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It’s Day 235 since we shuffled to the back of our cave in March. Came out of hiding a little bit in the summer months but we’re back to it again today, with the first day of lockdown number two, in response to the second wave of COVID-19 infections.

In the absence of a shopping delivery, however, we were forced to go into Solihull this morning to ‘click and collect’ from Waitrose. As it turned out, it wasn’t too bad at all, parking in a space for the disabled, whereupon John produced his badge to authorise our stay, and in we went. A minute or two to wait while the customer service assistant sorted out a chap in front of us and then it was our trun. Off she toddled and brought back a trolley full of trays, the contents of which we offloaded into the car and that was it. Easy-Peasy Lemon Squeezy.

I know it’s the beginning of lockdown, but we made a detour on the way home via Sutton to drop off packets of nappies that we’d got in with our shopping. The Sutton Sleaths were running low on supplies, there being no deliveries and them not wanting to venture to Asda if they could help it, so we added nappies to our list. Danielle slipped out of the house with Thomas in her arms, opened the boot, grabbed the nappies and there we were. All hunky-dory and no harm done.

Home and a bite to eat, before it was decorating and DIY time. John nipped upstairs to fit a new blind to the computer room, much to my delight. We had had a roller blind at the window there but the sun streams in, and so we have to keep the blind almost permanently pulled down, making the room a bit dark. I was so delighted with the venetian blind we bought for the kitchen that I suggested we buy the same for upstairs. And it is fabulous IMHO (in my humble opinion, for the uninitiated among you…).

And the last trip out was a drive over to Paul’s to grab a roll of wallpaper that was surplus to requirements chez eux so that I now have all the essential things I need for the decorating marathon I am planning over the next week or two. Well, maybe month or three……

And then I started painting the top coat on the book shelves. Another coat to go and then they’ll be ready to use. However, it’s one of those…. we will have to unscrew the book case from the wall again, so that I can paint the wall behind it. Oh, and while I’m at it, I’ll need to do the skirting board. And, of course, there’s the ceiling to paint. Crikey, there’s such a lot to do! Where to start, eh?

John offered to cook the evening meal for which I was grateful. I was nearly at the finishing line with the painting, but I could feel myself getting slapdash, so I abandoned it in favour of eating. Always a good move, I find.

Naturally, having sat down on the sofa, we weren’t so keen on getting off it again then. But we had a fabulous interlude, face-timing the Kenilworth Sleaths so that we could join in with their firework party. It was lovely.

We ended up watching a programme about an unsolved murder and then, because we couldn’t fancy much else on TV I had a look at the films and, to my surprise and delight, we were able to tune into ‘A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood’ starring Tom Hanks. I had been keen to see the film at the cinema, but with one thing and another we hadn’t got there before they stopped showing it. I thoroughly enjoyed it, but John was a little bored and gave up half-way through. He’s in one of those funny moods – neither here nor there really and a bit pissed off with feeling breathless – and so indulged himself in all those lovely ‘no-noes’ – wine, chocolate, cake and, did I spy the empty peanut butter jar in the washing up bowl? He enjoyed the treats anyway, so that’s something.

In other news, we have relieved the Sutton Sleaths of one of their pumpkins which they had no time to carve at Halloween. It is huge and bigger than my head! Mind you, that’s not difficult….It is sitting on our table and we are busy researching a thousand and one recipes now to use it up. Any suggestions anyone?

Even more exciting news, is that the goldfish bowl that I let the Sutton Sleaths have, now has an occupant! Allow me to introduce…….drum roll….. not a goldfish but a firefighter fish. And his name? Marshall, of course!! (Paw Patrol…… for those wot don’t know.)

Well, that’s better than COVID news, isn’t it? John and I have both been coughing a bit today and hoping we’re not going to be a statistic – the likes of which are: 24,141 people confirmed as infected today and 378 deaths in the community; 143 deaths in hospitals on 3 & 4 November. Let’s look at the fish instead, shall we?

Look after yourselves everyone. God bless.

It’s Day 234 since we went into hiding in March. People have been to rescue us on many occasions and will do so again, but will the world ever be the same? Watching the scenes and listening to the rhetoric over ‘the pond’ in the USA, I am beginning to doubt it. The world is shifting…..

Today has been peppered with newsflashes of who might or might not be winning the two-horse race over in the USA to elect a new President. Predictably, Trump is crying foul because he is not yet in the lead, claiming that the voting was fraudulent. It’s a little bit scary how he wangles things to his own advantage and I am not convinced he won’t yet to do it. I’m watching with bated breath. And, whoever wins, I think there are likely to be riots.

