Day 127 - Saturday 25th July
I'm moving to weekly posts as I'm too busy now to update this daily and it was becoming a source of stress. Given that the government has also given up reporting deaths from Covid-19 daily it feels like the virus is no longer the primary focus of our daily lives. I'm not sure that's a good thing; I'm still fearful that there will be a second wave as people become complacent and forget to take the necessary precautions.
Yesterday it became mandatory to wear masks in shops, in addition to public transport where it has been the rule for several weeks. Honestly you would think people had been asked to sacrifice their first-born. Apparently their entitlement to do whatever they damn please is more important than doing a small thing that can help us return safely to normal life without increasing infections. Some are conspiracy theorists who see it as another erosion of our human rights; some are just plain selfish. Both groups jeopardise the wellbeing of those who genuinely can't wear masks by making it a cause of friction in society.
We are drowning in fruit; the unusual weather has led to a bumper crop of blackberries and our pear trees are fully laden. Even the elderly one outside our kitchen window is full of good-looking fruit instead of the gnarled and twisted ones it normally produces. I have to pick blackberries daily and many more than I need; today my friend picked up a load of them, together with around 5Kg of damsons that fell overnight, and brought me blackberry jelly and damson cheese she made with the ones I gave her earlier in the week. I have so far only made sorbet with the blackberries.
Today it was announced the people returning from holidays in Spain will have to quarantine for 14 days due to a spike in infections there. The Spanish government has forced all night clubs and late night bars to close in an attempt to halt the spread. Increases in cases are also being reported in places that previously seemed to have the virus well under control, like South Korea and Japan. We're definitely not out of the woods yet. I've yet to visit a large supermarket, and restrict myself to petrol station minimarkets when I do need something between online shops.
This week my friend who had Covid came round for dinner - we barbequed and ate on the veranda. It was the first time she had eaten out of her home since late March when she was ill. We drank cremant to celebrate and she was in extremely good form. But today she has called me close to tears because she felt so breathless; it's possible that this partly stems from anxiety and causes a vicious cycle and I've tried to reassure her but her oxygen monitor is ranging from 88 to 92 which isn't a good sign. She called 111 and they told her not to worry, but I've suggested she call her own doctor on Monday. Even if it is partly anxiety, she needs to feel better. I'll go and see her tomorrow.
I've ordered some new bedding and curtains for the former room of requirement which is now my boudoir. Sadly my yoga teacher has decided to take the summer off, which is a pity because I don't always have the personal motivation to practice. But perhaps the fact that I now have a lovely space for it will help. The blackout curtains will mean I no longer need old duvet covers pinned up at the windows and hopefully that will help me stop waking up so early. Hubby went to the tip this morning to dispose of some of the junk I cleared out; this needs to continue though as we have so much stuff, much of which we never use.
I would have been at WOMAD this weekend, and we've had to postpone our mini-version NOMAD as gatherings outside are still limited to 30 people from two families; I'm thinking August bank holiday weekend might be possible. WOMAD is broadcasting a virtual festival but I can't really be bothered - it kind of defeats the point. My long-standing WOMAD buddies are coming for a barbeque tomorrow evening, so I might play some of it then. Our son stayed overnight at a friend's house on Friday which I wasn't particularly keen on, but he assured me that he had his own room. I suppose he's old enough to manage his own risk but when we discussed it he clearly wasn't up to date on the restrictions.
Today I am grateful for my new space; given how cautious I am about returning to normal life it feels important to have a sanctuary.
Yesterday it became mandatory to wear masks in shops, in addition to public transport where it has been the rule for several weeks. Honestly you would think people had been asked to sacrifice their first-born. Apparently their entitlement to do whatever they damn please is more important than doing a small thing that can help us return safely to normal life without increasing infections. Some are conspiracy theorists who see it as another erosion of our human rights; some are just plain selfish. Both groups jeopardise the wellbeing of those who genuinely can't wear masks by making it a cause of friction in society.
We are drowning in fruit; the unusual weather has led to a bumper crop of blackberries and our pear trees are fully laden. Even the elderly one outside our kitchen window is full of good-looking fruit instead of the gnarled and twisted ones it normally produces. I have to pick blackberries daily and many more than I need; today my friend picked up a load of them, together with around 5Kg of damsons that fell overnight, and brought me blackberry jelly and damson cheese she made with the ones I gave her earlier in the week. I have so far only made sorbet with the blackberries.
Today it was announced the people returning from holidays in Spain will have to quarantine for 14 days due to a spike in infections there. The Spanish government has forced all night clubs and late night bars to close in an attempt to halt the spread. Increases in cases are also being reported in places that previously seemed to have the virus well under control, like South Korea and Japan. We're definitely not out of the woods yet. I've yet to visit a large supermarket, and restrict myself to petrol station minimarkets when I do need something between online shops.
This week my friend who had Covid came round for dinner - we barbequed and ate on the veranda. It was the first time she had eaten out of her home since late March when she was ill. We drank cremant to celebrate and she was in extremely good form. But today she has called me close to tears because she felt so breathless; it's possible that this partly stems from anxiety and causes a vicious cycle and I've tried to reassure her but her oxygen monitor is ranging from 88 to 92 which isn't a good sign. She called 111 and they told her not to worry, but I've suggested she call her own doctor on Monday. Even if it is partly anxiety, she needs to feel better. I'll go and see her tomorrow.
I've ordered some new bedding and curtains for the former room of requirement which is now my boudoir. Sadly my yoga teacher has decided to take the summer off, which is a pity because I don't always have the personal motivation to practice. But perhaps the fact that I now have a lovely space for it will help. The blackout curtains will mean I no longer need old duvet covers pinned up at the windows and hopefully that will help me stop waking up so early. Hubby went to the tip this morning to dispose of some of the junk I cleared out; this needs to continue though as we have so much stuff, much of which we never use.
I would have been at WOMAD this weekend, and we've had to postpone our mini-version NOMAD as gatherings outside are still limited to 30 people from two families; I'm thinking August bank holiday weekend might be possible. WOMAD is broadcasting a virtual festival but I can't really be bothered - it kind of defeats the point. My long-standing WOMAD buddies are coming for a barbeque tomorrow evening, so I might play some of it then. Our son stayed overnight at a friend's house on Friday which I wasn't particularly keen on, but he assured me that he had his own room. I suppose he's old enough to manage his own risk but when we discussed it he clearly wasn't up to date on the restrictions.
Today I am grateful for my new space; given how cautious I am about returning to normal life it feels important to have a sanctuary.
Comments
Post a Comment