Together in Isolation (part 10).......

Saturday 16th May

Slept well with the help of two paracetamol after bashing my hand yesterday and today even though I can't grip anything with my whole hand so long as I keep my painful middle finger out of the way I'm managing (not intentionally making rude signs).

This morning one of the bloodrunners from the north of our region has brought the van with the big trailer to take two of the blood bikes up there. With Cambridge, Addenbrooks, Papworth hospitals etc they are being used for regular daytime runs delivering PPE and other supplies as well as their normal work. At the moment BP are paying the fuel costs on all the official vehicles so it makes sense they have them.

Out loud I said thank you to our lovely friendM (she's not here of course)  as these came out the cupboard again for Daughter to borrow as she's making crumpets mmmmm.

And out loud I constantly say thank you to bestfriendML (she's not here either)  for these long heart pins, essential when working with chunky knits but I actually use them for everything.

I'm sure there's an increased swap in junk mail since lockdown, very little through the letterbox and far more in my inbox. This one caught my eye and could have been useful but cannabis gummy bears are no good if you don't like gummy bears!

When Daughter came over to collect shopping, R, O and the dog came too. O was in a very odd mood, argumentative and fidgety, so when he flippantly suggested a science activity out came the cornflour and water which seemed to help for a while. The liquid dripping and hand mixing had a calming effect while pounding and thumping this non-newtonian substance helped release some of the pent up frustrations, plus making all that mess in the garden on a warm sunny day is never a bad thing.

We've had a more interesting route for our laps of the garden this week as Hubby has put down grass seed and covered the patches with fleece to keep the birds off.

I've had to have a fasting blood test in preparation for a consultant's phone appointment.  So my second trip out away from home in 62 days. The scary thing for me is realising it's not scary, it's now normal to be permanently at home, nipping out for medical things only then straight home again and accepting that consultants are happy to phone me at home.

Keep caring and be kind.
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Together in Isolation (part nine)......

Saturday 9th May and the bunting is coming down

Sunday the weather drastically changed as forecast, a lovely warm morning so we walked the 18 laps of the garden. Daughter arrived with shopping, O and dog plus another yummy cake gift.

I'm not joking and you'd never guess one of this cakes main ingredients. (Unless you're friends with Daughter).
The back story is she had a box of mixed cheeses delivered and amongst the variety of yummy ones there was a white stilton with orange and chocolate, she said it was revolting. Not wanting to just throw it away, she added it to cake mix! Who else would even think to do that?
It really is yummy cake, no taste of cheese or chocolate but a hint of orange and the cheese probably improved the texture. My Daughter is a genius!

This week's "stay on your own drive" coffee morning was really brief as it was so cold and so so windy, I kept hiding in the hedge but it didn't help much. The Wednesday workout was mostly cold out there too until the sun popped out from behind a cloud, but we moved more and kept warm.

Having fun and games here today (Thursday). Hubby needs to pick up one of the blood bikes from across town and persuaded me it was ok to take him as I'd not leave the car just drop him off and come home. However, nothing is ever that straightforward, because we haven't used them my car wouldn't start. He just about managed to start his but even with lots of moving them around and jump leads no joy. I won't drive his and no flexibility in picking up the bike so our lovely neighbourA has taken him. He has a big car and Hubby's in the back far left so think they are far enough apart. Most excitement we've had here for ages 😉😲   So I've still not left the house! And I'm counting all that car pushing as today's exercise 🤣

Looks like they are having a long conversation!

Ouch ouch ouch I'm ending this week with a damaged hand.
Yesterday Daughter, R and dog called round to collect stuff and have a garden cuppa while the dog ran which was lovely. They left, as usual, by the garden gate and I, as usual, walk through the house to wave them off from the lounge window.  Rushing through I knocked my middle knuckle on my left hand on the back of a dining room chair. It really hurt and I swore a lot but still managed my wave with a smile (more like grimace through gritted teeth).

And late yesterday afternoon I had a lovely long phone call from an old friend I  haven't spoken to this year apart from Facebook mini comments.