In the meantime, we are continuing with our humdrum lives here, anticipating lockdown at 00.01hrs tonight, Thursday 5 November, not having had our firework party. In the end, I transported the finger rolls and sausages for the hot dogs, the toffee apples and the Bonfire cakes to both the Sleaths in Sutton and Kenilworth so that they could have their own jamboree in their own back gardens at their leisure.

John wasn’t feeling so good this morning, made miserable, I think, by the re-visiting of the ‘stay home’ order and the constant attention by the medics. He took yet another phone call today from the radiologist at Solihull very kindly inviting him to attend another something or other – x-ray, CT scan, MRI, who knows? We have no idea what it’s in aid of, but needless to say, he’ll be there at the appointed time of 18.55, and we’ll look forward to finding out the results in due course.

John decided he’d come with me on the trip to Sutton because he’d got a desk to deliver over there. Danielle is making lovely trinkets and needs a good wide working area – we have a desk spare, so off it goes to its new home. The only trouble was, we couldn’t really get it in the car, despite it being in three pieces. “You’ll have to put the roof down,” John declared. So I obliged, and we slotted the pieces in onto the back seat. We turned the seat-heating on to full, switched the blower from AirCon to Heat Up and donned warm clothing before we set off, roof down, on what seemed like a little adventure.

Thankfully, we arrived all in one piece and much to Michael’s surprise. He hadn’t known we were going over, as I’d made the arrangement with Danielle. Hearing the dog barking like mad, he came up from his office at the bottom of the garden to investigate. “It’s only us!” Crikey, I feel like we’re in a bit of sitcom. We’ll be ‘yoo-hooing’ next!!

Desk safely delivered, baby Thomas cooed over and a quick cuppa later and we were back on our way home. John was a bit more cheerful. It’s all about purpose isn’t it? We had had a purpose and achieved it. We had a delightful chat (yes, honestly!) to Thomas who continues to ‘talk’ to us and grin and chuckle at us, which filled our souls with love. We had an equally delightful chat with Michael and Danielle which satisfied our intellectual needs. And I’d had the double bonus of already having been to Paul’s and been filled up with all that love and brain stimulation there as well.

So we went home cheered up. Once we were back, John busied himself preparing the evening quiz. I busied myself inspecting the back of my eyelids again. I had been watching the election unfold but I’d clearly got bored and my eyes drooped and there I was, asleep.

Had a lovely time with everyone as we did the quiz this evening. John was Quiz Master and he set us some questions we’d had before, some we really couldn’t answer and some that were controversial. All of which made for an enjoyable and varied evening. The question on our lips, as a result, was: Are masks effective in preventing infection transmission? What do you think, folks? Are they? Or not?

Whatever the answer, I’m still wearing mine. I don’t want to be a new statistic nor infect anyone I love. And the statistics, today, are that 25,177 people have been confirmed as COVID-19 positive and 492 people have died. Sorry, I’ll just say that again….. Four Hundred and Ninety-Two people. As someone said – that’s a jumbo jetful of people who’ve died from the virus in the last 24 hours, not to mention the additional 156 who died in hospitals on 2 & 3 November.

So, apart from having to ‘click and collect’ my shopping tomorrow as there were no delivery slots, we are not going out. I have bought enough paint and wallpaper and wallpaper paste to keep me going for months, and we have a list as long as your arm of the jobs that need to be done here on the Forth Bridge – oh, sorry, I mean, here at home.

God bless. Look after yourselves – don’t become a statistic if you can help it. Please.

This is Planet Earth. The Sleath household currently occupying a little plot of land in the United Kingdom and Day 233 of our battle, as a nation, to oust the dreaded lurgy by staying at home, washing our hands, wearing masks and keeping our distance to keep safe. Two days before the next ‘stay at home’ session.

I was keen this morning. Got out of bed relatively early and got myself up to the church hall for a yoga class. Thoroughly enjoyed it – even found a few core muscles which I’d mislaid during lockdown. As before, I wore my mask throughout and stationed myself by the open doors, to keep any stray bugs at bay. Nobody laughed at me.

This was the first yoga session of the new half-term. Sadly, it’s also probably the last. Sports activities are denied in the next ‘keep yourselves safe’ month, so no more physical, face-to-face classes. We are going to have a go at Zooming the classes instead, which will be fun. I am expecting to be able to motivate myself to do those. Couldn’t self-motivate at all when they were on YouTube, even though the ones I did download were very good.

While I was out, John took himself down to the local surgery for a blood test. He walked down because I had the car. I took pity on him though and, after my class had finished, I drove down to the surgery to meet him. He didn’t know I was going and he was very relieved to see me. He was just weighing his options up as to which route to take – the hill-climb, or the round-the-Wrekin route; he wasn’t sure which would be the easier, but neither seemed tempting.

