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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All Together in Isolation (part two)......

Well I had a brief release from isolation when I went into hospital, in Friday and out Saturday and all very hygiene vigilant of course and very limited visitor numbers, however, it's still movement of people so a cause of concern. Which is why I'm not allowing anyone near me for at least a week.... except Hubby of course as he's been with me all the time anyway so if I've got anything he'll already have it too.

It's mother's day and will be a different day for all mothers this year I should think.

Daughter has managed to secure a supermarket delivery slot for Monday evening so asked me what I wanted to add to save us going out to shop.

Son just turned up this morning (Sunday), with a mother's day card, two kitkat and a loo roll (as that's what was in his house already) he went straight round the back into the garden and he brought his own tea in a travel cup. We sat in the sun (very chilly) miles apart and shouted to each other for a little while and then he left. So lovely but so very odd hahaha

And look, my cactus that can never decide if it should be a Christmas cactus or an Easter cactus has decided to flower now. It must know we all need cheerful things.

Having finished the blue jacket, I'm knitting another. Sorted the wool I have and chose two double knit to use together. I love these colours but I'm really hoping I'll not run out of the grey one before it's finished.

Yes we're all making sacrifices, but really, having to cancel having my nails done is a bit drastic hahaha only joking ;)  So to help disguise the regrowth lumps and gaps I gave myself a mad psychedelic manicure. Not bad eh? Shame nobody is going to see them.

Tuesday morning and Daughter arrived with our shopping which she left by the front door then went round into the garden to give the dog a run around. We joined her once the dog was back on her lead and sat miles apart and shouted to each other for a while then she was gone. It's odd but so much better than video calls which are a lot better than whatsapp text......we're all adapting gradually.

Today (Wednesday) Hubby and I both started using the treadmill again. A mile each as a steady walk will hopefully keep us from seizing up altogether. Hubby is naturally a restless person and is out gardening or finding mending/fetching jobs etc but my crafting and all the social Internet contact has me always sitting so I've got to be tougher with myself and "move it or lose it" as they say.

Wednesday night of course is our usual group of friends meet up for a meal and chat, so 7:30pm tonight I started a group chat on messenger with the ladies even though I'd chatted to each of them individually over the last few days. Wonder how many weeks this will be repeated?

Thursday and Daughter's car is booked for a service and MOT. We needed a social distancing plan and as the mechanic actually lives in our street it worked out quite well. 6:30am Daughter brought the car to our drive then walked the dog home after she'd had a good run round our garden (She's been walking her that early every day anyway to avoid people). This gave Hubby plenty of time to change her brake light. Also gave her the opportunity to put her excess black bags in our wheely bin. Her keys are in the car so 8am mechanic walks up and takes her car to work and brings it back at the end of the day putting keys through our letter box. I cleared three machine loads of laundry, how could we have dirtied so many clothes when we haven't been anywhere?

Thursday night at 8pm, as promoted all over facebook and TV programmes even the BBC News, we were all asked to be outside and applaud as a thank you to all key workers especially NHS staff for all the extra hard work and sacrificing needed during this pandemic. Hubby and I hung out of the bedroom window. FriendA came out from next door and we thought we may be the only ones, then we heard it starting in the roads around us, and others came out in our close, clapping, bell ringing, saucepan banging and in the distance fireworks. No words needed.

Today had been quite industrious, too bright and sunny to be sitting around. So after breakfast and we'd both done our treadmill walk (Hubby now partly runs too - show off), we washed the kingsize duvet that had been waiting since December to go to the launderette, of course that won't happen in a lockdown. It won't fit in my machine so it got the bath treatment. A soak, a good pounding then a double rinse. Hubby did most of that but I did help with the wringing out and finding a way of getting it from upstairs bathroom to garden washing line without causing puddles.

FriendA popped round with his own mug of coffee so we sat in the sunshine miles apart and shouted to each other for a while.
I put away all the clean and now dried laundry from yesterday and looked out of the window to see Hubby washing Daughter's car. He'd cleaned out all the inside too.

 And for afternoon tea I'd made a Victoria sponge because we are running out of biscuits.

Hubby keeps searching the supermarkets online and finally found a Sainsbury click and collect slot for early Monday morning. So that's booked in and Daughter has added to it too.

Saturday tomorrow and I'd have been home from the hospital for a whole week showing no symptoms so I'll consider myself clear of virus germs! Phew! We'll not relax being isolated and vigilant but it does mean I'm happy to have Daughter and grandchildren coming here again as they've mixed with no others and neither have we, but still no physical contact. :(

"This is life Jim but not as we know it"
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All Together in Isolation (part one)......

When you're retired not going out sometimes is quite normal, but suddenly being officially told you shouldn't go out is quite different. Up till now (19th March) it's not enforced isolation.

I didn't want to write about the worldwide coronavirus pandemic, there's so much being written/spoken/reported/speculated on that subject already! However everyone's lives  are moving to a totally different rhythm now so I'm just keeping a note of what's happening in my little world.

