Feeling Blue

I started this blog to capture the essence of our response to the pandemic and lockdown when it all began just over a year ago. We felt panic then, when the virus was out of control, and when we didn’t really know how best to handle it. A year on and, because we’re a rich country, we have vaccinated a good proportion of the population and the virus is no longer spreading out of control. Generally speaking, we know how to control the spread of the virus and the population is abiding by the rules.

This means that it’s good news with the number of people with positive tests today just 2,490; the people who died in the community just 15; and the people who died in hospitals are – take your pick: yesterday it was 8 on 4 & 5 May but today it’s 7 on those very same days.

As the year has rolled on, we have begun to feel much less panicky, although many are experiencing an underlying ‘blue’ mood, because we are all still looking over our shoulders, still fettered by fear and muffled by masks.

Now, I continue the blog to capture the long-suffering sense that we are not yet in control of our destiny. Not only is it affecting John and me, but many people we know, too. So what better way than to exercise some control than at the polling stations, then, eh?

Hmmm…. I don’t know about you, but we feel even less in control of our futures now. We clearly all said: ‘Let’s vote for more of the same, shall we?’ Let’s paint the country blue – unless you live in Scotland, where it was, and will be, yellow; or Wales, where it was, and will be, red. ‘Better the devil you know….’ has been the voters’ motto it seems to me – no?

Anyway, I’ll not dwell on politics. We don’t have the energy for a fight, so we plod on with our daily doin’s, pray for better weather and throw shoes at the telly.

After the dog-walk this morning, we nipped over to Mum’s care home to drop some money off. I am still getting to grips with how things work over there, and so found, unexpectedly, that a little stash of money is required to pay for things like a chiropodist or a hairdresser. The money is kept by the staff rather than the residents, which is a good thing. Mum no longer has any real concept of money, so I am glad she hasn’t got to start rummaging in her purse for cash.

On our return, we did a spot of tidying up and pottering about before we sat and had a sandwich. I glanced at the clock, planning my afternoon…..then, all of a sudden remembered I had intended to go to my little prayer group this afternoon. So off I toddled, setting off at the last minute. I really enjoyed the session and was delighted to see others face-to-face, sharing ideas and anecdotes with them. We talked about prayer itself today, which was fascinating, ‘cos I think I’ve never been very good at it.

When I got back, I found that John had been wrestling with the new barbecue. These things arrive flat-packed, of course, and require clear eyes and nimble fingers to assemble them. But I was delighted to see that John was well on the way to completing it. We only lost one little widget…..

John had also spent some time today composing an email to the company that makes the chassis for the Lotus. Fingers crossed he gets a positive reply. The hope is that he’ll whizz the car across to them for them to re-jig the chassis to make it all square again. I’m wondering whether this is worthy of prayer? I do know it’s worthy of a fervent wish, if nothing else.

We had hoped for a good day on the medical front today, but the best laid plans are often thwarted and there we were, thwarted. John’s drugs for the nebuliser had arrived yesterday afternoon and we were all set up for him to settle into a comfy seat and breath in their goodness this morning. However, before John nestled in, we had a little disagreement about how the drugs were to be dispensed. We thought, therefore, that it be best to contact the respiratory team at Heartlands for verification….

Hold your horses!! Do nothing. The drugs that have been dispensed are different to those John has had before. A compatibility test may be needed. “I’ll check with the pharmacist,” said Pam, the respiratory nurse. We waited a while and then she phoned us back. “Can you wait until next week? The pharmacist isn’t sure and wants to ask her boss. Her boss isn’t in until Monday or maybe Tuesday of next week….” If I had had my wits about me, I’d have suggested they phone the pharmacy at the QE, but I didn’t, so we’re waiting. Grrr…..

It’s the weekend. Take care everyone – enjoy yourselves and God bless. In the meantime, try this prayer for size.

St Patrick’s Breastplate Prayer

 Christ with me,
 Christ before me,
 Christ behind me,
 Christ in me,
 Christ beneath me,
 Christ above me,
 Christ on my right,
 Christ on my left,
 Christ when I lie down,
 Christ when I sit down,
 Christ when I arise,
 Christ in the heart of 
every man who thinks of me,
 Christ in the mouth of
everyone who speaks of me,
 Christ in every eye that sees me,
 Christ in every ear that hears me.