I am not really sure what either of us did this afternoon. I know I did a lot of faffing about. In my head, I was going to tackle all sorts of things, but I felt tired and couldn’t get going. John did some sorting in the garage, some computer work and some tidying of ‘stuff’. Having disposed of the spare desk in the soon-to-be library area just off the lounge, there is an excess of all sorts.

Just before lunch, Danielle called in to collect some bubble wrap that I’ve been hoarding for years. She has designed some lovely gifts for Christmas and is selling them on her newly set up Etsy shop. She has had quite a few orders and is starting to parcel items up to send off. Thank God for a hoarder, is all I can say…… plenty of packaging material here, folks.

For all my faffing about I did do one or two things: I made the final touches to the front door – the paint, having dried, wasn’t going to be spoiled if I cleaned the windows. So I got on and did that and then re-hung the curtain. I prepped lunch and our evening meal – which goes without saying, I suppose, but takes time and effort and thought. I also sifted through a very fat folder that I had brought home from Mum’s to see if there was anything in there that she needed, or whether I could chuck it all out. It was, of course, the latter, so that’s all ready to go in the recycling bin (which is currently full, so I shall hopefully sneak it all into the neighbour’s bin when it’s been put out onto the pavement on Thursday night! Tee-hee!! Did a bit of pot-washing and pot-putting away too, as well as washing clothes. So, although I say I faffed, most of it was useful faffing.

We had thought we might have a pre-lockdown family get-together tomorrow with fireworks, since Bonfire Night is now cancelled on Thursday. So I sped round to the shops to buy sausages and finger rolls and toffee apples in readiness. However, it transpires that one of Paul’s colleagues has been in contact with a positive case of COVID, so we thought it best not to risk it in the end. I am bitterly, bitterly disappointed, but know it’s the right thing to do. The food has now been shoved into the freezer awaiting a defrosting of the restrictions in a month’s time, and hopefully we can do it then.

It was Bake-Off this evening, and I was so disappointed to see Lottie go. She was my favourite and I was hoping she might even win. Ah, well, got to pick another winner now! Afterwards, John decided he’d have an early night, but I stayed up a bit to watch some of the USA election discussions. With the results even more unpredictable than the UK ones, I decided to give up not long into it. What a lot of hot air there is about it all. Whatever happens though, Trump will be the headline, I have no doubt.

Talking of hot air, there’s a lot of it in relation to whether or not the COVID infection rates really are going up or whether it’s all lies. With 20,018 people infected today, 397 dead in the community and 139 dead in hospitals in the last couple of days, I suspect the rate really is continuing to rise and the decision to keep us all close to our homes is probably the right one.

So, take care everyone – it feels like the lurgy is lapping at our feet. God bless.

It’s Day 232 since we first locked down in March and shielded. Now, we are just being very careful before lockdown number 2, starting this Thursday.

Having managed to do my blog early yesterday I was in bed and tucked up before midnight. I had switched the light off and might even have been asleep before the bewitching hour, for a change! Certainly, I slept well (although John didn’t) and I woke up quite refreshed for once this morning.

First job was to nip over to Coventry to Mum’s house to do the annual inspection. Mask on, two metres apart and windows open. All good and it took all of ten minutes. Fingers crossed that the tenants want to stay there for the foreseeable.

Just as I was on my way there though, the phone rang, which I couldn’t answer as I was driving. However, when I checked later, I saw that it was Harriet, letting us know that Freddie was hankering after a picnic in our back garden this afternoon. It was an INSET day and he was at a loose end. Well, I wasn’t going to say ‘no’ was I?

Once I was home, I cleaned up the windows in the front door after my little painting job yesterday and then we had lunch before the Kenilworth Sleaths arrived. I had thought I might phone them to say “It’s raining, here in Balsall Common,” but in the end, decided not to. And I am glad that I didn’t because the sun came out and it was absolutely wonderful out there.

To be fair, it was drizzling a little when they arrived, so the picnic was taken in the porch with the door open. Bless him, Freddie nipped to the loo and ended up with his jumper and jacket adrift from his trousers. With his back to the door and the draught seeping in, he said, “Brr… I’m cold!” No wonder. Trousers were pulled up to meet the top half of his clothes, which warmed him up and no harm done.

With the picnic eaten and drinks drunk we were pleased to see that the clouds had galloped away and the sun had come out, so we hot-footed it into the back garden. There, we wandered about as we do, admiring the fishpond, fishing out the duckweed and the seemingly millions of leaves that had drifted into it, checked on the stones that had been previously gathered and so on. We ended up half-way down the path and were just stood chatting exclaiming at the mounds of leaves on the ground, when I decided to grab the leaf rake and the ‘big hands’ and we started to gather them up. Freddie was in his element. He absolutely loved it. He was beside himself with excitement at finding all sorts of bugs and worms and things under the leaves, and was very busy using the ‘big hands’, then a specially-devised tub to gather the leaves and put them in the compost heap. We really did have fun.

