The Lockdown Gang - not setting foot outside!

Callistemon, if you had the letter you should be able to get a slot. I had a phone call in the early days from our council asking if I had enough food. I said 'yes, I'm fine thanks as my husband can go to Asda'. 'No, her can't' was the answer! She told me to get a government food parcel and then I would receive emails from supermarkets offering a slot. It took a while to settle down but we now have a weekly Asda delivery and have managed to cancel the government parcel.

Yes, mid-July now.
However, I am going to go out, or else starve as no grocery slots are available at all with any supermarket, not even up until mid June.

My first letter arrived on the 23rd March. My third letter (from the hospital this time) has me locked down until the middle of July. After being in for six weeks, I felt myself becoming weaker so now we walk round a nearby football ground. We have a short walk to get there but there are few people out and everyone is very cautious.

On the subject of ovens, mine is awful and I may go and clean it right now!

I have a zoom call this evening with a group of friends. Our first one eventually went well. What can possibly go wrong with a gang of 70 year olds trying to do something new?

Hello there cellmates all.

Coming out of my stuffy cell to check on the weather and of course to catch up on you lot!! My word you do get chatty and although in lockdown seem to have so much to relate.Me on the other hand feel all shades of stale and have so little to tell.
The weather looks promising,though still a few clouds hovering and that slightly chilly breeze is around for the most part.
We did manage our strolls yesterday plus slipped in a bit of extra "sun time" though being very careful with the hats and watching the length of exposure.
Hopefully a repeat performance today.Already one gent on quite a snazzy scooter has been zooming around,trying out various benches,probably looking for the best one shielded from the breeze!

Last evening ,following reading about one of you mentioning the Hospital programme a few days ago,we decided it was time to get comfy and watch.
As an x nurse myself one would think I would simply take it all in my stride but this one was certainly very gripping and showed the real horror of nursing Coved-19 patients in The Royal Free during what would have been prior to and around the peak of the outbreak.Truly outstanding the workload,compassion and sheer hard work.It certainly had me on the edge of my seat.

Loved the tale of your grand daughter`s birth Bradfordlass and how you would sing English nursery rhymes to her......and now she will be 27,so Happy Birthday indeed young lady.

I think using common sense is the only way forward,especially to us the shielded,everything else is very "thin on the ground"......quite frankly we are still far too fearful to even think of life on the outside.
So it seems several of us are very much in agreement?
However my dear man has a troubling tooth, and real toothache for the last 24 hours so perhaps that may well prove the catalyst to catapult us out of these mighty heavy prison doors!
Although much like you Mammissimo I rather feel the time is arriving to start taking self responsability.I am of the belief we know our own bodies best but of course this darn virus keeps on throwing up differing sides all the while

I think many of us will also feel more than a little scared on our first trips out Doodle.......a new and truly scary experience for sure.

In our past home Grammaretto we too had a Rayburn,but unlike yours which you say stayed hot all the time.......like an Aga for example,ours had a switch with which we could simply switch on say in the early morning,cook breakfast almost immediately,and if not required say to make lunch it could be again switched off.
We did purchase ours from new so perhaps this maybe the key to the difference.
What a joy they are though, and that is something we have very much missed.Ours ran on oil and we had a seperate C.H boiler.

A very sad e mail from a very good friend came this morning and indeed it has put me in rather a somber mood.She is in poor health herself yet has diligently cared for her dear husband with altzeimers for very many years alone.Then at the weekend she completely "lost it" and completely went to pieces.
She did have presence of mind to call her eldest daughter and in a matter of several very urgent phone calls etc, the dear man eventually has been moved into care for a 2 week respite period(in isolation too)This I suspect will lead into full time care as he has not even known her for a long time.Such sadness,another couple torn by disease.

Awaiting the sun to break through as I think I am in real need of some uplifting fresh air!!
Take care and stay safe cell mates all, how I love your companionship..thank you.

Cherry You took the very words out of my mouth.

If I lived in UK, I'd be making my own decisions, not listening to politicians who can't tell a hawk from a handsaw (see picture).