Positive
Sofa sitting guilt free meant I easily finished the jacket I was knitting.

Negative
My health issues put me in the most vulnerable group, so although Daughter and grandchildren come round they are keeping their distance and no hugs 🙁

Positive
I said "All together in isolation" as Internet with private messaging and social media means a lifeline to the world, sharing the common problem we are all sharing.

Positive
However tragic a situation people will always find humour to lighten the load

Positive and Negative
I get to leave the house tomorrow yaay!
To the hospital for an operation!

The next thrilling instalment will follow when I'm home again.
Stay home people and stay safe xx
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Theatre: Quality Street........

Phoebe Throssel lives on Quality Street, the bustling hub of a quaint northern town where she runs a school for unruly children.
Ten years since a tearful goodbye, an old flame returns from fighting Napoleon. But the look of disappointment on Captain Valentine’s face when he greets a more mature, less glamorous Phoebe, spurs our determined heroine to action. She becomes the wild and sparkling Miss Livvy, a younger alter-ego who soon entraps the clueless Captain.

As their romance is rekindled, can she juggle both personas? Or will her deception scandalise the town and wreck any future with the man she loves? J.M. Barrie’s delicious farce, written years before his now much-loved Peter Pan, was so well known in its day that it gave its name to the UK’s most popular chocolates, made in Halifax since 1936.

In Laurie Sansom’s directorial debut for Northern Broadsides, this rare revival also features a commentary from the Quality Street™ factory workers, whose own stories of hapless romance and growing old disgracefully give the show a playful Yorkshire twist.

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Well it's quite difficult to know what to say about this. This is a good story with a clever amusing script but I would never have described it as farce as it was far too slow and wordy. Daughter said "That ball seemed to go on forever". 

The introduction of the factory workers was confusing. Audience that were caught up in the play wasn't funny just annoying. And their having to keep explaining what was obviously going on was totally patronising. 

Mixing the old and new also spilled onto the set design with period furniture covered in crochet and walls of industrial metal poles. To make the connection between the Quality Street drama and the chocolates for the second half they decorated the metal poles with huge shiny flower shapes and dressed all those at the ball in shiny sweet wrappers. 

I also dislike the constant use of the dry smoke and as we were in the pit in row B our heads were level with the stage and breathing it in. 

And the final line by one of the factory workers was "So now you know why the chocolates were called Quality Street", and really they hadn't said why at all. 

Remember when the tin was this big? 

Oh dear that makes the whole thing sound a dreadful evening, but it wasn't. Overall it was a pleasant evening at the theatre and gave the three of us plenty to talk about all the way home.

On another plus note, we sat in the pit of the Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds and it's a beautiful old Regency theatre with the circle and upper circle as all individual boxes.

And that was over a week ago and the last out-of-the-house social event I'll go to until we get the coronavirus all clear. Stay safe everyone!
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Crowns and Gowns at Ely......

Myself and three friends had a lovely ladies day out. One came here so Hubby took the two of us to the station. Three of us travelled to Ely by train (a novel experience these days) and we met the fourth there. Her partner drove us the short distance into the town centre.

First stop was for tea and a good chat of course. Main topic was definitely the Coronavirus threat. We were all armed with hand sanitiser and washed our hands at every opportunity. I'm not so good on stairs to manage without the handrails so I wore gloves when travelling. Thankfully being a weekday nowhere was crowded.

Next onto Ely Cathedral to see the exhibition that was the reason for choosing this date as it's not there for much longer.

       A piece of Hollywood will come to Ely Cathedral when costumes, jewels and props from award-winning Hollywood movies and TV dramas filmed on site will go on display.

     The Crowns & Gowns exhibition will showcase stunning items that have been a part of Netfllix production The Crown and films such as The King's Speech. 

     These productions bought global award winning actors to the Cathedral including Cate Blanchett, Scarlett Johansson, Natalie Portman, Michael Fassbender, Colin Firth and Matt Smith.

     The unmissable exhibition will feature a fabulous collection of costumes, jewels, props, behind the scenes images and memorabilia from the dramas filmed on location at the cathedral.

     The magnificent 14th century Lady Chapel provides the perfect setting to showcase some of the most iconic gowns and outfits from The Other Boleyn Girl, Macbeth and Elizabeth: The Golden Age.

     In 2015 the landmark stood in for Westminster Abbey in the first episode of the £100million drama The Crown chronicling the early reign of Queen Elizabeth II.

     Scenes from the 1947 wedding of Princess Elizabeth, featuring Clare Foy, and Prince Philip, Doctor Who's Matt Smith, were filmed at the cathedral in August 2015.

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The cathedral itself is beautiful of course, so we took plenty of time to wander and admire. 

We were all more than ready for a late lunch and then just enough time to visit a few charity shops on our way through the high street to finally catch a bus to the station, quite exciting for me as I've had my bus pass for two years five months and this was the first time I'd used it hahaha. Our train home was on time and Hubby was there to meet us. A lovely day with lovely friends. 

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