Isolation Day 97

Two days on the trot!! Another good day with some icing on the cake.

As it was Father’s Day, I left John to snooze on this morning and took him a cup of coffee when I was having my mid-morning cuppa. “Happy Father’s Day!!” I said, and offered him a little parcel, which he said he’d open later. No worries, I’d already ‘been to church’ and was just going to the Zoom coffee congregation catch-up, so that suited me.

The church service was uplifting and interesting and, once again, I loved Kim playing the music for us. His ability to capture the mood of whatever music he is playing is just marvellous and brings a smile to my face every time. Sang my heart out, as usual.

The Zoom coffee interlude was also interesting. As we get more used to talking to each other on this medium it is getting easier. There’s not quite so much talking over each other – although I have to confess, I did do that a little bit, today. Lovely to see everyone who joined in, though. And grateful thanks Moira and Mark who always do the leg work on this.

By the time I’d finished nattering, John was up and ready to open his parcel. I had my fingers crossed he liked his gift because it was something I wanted too. We’d been talking about lighting up the garden and how we were going to improve it, so I’d bought a pair of solar-panelled pheasants to stand on the lawn. Thought the ‘Estate’ could just about take it, y’know…..

He does like them and so they are now outside, wandering about the lawn until a) they actually light up, and b) they find their natural habitat. Can’t wait to see what the obese pigeons make of them when they come into land tomorrow morning.

Of course, it was a struggle to get Mum out of bed again. It’s become a well-worn ritual now. I start suggesting she might like to get up at about 9.30. She demurs. I go in again at about 10.30 and she makes moves as if she’s about to get up – and I believe her. At 11.30, I pop in again, usually to find her fast asleep again. A drink of cool water is offered, and the covers are slightly drawn back, and she says, yes, yes, she’ll get up. One o’clock and she’s made it downstairs to have a bowl of cereal. Tomorrow I am going to try a different tack. Don’t know what yet, but the constant tussle to remove her from her bed is getting wearing now.

John and I were busy in the garden all afternoon, so much so that we forwent our lunch. Which meant Mum did too, although she did eat at 1.00. John decided to tackle one of the low-spreading conifers that we’ve got at the front of the patio and cut it down. What a slog. Really hard work. And not only that, once he’d cut the thing down there was all the brash to take care of, and where were we going to put it? Haven’t planned another skip for a week or two yet.

I was busy filling hanging baskets and pots with the compost Peter had brought yesterday and the plants Louise had brought on Friday. Hmmm….totally out of compost again already!!!

At four o’clock, Mum started her perambulations and John and I were getting weary, so I suggested we have a break and a cup of tea. Mum said she was hungry, so I offered her cake and biscuits. I took the opportunity of the break to pop a chicken casserole in the oven, intending to eat about 5-ish to accommodate all our rumbling tummies. Just as we were about to settle to drink our tea though, the doorbell rang. Who should be standing there but our Andrew again!! I was just as excited today as I was last week!! We hadn’t expected him to visit today – he’d promised to come tomorrow, so it was another delightful surprise and the icing on the cake.

We started off in the garden for our chat but the heavens opened and so it was the ‘awkward pose’ instead – i.e. Andrew perched on the little chair in the porch with the front door open, and John and me half-way down the hall. Of course, we chatted and chatted and chatted. Then, when it came nearly time to go Andrew emptied the back of the car – lots of his stuff coming home again for storage as he moves out of his flat in a few weeks’ time.

Just as we’re in the throes of furniture lifting, all manner of things happened at once. Margaret and Chris called with a Lotus magazine for John and we had a great ‘path chat’ for a while. Paul phoned just as we were greeting them, so John had to cut the call short; and then Mother came hovering at the front door….. she was hungry still. “Come on out to see Andrew.” I invited. She shook her head. “I’m too hungry to come out.” she said – I had to laugh. The great outdoors is not for her – even to see her grandson. Oh, well.

The planned early evening meal became a late evening meal as we hung onto Andrew for as long as we could. I thought he might stay to eat, but we weren’t sure the weather would hold, and so he said he’d head back. I’d stuck another jacket potato in the oven in anticipation of feeding an extra mouth. However, when he said he wasn’t going to stay I thought I’d parcel it up for him to eat on the way home, until I suddenly remembered that he’s doing a ‘no-carb’ diet. I ended up eating the potato myself. But I’d forgotten that, actually, white potatoes don’t really agree with me……still, at least I hadn’t wasted it, even if I have got tummy ache now.

So, Father’s Day was a great day. All three sons either video-chatting or there in person; jobs done; gifts received and enjoyed, and love shared. Blessings, no? Oh, yes.

The government reports that, by nine o’clock this morning, 43 people had died of COVID-19 in all settings. 1,221 people were confirmed as infected with the virus. The NHS reported that 7 people had died in hospitals up to five o’clock yesterday (20 June 2020) with 22 deaths having been confirmed for the day before.

I am still confused about the stats though. Anyone else? The government’s chief statistician, Sir Ian Diamond, stated today that there are 3,000 new cases of COVID-19 every day – presumably the other 1800 aren’t counted for the daily briefing because those people haven’t had the tests. But how do they know these numbers one way or another?

In the meantime, stay safe, folks and love each other – that’s the way to do it in these troubling times.