A lazy day for me. Made a sugar free banana cake because I fancied something sweet and had 2 ripe bananas.

Tomorrow my darling grand-daughter will be 27.
I remember when she was born and lived with me for a while.
We used to sit in the late summer sunshine swinging and cuddling together in the hanging wicker chair on my country deck.
I would sing English nursery rhymes and she would look up at me with wide, puzzled eyes. Even today she still sits on my knee !


Cherry I enjoy research, even the very simple stuff I'm doing online - and there's much to do, with a totally different subject to post to the blog each day. Love it!

It's scuttling towards bedtime for me and you are all rising and, I hope, shining. I send happy wishes to you all.

Dear Doodle it'll be cocoa, not hot chocolate for me tonight as I'm watching my sugar intake and with cocoa I can use sugar-free maple syrup. Sounds odd, tastes wonderful.

Mamissimo and Doodle I think we all need to use a bit of our own common sense with regard to continuing to shield ourselves or not, especially if it's decided to extend the period beyond the 12 weeks. One person's circumstances will not be the same an another's of course. It does say on my letter that it is up to the person to follow the guidance or not. I really don't like the idea of isolating right through the whole summer and possibly beyond.

I've had an odd sort of day today, a "bits and pieces" kind of day that's felt a bit cobbled together iykwim ?. The only sensible thing I've managed to complete today is catch up with my emails and cook our dinner ?. Very nice meal, even if I do say so myself. Suddenly it's gone11pm and that tends to equate (most nights) with me heading toward bed, even if I don't fall asleep. Guess I ought to call it a night because if I don't keep to a routine it tends to muck me up. So I thought I'd grab my hot chocolate and say night inmates ?

How many clean ovens are there now?
Ours is always hot being a Rayburn, so impossible to clean. I like to think It cleans itself in that everything burns away eventually.

I like your thinking Mamissimo and I may follow suit. although most of our family are too far away to see anyway. My inlaws are the closest and they, particularly he , has been back on his mobility scooter today. He refuses to be told to stay indoors. At 95, who can blame him.

We have just had a family quiz on zoom. Truly international this time. It is such fun seeing all the faces and rooms. We did a lot better this time as the questions were not all about footballers and pop stars..

My hot chocolate was lovely Doodle thanks and sleep tight everyone.

Anyone who cleans their oven definitely deserves hot chocolate mamissimo ?.
We are staying in until DH speaks to his consultant in about three weeks time. He will ask her what she thinks about us starting to go out a bit. We would love to go for our daily walks again.

Grammaretto I think that the more physically able of the shielded may begin to make some easements to their shielding if they decide to extend it. We have discussed it extensively as a family and I think I will begin to gently take responsibility for myself again.

I am lucky to live in a quiet rural area and I could take the dog out for a walk myself - I would see no one! I don’t plan to go shopping or out to eat but as my adult children have been working from home and social-distancing when out for walks I may invite them to drive over to see me. Not to sleep or carouse - just to spend some time.

My grand children have been at home for eight weeks too so we will do a careful risk assessment next month.

I am shielded because I take a biological medicine- and they are now treating the most seriously ill patients with a version of this drug because their immune systems over react to Covid . Again, I will take advice from scientific experts before I begin easement.

In short, I propose to manage my own personal risk responsibly rather than be part of a very vaguely defined risk management plan.

And less controversially - I cleaned the oven today so I deserve a nice hot chocolate tonight!

Sleep tight ?

bradfordlass your memories of staying in Ambleside bring back fond memories to me too. I love Windermere and all the lakes. Ullswater is a favourite of mine.
3 loads of washing ? I’m still having my morning coffee. I’d better get a move on.
grammaretto it is hard not to see family isn’t it. My neighbour (who isn’t shielded but is over 70) went out yesterday and she told me she felt quite scared. She hasn’t been out since the lockdown started but had to go to sign some papers. She didn’t meet anyone while she was out but she said she was quite shaky when she got back.
Hope you enjoy your visit with your friend ?
cherry hope you slept ok last night with no tumbles.
Have a good day all.

