Right Phoenix, get your act together NOW!

Phoenix cool it, you are making us all feel guilty.

I am in self isolation, nearly at the end but today did home haircut so will have to self isolate another six weeks while it grows out.

I decided to stay in PJs all day as nobody would see me. Forgot about FaceTime with ex fashion buyer and make up consultant friends, to my horror both dolled up to the nines.

Decided must do one job every day to avoid completely slobbing out, so cleaned one kitchen cupboard and planned to throw anything that said “use before 1999” but decided in the end to keep in garage just in case.

Are six months out of date yoghurt safe to eat.

Supper of baked beans straight from tin to save on washing up. Learned this handy tip from 17 year old DGS.

Must go, burning smell in kitchen. Maybe the chicken bones I put in Aga two days ago for stock. Being so busy I forgot....

Since isolating I have no idea how I ever found the time to participate in life outside??

Whilst you lot have been *taking it easy^ and eating ice cream, I on the other hand have painted 3 fence panels, a garden shed and both sides of a garden gate today. <preens> I kept finding myself going faster and faster, as though I was running out of time. It took me a while to slow down and take my time. I've only got 19 more fence panels and another garden shed to do! Any takers? Or are you on ice cream eating duty all week?

You possibly never saw a very laid back Stephen Fry on the box? (A man who is bipolar and can be as manic and hyperactive as the best of us at times) saying that we are locked down, we must get used to different lives and we need above all now to learn to S L O W down. Each task, do it slowly, take our time, why are we rushing? why the pressure etc.,? Really think he's got a point. I was only listening with half an ear but I don't think he made mention of chocolate, ice cream, cat conferences or gazing at views, but it does sound as if you're on his wavelength. Keep it up !

Can I suggest you factor in “elevensies” at er eleven 0’clock each morning phoenix. It’s a welcome break from lots of doing nothing. I have made it my number one lockdown rule and takes me right back to childhood - I half expect to be given a pink wafer biscuit and a cup of warm milk. Have to “make do” with a coffee and a Slimming World HiFi bar (which are surprisingly nice but alas unobtainable now that our local group is closed for the duration)

I feel your pain, ga We've had some interesting substitutions from Sainsbury's but the best one was instead of boring old rich tea biscuits they sent salted toffee shortbread.

I don't have a sweet tooth but for some unexplained reason I punched the air.

I would not rush into anything Phoenix it’s not as if we have any deadlines to meet!

Ah Phoenix I have a very slight case of ice cream envy.
I have not been out of the house for weeks (because I was ill before the corona virus got going). So, The Wonderful Man has done all the shopping, as in fact he usually does, but he's 'helping' me to stick to the healthy eating regime I started when I was poorly by only buying me suitable 'healthy' foods.

I am grateful, really. I am grateful, no, honestly I am soooo grateful to him for not buying me chocolate..............or cake...... or biscuits.......or delicious brie cheese........

Perhaps Minnie will provide KitKats phoenix. What’s Oliver’s shorthand like?

Doodle do you know, you are so right? Obviously I've just sort of rushed in to this with not enough forethought!

I will call a board meeting tomorrow, Oliver Sprout can take the minutes, Minnie can be in charge of coffee and biscuits (although, to be honest I think she may not be relied upon to provide the right kind, if you know what I mean? I don't think Whiskas Salmon would be quite as good, or easy, to dunk as a Bourbon or a Custard Cream).

M0nica

Now phoenix don’t go rushing around getting things done. You must take time to plan things out properly. Having a list is a start but before you take action on your list I think you need to review it carefully. Perhaps schedule a board meeting with MrP and discuss it over a drink in the bar ? (kitchen worktop). Then it would be a good idea to work out a timeframe for each item on the list. Is it sensible to cram too much into one day or would it be better for the workforce to allocate tasks over several weeks. I think you need to allocate time for mid morning coffee, lunch break, loo break, afternoon tea, another loo break, checking how the other workers (MrP) are getting on, tidying desk, checking on the cats. Planning your route home from the bedroom in case the traffic is bad in rush hour. No I think you’re taking on too much. I think you need to delegate ?

Nanna58 our local handyman was supposed to be coming tomorrow to do our bedroom, cancelled!

Mr P and I both still work, hence getting a man in, as the saying goes.

O good grief I didn't realise it was that long, DD strikes again!

Have you noticed that even when you are home all day, no meetings, shopping expeditions etc etc, you still get no more done at home than you do when you have a class in the morning, Tai Chi after lunch and a committee meeting in the evening?