So another mixed week of ups and downs and with government guidelines suggesting a very gradual unlocking....... but think I'm happy staying locked for a bit longer.
Stay alert but stay safe too.
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Together In Isolation (part eight)......

Saturday 2nd May, yes May already and the whole of April just part of the 42 days I've already been at home (except for that one trip out to the hospital).

I'm getting a bit bored with walking round the garden so today we dusted off the WiiFit and renewed all the controller batteries and did mostly yoga and balance stuff and Hubby included some aerobics.

It told me it had been 1,999 days since my last workout hahaha

I've wanted to see this film for quite a while but only ever found it on pay per view but tonight we found it on Netflix

"John and Ella Spencer decide to embark on one last unforgettable road trip to the Hemingway House in Florida after learning about their fatal illnesses."
It's moving, funny in places, a believable story, all at the same time, but actually a bit bland.

Hubby got the click and collect from Sainsbury and when Daughter came to pick up what she'd ordered she brought me a dozen eggs and a banana loaf gift she'd made,

and it's yummy. O came as well this time to get some exercise with the dog and it was so lovely to see him, and he was all dressed up with shirt,  jacket, bow tie and braces and he'd let his big sister R give him a hair cut.

Finally I remembered to put caraway seeds on the shopping list. So now I can make soda bread similar to my favourite rye bread mmmmmmm

There have been four neighbour's gatherings (not leaving our own driveways of course) this week. Monday 10:30am for coffee morning chat, Wednesday 11am exercise half hour with neighbourS guiding us all but always open to suggestions, Thursday 8pm is outside clapping and generally making a noise along with the rest of the country and Friday this week celebrating the VE day 75th anniversary with bunting, costumes, music of the era and memorabilia displayed, outside at 2pm for tea and cake or wine and nibbles. It was perfect weather for sitting outside but I do find it really difficult to keep shouting at each other.

While doing our Wednesday exercise someone compared a movement to Eddie the Eagle and I admitted to having not seen the film, so we put that right when we found it on Netflix. We both really enjoyed it and it passes on a great message of believe in yourself and you can achieve!

This  week I've finished knitting the second jacket but not done the edging or sewing up yet. I'm thinking of lining it and the first blue one and it may be easier to line it before sewing up.

Another week gone by and lots of official and unofficial talk about how best to unlock the country but officially repeating a definite not yet! In the last couple of days I've had two NHS text messages saying I've been identified as highly vulnerable and to stay isolated till 30 June at least and suggesting I sleep on my own and use my own bathroom....... seven weeks in? After the horse had bolted perhaps?

Stay safe everyone.
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All Together in Isolation (part seven)........

Saturday 25th April, and I can't believe the time is whizzing by, I really thought lockdown would drag but it hasn't.

The pump for the water feature arrived and Saturday had Hubby mostly in this position

 Took him most of the day, fighting with stuck cables, finally fixed.

Opened the chicken thighs to cook our Sunday roast and we both noticed an odd smell, so double wrapped and straight in the bin. Far too late to thaw anything else so it was roast potatoes, cabbage, beetroot and fish fingers! Hahaha

Late Sunday evening relaxing watching TV, my bulky knitting keeping my legs warm, jacket about 3/4 done THEN THE ***** NEEDLE BROKE! That's the red cable on the floor parted from the bamboo end ggrrrrr. I managed to stop swearing long enough to pick up the dropped stitches and transfer them all to another circular needle but it's the wrong size so I can't carry on yet. Instantly online and now I need to patiently wait for the delivery by post.

I've been enjoying channel 4's extra "stay home" programmes.
- Jamie Oliver did a daily series of Keep Cooking and Carry On. Some recipes from his archives but mostly at home filmed on a mobile phone by his wife Jools and often the children joined in, cooking or filming or the little one coming in to lick a bowl.
- Kirsty Allsopp is doing a daily Keep Crafting and Carry On. She had two film crew and keeps showing how they are sticking to safe distance rules. All at her home with an occasional help from one of her children, plus she's also added in some archive footage.
- Grayson Perry Art Club, with special guests by video link, is a weekly one. He's asking for viewers to submit their art and when we're all free to roam again he's putting on an exhibition to mark the history of "what we did in lockdown".
On that same theme, granddaughter E is also curating her own online art exhibition and is asking for a photograph of submissions created in any medium. She'd love you to get involved.