What warm memories you have of your childhood holidays BradfordLass, that garden sounds beautiful. Pleased that my Azalea has evoked such lovely memories ?
Gosh, three lots of laundry done - I've only done one this morning and haven't got the other one on yet!
I love broccoli BradfordLass, but if I ate a whole head of it I think my WP would: a) emigrate and b) the whole house would have to be fumigated ?
Such dedication you have to do all that research, it's been a while since I've done any, I take my hat off to you. Great subject too ?

Grammaretto, nothing wrong with a bit of cynicism now and again so long as it doesn't bring you down. I know what you mean about the issue of a possible extension to shielding though, I'm hoping it's not extended as it would be lovely to go out for even a walk on my birthday in July.
Enjoy your visit from your friend, even if it's quite brief ?

We had yet another wonderful surprise this morning, handwritten mail ?. I knew the handwriting on the envelope was my neice2's. Inside were two handwritten letters, one each from the two elder great-nephews ?. I've read each one over and over again.
This week, despite the pain I have been in (now virtually gone ?) has been one of, if not the best one in lockdown ?

Morning cellmates! I hope you have slept as well as you can given our situation.
Those Shielding, like us, are being treated no differently, as an entity from those in the care homes, are we?. Except our conditions are probably more agreeable. and we don't have someone patting our pillows and calling us darling. Or maybe we do? Basically it's better for the statistics if we keep out of the way.
Sorry to be so cynical . I think as we approach the nominal end of our shielding time - June 12th would be officially 12 weeks for us - I wonder how many weeks months it will be extended.
You can tell I am getting desperate to see my family before they are grown up and we are no longer.

I love the azaleas, Bradfordlass Thank you and the picture you describe of holidays in the Lakes. We used to holiday at Loweswater when our boys were small. Lovely memories of the cows in the fields and sending the DC down to the farm with a pail to collect the fresh milk.

I am loving the image of you and Mr Doodle sitting on the balcony Doodle heavenly!

As for Mamissimo's Hot Bin! Well really! Need I say more. Pure heaven.

I am expecting a friend - at a distance - to call this morning with something for me. She is a seamstress (a proper one) and will either bring elastic or tape for my masks. I shall put the kettle on shortly. I hope it's warm enough to take our coats off!

It's funny how suddenly having the garden looking tidy is more important than the living room or kitchen as no-one sees it. We mustn't drink too much tea or she may need the loo!

See you all later.

$100, is about £50 Grammaretto. I suppose that's not bad to say I got so much fruit and heaps of vegetables as well as some staple foods.
I was a bit piggish and ate the whole broccoli head for tea ! oh the bliss of having fresh vegetables again.

It's such a gorgeous day here and I've done 3 lots of laundry and even lolled in the sun for a while (naughty. Sunshine makes AMD worse so I'm supposed to be a shady lady).

Cherry When I was a teenager, my Dad's boss allowed us to use his holiday apartment in Ambleside each Whitsuntide.
There was a very long garden, sloping down to Lake Windermere and the whole area was a mass of orange, white, pink, purple and red azaleas...unbelievably beautiful and fragrant.

I got up at dawn every morning and walked down through these blooms to the lake (bordered by Yellow Flag and Bullrushes) to swim.
Oh, those days were such happy ones. So thanks for bringing back wonderful memories via your white azalea.

It's taken me 4 hours to research and write today's blog about women inventors; brilliant women but they faced such opposition from men very mean. It didn't stop them.

mamissimo sad news always rocks us back. As you say there is nothing you can do but you are thinking of them and caring and that counts a lot.
Your hotbin sounds as though it’s heating up quite nicely.
Have you ever had one before?
cherry hopefully a pain free and peaceful night for you tonight.
panache hope you and MrP are ok.
Sleep well all

Good to hear you've had your sensible hat on today Mamissimo, but we are here for you, even if it's only virtually, if you do wobble.
It's definitely Italian flour we've got, the bag has the Italian flag on it, the writing is Italian etc, sorry ?. I'm hoping to make pizza bread too, I haven't made it for what seems like years, hope I can remember what to do ?. ... ?
I love the idea of a hotbin, we've got a basic run of the mill compost bin. Nothing wrong with it, does what it's meant to do but.... hmm now I'm jealous.

