A scorcher!

At the moment - and this is only temporary - I have Friday off, but I suspect that after next week I will be going in every day to help with emails and bookings.

Sophie went to the gym this morning and then headed straight into work. Keith and I bucked ourselves up and decided to go to Costa in Kettering early and have a coffee before heading to Tesco, as my Mum needs some new nightwear.

The new Costa opposite the being-built Aldi was still only doing drive-thru, so we had to visit the branch inside Tesco. It was very quiet indeed but it was so good to be back after seeing it closed for such a long time.

My breakfast treat!

I looked for nightwear for my Mum but there was nothing available that I thought she would like so we went to Next opposite. There was nothing in there either so we headed back to their house to make sure everything was OK and I took their printer home with me, as well as two packs of ink cartridges.

Yesterday, the solicitors doing the house sale emailed me with a long list of forms that need to be printed off and I suspected that the ink levels on our printer were very low. I set the printer up, connected it to our router but it refused to print saying that we weren't connected to the service my parents were using for their ink supply! I had cancelled this a few weeks ago and neither Keith nor I could believe that the printer was refusing to print anything out!

Feeling very annoyed, I set my printer up but after printing out a couple of pages the ink went, just as I had suspected! Grrr! Keith and I fiddled about with Mum's printer for ages but it refused to budge so I had to resort to ordering new ink from Amazon. How very annoying!

It has been hot today - 30c at 11am and too warm to muck about with printers - and I made sure that both Keith and I had plenty to drink. I didn't want a repeat of yesterday!

When we went to collect Mike from work, the car temperature was registering 37c and we later found out that today has been the third hottest day on record, with 37.8 recorded at Heathrow! Phew!

Mike was grumpy because of the heat and I was glad he was off to Abbie's again today. We waited until Sophie was home from work and then all of us drove into town. At the moment, infections are rising again in our area and there are ominous signs as you drive into the town asking if your journey is really necessary... If it gets any worse, then both Sophie and Mike will have to stop going to see their respective partners!

On the way home we dropped Keith at the pub and then went home to prepare dinner. I couldn't face another episode of Married At First Sight but we had nature's entertainment this evening when the heavens opened and we had torrential rain and stormy skies. When I went to get Keith from the pub it was as dry as a bone in Walgrave!

A repeat of yesterday!

Today has been an almost exact repeat of yesterday! Sophie went to the gym, then returned home to work, Keith did the shopping and I mooched about all morning as I was due in at work at 1pm. I don't mind working 1pm-5pm, but I do prefer going in early and then having the afternoon at home!

Sophie and I had leftovers from last night for lunch before I went in, and the food was even more delicious that last night. I do like it when we use up leftover food, it makes me feel very virtuous!

Work was fine and I was told that my hours may be increased due to the workload we have at the moment. Sadly, I have never received so many requests to cancel or freeze memberships, mainly because of people worried about going to the gym or simply because they can't afford the monthly costs.

I helped out with some emails as I had very little extra work to do and the phones were quiet. I'm hoping I will go back to cinema duties next week when we're hoping to resume our screenings.

At 5pm I sped off home, alarmed slightly by hordes of insects in the air. I think it was flying ants? Thankfully we didn't have any at home - the air was thick with them when I left work so I was pleased about that, as I didn't fancy having to keep all the windows closed!

Because of the warm temperatures this evening we didn't play cards in the conservatory. Sophie and I watched (or rather fast-forwarded) Married At First Sight, which we both now find very boring. They just seem to go over the same things time and time again and we know that all the couples split up anyway! Thank goodness the series is nearly finished!

Sophie and I cooked pasta carbonara for dinner and then I watered the garden, which really needed it. It has been warm and sunny today and tomorrow is set to be hot. July is going out on a high! Keith felt a bit dizzy this evening so we put him to bed - I suspect he hadn't been drinking enough throughout the day and I heard that he and Mike visited the pub on their way home from the golf club this afternoon!. Tut! tut!

A quiet day.

Today has been fairly quiet and uneventful. Sophie went to the gym but came back as she was working from home today.

