The ride is slowing down

After the excitement of the last couple of days, the ride is beginning to slow down. Although John had a rotten night. Attached to a machine into his arm, he had to drag the darn thing with him every time he needed the loo. And, because the drip is pumping oodles of fluid into his body, he seemed to need the loo every hour. Not only that, but the machine was a pump-driven one which, for some reason, would stop working every half hour or so and start beeping. John would have to press the buzzer for the nurse to come and re-set the machine. As you can imagine, he didn’t get a lot of sleep.

This morning, the nurse was so frustrated with the pump-machine that he changed it for a gravity drip which doesn’t beep. John thought he might get a bit of shut-eye then, but no. They woke him up to give him tablets, or to take his vitals signs and then, at various intervals, to take blood – including another phial for another COVID test. John seems to think that they’ll test him for COVID every day now. His arm was covered in a selection of plasters, bandages and bruises where they had poked at him throughout the morning. My poor, darling husband. I am keen to get him out of hospital and back home as soon as we can.

I, on the other hand, had a better day and relaxed a bit. The COVID test I had done yesterday came back negative this morning, so that meant that I could go over to the hospital to take some things for John. However, by the time the result arrived, it was a bit short notice before I was due to take part in an on-line writing course at 2 o’clock. John said not to worry about taking his stuff today in the end, so I took him at his word.

The on-line course was wonderful. It’s called Writing for Wellbeing and it is intended to help you capture your life in a positive way. Today’s session was called ‘Finding Beauty’ and I came away from the session very much uplifted.

I was also uplifted by dear Margaret and Chris calling in on me with a bar of chocolate. *Does a little dance* We had a fabulous doorstep chat, too, so that cheered me up no end. Also, unexpectedly, Anita rang on the little WhatsApp group we’ve set up for the college girls. She had been texting to the group and, by accident, caught the phone button and rang us all. I was the only one who answered (the others were being saintly and potting up plants in their gardens), and we spent a good fifteen minutes chatting, with Anita offering me wise advice, before I had to say au revoir as it was writing time.

There was also a dose of Sutton Sleaths injected into the day, with Thomas crawling all over the place and interested in anything but his toys. Why is that? Why do kids always make a bee-line for the prohibited? No idea. William had been watching Paw Patrol and was letting his imagination run riot with ‘those scallywag pirates’ having stolen his life jacket. I had a grin on my face from beginning to end of the video call, I can tell you.

I had been hoping to catch up with Paul today, too, for a bit of a chat, but he called me just as I was getting going on the writing. Then I called him just as he was at the park – but he was unable to talk. He was about to trundle Harriet to A&E. Oh, Lord, what now? Now, some of you will understand this, and others won’t. There was a rope swing, you see, hanging from a tree….. Harriet, a girl after my own heart, acting her shoe size and not her age, decided to have a go on the swinging rope. The rope bit back and she fell. The bone in her finger is now broken into 4 pieces and the nail bed is ripped out, too. Ouch.

In better news, baby Arthur is home! Such exciting news. Lovely photographs of them all arriving home with Arthur in his car seat/carry seat, and another beautiful photo of him snug as a bug in his Moses basket. So pleased for them. Of course, the hard work begins now, doesn’t it? I wish them all health and happiness and God speed.

With regards to the COVID situation nationally, the figures are continuing to improve, with the rate of infection slowing and those infected today down under the 10k mark.

• 9,834 people tested positive for the virus today
• 215 people died in the community with the virus in the last 24 hours
• 140 people died in hospitals on 19 & 20 February
• We are now through Day 46 of Lockdown 3; Day 334 since official Lockdown 1 began; and Day 342 since John and I hunkered down.

On the bright side though, spring is on the way! I opened the window in the lounge while I painted the windowsill this morning and the birds were singing their little hearts out. It was so beautiful. The crocuses and snowdrops are out, and the daffodils are burgeoning. Stay focused people, better days are coming. God bless. Oh, and here’s a picture of the snowdrops I was talking about, to cheer you up.