It wasn't really a case of being in the right place at the right time today Dreamkeeper, we've just got a neighbour who likes a chat who obviously spotted us - we saw him/her come out of his/her door and make a beeline straight for us ?. I think s/he's missing his/her social life.

Doodle, sitting on the balcony watching the world go by and just being with the one you love sounds like a lovely way to spend the evening any day of the week ?

Pouring myself a hot chocolate now gov'nr Doodle.

Nighty, night inmates. Sleep well ?

cherry I am so jealous if you have Italian flour! I am having to ration pasta meals to one every three weeks to eke out my pasta flour. I use the same flour for pizza bases too so we are missing some favourites. I’m a make everything from scratch girl so I tried to get some online and could only find 25kg sacks which are too big to store. Hopefully the paper bag makers will go back to work soon and we can get flour again.

Thank you all for your kind words yesterday. I’ve got my sensible hat on today because there’s nothing I can do but be on the end of a phone.

We recently bought a HotBin for compost - what an amazing thing! It’s my new best toy. It eats everything - all food waste, garden waste, pet waste, shredded paper - even Amazon packaging! It’s running at 60 degrees already so I should get my first batch of compost from it in about two months. If we’re all still incarcerated I will —let you know how how it goes— bore you to bits with it ? (why doesn’t strike through on an iPad?)

It’s washing the groceries day tomorrow so I’d better get an early night.

Sleep tight

Hello all.
cherry glad you had a good nights sleep. Hope the pain goes completely soon. Yes it was lovely to see our son. He was a bit surprised at the enormous bags of medicine he had to pick up for his dad ?
grammaretto your home sounds lovely. You must have beautiful gardens. I’m not surprised you don’t want to leave.
Your community shop sounds a good idea. Do you provide produce? Hope DHs feet are ok. Did you get any help from the doctor?
panache I love your posts. Always so interesting and inclusive. Hope you enjoyed your stroll round the garden
DH and I have got used to sitting on our balcony in the early evening with a glass of wine and chatting about the day and watching the world go by. Each of us involved in our own projects we catch up on the excitement of photographs sorted and new stitches being done. Quite how we will cope with the excitement when I start painting soon I don’t know ?
cherry you’ve got flour! My DGD will be so jealous. She has stated working with flourless cakes as there has been such a shortage. Glad you have found the local shop a benefit. I’m sure they welcome the business. Plants and flour, what more can you ask? ?

Someone indeed has been extremely fortunate!! and must be smiling all day long!!!
Being in the right place at the right time sems to have paid of Cherry Good luck ..........your garden will soon be blooming!

Dreamkeeper, the Azalea is a Viscosum - commonly known as a swamp honeysuckle. I haven't taken a picture of it yet as my partner is still working around that area of the garden since he removed and divides some perennials and is replanting.

We've had a bounty bonus the last couple of days ?. Beside the Azalea we now have some bedding plants and wait for it..... we've got flour! Woohoo ?. Whilst we were in the garden putting the washing on the line earlier one of our friendly neighbours came to the gate for a chat. S/he (yes I know, that's deliberate) remarked on the garden and all the hard work my WP had put into it. My partner remarked back that we just needed some bedding plants/plugs and he'd be happy. Our neighbour told us that one of the shops nearby was selling some and delivered. We rang the shop and sure enough they are taking orders. Along with our bedding plants we were able to order flour (Italian), local eggs and butter, icing sugar, flavourings and cake decorations. That's the weekend sorted ?.
The moral of the story - shop local ?

Must make contact.
Not firing on all cylinders this day my talkative cell mates, but nothing will halt me poking my nose out of my cell!!

Like you Grammeretto I guess this shielding business is bad enough and we both were preparing (fairly happily) to stay put for probably all of this year.........however this message from the WHO and others saying a vaccine may never be found has really "put the cat amongst the pigeons"
Not like me to be low for long but this is rather difficult to shake off.

