Isolation Day 112

Did alright, didn’t he? The ol’ man doing yesterday’s blog? Who’da thought it, eh?? Marvellous.

So, after a good night’s sleep, I woke up quite a bit more cheerful today, and shook off yesterday’s melancholia. None of us got up especially early – well, you might know Mum wouldn’t – even though we were all awake with the lark. I was particularly brightened by the thought of the Sutton Sleaths calling in. An early morning text to let me know that a picnic in the back garden was on, if that was OK and we hadn’t got any plans? Had to laugh. Plans?? None whatsoever – the only plans we have, generally speaking, are hospital trips and there were none of those today.

The weather had looked good early this morning, but by mid-morning the wind was up, and it was a bit cooler than I’d hoped. Let’s get the chiminea ready, I thought. At least we can huddle round the warmth of the flames if necessary. In the end, although the heat of the fire was very welcome, by the time the family arrived, the wind had slowed, and it was quite mild.

The car drew up on the drive and we excitedly went outside to greet them. William was asleep. Thomas was asleep. Well, thank goodness for small mercies – snoozing children on the ride over is always a bonus. We opened the back gate in readiness and invited them round into the garden. I shot upstairs to tell Mum they were here and get her up, but to my surprise, she was actually dressed and already grinning because she’d seen them arrive from out of her window.

Picnic blanket spread out on the lawn; picnic hamper opened and contents disgorged; sleeping baby; and one very happy William tucking into egg or cheese ‘n pickle sandwiches followed by fresh fruit and a brownie. Bliss. Even Grandma Hazel got in on the act once she’d had her breakfast, eagerly stepping out of the patio doors to see the new baby.

We had no idea how long the Sutton Sleaths would stay. I think they thought maybe a couple of hours; see how Thomas behaved, see how William was, see what the weather was like, and so on. We had no agenda. We had nowhere to go and nothing particular to do. The weather warmed up and the wind abated. Thomas fed and slept. And slept. William was as happy as a sand-boy rediscovering the garden – feeding the fish, playing on the swing and digging in the sandpit.

Despite the weather improving, Grandma Hazel went back indoors as she was getting chilly. She was disappointed though, not to be joining in. I moved the wing-backed chair into the patio door recess, so that she could watch in the warm. We all noted it was even more like Bates’ Motel, as she stayed there all afternoon, but she thoroughly enjoyed watching the to-ings and fro-ings of the family, smiling and waving at us all intermittently.

The sun came out and Michael and Danielle stretched out. One on the picnic blanket, one in the lounging chair. John chatted to them and I plucked at a few weeds and William joined in. We put the weeds into the ‘YumYum Bin’ (aka the green wheelie bin) which gobbled them up with its big mouth, ready to rot them down to make new soil. I know this because William told me so each time that we made the trip there and back.

We exhausted one flower bed and moved onto the next. We found little stones and started to collect those. William trotted back and forth with a handful of stones to place in the gravel bed at the top of the garden. Wagging his finger at me, he said, “You stay there Grandma, and you do some more weeding.” I stayed where I was told. Trotting back to me, he called out to John, each and every time, “Hers waiting for me!” and I would reply as, his eyes shining, he arrived back at his station near to me, “Yes, I’m here, waiting for you.” Then he’d say, “You’re my friend.” And I’d reply, “You’re my friend, too.” And thus, we spent a very happy hour, or even two, just searching flowerbeds for weeds and stones, marvelling at the different shapes and sizes of the stones; and discovering white, floaty, chick feathers which William placed safe in a bowl, and then in a teapot(!).

Meanwhile, Michael and Danielle rested. John rested. Thomas was asleep. William was playing with me. It was a lovely afternoon and my tears of yesterday, broken-hearted at not seeing Freddie so often and missing the Kenilworth Sleaths so acutely, was put into perspective. The time will come when I can companionably play with Freddie again, I am sure. He’ll have moved on from stones and feathers and weeds, but I shall look forward to whatever it is and wherever it is that his imagination takes him, and I’ll follow.

Finally, it was six o’clock. William was feeling hungry. Each of us feeling reluctant but we thought it must be time to go. We offered to make egg and chips, but it really was time to go. Chips in the making in Sutton, so no worries. A ‘Red Cross Food Parcel’, including a belated Easter Egg, was thrust upon them as they got into the car and then, with a smile and a wave, they were on the way.

Such an unexpected treat today. We had no idea when the day started that we would be enjoying ourselves so much. Felt like we were on holiday. And we felt very, very blessed to have been close to all three sons, as well as their wives and the grandchildren in the last few days. Lucky, lucky us to know love like this.

Meanwhile, people have still been infected with COVID-19 and died from it. The government reports 16 deaths in all settings up until five o’clock yesterday, and 352 people confirmed as infected. The NHS reports 3 deaths in hospitals for the same time period, and 10 deaths confirmed for the day before. My thoughts are with the families of all those people.

Love is all. Stay safe everyone. Keep on keeping on with all the precautions, lest the lurgy strike unexpectedly.