Well, well, well. I have actually finished painting the ‘library’ area in the lounge. I have even tidied it up, strapped all the wires together to unravel the rats’ nest that was under the desk and hung the curtains back up.
There is still the wallpapering to do and the curtains to be steam cleaned, but I am not doing that yet, as I am moving on to another project.
You may recall a while ago that John really worked hard putting new laminate flooring in the former office. A room that we still don’t know what to call – it’s still the ‘former office-cum-snug-cum-gym’. No doubt we’ll get its name sorted one day. However, I digress. I have pinched a roll of very smart wallpaper from the Kenilworth Sleaths (more of their cast-offs, thank you very much) and plan to repaint the whole room and paper one wall – in time for Christmas. This is a contingency. Just in case Mum comes over at Christmas and can’t get herself up the stairs. We will put a bed in there and it is there that she will sleep. She will have access to the cross-trainer if she would like it too, as that will be housed there also – well, probably, if there’s enough room, that is.
However, I shan’t bore you with the day-to-day blows of how I get on in there unless there is something really exciting to report. I mean, I’ve done the decorating thing to death, haven’t I?
So, I have done decorating and tidying all day, but John, however, has been writing his ‘thank you’ letters – I think. Well, he’s been on the computer in the computer room all afternoon anyway, so I think that’s what he’s been doing. And his birthday celebrations have gone on. He’s had a couple more presents arrive today but, disappointingly, a couple of things still haven’t arrived. A lovely card that Carol made and was posted last Monday – there’s still no sign of that; nor is there a sniff of a lovely perishable that Christiana sent in the post on a ‘signed for’ delivery, last Thursday. If the perishable does arrive, however, at this rate there might be more than a sniff…..
John wondered where the day had gone to. Then he remembered. He’d stayed in bed until lunchtime, then spent the afternoon on the computer and whoosh! There it was gone. It’s amazing how quickly the day goes when you spend half of it in bed.
I had a little chat to Lily this afternoon via text messaging – it was her birthday yesterday and it sounds like she had a lovely time and had all the gifts a girl could want. Catherine did that lovely elder sisterly thing of hosting a quiz night for Lily and her friends. I thought was an amazing thing to do, given the situation we’re all in. However, the excitement of the day clearly took its toll and Lily has felt under the weather all day today, with swollen glands, which is a shame.
We also had a nice little chat to William this afternoon via video-messaging. He is very excited that it’s my birthday this week. He thoroughly enjoyed the excitement of John’s birthday, so he can’t wait for the next one! Oooh, grandchildren. I just want to squeeze them tight and never let them go.
But, having said yesterday that I thought I was getting the hang of this lockdown lark, I find myself a bit up and down today. The ‘up’ of course was getting my little bit of decorating done; the ‘down’ was triggered by a WhatsApp conversation with the College Crew, postponing our lovely, annual Ragdale Hall trip, from this coming February to February 2022. Oh…. that’s so not good. Fingers crossed that the virus will be under control by then and we’ll be able to enjoy our few days away together. It is just such a wonderful time together each year that it breaks my heart to have to say ‘let’s not risk it this time’. So much heartache over the last eight months that it’s crippling sometimes.
Anyway, I do my best to look on the bright side – no-one likes a moaner, do they? Although I am not sure there is much of a bright side to the volume of deaths due to COVID today: nearly 600 people (598), in the community and 204 in hospitals over the last two days; although the volume of people infected was slightly down at 20,051.
Stay safe everyone. Do lots and lots of hand-washing, mask wearing and ventilating indoor areas if you’re with work-colleagues or work men. God bless.
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