Day Eleven - Sweat Shirts and Lawnmowers

The sweatshirt arrived. It wasn't a T-shirt after all. I first thought about a tee then I thought it might not stay this warm so I changed the order to a sweat shirt right at the last minute, forgetting I'd done it! It was almost a surprise. I'm glad I did if the forecast is anything to go by. I wasn't going to go out at all today. Physically I've been overdoing things and I was hurting in the night. I knew I wanted to mow the lawn today too so I thought I'd conserve energy.  I love gardening, or I used to. My spinal problems don't allow me to indulge much any more. I try for ten minutes, my back starts niggling and I know that if I continue it'll just get worse and worse. So for the last two or three years I've had a gardener. Sounds posh doesn't it? He's a fourth generation gardener, trained at horticultural college and the grandson of my former next door neighbour. I like him a lot. He's young, laid back, smokes a tad too much of the wacky baccy and as a result he's infuriatingly forgetful, unreliable and unpunctual! But he's a decent person who shares the same philosophies as I do about things. He totally gets my organic approach. No chemicals and no murdering of creatures. Reverence for the earth. But obviously while this pandemic continues he isn't coming. I have to maintain the garden myself. So I was dreading doing the lawn. I wasn't even sure that the mower would still work. But it did. I paced myself, did it in stages and I have a mowed lawn with the edges trimmed. And the moral of that, perhaps convoluted tale, is that without this situation I wouldn't have attempted to do it. But I have and that's a good thing. I wonder what else I can do that I've been believing I can't? 

If I have to self isolate I am really going to struggle. I truly didn't intend to leave the house today but  by about 14.00 I gave in, donned my swanky new top and went off for my walk. Most pleasant and a great reaction to the sweatshirt! One lady asked if she could take a photo! I said yes but please don't put it on social media. She said she wouldn't but I've a feeling she will. Plus many more people moved aside instead of expecting me to do all the work. The exceptions were some joggers, goes without saying though, doesn't it, and a couple of youths. My sister messaged me to say she went out at 5:30 this morning and went for a walk and she came back feeling energised. It is the best time go I think. I'll try for that tomorrow if I'm not in too much pain. But I'm glad I went today. I didn't sing. ;)

I found the Clap for the NHS moving. In a way I wish it could have been in daylight so we could all have seen each other, but that wasn't the point. Some people in the 'hood let off fireworks too which added to the atmosphere. I would have loved to see the whole country from the air and see a whole nation clapping in unison. We can unite when the mood takes us. But can we keep it up? However when I saw some of the news snippets from around the country there were people in the streets not social distancing in the slightest! Instructions were clear: your balcony, front door, window. Plus it looked like the cameraman and reporter were a damn sight closer then 2 metres. Feels like I'm nit picking though about such a positive event. :(

Our airport have finally decided to suspend some flights. easyjet have suspended all of their flights from March 24 to mid-May at the earliest. Ryan Air have stopped all flights from March 25 to mid-May at the earliest. From March 30, Wizz Air will only be running three flights per week to Bucharest. Logan Air will continue flights to Aberdeen and Derry three times a week. Fly One will return to a twice weekly service from May. Hmmmmm. But we have no idea of how things will be in May. They could be better or they could be worse. How can you plan ahead like this?

Some sad news today. A local GP has died from what seems likely to be Coronavirus.The reports say he had 'textbook' symptoms. If tests confirm it he will be the first GP in the UK to die from the virus. I've a feeling he won't be the last. He was a well respected doctor in this area. People spoke highly of him as a caring man. 

I'm amazed at how the time passes. The days don't drag like I feared they might. I've always found it hard to fit everything in that I wanted to. Things aren't so different for me in that I was already retired and I have no children off school but I still worried that the curbing of any spontaneity or the planning of social events would leave gaps in the day but so far that hasn't happened. 

I'm still struggling with the fact that I don't know when I'll see my brother or sister again. It hits me at various moments during the day. That's a low point and I worry about either of them contracting the virus and I can't help them. I wouldnt be allowed to go to them. 


The weather this week, though, has been exceptional. I do believe it has made the lockdown less of an ordeal than it might have been if the grey, gloomy, drizzly weather had continued. I know it created the Bank Holiday atmosphere that thwarted social distancing and possibly precipitated the lockdown although I'm sure that would have come eventually. It was just sooner rather than later. This weekend we have the clock change that will bring us lighter evenings. Without or without a pandemic I feel better when that happens. 

I was texted by one of my old schoolfriends today. She wanted to include me in a WhatsApp group where we offer a daily thumbs up emoticon to say we're okay. I thought it was a good idea rather than numerous, individual  'How are you's? navigating the ether in their hundreds! No need for response unless you're not okay and then I guess folk will leap to offer cyber comfort. I love the creative ways in which people are staying in touch and amusing themselves.  Social media is awash with initiatives, from a bookish perspective. A StayAtHome book festival, virtual book launches. I can't keep up with it all!