What a joy to wake up to another morning of glorious sunshine and the fact that the wind had dropped. With the Sunday papers in quarantine until Wednesday it meant that last night I sat down and finished two books, the one I read at breakfast time and the one I read in bed in the evening. No panic on books and the libraries being closed as we have the complete set of Dickens in the bookcase, which once belonged to Patrick’s grandparents. I have never been a fan of Dickens having been forced to read David Copperfield at school, but who knows fifty years on I might come to appreciate why they have been so revered over the decades.
Bridget could not sleep last night so left at eight to do the family shop for four generations and Tesco was empty of people. She got great grandpa’s whisky so the end of the world is not nigh. His shopping list, as Jo will verify, is whisky, chocolate digestives, chocolate, smoked salmon and cheese. In fairness to him he has got to ninety-four on it and I have stopped worrying about the paucity of vegetables. Once the shopping returned home we then had the onerous job of spraying off the fridge stuff with a weak solution of bleach and the rest is in lockdown with the newspapers for three days. I am beginning to wonder if I have led the most unhygienic life imaginable, I normally bring the stuff back and chuck it in the fridge or larder. My hands are getting quite raw with all this washing.
The Devon Air Ambulance has been laid off because the pilots cannot be protected. Bridget has Dan returning tonight after a stint in Hertfordshire. He has told her that he is safer than her on a trip to Tesco. The AW169 that he flies is larger than the Devon helicopter and they have managed to fix up a screen between the paramedics and the pilots, also they are hoping to get PPE soon. He has all his laundry in a bag ready to go into the washing machine at a high temperature. Our son has been told that he probably will not be there for the birth of their first child, ante natal lessons have closed down and no midwife appointments until you are seven months pregnant.
On a more positive note, West Buckland school’s science department have donated all their goggles to the health service and the head of DT is busy designing perspex faceguards for the hospital. The garden is full of Red Admiral Butterflies and I have discovered the wonders of facetime. Son, daughter, daughter-in-law and I chatted last night, well they conversed and I spent most of my time trying to get the telephone angle right so my double chin did not show. Will put this skill into good use when we ZOOM tomorrow.
Right; now for facebook and we have loads of stuff. A name the countries quiz from Jane and the prize goes to Rachel Jane for spotting the glaring spelling mistake – countr’IE’s not countr’Y’s. Emma had a little art work with put the face on the cat. It was Rachel S’s turn to give us a tinkle on the piano, with a guess the theme tune and her ‘scale passages’ came in for admiration from our other professional pianist, Sue T. Jenny and Rita have been busy baking.
I commented to Bridget that I am finding it hard to find stuff to write about. She opined that we are now all hunkering down, narrowing our horizons, quietly and stoically getting on with our lives, crossing our fingers and praying that we come out of this in one piece, but it will a very different world into which we will emerge. The shock of the lockdown is over, we have come to terms with our situation and the kindness of friends, family and strangers is helping us through.
If you have not seen it do watch the video of Ben and Natasha Marsh and their four children singing along. Jane S and Jo posted it and it is the best one done so far.
My night off tomorrow, with Shona on duty. Still looking for someone to fill the Sunday night spot. See you all tomorrow on Zoom.
Sarah
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