We ended up near what Freddie calls his ‘tree-house’ and found a fair few dry twigs lying about, so we gathered them up too, and decided to light up the chimenea. That took a fair bit of doing and Grandpa had to come to the rescue as the twigs were clearly not quite right for kindling. But, you know, it was so beautiful to watch Freddie helping to light the fire and get it all set up. Reminded me of when the boys were little and did the same thing.

The adults were chatting by now and Freddie was getting bored so started being a bit daft, so we played a game of ‘chase’ round the garden. That was great fun too. And it struck me, as we were giggling our heads off at each other, that all I had heard all afternoon was Freddie chuckling or being positively excited at the afternoon’s activities. A game of Freddie roaring at me, and me pretending to be frightened, had him chuckling so hard and with such a belly laugh that it made me chuckle too. Oh, such bliss.

Just after four o’clock though, I thought we should call it a day. I wanted to shoot over to the paint shop to pick up my order which had come in. I also decided I needed to get the paint and wallpaper for the lounge in before lockdown as you never know whether it’ll be easy after ‘D’ day, do you?

We didn’t do much this evening although John has been busy sorting out the ‘office’ area in the lounge, where we had two desks and now we only have one. He dismantled one of them the other day in order to streamline to area so that I can have my library. Ooooh, I am so excited! It’s been a dream of mine for ever and I am hoping that the dream may now come true. We’re working on it any way.

On the COVID front 18,950 people have been confirmed as infected with the virus today and 136 people died from its effects in the community. 109 people died in hospitals on 31 October and 1 November.

Stay safe everyone. The nasties are out there to get us if we’re not careful! God bless.

It’s Day 231 since we first locked down and shielded in March 2020, and it’s four days before we go into ‘lockdown number 2’ on Bonfire Night.…..cue The Archers music……

I didn’t get up awfully early today, still feeling grumpy from yesterday’s news, but once I was up I didn’t feel too bad after all. I was too late for church, although I had hoped to go, as services are ended for a month after today. However, my bed called me and it was too cosy to get out of. That, despite the fact that, at six-thirty this morning, I was awake and had opened the curtains to enjoy the sunshine streaming in. Unfortunately, I fell back to sleep and the sunshine went away, leaving me to wake up again at nine o’clock. A bit late to scramble myself out of bed and get ready to go out.

The plan was to do some painting today – two lots if I could manage it: the front door and finish undercoating the bookcase.

It turned out that I couldn’t manage it. Just did the front door. Not too bad at all, but…. you know how new stuff contrasts with old stuff? Weeell, the door looks sparklingly white, but the architrave looks exceedingly scruffy now. Might have to tackle that next. Eeeh, it’s like the Forth Bridge here!

That is my only achievement today, other than popping to the shops for something for tea, cooking food and tidying round a little bit. I had thought I might go to Mum’s but I decided today wasn’t the day. Might go tomorrow. We’ll see.

After I’d finished the painting I had a bite to eat and shot round to the shops. Then I did that fatal thing of sitting on the settee for a while. I nodded off. John thought it was funny that I seemed to still be watching the wartime film, ‘Reach for Skies’ but in truth, I was inspecting the back of my eyelids.

John did some clearing up too and had another go at finishing sewing the cover for the patio table. It looks like its done now so it’ll go on the table tomorrow, in the daylight. Our eyes are so dim these days that night-time encroaches on any visibility, and we are stumped.

This evening we watched Strictly and Top Gear, and bemoaned the howling wind wrapping itself around the house and whistling down the chimney and slipping in between the gaps in the doorways, rattling the doors and their handles, and whispering through the rafters. The house is better than it was though, since we had new windows last year, so we don’t feel the draughts quite so badly now. But under the circumstances, bed is calling early tonight. Hibernation beckons with my ‘head in the sand’ mode now that ‘freedom’ has been snatched away again for a little while. Especially as it sounds exceedingly stormy outside. We have resisted the temptation to light a fire though – saving that treat for another day.

In other news, Andrew reports that his COVIID test came back negative, so that’s a relief, but that he is likely to be made redundant under the lockdown situation. That’s naff, isn’t it? I am waiting to hear exactly what his work will do……. but no work equals no pay, I think, so he may have to come home again until things ease off.

And talking of COVID – 23,254 people have been confirmed as infected today. 162 people have died in the community and 107 in hospitals on 30 & 31 October.