I was trying to avoid the main subject and just focus the blog on us, but of course it can't be ignored as that's the reason for us living this isolated life I'm writing about, so having to look at the whole situation we're in for a while, I've realised that my opinions are not always the same as others, so I'm largely keeping them to myself.
Of course I'm horrified and scared by it all. It's the unseen germ world war and we have to trust all those now pushed to the front line to protect and care for us all.
However I also want to be understanding of government decisions, to be both radical for our physical wellbeing and lenient for our mental wellbeing. They also need to consider the country's economy and they seem almost to be printing money and giving out grants in enormous amounts. Though so many do I wouldn't criticise as I'd certainly not want their jobs.
Social media gets angry if they see people with children playing in the park, but they may not have a garden, and people got angry when there were pictures of those queueing at B&Q saying DIY and garden plants are not essential, but from what I saw they were practising safe distancing rules so why is that more risky than being in the supermarket. I replied on one post that home maintenance could be essential as some homes may be suffering from the extra use. Also plants and gardening may be someone's only way of coping with loneliness. I was told it was not essential and not allowed.
Perhaps for some getting angry at everyone else is their way of coping.
I'll stay quiet and bake more flapjacks

Talking to my brother earlier in the week and mentioning a very useful Jewish cooking ingredient I couldn't get here, (my late sister had always been my supplier), he bought and posted two packets of matzo meal, how lovely, thanks bro!

Replacement knitting needles arrived yaay!
We improved our score for the Virtual pub quiz with Daughter&co this week!
Been enough dry weather for us to keep our walking round the garden although it's been quite cold some days.
Had a few sunny moments to allow a cuppa by the pond.
And enough rain to save Hubby having to water especially as he's put some new seeds in.

Stay safe everyone.
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All Together in Isolation (part six)........

Saturday 18th and it's O's 11th birthday.
I had made him a big card (but forgot to take a pic) and did a money transfer for him to Daughter's account and we managed a video call so Hubby and I could sing badly but he appreciated it. I'm keeping count of how many cuddles I'll be collecting as soon as I can.

I fancied some cake, however making a whole one means unnecessary overeating so a small mixture and just a few little cranberry and lemon sponges cooked in the sandwich toaster.

Well I managed to video Hubby, in uniform with his liveried bike in front of the banner, clapping. Two takes to get it all in without sun interference. That was the easy bit. I'd recorded it on my tablet and tried to upload it following the link for the person who is going to edit all the members together. With lots of messages on facebook going back and forth we discovered it had failed and so did the second attempt. Maybe my tablet wasn't up to the job, it was quite a big file. I transferred it to Hubby's laptop via Bluetooth (after Hangouts/email/Flickr all failed even my memory stick with micro usb connection had mysteriously broken). Oddly on the laptop there was image but no sound but Hubby sent it on its way anyway with fingers crossed. Big sigh of relief when we got confirmation of its safe arrival and all working as it should. I'm not even going to attempt adding a file that caused that much trouble so just a screenshot

While the weather is so nice I've swapped the indoor treadmill for walking around the garden. We are blessed with a good size garden so why not get some vitamin D along with exercise and fresh air.

Each little stone is a lap and 17 laps = 1.6 miles ish. When I'm comfortable I'll add stones. Some days we walk together but today I was being chased by the lawnmower!

We've been lucky getting groceries. Daughter has managed two deliveries this week and another booked in for next week. Hubby secured a click and collect for this week too. I'm now struggling to think of what groceries we still need.

