Back to Earth with a bump….

No darling Freddie to wake us up this morning. We just woke up to the memories of a wonderful couple of days and the hope that there’ll be more to come with all the grandchildren sooooon.

The news that there is a vaccine about to hit the streets is fantastic. We know that we won’t be first in the queue, but the fact that there is one on the horizon has boosted us no end. Which means that there is hope on the horizon too, and we might be able to see the family unrestricted sometime next year. Fingers crossed anyway – even if it’s late into the year. This time next year, Rodney…..

I came down to the earth with a bit of a bump this morning though, I must confess, and immediately missed the company of a youngster. On the other hand, I did get on with jobs that I wouldn’t have done otherwise. If Freddie had been here, I wouldn’t have cared about the jobs, but as he wasn’t, I thought I might just as well get on with them. Put all those galloping thoughts about the family into a compartment, and on we go.

So it was back to painting and decorating and tidying. Before I started anything though, I decided I’d make a list to keep me on track. Crikey! I had a list three pages long!! There is so much to do and I am still a bit slow. For example, I did a bit, then thought “Oooh, a cup of tea would be nice. John? Would you like a cup of coffee? I’m making tea for me.” And then there’d be a little sit down to drink tea and coffee. Then a little while later, it would be, “John! I’m making a spot of lunch. Do you want any?” Then a little sit down while we had a bite to eat. Mid-afternoon, it was more tea and perhaps a bit of fruit. Late afternoon, it was a case of, ‘I think I’d better get on with the quiz for this evening.’ and another sit down at the computer this time. No wonder nothing much happens in the decorating line…..

Mind you, I did spend a fair bit of time looking for a lost roller. A teeny, tiny little thing that had shot off a piece of specialist equipment John was using to fit the rear windscreen on the Lotus. I had gone into the garage to put the paint pots up onto the shelving and could hear John puffing and blowing – and generally cursing, too. “You OK?” I asked. There was a growl or two and it transpired that the fitting of the rear window wasn’t going to plan. Not helped, of course, by the loss of the teeny, tiny roller.

No worries, I thought, I’m sure to find it quickly. Erm… nope. Nowhere to be seen. I know, I thought, I’ll sweep up and it’ll just roll into my dustpan. Nope. OK. Time to get the big guns out. Got the big broom. Nope. Still no luck. By now, I was praying to Saint Anthony. Dawn tells me he has never failed her yet. And he didn’t fail me either. No sooner asked for than the said piece was found, hiding behind a piece of upholstery. Not sure if it helped John fit the rear windscreen any easier, but I felt I had done my bit.

We had the quiz evening tonight and a very enjoyable time. Although, it must be said, that as I was quiz master, I am not sure how much anyone else enjoyed it. I don’t know how it is, but I always seem to choose difficult questions…..We normally come out with about 75% of correct answers. I have only set the quiz twice and the first time, the team answered 53% correctly. Oh. Today it was about 67%….. Oh. Oh, dear. And I thought the questions might be easy as we’d had some of them before. Ah, well, I’ll try harder next time.

So, I still haven’t started the Christmas decorations, even though John rushed out on Monday to buy the tree in anticipation of me and Freddie getting on with it. It’s got the fairy on the top, but that’s all. Maybe tomorrow? Yes, maybe tomorrow. Well, that’s if I’m not decorating the snug….

There are still a fair few people infected with the virus and too many dying from it. By now, of course, we know people who have been infected and died from it. But it’s always a shock isn’t it, when you hear of someone else you know who has succumbed? We received our first Christmas Card this morning, only to find a note in it from my friend with whom I worked at OCR, telling us that her husband had died from the virus in February. It was a very sobering moment as we read through her note.

Today’s stats, then:

• 16170 people have been confirmed as infected with the virus today
• 648 people have died from the virus today in the community
• 194 people have died from the virus in hospitals over the last couple of days
• Today is day 28 of Lockdown 2
• And we are on Day 259 since we started our self-isolation in March.

Even if you are not the praying sort, please spare a thought for all those in trouble just now – whether it be through illness (COVID-related or otherwise) or in financial difficulty. There’s such a lot of it about. And, in the meantime, take care everyone. Stay safe and God bless.