In the meantime, take care everyone. God bless – and I leave you with a poem that I thought says it all just now, from the Yorkshire Poet, Ian McMillan:

TALK TO EACH OTHER, AND LISTEN
Behind closed doors
A closed tear falls.

Behind closed walls
A closed smile paused.

Behind closed mouths
A closed song fades.

Behind closed eyes
A closed hope dies.

Day 230 since we locked down in March 2020.

Yes, yes, I know it’s not the actual situation or circumstance that makes you feel like this. Of course I realise it’s how you respond to a situation or circumstance that dictates your mood. I do understand that the external state of affairs can’t be changed. And I honestly recognise that how I perceive conditions in current society is personal, and not necessarily real. But it’s not making me any the less angry. Or upset. Or irritated.

Slam. The door, that was only an inch open anyway, is now shut. And if you talked to me this evening, I gave you short shrift. Sorry about that. But there we are. With apologies, but hope you can take it on the chin. As I should also take the latest announcement – on the chin and be gracious about it. But – for a nanosecond I wasn’t, and couldn’t be.

I opened a bottle of Prosecco, but funnily enough, all that alcohol didn’t help. Just made me more and more maudlin. The thing is, I think the fact that Boris kept everyone waiting and the plans were announced by Robert Peston on Twitter, hours before, is what got my goat. As if we are but nothing. And I know I have said this before but it is so redolent of Animal Farm. Nothing to see here, folks. I said what? No, no, you are imagining it…… these are the rules. They were what yesterday? No, no, you got that wrong. These are the rules. Do as we say, not as we do. Next!!

Anyway, rant over. Up until this evening it was a very good day.

The rain was being hurled against our windows early on and I dreaded the worst on the overflowing gutterings. However, it didn’t really last that long, and the very severe wind, having blown the rain hard, eventually blew the clouds away, revealing the most glorious sunshine and cracking colours. The trees, and the leaves that had been buffeted from them onto the ground below, swirling from the maelstrom into cosy corners, were aglow wherever you looked. Just stunning, absolutely stunning.

I made the trip into Kenilworth early on this morning to collect a coffee table I’d ordered, putting me in a great mood for the rest of the day. I even managed to buy one of the grandchildren’s Christmas presents while I was out, too. Once home, John helped me pop the table into the lounge and then it was ‘settle down’ time for the Grand Prix qualifying, then the rugby. Wales vs Scotland (we wanted Scotland to win), England vs Italy (we wanted Engerland to win), and Ireland vs France (we wanted France to win, but by not too big a margin). Our prayers were answered and lo, and behold! England won the 6 Nations Trophy. Great whooping and hollering in our household.

Before we actually settled down though, we had a glorious half hour with Freddie and Paul, unexpectedly – on the premise that it might the last chance for a while. I had just arrived back on the drive from my little shopping trip and who should pull up on the drive too, but them? How very, very lovely. Just calling in after swimming. We went out into the back garden and had a bit of a mess about there and a cup of tea but, more importantly, we sorted out some sweets for socially-distanced ‘trick or treating’. “Come on, Freddie, let’s tie the packets of sweets to the back of the chair.” Freddie was a great help. Although it was weird. A couple of packets seemed to need opening for trial purposes to make sure they were OK and up to the task of the ‘trick or treat’ evening ahead. Funny that. Fortunately, both the Maltesers and the Haribo were deemed quite satisfactory.

Having said farewell to them, we scooted back into the house. John to watch the sport and me to prep lunch before I started painting. Plan: paint the front door. Yes, I know I am half-way through painting the bookcase, but this needs doing too….and I’d like to get my curtain back up, thank you. So, I got all my bits and bobs out and then opened the tin of paint. “D’you know what, John? I don’t think I’ll have enough paint.” How much had I got left in the tin? About half an inch. Best go and buy some more then. Which I did, of course, but which meant that I was rather late doing the painting…. it’ll be interesting to see how it turns out in the morning, won’t it?

Having completed the painting for the day (it needs a second coat tomorrow) I got our evening meal ready and John suggested I might like to watch Strictly. Well, yes I would, but I am happy to watch the rugby too. He insisted, so I didn’t argue although, of course, we had to wait until Boris had finished his little spiel. We sat comfortably for a while until I thought that really John would prefer the rugby, so let’s watch that. So we mixed and matched our evening viewing interspersed with me getting ever more grumpy as the evening wore one. Ah well, tomorrow’s another day, so perhaps I’ll view it all in a different light then. Fingers crossed. I enjoyed both the rugby and Strictly though, so that was something.

21,915 people were confirmed as having contracted the virus today; 326 people died from it in the community and 150 people died in hospitals on 29 & 30 October. And Andrew’s COVID test was inconclusive so he’s got to do it all over again. Watch this space.

