We have both been very touched with all your good wishes to Patrick. He now has codeine and naproxen and although he will not admit it they are beginning to kick in and he did get some sleep last night (so did I). We had offers to cut the grass from Ben and to collect prescriptions, which made me quite tearful. Thank you so much for thinking of us both in our hour of need. The medicines arrived with an extra bit of magic in the form of a puzzle book and some gluten free biscuits; thank you Emma for your thoughtfulness. Dan, next door, has been out on bumble-bee, the name that the grandchildren gave the ride on lawnmower, and has mown the grass and I know that Patrick is not up to much as he has not been out to make sure that it is done to his exacting standards.
Still the sun shines and I have managed to get most of the borders weeded and will go over to my father’s and do some weeding there. Alas, he has an explosion of wild garlic and it is a relentless task trying to remove it all. Dithered this morning as to whether I moved the courgettes and cucumbers out of the greenhouse and into veg. patch, but am a little wary just in case we get a late frost. What do you think Jenny? In or out?
Bridget and the children went back to on line teaching and learning, by the sounds of the thumping upstairs it must be on-line P.E. I loved Shona’s idea of issuing reports to her children. How are the rest of you managing all these on-line lessons? I do wonder if the whole of the internet system will collapse because so many pupils are on line. When we have our ZOOM session on Tuesday I have to request that the next door neighbours do not watch Netflix as it slows the system up so much.
Had to laugh as I read about Shona’s new ‘pallet’ garden furniture. When I was pregnant with Bridget I was desperate for a foot stool to rest my weary feet on, in the evening, after work. Money was really tight, as I remember it after quartering charges Patrick’s take home pay was about £100 a month, so the man with zilch carpentry skills offered to knock up a footstool, which consisted of an upturned orange box to which he nailed four two by four offcuts for legs. That footstool was still in service ten years later and it was only during a move, when the packers said ’”DO you REALLY want us to take this?” that we finally disposed of it.
We are now all wrapped up in our insular worlds and life is down to family and friends and for some of us facetime, zoom and other computer means of socialisation, but that is not a physical, tactile meeting and will that ever happen again with the constant presence of infection. However, it is not just in our own parameters that life will change but on a monumental global scale. I think we will emerge to a radically changed world. Catherine Philip’s writes, “The curve will flatten. Humanity will survive. As cities, states and nations scramble to outpace the disease, choices made or rushed through now may alter the shape of the world for decades to come. “
Patrick is on ZOOM with the rotary as I write this and with a little eavesdropping I have worked out that they are discussing how, as a village, we are going to mark us all being released from lockdown.
Please, will you all think of Shirley as she cares for Kiara. All love, prayers and thoughts go out to the pair of you. Take care of yourselves and remember that we are all here if we can help or just be there to talk to.
After hopelessness there is hope.
After darkness there is a bright sun.
Please, cheer us up tomorrow, Estelle.
Sarah
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