I busied myself with doing the list for shopping, and tried to come up with some different meals for the next few days. Looking at our cookery books I found a Hairy Bikers' recipe for "Blind Finches in Beer Gravy" which sounded interesting! The recipe doesn't involve birds at all, but rolled up sirloin steaks stuffed with pork mince and herbs. We thought we would give it a try on Sunday!

Before going to work I popped to Riverside and went to Wilko's and Boots. The place was busy with quite a few people shopping but all of us were doing our duty and wearing masks. I treated myself to a couscous salad for lunch from Boots and ate it when I got to work!

My afternoon shift passed very pleasantly and I was able to do a few orders to help Sara. I sped home at 5pm and was pleased to learn that my parents had had a coronavirus test and it had proved negative. Hopefully they will now be released from their self-isolation!

Keith and I played cards in the conservatory before dinner, which Sophie prepared - hot and spicy Fajitas with Mexican rice, which Sophie also made. The meal was delicious. Abbie joined us for dinner this evening but I think she found the meal a bit too spicy, bless her!

Postponing plans...

It was very much like old times this morning when Sophie woke me up at 6.30am to say she was off to the gym. She was also going into work today and was looking forward to her old routine of working out, showering and then the short journey to her office.

Keith went and did some shopping for us and I spent the morning doing housework and catching up with some overdue jobs. I was due to start work at 1pm today and was working until 5pm, when Sophie was going to pick me up.

Keith took me into work and I noticed hundreds of silver capsules littered all over the car park - they were little helium gas canisters and they were everywhere! I took some photos and went into the building to let the staff know, as it looked really bad for the few customers who were coming in. Luckily, the front car park isn't used that much and I wondered how long they'd been there? As it had been pouring with rain yesterday I hadn't noticed them.

Work was much better today and although we were busy the calls were a lot easier to deal with. I even had time to process some orders and sort out a load of papers that had been dumped near the printer. Some of the documents were mine from before lockdown and I wondered how they had ended up there!

I finished at 5pm and Sophie texted me to say she was on her way. When I walked out, the building was empty and I couldn't help feeling sad again that we were so quiet. At this time of the evening we'd normally have swimming lessons taking place, people going to the cinema and lots of activities going on. The car park had just two cars but I was pleased to see all the canisters had been tidied away!

Keeping my eye on a dodgy man near the bus stops over the road, I waited for Sophie who arrived about fifteen minutes after I finished. We called to get petrol on the way home and Sophie just remembered in time to put a mask on when she went in to pay!

Back home we sat and discussed our France weekend in September, and we made the decision to try and postpone the trip until April next year. Yesterday we had all received the shock news that people coming home from holidays in Spain needed to self-quarantine for fourteen days and I just couldn't risk the same thing happening if France was affected. I don't think my manager would be very happy!

We contacted the Airbnb owner and our request was accepted so we are now going April 3rd to the 6th next year, when hopefully all this will be over. We have booked an extra night so we can still celebrate Sophie's birthday in France.  We now just need to amend the ferry booking...

I felt very relieved, to be honest. Mike wasn't able to come with us anyway as he couldn't get the time off work so that had been a blow, but I am much happier now we have delayed the trip to next year. Let's all pray that this crisis is just a distant memory!

We sat and played cards in the conservatory and then enjoyed toad in the hole for dinner. Well, Sophie and I had veggie sausages so not quite sure what we should have called our meal!

It's work...but not as I knew it!

I had said I would take Mike to work this morning so at 5am the alarm went off and I got up to make sure he was getting ready. Driving him to Kettering, I couldn't get over how many birds were in the road! They were everywhere!

After dropping him off it was home for a coffee and I was glad to see Keith was still asleep. Sophie went to the gym at 6.30am and I went into the shower as today I was starting at 8am, just like old times!

I left well before 7.30am because one of the roads I normally use to escape the traffic on the A43 was closed. I needn't have worried, though, as the traffic was nowhere near as bad as it used to be at rush hour. I made it to work very easily but by now it was pouring with rain so I got soaked running into the building!