There is nothing to say that hasn’t already been said about the stats, is there? So I won’t, having had a good rant earlier.

In the meantime, take care everyone. God bless. Thinking of you all, such very precious people.

I am still counting….. it’s Day 229 since we went into Lockdown Number One. If the headlines in tomorrow’s papers are to be believed, it won’t be long before we are in Lockdown Number Two. Apparently, the rate of infection will soon turn into hospital cases and overload the NHS. Andrew reports that Midsummer House, the restaurant he works in, has closed for a week as a couple of his colleagues have tested positive for COVID. He’s self-isolating in Cambridge where historically COVID cases have been fairly light. We’re keeping our fingers crossed that he’s clear.

So, we were just gently passing the evening watching TV when the phone rang. I thought it was a mistake. A phone call on WhatsApp to all the members of the Sleath Tribe. No. No mistake. Michael phoned us all for a chat. How nice is that? So that’s what you do when Lockdown Looms…. Zoom!! Great fun and grateful for family.

The Zoom chat was the icing on the cake of a day that wasn’t too bad. We had planned to meet up with Paul, Harriet and Freddie this morning at Hatton Country World, but in the end, for one cause or another, we didn’t join them until later on this afternoon. Instead of an early outing, we both tackled jobs on our very long lists of ‘things to do’.

I started undercoating the bookshelves, but stopped at ten o’clock for a shower anticipating our trip out. When the trip didn’t transpire just then, I thought I’d re-hang the front door curtain that I’d taken down and washed. Horror of horrors though…. I realised that the door had never been painted since we installed it about three years ago. It had its primer on and John had put filler into gaps once it had been glazed but, nothing more. I decided to rectify the omission and started rubbing the door down to slap on a coat of paint. Oh… but I do hate prep!!

Meanwhile, John was up and flailing lots of waterproof material about. He had decided, at last, to make the cover for the patio table. “Where’s the sewing machine?” he asked. I had put it away. It had sat for weeks on the dining room table waiting for John to start this particular job, but with illness and weeks away and other distractions the job was put on one side. John hauled machine out. Next task: thread the bobbin. Ahh….. if only we could see. Between us, we got the machine working and John started sewing. I am not sure how far he has got and whether it’s actually finished, but the cover is on the table. Pat on the back, I reckon.

After our exertions (although I confess the front door still needs painting but the prep is done) we sat and had a cup of tea and a bite to eat before setting off to meet the Kenilworth Sleaths. And, do you know what? When we got there and met them in the café, we all sat down to a cream tea. Oh, yes. Nothing nicer than a cream tea and the company of family.

Freddie was a little monkey though – adorable, but a tinker. He was clearly over-excited, having been pumpkin-picking, haunted house visiting and hurling himself down the helter-skelter. And, of course, seeing us – I mean, who wouldn’t be excited at seeing us, eh? Anyway, he just couldn’t sit still at the table. He guzzled his way through a huge cup of hot chocolate and a couple of iced cakes, promptly said he was full and then started to fiddle with anything within range. Bless him. Thank goodness for mobile phones and children’s programmes streaming on them. That kept him entertained until it was time to leave. I think, for once, Paul and Harriet were probably pleased when it was time for bedtime…..

Take extra care everyone, and get ready for another ‘sesh’ at home to avoid adding to the statistics, which are: 24,405 people confirmed as infected with COVID-19 today; 274 people dead in the community; 113 people dead in hospitals.

And, here’s an oxymoron: Happy Halloween!!

God bless.

So Plan B worked. I toddled off to Sainsbury’s on the A45 to see if they had hazelnut milk – and they did. Snapped up 4 cartons of the stuff. That’ll keep the ol’ man going for another few days…..

I arrived at Sainsbury’s via a circuitous route. Semi-keen to get on with painting our new-to-us bookshelves, I decided I really needed to have some white spirit for brush cleaning, so I took myself off to Homebase this afternoon first. Got what I wanted and came out of the car park to head towards Sainsbury’s. Only I turned left, didn’t I, instead of turning right? I was only a few yards onto the southbound carriageway of the A45 when I remembered I should have been going the other way, but by then it was too late. I was committed to making the ‘long’ journey. I know, I thought, I’ll do a U-turn at the lights. Ha! No such luck. No U-turns allowed. I did finally get to the shop but not before I’d added a mile or two extra to the milometer.

While I was out, John thought he’d get his screwdriver out and put a screw in the wall in the downstairs loo for me to hang this mirror that I’ve inherited. So thoughtful. However, now that I’ve hung the mirror, I hate it….. might have to put the pictures back. Eeh….. one step forward, another step back. Might just as well be doing the hokey-cokey, I think.

