prime Minister is though, so we’re OK so far.

Anyway, Monday started with the horrible news that England are embarrassingly behind in the second test, having collapsed their first innings. I’m not hopeful that they are going to claw anything back on this one. Dare we switch the cricket on tomorrow morning, that’s the question?

Despite the shocking cricket news, I was up and about reasonably early, even so far as to thinking I might go for an early walk. I didn’t in the end – it was mightily foggy until mid-morning when the sun burst through, and by then I was in the throes of more tidying. I did, however, walk round to Mum’s just before mid-day, so I got a bit of exercise.

John was up about 11.00 and, after he’d done his medical bits, of course, the day was already half gone. But he was keen to be getting on with creating a wine rack/cupboard/shelving today, so he cracked on. He was still sorting it out when I got back from Mum’s and has really worked hard on it for most of the day. So much so, that by tea-time he was exhausted and had to go and have a lie-down.

Mum, on the other hand, was on top form. Humming her way round her flat, happy as a sandboy. I got there just before the carer, who had come to serve her lunch, so that worked quite well. I was in the middle of changing the sheets on Mum’s bed because it had suddenly dawned on me that, since Tracy (Mum’s cleaner) had abandoned ship at the beginning of January, I wasn’t sure that the bedsheets had actually been changed. The carer confirmed my fears – no, they hadn’t done them. And, of course, neither had I. Fortunately, Mum is the cleanest of people so nothing too untoward at all really. Anyway, the carer said they can do them if I just put a request in. Well, that’s rather good news. It wasn’t a job I was particularly looking forward to.

Once I was back from Mum’s I prepped some lunch. Then, as we sat eating our lunch John started musing as to how many calories there might be in it. We are wondering why we are staying fattened during lockdown. Of course, I have put it down to too much chocolate and wine. But no, possibly not. It might be the rather luscious food I am serving. In fact, our ‘snack’ lunch turned out to have almost a thousand calories in it…..hmmmm……. time to check out what I am serving at each meal then. I wondered why I struggle to do my waistband up.

This afternoon, I spent time rummaging in the loft. I was looking for something particular – an old heirloom – which proved elusive until the last minute. Before I came across it, I naturally came across other treasures, which I had forgotten we’d still got, and which delighted me. Some of the items had belonged to John’s grandma and parents, so held a lot of sentiment. So it was a dreamy sort of afternoon. Old photos too, of course…..

On the COVID front, several friends are reporting no side-effects from their injections or, if they’ve had any, nothing much at all. I have to report however, that I am still suffering with a very red arm. Goodness me, I do like to make a fuss….had to report it on the Yellow Card system that I just learned about today. Every day’s a school day, isn’t it?

I am pleased, however, that the incidence of COVID is lessening. This is good news and I do hope that we don’t all go mad when we’re let loose and it all starts up all over again.

• 9,765 people tested positive for the virus today
• 230 people died with it in the community in the last 24 hours
• 138 people died with it in hospitals on 13 & 14 February
• Today is Day 41 of Lockdown 3; Day 328 since the official announcement of Lockdown 1; and Day 336 since our-self-imposed lockdown

So, I am still praying for all those affected by COVID – especially Harriet’s Dad who has caught it while in hospital being treated for pneumonia. Please send positive vibes. It’s a worrying time.

Take care everyone. God bless.