Together in Isolation (part 11).....

Saturday 23rd May and its really changeable weather. The wind had picked right up again giving Hubby a constant job of anchoring down the fleece more and more hahaha

Oh my word, it's amazing to report that R and E had their 18th birthday!
The day before they came round so we could see them and give them their cards while shouting at a distance in a very very windy garden.
The night before there was a watchparty on Facebook showing them enjoying a great glow party rave! And I was sent this photo

Sunday morning we had a really lovely visit from Son who we haven't seen in the flesh since mother's day and he'd even brought the Easter egg he'd been saving for us. Sitting in the garden at the very safe distance of course we survived the chilly wind.
Sunday afternoon matinee was this,

and needs no explanation I should think. We both loved it.
And Sunday evening was a quick zoom with both my children and all our grandchildren to sing happy birthday to the girls while they had candles and cake!

A bank holiday weekend and I'm sure you are not in the least surprised that it felt just like all the others!

After such an eventful weekend it settled into a very typical (lockdown normal) week. Thank goodness for our garden keeping Hubby busy and he did some serious hedge trimming.

I mentioned to Daughter and R that I'll have nothing exciting to write for the blog so R offered to beat me up, but I reminded her she's not allowed that close, so she suggested beating me up verbally, but there's no photo opportunity in that, so she said she could throw a brick through my window........ nice of  her to want to help but I declined the offer and said our conversation would make an adequate amusing paragraph and thank you!

Hope you are all managing to plod along and take extra care as we gradually start to unlock our lives.
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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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