John also thought he’d have a go at putting up the new blind that had arrived recently for the computer room. However, once he’d taken the old blind down he was jiggered, so decided to sit down in the lounge again instead. When I got home, he wasn’t a very happy bunny. So very frustrated at not being able to do things as he used to. He curled up under the new blanket I’d bought him and was rather cosy in there. Hibernating, it seems.

I would say, however, that the day has been quite a successful one for John. Easy for me to say, but not so easy for him to see. He was up quite early and pottering about; then a man came to collect the trailer, having bought it last week, and push money into his hand (although this was probably a bitter-sweet moment, if I’m honest); then we saw dear, darling Paul who called in for a few minutes and didn’t immediately rush off. We had a great little chat with him in the porch, door wide open and us half-way down the hall. He is always a sight for sore eyes and certainly makes my heart leap to see him.

Later on, while John was cocooned in the the blanket and snuggled up on the sofa, I set to and prepped the bookcase ready for its undercoat. I do hate prep though. It seems to get you nowhere – well, at least, there’s very little to show for the effort you have to put in, is there? And, by the time I’d done the prep, it was getting dark so I thought better of painting it today. Maybe tomorrow?

After our evening meal, I left John to watch TV while I had a lovely evening with the College girls, having a good old natter. There were just four of us today, with Linda struggling to log on, Sue D tired, having been to a funeral, and Lizzie also tired after grandparenting duties. I am such a lucky woman with such fabulous friends – cheered me up no end. Plenty of advice on how to keep the anxiety at bay, too. I find it strange that I don’t seem to be able to remember the advice on a day-today basis, and am rather grateful for the reminders.

During our chat, our thoughts turned to Christmas and the planned Ragdale visit next February. Would we be able to see our families? How was Christmas going to work? Would we be able to go to Ragdale? How risky will it be by then? We decided we’d wait and see nearer the time, but there ain’t lot of time for things to improve, so we may yet be saddened by continued restrictions at these key times. Fingers crossed that there is a miraculous discovery in the medical world and all is righted by then……..

And that’s been our day – an every day story of village folk? You bet!

And today in COVID news? 23,065 people infected; 280 peopled have died in the community; 128 people have died in hospitals on 27 & 28 October.

Take care everyone. God bless.

We began the day early as John had to be at Heartlands for 9 a.m. for the planned infusion of immunoglobulin, so we set off not long after eight, and gloried in the gorgeous morning. Sun shining, the leaves a-glowing in carpets all along the verges and spread out under the trees like crinolines. It was lovely. Lovely for me, I suppose, as I didn’t have a ‘procedure’ to look forward to, but nonetheless, John thought the daylight shone nice and bright today.

We arrived at the back entrance to Heartlands where a big notice said: ‘CAR PARK FULL’, so we pulled up in front of the gate. The car park attendant nodded cheerfully at us and said we probably could have pulled in for a drop-off, but it wasn’t too far for John to walk, so he hopped out and made his way towards the clinic. I called through the car window to him as he walked away, “Phone me and let me know when you want picking up,” whereupon the car park attendant said, “I knock off at three and I’ll be ready for you to collect me then.” We all grinned at his jolly joke and then went our separate ways. Tee-hee.

I had a few errands to run this morning so I got on with them while John snoozed (apparently) through the infusion. I dropped some spare bits for the fish tank in to Michael and Danielle’s and then did a spot of shopping in Kenilworth. I was on a mission to find hazelnut milk for John. I’d already tried at the Co-op to no avail, and the online Tesco shop didn’t have it in our locality either. I tried Sainsbury’s and Waitrose in Kenilworth but drew a blank. Plan B, I think, tomorrow.

After I’d picked John up just after one o’clock we nipped into Solihull to buy a tin of paint. Next project: paint the new-to-us bookshelves that we’d got from the Kenilworth Sleaths. But did I start painting them today? Did I heck. I painted something else instead.

Keen to sort the porch out to decorate it with Halloween bits and pieces, I remembered that I’d only put one coat of paint on the windowsill earlier in the year. It was on the ‘to do’ list but I’d let it slip down. Not essential after all. However, after I’d cleaned up in the porch this afternoon it seemed an opportune moment to get the job finished – so that’s what I did. John, meanwhile, was resting in the lounge watching TV. He was tired after his visit to the hospital, and I don’t blame him.

