Week 6 of Lockdown

Another week has gone by and I can honestly say it seems to have flown passed.  I'm not sure what I've done other than pottered in the garden and been once to the supermarket.

Shopping this week it reminded me of Supermarket Sweep which is basically what I do.  Walk as fast as possible, avoiding people of course, buying as much as possible in one go and hoping that when I get home some of the things I've grabbed do actually go together and make a sensible meal.

The weather has been lovely again - today it has been raining but I think that is the first rain we have had for a month.  The garden does need it and it makes all the shades of green so much brighter.  I decided on Sunday to put some Snowflake seeds in some compost and see  if they would grow.  They are tiny and all was going well till I dropped the tray in my husband's toolbox - he emptied the tools out, hoovered up the soil and put that back in my seed tray.   I watered it, put it on a sunny windowsill and blow me down, this morning I can see one pair of seed leaves and 3 other shoots.  I never expected them to grow at all.    I'll take a photo for next week's post!

We were supposed to have been going on holiday this week before I started 7 weeks of summer exams but that all got cancelled.  Instead I've been sat on the gravel drive pretending I'm at the seaside - I nearly got a bucket of water out for my feet so I could go for a paddle!!

Maybe I've been locked in for too long but I can wait it out.  The longer we stay in now, the better it will be ….I hope.   Stay safe everyone.

Elaine



 

Week 5 of Lockdown

Here again so soon - for all the boredom and procrastinating I did think last week went a little faster.  Maybe it was because we had a bank holiday and my daughter's working week was only 4 days or we are all getting used to it.

Nature is still taking over - more and more people are actually appreciating what is around them and going out taking photos etc.  I don't remember buying these tulips but they are really pretty - a deep maroon colour.  We live very close to Ashdown Forest which is the home of Winnie the Pooh and the Hundred Acre Wood etc.  A A Milne lived on the forest and so his books were set there.  Other fun facts - I went to school in Nottinghamshire and my friend's father went to University with the real Christopher Robin!  I'm rambling - what I was going to say was that the deer are taking over the roads on the forest already.

I'm not sure what I've been doing this week other than my one trip out to the Supermarket.  We did watch Phantom of the Opera on Saturday afternoon which was brilliant.  Andrew Lloyd Webber is putting his musicals on youtube on Friday nights for just the weekend so we're now sat waiting to see which one it will be this weekend.

We also watched the TV programme on the West Highland steam railway - 2 hours of chugging along with very little commentary.  I found it really interesting as when I was little we always went up to the west coast of Scotland for holidays staying at Arisaig, swimming in the sea, days out to Skye and fishing off Mallaig Pier.  We also took the train to Fort William for fish and chips on night.  Happy days when life was simple or I didn't have to worry about it!!

Oh well, that's another week done.  At least the number of deaths do seem to be going down so hopefully we might be allowed out of the house come June.

Elaine xx

Week 4

Well Easter was gorgeous wasn't it?  It was 25 degrees here in the south so lovely to get some gardening done and sit in the sun for a bit.  I also took my camera and went for a walk around the local Botanical Gardens - well my garden!

Wallflowers

Tulips

More Tulips

Rowan tree bursting into life

Nature does seem to be taking over.  I've seen pictures of the goats coming down off The Great Orme  feasting on the gardens in Llandudno.  There was a herd of deer sitting on the green space outside gardens in outer London.  Also we spotted some sheep that had taken over a children's play park somewhere and were perfectly happy playing on the roundabout.

Let's hope when we get out of the other side of this then people will step back from their previously  hectic lives and use their time less selfishly and more wisely.

Elaine xx

Week 3

Another short post - I've been staying home, trying not to watch too much news, and been to Sainsburys twice.   Most people have been sensible except for those that think it is ok to barge into that 2m of space I was keeping.

I've been out in the garden - it's been ages since it rained and everywhere is so dry.  It's going to be one of those funny years.  It was so wet with torrential rain at the start of the year and everywhere was flooded.  Now the weather has improved, lovely and sunny, and we are stuck at home.  As soon as we are allowed out, the rains will come back and then there'll be deep snow to finish the year off.  All doom, gloom and despondency!!

On a brighter note my husband has been out a few times.  He belongs Sussex 4x4 Response which were mainly set up to help the emergency services in inclement weather - driving doctors through the snow etc.   Currently they are distributing PPE for the NHS - the Army are delivering it by the pallet loads and Mike and his colleagues are taking to hospitals and care homes etc.  Yesterday he went to Sussex University to get all their PPE and take to a hospital.   Every little helps.

Elaine xx

Distancing week 2

I know its April Fool's Day but this is not a joke.   It's week 2 of being asked to stay in and other than a couple of trips to the supermarket I've been nowhere.   This in fact could be a really short post!!

I have got loads of things I could be doing but as we are going to be in this for the long haul, why rush to hoover all the cobwebs this week when I might be really really bored next week or the end of April.....or the end of May …. who knows?    I was thinking we could make a start on the loft and clear out some junk but the dump has now shut and I have a nasty feeling council's will soon forget about recycling and be concentrating on just general rubbish collections.

My daughter is working from home so I intend to make weekends different, get everyone off their screens and play cards, do jigsaws, read proper paper books.  The weather next week is looking so much better - 17 degrees here in the south - so it will be back in the garden tidying up.  Then when it's time to plant out summer plants we can hopefully get a delivery from the local nursery to support them.

That's it folks - stay inside and stay safe!

Elaine

Life in 2020

So where did all that time go.  I can't believe it is nearly 2 yrs since I blogged but obviously now I have plenty of time!

Like everyone else in the country I have stayed in for the last week except for a walk across the road to offer our services to the elderly couple opposite - they're computer savvy and order food online but have only managed to get one more delivery so they have our telephone number if they need anything.  I've been to the supermarket once and got most of what we needed - my OH is pleased there hasn't been a run on Easter Eggs yet - and I went for a walk in the local park.  That was fun - hardly anyone out although I did meet a lady I worked with 27yrs ago so we had a bit of a catch up from a distance.

Is it not sensible to stay in?  It makes sense to me - hopefully I might not catch it and might not give it others.   I can't believe how many people went to the coast - yes it was a sunny day but places were heaving.   School's out so loads of teenagers in groups.  I guess it will take one local death before everyone takes it seriously.

Anyway I guess I have lots of stuff to keep me occupied - a year's supply of card and crafting stuff, loads of beads, family history research and that's before all the mundane jobs of clearing the house of rammel.   I think it's just a case of taking one day at a time, keeping in touch with friends and getting through this.   Hopefully I'll get to blog weekly too.

Stay safe everyone.

Elaine x

Where did the Summer go?

Well I almost feel embarrassed at how lax I've been and how long it is since I posted anything.  Today is not going to be any different either but at least I have 5 minutes to myself.

I spent most of May and June and a week in July invigilating exams at the local school - I think I did 60 exams in 7 weeks.  Very tiring on the feet and whilst you are not doing much, by the time I got home I ate then fell asleep.   We did manage a week in Somerset visiting the sites, gardens and the coast, drinking cider and eating cheddar.

As soon as the exams finished my dad ended up in hospital so that involved trips north.  After 4 weeks he managed to get out and we joined him to celebrate his 93rd birthday and my parents' 70th wedding anniversary.  A day later both my parents fell over and were both taken to hospital.

That's why my blog has been left unattended, I haven't had chance to make anything, join in any challenges and if I've missed commenting on your blog posts then I apologise but sometimes life gets in the way.  Hopefully things will quieten down and I will feel more creative again.....one day!!

Elaine xx