Day Thirty Three - Education, Strawberries and Rules, Rules, Rules

No walk today. My activities of yesterday have a knock on effect. I've a very sore leg. I think it might be achilles tendon related. It certainly hurts more on flexion so I decided a walk wouldn't be sensible. I'm also experiencing a modicum of discomfort typing this as my efforts in the garden have exacerbated something in my left wrist, arthritis, tendonitis? Who knows? I'm a real old lady today. I loathe the fact that what you do one day means you have to deal with the fallout the next. I found an old pot of tiger balm which I've applied to my leg and there's a temporary easing.

Discussions about the lockdown continue. The ending of it and how it will be implemented dominate. Education figures high on people's list of concerns. There are many parents who have embraced the whole home schooling thing and may even have afforded their children a broader education than if the schools had remained open. Debatable point for sure. My friend's daughter in law says she has really enjoyed home schooling her three children, interestingly the 'nearly two year' old is included. But she says she hasn't stuck to a timetable. She waits until they say they're bored and then she does an activity with them believing they will learn more effectively than if she insists on dragging them away from something else they're already enjoying. My friend says that's in stark contrast to her other son's family. The two eldest children have been shipped off to their grandmother's every so often, (hmm lockdown breakdown? or not?) and I believe she has made some attempt at homeschooling. But they aren't doing anything in their own home. The general fear is, when the schools resume, that there will be a marked discrepancy between those children who have been continuing with their education during lockdown and those who haven't. It will be interesting to monitor this.

Strawberries have featured several times in this diary. Folk who know me well know I love strawberries. My NHS friend who always goes shopping on Saturday during the priority slot for key workers habitually, now, gets strawberries for me if the store has any. They didn't last week and they didn't this week. She bought me a pineapple instead. (I love pineapples too! ) Then early this afternoon there was a ring at the doorbell, which has me going into a panic nowadays. It was my next door neighbour having placed a punnet of strawberries by the door!  How kind! I felt dreadful though. Their car had been gone from the driveway for hours today. I was unkindly thinking that since they were that long it couldn't have been an essential trip. It may not have been wholly essential but they certainly went to the supermarket. And they thought of me which was incredibly thoughtful. Fast forward an hour or two. I'm listening to The Doors full volume with the headphones on. My phone lights up with a message. It's my NHS friend telling me there are......... strawberries outside my front door!! Her partner had seen some at the greengrocer's on his walk and thought that I would like them.  He knocked but I didn't hear him because I had the headphones on. I wasn't expecting any more callers today, funnily enough!! Another punnet of strawberries. I didn't tell either of them, my friend or my neighbour, that I got some strawberries in my Sainsbury's delivery this week!! 😂🍓

This was in the Old Schools Girls WhatsApp feed today. It's funny, but it isn't because it is more accurate than it should be.

'Lockdown rules explained, for those that are not Lockdown rules explained, for those that are not too sure or maybe sure.

1. You MUST NOT leave the house for any reason, but if you have a reason, you can leave the house.

2. Masks are useless at protecting you against the virus, but you may have to wear one because it can save lives, but they may not work, but they may be mandatory, but maybe not.

3. Shops are closed, except those shops that are open.

4. You must not go to work but you can get another job and go to work.

5. You should not go to the Drs or to the hospital unless you have to go there, unless you are too poorly to go there.

6. This virus can kill people, but don’t be scared of it. It can only kill those people who are vulnerable or those people who are not vulnerable. It’s possible to contain and control it, sometimes, except that sometimes it actually leads to a global disaster.

7. Gloves won't help, but they can still help so wear them sometimes or not.

8. STAY HOME, but it's important to go out.

9. There is no shortage of groceries in the supermarkets, but there are many things missing. Sometimes you won’t need loo rolls but you should buy some just in case you need some.

10. The virus has no effect on children except those children it affects.

11. Animals are not affected, but there was a cat that tested positive in Belgium in February when no one had been tested, plus a few tigers here and there…

12. Stay 2 metres away from tigers (see point 11).

13. You will have many symptoms if you get the virus, but you can also get symptoms without getting the virus, get the virus without having any symptoms or be contagious without having symptoms, or be non contagious with symptoms...it's a sort of lucky/unlucky dip.

14. To help protect yourself you should eat well and exercise, but eat whatever you have on hand as it's better not to go to the shops, unless you need toilet roll or a fence panel.

15. It's important to get fresh air but don't go to parks but go for a walk. But don’t sit down, except if you are old, but not for too long or if you are pregnant or if you’re not old or pregnant but need to sit down. If you do sit down don’t eat your picnic, unless you've had a long walk, which you are/aren't allowed to do if you're old or pregnant.

16. Don’t visit old people but you have to take care of the old people and bring them food and medication.

17. If you are sick, you can go out when you are better but anyone else in your household can’t go out when you are better unless they need to go out.

18. You can get restaurant food delivered to the house. These deliveries are safe. But groceries you bring back to your house have to be decontaminated outside for 3 hours including frozen pizza...

19. You can't see your older mother or grandmother, but they can take a taxi and meet an older taxi driver.

20. You are safe if you maintain the safe social distance when out but you can’t go out with friends or strangers at the safe social distance.

21. The virus remains active on different surfaces for two hours ... or four hours...or six hours... I mean days, not hours... But it needs a damp environment. Or a cold environment that is warm and dry... in the air, as long as the air is not plastic.

22. Schools are closed so you need to home educate your children, unless you can send them to school because you’re not at home. If you are at home you can home educate your children using various portals and virtual class rooms, unless you have poor internet, or more than one child and only one computer, or you are working from home. Baking cakes can be considered maths, science or art. If you are home educating you can include household chores within their education. If you are home educating you can start drinking at 10am.

23. If you are not home educating children you can also start drinking at 10am.

24. The number of corona related deaths will be announced daily but we don't know how many people are infected as they are only testing those who are almost dead to find out if that's what they will die of… the people who die of corona who aren’t counted won’t or will be counted but maybe not.

25. We should stay in lockdown until the virus stops infecting people but it will only stop infecting people if we all get infected so it’s important we get infected and some don’t get infected.

26. You can join your neighbours for a street party and turn your music up for an outside disco and your neighbours won’t call the police. People in another street are allowed to call the police about your music whilst also having a party which you are allowed to call the police about.

27. No business will go down due to Coronavirus except those businesses that will go down due to Coronavirus not sure or maybe sure .

Worrisome news from Japan as their doctors warn of a health system breakdown because cases are surging. But given what my friend who lives in Japan told me, I'm not that surprised. Their lockdown hasn't been strict enough. More lax than ours even. I worry for my friend and her daughters.

Something I've wanted to say but haven't for fear of being labelled sexist is that those countries with female leadership have done much better in controlling the virus. I can say it now though because other people are too. British Vogue ran an article on the subject. They make the point though that it is not because of their gender but because they deserve to be in leadership positions to begin with. Hmmmm. Interpret that as you will........ I'm saying no more.