Just before I started the blitz on the porch, I popped over to Mum’s to fit a bulb to her reading lamp. Well, that was hilarious. Deaf as a post, she was. “That’s a nice brooch,” she said, admiring the sparkly, jewelled flower on my coat. “Yes,” I responded, “it’s a poppy.” She looked puzzled for a minute, then said, “A copy? A copy of what?” No…. a poppy! “A copy?” I shook my head and shouted a bit louder – a POPPY! The penny dropped. Ohhhhhh…… a poppy. And, because it was all so silly we both giggled our heads off.

Naturally, once we’d stopped giggling, the next question was, did she need the batteries changing on her hearing aids. “Honestly, Mum, I am shouting as loud as I can, and you can’t hear me, can you?” Well, she said, “I can hear you a bit. But you’ll have to speak up.” More giggling and holding of tummies as we rocked to and fro with laughter. It doesn’t seem so funny now, but it was at the time.

Once we’d eaten this evening, the time had galloped away with us and it was quiz time. John was very tired, but game, and he joined in like a trooper. The quiz took a little longer than usual though, as there were lots of lovely questions that required lots of lovely debate. By 10.30, John was pooped. “Sorry, folks,” he said, “I’m going to bed.” No worries, only one more round to go…… Great quiz and great fun as usual.

Apparently, the infusion John had today is a three-weekly procedure. There is an option to self-administer at home weekly, but perhaps not yet. We were debating the pros and cons of this approach on our drive home from the hospital, and concluded that it would be the less risky option from the COVID point of view, so we’ll see.

The appointments that are coming through for John now are mostly telephone appointments as the hospital is really not keen to have him in there and, with 24,701 people infected and 310 dead in the last twenty-four hours, not counting the recent hospital deaths, we are grateful for their consideration. It ain’t gettin’ no better, is it folks…….

Take care everyone. God bless.

I was expecting it to pour with rain all day today but it didn’t. It rained for a bit of the day then cleared up. Just enough, so that when we had an unexpected visit from Harriet and Freddie this afternoon, we were able to play out in the garden.

It was such a lovely surprise. I was upstairs ordering Andrew’s birthday present on the computer (Happy birthday to you, Andrew!) and John was in the lounge. I hot-footed it downstairs when the doorbell trilled its little tune throughout the house and, as I got to the door, I thought it was just Harriet. However, Freddie was hiding behind the trailer and ‘peep-oed’ as I opened the door. How very, very lovely. “It was Freddie’s idea to call in,” said Harriet. “I want to play on the swing,” Freddie piped up. They’d been swimming and were on their way back. Lucky us that they took a detour.

Into the garden we all went. The sun was shining and it was so beautifully fresh out there. Freddie made a bee-line to the swing where he twizzled round and round and round. And that was it then – we were off and running. He played on the swing – “Look, Grandma! Look at me!” then down the slide, which I polished to make it go faster, whereupon he shot straight off the end to great whoops of delight.

He looked into the pond, fished out some of the duckweed from it, fed the fish and then played with the bubbles I blew from the bubble wand I had got out. Soon, of course, it was time for a packet (or two) of sweets before it was home time. A short and sweet visit, but it lifted our spirits nonetheless. Freddie is a darling and Harriet was good company. Together we mourned our free-and-easy days of kicking off our shoes and slouching on the sofa with a glass of wine and a good argument.

In other news, I finished painting the skirting board. It didn’t seem quite such a chore this time but then, I wasn’t crouched down for quite so long, not having to put the masking tape down today. I think it looks okay.

John spent time in the garage again, putting the other shelf up and having a bit of a tidy up. In between times, he’d come through for a bit of a rest and a shake of the head. “Why am I so tired?” he’d ask. I would shrug. I don’t have any more answers I’m afraid.

In my quest to smarten the house up a bit, I had great plans to re-arrange some of the pictures on the walls and put a mirror up in the downstairs loo. Regrettably, the wall is brick and not willing to accept a nail hammered into it. Ah, well, as you were in there then. But I did get the curtain down and wash it and had a go at cleaning the windows in that room. So not a total waste of time.

“How about fish and chips for tea, John?” I offered to walk up to the chip shop because, to be honest, I couldn’t be bothered to cook. We had stuff in the fridge just ready and waiting, but really, sometimes I’d just like a rest. Today was the day.

We watched a bit of telly this evening – Bake Off was on – and enjoyed that. At this stage of the competition though, it always breaks your heart to see someone sent home. Whoever it is, because you’ve seen that they can do good stuff, only today was the day they didn’t.

With 22,885 people having succumbed to the virus and a whopping 367 people having died from it in the last twenty-four hours, not counting those who’ve died in hospitals (107 on 25 & 26 October), it feels like we should be locking in again and fully shielding. However, there are hospital visits to make, there’s shopping to do and Mothers to take to the doctors so we’re not yet. It feels like it’s getting close though. How’s all that feeling for you, folks?

Take care everyone. God bless.