Seems most of us need a bit of structure and after a month at home, with our normal diaries wiped clean, I'm now included  (mostly by others) for....
- on the drive coffee morning Mondays
- usual Wednesday night girls chat on messenger
- 8pm Thursday clapping outside for the key workers
- 8:10pm Thursday virtual pub quiz with Daughter&co on zoom
- daily 17 laps walking round the garden
- most days mid-morning tea by the pond with neighbourA
And now neighbourT has volunteered her husband to lead us in a stay-on-your-own-drive-keep-fit-session Wednesdays at 11am

We are still having the battle with the heron and our pond! Even with all the temporary blue rope across the fence top and bits of net across the blue rope the heron was calculating what gaps to get in and even when he was chased off and caught a wing on the rope it didn't put him off coming back.
So we've bought more net.
The first plan was to attach the net to the fence and create a cage roof. However,  Hubby had bought netting in metres having measured the space in steps!!! I'm helping at 4'9" to net the nearly 6" high pond area. Two attempts failed, so we stopped for a cuppa and a rethink.

We cut net a bit bigger than needed and secured it at pond level on the hooks Hubby had already cemented under the slabs. Probably the best way but not the most convenient while Hubby is still paving.

Early the very next morning I'm looking out and there's the (insert swear words) heron! He was sitting on the top of the fence obviously sizing up the situation. We left him thinking he would realise he couldn't get breakfast and never come back..... but then he flew through the blue rope and landed on the paving, then sat down, what a cheek! He waited, we waited, then his head went down and up with a fish in his beak quickly swallowed grrrrr.

I rushed out clapping and shouting and off he flew. 

Not sure if you can see from this photo, but he'd gone in at the small gap we'd left at the far end where the plants are growing. We've now closed the gap. 

And no doubt you've been desperate to know how my poor nails are doing. Well they are the shortest and weakest they've been for about twenty years! However I've discovered that a first coat of pva glue before the varnish helps the varnish stay on, and when they need repainting I've just layered over the top yet another pva coat and then the varnish and a top coat.....gotta try anything. This time I went for two tone green.

It's been so nice having the time to write a regular blog post, and even nicer to actually have plenty to write about even though it feels like every day is leisurely and almost the same.

Stay safe everyone, same time next week eh?
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All Together in Isolation (part five)......

Saturday 11 April, Easter weekend......starting with this as it's not always easy remembering what day it is when they are all pretty much the same!

When we have the lovely warm sunny days this is our favourite spot to have a cuppa

Still an ongoing project and the old watering can is the new water feature! Love watching the fish and there's so many frogs that pop their heads up to say hello then find places to hide.

As is quite common in this house progress can come to an abrupt halt, this time caused by a late night power cut when something tripped the fuse box. Hubby was in bed but thankfully still awake so he came down and reset the essential stuff. I heard him so I just sat in the dark and waited for the tv and Internet to come back on.  In the morning he discovered it was our other water fall pump that had done it which then in turn upset the electrics for the pond. So more things to put on the non-essential shopping list for after lockdown.

NieceV is making a steady recovery and they sent her home just six days after a major op, as much for her safety away from the hospital as anything. She will of course self isolate, and the children are having a holiday with their grandparents sisterS and bilK.

Bank Holiday Monday (although it doesn't feel like a bank holiday) and the weather has really changed, it's quite chilly. So all out in jumpers and coats the neighbours had our street coffee morning, all staying on our own drives with our own drinks. But didn't bother taking chairs as it was far too cold to be out there for long. Nice to see other faces and check everyone was ok.

This week's nails are much shorter as four of them have lost their acrylic coating and the rest are rapidly growing out, but I'm keeping them painted for strength and it gives me a pleasurable hour playing.

After 25 days at home I had to go to the hospital myself. Hubby drove but had to stay in the car as only patients are allowed in. With face mask on and plenty of sanitizer I was given a thorough examination then an ultrasound scan and conclusion was nothing more than a sebaceous cyst. Yippee
And while talking medical I had a call from the Urology Consultant who said I still need another operation and as it's open surgery he wants to reduce the risks by leaving it until July when hopefully the hospital will be COVID19 free. (No yippee for this).
I've also had a call from the imaging department wanting to book me in for scans, told them they weren't needed until July.
Plus another check up call from my MacMillan/Urology nurse.
All so quick and easy for them now making phone calls especially while everyone is home to pick up the phone straight away. Maybe doctoring of the future will be far less face to face?

