Chilly nights. We’ve had a few of those, and I don’t normally worry about them since we’re lucky enough to have a nice, toasty home. But tonight……hmmm…. it’s a chilly night and the boiler isn’t working. No worries, we have an open fire roaring in the grate in the lounge, creating warmth and a cosy glow. We have a fan heater for Mum in her room to provide a ten-minute blast of hot air before bed and a nice hot water bottle between the sheets, as well as offers of convector heaters if we need them. Not sure if there’ll be a chilly morning, but we’ll see. Thank goodness it’s forecast for a lovely day tomorrow, although maybe we’ll have to do a Joe Wickes warm-up to take the chill off!!
I did phone our heating engineer, who said he’d closed his business due to the lock-down, but obviously, for customers like ourselves he’d consider making a call-out. In the meantime, can we have a go at sorting the heating out ourselves with a bit of over-the-phone guidance? Twice the boiler self-started just for knowing the heating engineer was on the other end of the phone. But eventually, no avail, and it has sat, stubbornly, refusing to fire up since. Probably have to get the manufacturer out. Next week, maybe. I suppose that’s allowed, is it?
In the meantime, great excitement with the Virtual Grand National this afternoon. Pete and Dawn prepared a Sweepstake and included us. Much shouting at the TV and groaning when a horse fell. John had been allotted ‘Walk in the Mill’ which came in second to much whooping. Prizes will be available once we’re released from jail. Oh, no! Sorry! Sorry! I’ll try that again…. prizes will be released once we’re out of isolation. We’ll look forward to that.
Other than that, highlights of the day have been beautiful interactions with our wonderful boys; banter and uplifting words from friends in various WhatsApp groups; watching that great, classic film ‘Nine to Five’ with Mum, who thoroughly enjoyed it; John rummaging about in his ‘Man Shed’; and me, doing a bit of a paint job on a pair of brilliantly-made ‘feet’ to attach at the base of the fireplace surround in the kitchen.
Home-life is lovely, but social-life is better. Let us hope that the latter will not be too long in the waiting as we continue to do all we can to keep the numbers down of people who are poorly or dying of COVID-19. Latest count: nearly 42,000 people are infected, and 4,313 have died. Most of the nation weeps for everyone affected. Let us pray that the unenlightened will soon come to their senses and take all appropriate precautions. God bless.