Then along comes Bradfordlass with that lovely flower picture and such a message of real hope,thanks a lot,it may well have saved my bacon!

Flowers seem to be very much a topic and I am trying hard to picture your white azalea Cherry,and the perfume too,what a bonus.Of course it needed a prime position to be viewed and enjoyed to the max.

Indeed Mammissimo the flowers were well recieved and have filled the place as well as turning it into a home again.
However I feel very much for you and your family in the light of such distressing news.As you say having money in these bleak and sad circumstances have no value at all.Please know you are very much in my thoughts.

Whilst this news about the Argy being all spit and sawdust makes it all the more probable to be "just up my street!!" Although seeing the sorry sights like that of Marydoll for one,being ejected in a coma does make me question if my delicate stomach is up to the contents they sell there!!!!!
However if perhaps good enough for the likes of you Doodle and our Cherry then perhaps one of these days I might try it out.

Great news about Dexter and I am sure you are one relieved lady Dragonfly

I dare not rave on further about our big move Grammeretto always more than aware of making folk bored,and we cannot have that.I should have written a diary.
I was simply too busy at the time!
If on the other hand I can help,yes then I am only too willing.

The anti dote to being "down at mouth" on poking my nose out of my cell to join you lot must be,I am now feeling very much better,thanks to you uplifting gang!!
Thanks a bunch.

Sun is getting warmer too,the sky is beautiful cloudless and blue so I rather think time for a stroll gang.

Take care and stay safe!

Cherry I am so glad you had a good night's sleep!!
Something must have been right. I wonder if it was Doodle's secret recipe in the hot chocolate or the fragrance of the azalea.

We had trouble starting the car but it was Ok. Normally DH could walk to the docs as it's only a mile away but with his bad feet, we had to drive. It 's less busy than usual but still quite a lot of traffic - us included.

Doodle we have too much really but the thought of downsizing is worse than any problems we have with the house and its grounds. Since our own youngsters left home we have hosted around 200 volunteers (not all at once) to help with the upkeep and to help us with various community projects we are involved in. All closed at the moment apart from the community shop which is doing wonderfully well.

But one thing about lock down there is time to take stock and reflect on your life and perhaps learn to cast off things which don't really matter.

I think the realisation that we hadn't seen our DGC, except on a screen since Christmas was getting me down.

BradfordLass a beautiful flower and a happy experience for you is cheery for me too ?

Ooh that still sounds quite nasty, your DD's dog having all those stitches but it does sound like she's on the mend Grammaretto. Hope your DH's bloods are okay today.

Thanks for the wishes I received for a good night last night, I did indeed have a good night's sleep. This morning I woke up at 6:45am, got a cuppa and took it back to bed. I took some pain killers (still got some pain) and fell asleep again and woke up at 10:45am ? ?.

Doodle, my WP has taken to turning over car engine every day now. As yours being covered in pollen or dust ... I know ours, even though in the garage, is getting quite powdery looking ? ?.
Even though it was from a distance I bet it was lovely to see your son.

The beautiful white Azalea is looking gorgeous in it's home where we can see it from our living room window ?. With the window open the fragrance is drifting into the room.

grammaretto glad to hear your DDs dog is on the mend soon. Hope you are feeling a bit brighter today. Do you have a lot of land? I’m assuming that’s what the helpers came for. Sorry if you’ve explained it before I must have missed it.
Our car is completely covered in dust or pollen. I went out and stated it today to check the battery. Older son came over with prescriptions. So nice to see him. DH has to wave out of the window and chat from two floors up.
Have a good day all

dragonfly so pleased to hear Dexter is on the mend. That must be a relief. I expect he will pick up more when the cone comes off. What a nightmare this has been for you.
Morning cherry how are you today. Hope you had a good night.
bradfordlass never feel bad about talking of good news. We all have our troubles in life and good times too. It’s nice to share both. Lovely flower. You may have a shot of anything you like tonight..........off to search the cellar ...?