I've just learnt a new slang (yes I'm always really late with these things).
FOMO is the Fear Of Missing Out, apparently a real problem to so many when they see something good is going to happen, often posted on social media, and it looks unmissable but they are going to miss it because they are already doing something else. Well a world wide pandemic has wiped out this dreadful phobia, because we are ALL missing out!

And as you know Hubby is a volunteer Bloodrunner for SERVSC and he had another call out tonight

They are all planning to do a SERVSC collection video of Bloodrunners clapping for the NHS so today I've made him a banner and over the weekend we'll attach it to the garage door and film him in his kit alongside his bike clapping, then send it to whoever has offered to edit it all together.

So another week has passed and the government has announced at least another three weeks for total lockdown.
Stay home stay safe and I'll post again next Saturday with part six!
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All Together in Isolation (part four).....

Saturday 4th April and we've been promised a warm and sunny weekend.
And they were not wrong!
Hubby made progress with cementing slabs around the pond.

When neighbour friendA popped round with his own coffee he sat on that chair chatting to Hubby from a very safe distance!

Late matinee today was this

We are just kids inside and thoroughly enjoyed it.

It's been lovely warm sunny weather this weekend, so Hubby has been happy continuing with his pond surround relandscaping. Cementing slabs but taking his time........and that's plentiful just now.

My body definitely has a bad sense of comedy timing.... My only filling has fallen out 😲 Been there more than 30 years and it chooses now 😲 doesn't hurt so I'll leave well alone for now.

Of course the minute Hubby takes the netting off the pond the heron starts visiting. So the blue rope is the temporary anti-heron barrier that Hubby can still work under. Hope he doesn't decapitate himself.

First Monday of the month and a few of the neighbours really wanted to have our usual coffee morning but not in the usual way of course. So for the first time in 16 days I went out of my front door. Very well spaced, not leaving our own driveways, taking our own chairs and our own drinks, all we shared was a little chat.

We were sitting to the right of the big hedge, think you can just see Hubby's foot. It was good to do this and we all stayed safe, but it did make me a little nervous and a little guilty.

Then two hospital appointments done by phone.
First was in response to my GP's referral. All very quick as I only asked for help Friday morning, GP rang me less than two hours after my call and sent referral to the hospital who rang Saturday to make me this telephone appointment for Monday morning! Unfortunately they do need to see me so I've an appointment for 15th April.
Second call was the follow up to the recent surgery. Had a long chat with the MacMillan Specialist Urology nurse (who I know quite well now) so after discussing my stuff she was also telling me about the situation within Ipswich Hospital regarding Coronavirus. Not good obviously but so much better than so many other UK areas and how clinic nurses have all been uptrained ready to move around the departments and wards as needed. They all know it's going to get a lot worse.

Even though all fundraising events for SERVSC Bloodrunners have been cancelled until lockdown is completely over, it's still business as usual for the volunteering riders, and Hubby is on call twice this week on overnight rota and standby for any extra daytime runs needed due to the current NHS pressures.

That's an old photo. When he rode off tonight it was in the dark.

Tuesday night's moon was beautiful. Shame this is the best pic my phone could manage.

Major worry just now is a very poorly nieceV. Thankfully not COVID19.  After her second visit to A&E she has been admitted and having surgery! Of course everything so much harder because of the current situation. No visitors now she is on a ward. Grandparents having to keep their distance until absolutely necessary to look after two pre-school children etc. And now the whole family are waiting to hear.
UPDATE: Quite major surgery but all went well.

We've enjoyed another online virtual pub quiz joining Daughter&co on zoom,and it was even quite reassuring hearing and seeing them argue, felt a bit more normal.

Another soda bread just came out of the oven.

Received a very special home delivery from a friend (knocking on the door and running away of course) of this she'd made

And this teeny tiny easter card made by her seven year old daughter

Bottle of water just to show scale.

Daughter came for another grocery collection and dog run around, R came too running around with the dog as her exercise, and they brought us our easter eggs, Daughter had cleverly bought them before non-essential lockdown rules. I hadn't thought that far ahead back then so the children got easter money transferred in case they want to do some online shopping.