Today I intended to go for a walk first thing, then clean a bedroom, then deal with a heap of paperwork, some gardening etc etc.

Jn fact I woke late feeling as if I had not slept ( I had), slumped silently in front of the computer for several hours doing very little until I finally got dressed and went out for my walk at 10.30. I got back at 11.15 so there was no point in starting the cleaning before lunch so I got an earlyish lunch (12.15) then all of a sudden it was 2.30. Started on the cleaning, but DH was working all morning, including 2 skype meetings and suggested we took one of the cars out for a run. Circular tour, so no human interaction, which we did. By the time we got back I realised that if I was to do any gardening it had to be now, before it got cold and dark in that order. So I cut the grass at the front and picked up a few leaves, but by then it was getting cold so I came in and decided to do the cleaning.

Phone rang, it was DS, ready for a comfortable chat including talking about setting up skype/zoom meetings for all the family. By the time the call was over it was too late to do the cleaning before supper, so I started on the paperwork.

Then at 6.00pm DD rang. She is happily single with her own home. But last week she was given half an hours notice that the office was closing down and she was working from home, then she discovered all the local swimming pools had also closed down, now she swims 4/5 times a week, about a mile each time so the loss of this tipped her into a minor breakdown, which she resolved over the weekend. She is now on an even keel and tonight we had the final ending of her periods of chaos. She rang up and talked at me for an hour, without repetition, hesitation or deviation. My contributions consisted of soothing noises, yeses and vague sounds of commiseration, comprehension and sympathy. She finally rang off at 7.10. Then it was a late supper by which time it was after 8.00 and it is hardly worth starting anything else, given I go to bed earlyish.

So: one long uninterrupted day at home during which I cleaned under the bed in one room and mowed a small lawn. About as much as I would achieve on a busy day when I do lots of things out of the house.

Is the whole next three months going to be like this?

Decorating, 2 rooms down and 1 to go!!

Slow and steady, Charleygirl, slow and steady!

phoenix that icecream is yum- a pity we are in lockdown or I may have joined you. I do not like ginger in any shape or form- please remember that.

I sorted out my nightie (sp) drawer last week- I really do not want to overdo it.

phoenix well quite, but a swede for heavens sake?? I can usually produce something imaginative out of fridge scrapings but that would have challenged me

Ah, Curlywhirly putting the radio on is, alas not necessarily conducive to elevating the derriere from the chair! I have convinced myself that sitting doing the crossword whilst listening to the Radio actually counts as multi tasking!

GrannyLaine I think that even those men with 20/20 vision develop some sort of impairment when entering a supermarket.

Now I will sit back and wait for Grandad1943 (or whatever year) to leap onto this thread to accuse me of misandry!

Phoenix I don't usually watch much daytime TV either, but have found myself tuning in much more since the coronavirus troubles. I have done some jobs each day, but not half as many as usual. I must put the radio on instead, then I can get off my backside!

Spoke to my DD this morning after she had sent her husband out shopping yesterday. In her area, she's not really having much of a problem getting stuff. They have 3 young children.
"Mum, do you know what's in my salad drawer right now?"
One swede apparently is all he could find. And the supermarket allegedly had "no wine"
I've never heard her use language like it.

Your DH sounds the business. What a stash of ice cream!

Curlywhirly must say I haven't succumbed to day time TV! We only have 1, in the sitting room, and don't usually go through until about 7.30pm, spending daytime in the kitchen with Radio 4.

Although do sometimes break this rule on Sunday afternoons!

Phoenix I know what you mean. I took early retirement 5 years ago and himself is still working; I have always been a busy bee, never still, always on the go. So, since himself has been working from home, how come I have slowed down? I am sure he now thinks I have been sitting about since I retired, watching daytime TV, drinking tea and doing bugger all! Will definitely have to up my game, or I'll never hear the end of it?

lemongrove Mr is just back from our wonderful village shop (which, incidentally had today restricted to only 2 customers at a time), I had asked him for a couple of individual tubs of the delicious local ice cream, 1 clotted cream vanilla, 1 chocolate.

He came back with 1 individual clotted cream vanilla (tick) 1 individual honeycomb (yum!) and a litre of the double chocolate! as (quote) "they didn't have any individual tubs" (Got to love that man )

Now, I wonder if they have any "individual" tubs of their lush stem ginger, would be just perfect with the shortbread biscuits I was given the other day. ............

Whilst you gaze out of the window, eating a Twirl will help even more.?