The new normal

Day 1

Well, today is Day 1 of all of the country staying at home! Sophie ran around the estate early this morning, while I walked three laps and it was a truly beautiful morning, with the birds singing their hearts out and hardly any traffic going by. We are allowed out for one form of exercise per day, either alone or in a family group and I feel so lucky we have a garden, especially at the moment when the weather is lovely. You can bet anything that this Spring will be warm and gorgeous and none of us will be able to go out to parks or beaches to enjoy it!

I busied myself in the morning by hoovering and cleaning Mike's room and Keith went out for his allotted walk. We're not told how long we can go out for, so I suppose one almighty day's walk would be fine!

Unfortunately, we had to go out as Mum wanted a bill paying at the bank so we set off, but Keith was under strict instructions to stay in the car. He wanted a newspaper and I had misgivings, but we called into the petrol station on the way to the Weston Favell Centre and I went out to get one. The shop was closed and I managed to get the last newspaper, and followed a man to the "night-hatch". He ordered me to stay away from him even though I was nowhere near! I felt like I was some kind of leper, ringing a bell and saying, "Unclean!" It quite upset me, to be honest, especially as I wasn't anywhere near him!

Angrily telling Keith to make the most of the paper as it was the last one he was going to get for a while, we drove to the Weston Favell Centre and we had to stand outside the bank two metres apart. I made sure I was! A woman was out controlling us and she asked what I was doing. When I explained I was paying a bill for my parents, she took it inside and came back out with a receipt, so that was a relief!

We also had to pop to Boots on Riverside, but again, there was a queue outside and as everyone was two metres apart, the line stretched off into the distance, so we gave up and went home!

I do not like this at all, I have to say. I know it's for the nation's good and the sooner we kill this virus, the sooner we can all return to normal, but it's horrible and I really feel for people who are suffering far worse than we are.

Back home, Sophie was working away steadily and I did a few jobs before we had leftover curry from last night for lunch, which was delicious! We shared an orange afterwards and after mooching about for a while and feeling miserable, I went out and tackled the front garden. This meant I could chat to neighbours (we stood on opposite sides of the road, so way more than two metres apart) and Keith came out to help me take down a bush that looked half dead.

We even managed to sit in the garden for a little while so there are some benefits to this, but I miss going to work (yes, I do!) and having my normal life! I just pray that it will be over soon!