Well another week has passed and my 21st day of not leaving home, grateful that neither of us are bored and not a cross word either. So I'll post this and see you next Saturday at the end of "part five". Stay home stay safe everyone!
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All Together in Isolation (part three)...........

Now Saturday 28th March.
We're very nearly out of milk! I've powder milk in the cupboard, in fact I used it for yesterday's cheese sauce, but Hubby won't have it in tea or on a cereal, and there's two days before the click and collect. So Hubby walked to our local Asda.

He said it was very well organised. As he'd got there so early (just before 8am) he was the next person to be let in, lots of spacing markers and arrows and all the staff in gloves and masks. So he was quick and felt minimal risks taken. The walk there and back was also his exercise. And once home he wiped everything down with anti-bac wipes.

Zoom! New app now installed on my tablet for our family chat with me, Hubby, Daughter, Son and O. All drinking tea and chatting after I heard both our children taking the mickey out of me getting confused how to set it all up. They also both told Hubby off for going out shopping at all (we know it's because they worry about us).

Today's afternoon TV was becoming very boring with old quiz shows and we've caught up on our recorded stuff, so our film choice was LION. I found it powerful and very moving (apart from Nichol Kidman's habit of mumbling)

Clocks went forward and hour, might have been more useful to put them forward six  months! 

And now we have sleety snow! At least a lot fewer people will want to go out in this.  

We both had haircuts today, I always do my own anyway and Hubby checks round the back and snips any bits I've missed. I do his normally too. So we are tidy enough to be seen out and about, which won't happen for quite some time. 

We should have been going to Spain (as three couples) at the end of April, so tonight was lots of online chat looking at dates and we've transferred the flights to mid-October. And if we are still not virus clear by then we'll have to change the dates again! 

It's Monday and Hubby went out at 8am to Sainsbury for our click and collect order. He said it was very well organised. Everything (including him) got the anti-bac wipes treatment before we put stuff away. Daughter popped round to collect the groceries we had for her and to give the dog a good run in the garden. Of course we all kept our distance (it really does upset me but we are so much luckier than most).

And the rest of the day was much the same as every other day has been and I'm ok with that, not bored, happy enough to potter about, life is simpler with much fewer choices, but also lack of enthusiasm for things I probably should be doing! 

Only highlight for Tuesday was my rhubarb crumble.........oops I'd meant to take a photo! 

1st of April (and buggar we didn't find out this virus was actually an early April fool's joke). 

Another manicure. I've lost one acrylic completely and lots of filing and buffing to smooth out the growth gap, hopefully with my newly learned 3-colour swirling technique it doesn't notice too much. 

Hubby is now gradually going around the windows scrubbing and poking with his knife all the white seals that have gone black in the corners and edges. Thursday morning he tackled the kitchen window, so all my jugs came off and I had to wash them all. Amazing how they never quite all fit back on when you know they've just come from there! 

Thursday night was busy fun too. Daughter suggested playing the Virtual Pub Quiz and with YouTube on the TV and Zoom on my tablet we had a team of seven with me and Hubby this end and Daughter, M and all three grandchildren in their house. Sadly Son was still working.

We had it all set up but just before the quiz started we joined many others around the UK to be outside "clapping for carers". Nice to wave to our neighbours too.

Then after the quiz and family farewells we watched the recorded Masterchef.
When Hubby had gone up to bed I then went to the theatre!

The National Theatre are streaming on YouTube a new play every Thursday and last night I laughed my way through One Man, Two Guvnors. A very late night to bed but worth it.

Friday and house smells of slightly burnt cake 😝, I completely forgot about them and they were in the oven an hour! 😲 Decorated to disguise! 👻 They should have looked like fluffy cranberry muffins 🤔 They'll be eaten anyway 😂

And now another Saturday! Another diary week of not much to write about. My 14th day of not leaving the house. Thankfully I'm not bored or lonely like so many and I haven't even wanted to kill Hubby yet! So I'll post this now and start writing the next thrilling instalment.......part four! 

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