We had very few staff in today and only Sheila was in the office when I arrived. I learnt that we had to empty our own bins after each shift, which was something new! I'm not sure if our cleaners are in, but it looked like we had just a skeleton staff in.

I set up the wallboard and hoped that today wouldn't be too mad! Normally in the school holidays we have endless queries about swimming times but that wouldn't apply today as our pools were still closed!

The morning started off very well but after 9am the calls ramped up and we started getting grumpy people on the line who were querying why they couldn't swim or play badminton. We are having a careful phased re-opening and some people just weren't happy. The wallboard kept turning off as well so we lost count of the calls, but by the time I left at 1pm Jo and I had taken well over 100 calls. It was lovely to talk to some old regulars but a couple of the people we spoke to were quite rude - don't they realise we are still in the middle of a pandemic?!

In the quieter moments I looked back at some of the work I was doing earlier in the year and felt very sad that a lot of time had been wasted putting on the holiday activities for Easter and the May half-term, none of which took place for obvious reasons. It was like looking at a different world. Outside, the building seemed very quiet and I thought back to how the school holidays should be, with loads of activities for children taking place, the playscheme in full swing and people playing basketball and badminton in the main hall.

It was still pouring when I left and I learnt that Mike had been sent home from work because of the weather. Sophie had prepared lunch and it was nice to sit in the conservatory and talk about my morning which, on reflection, certainly wasn't as pleasant as Saturday!

In the afternoon Keith and I went to Tesco and we had to wear our masks the whole time. Luckily we didn't have to get much so as soon as we were out we took the horrible things off. On the way home we called to make sure Mum and Dad's house was OK and then took the scenic route home as the sun had come out.

Dinner this evening was soup and crusty bread as we had enjoyed leftovers from last night for lunch. We sat and played cards in the conservatory but with the absence of alcohol, it was quite a subdued affair!

Lunch and an afternoon out!

Sophie went to the gym for the first time in four months this morning so she was very excited to go back! While she was gone, Keith and I popped to get the Sunday papers and had a relaxing start to the day.

Sophie came back and said that it had been great to go back to the gym and that Virgin's pool was open as normal. Next week, she will be going back every day so the days of running around the estate are over. It will be a shame, to be honest, but everything moves on and we're getting closer to how normal life used to be.

Sophie and I had booked a table for lunch at The Cowpers Oak in Weston Underwood for lunch today, and an afternoon at Castle Ashby Gardens so we showered and left the house at about 11am for the journey into Buckinghamshire.

The weather was dry but there were quite a few dark clouds overhead so we kept our fingers crossed it would stay fine! We arrived at the pub in the beautiful village of Weston Underwood ten minutes before they opened so we sat in the garden and chatted for a little while. There were loads of tables set out on the grass and a makeshift kitchen set up but one of the staff members said that we had a table in the bar area, which we were relieved about! It was quite warm but a bit windy!

More and more cars were starting to arrive and when we heard the church bells chime the hour we walked down to the entrance. Our table was at the front of the pub tucked away from other diners so everything felt very safe. We ordered two half pints of Guinness and had a good look at the menu. We opted for halloumi fries to start followed by a sausage sandwich for me and a chicken and bacon club for Sophie, both accompanied by fries.

The food was very good and the cheese starter delicious and served with a chilli dip and rocket leaves which I love (and Sophie hates!). Our sandwiches and fries were also very good indeed and we had a lovely chat watching the pub gradually fill up with diners, some of whom hadn't booked a table, which we found surprising.

We managed to find room to share a pudding and chose the Oreo Sundae, which was lovely and perfect for two. With another half of Guinness each the bill came to £35, so we paid and set off for Castle Ashby a few miles away.

I have been a fan of the stately home for decades (I even did a project on it at school) and have been lucky in the past to attend events in the house itself, including a memorable Christmas meal when Keith worked for Black and Decker and we took over one of the beautiful halls. It's the home of the 7th Marquess of Northampton and the present house dates from 1574.

Sophie visited the gardens last year and said they were gorgeous so we were both looking forward to spending the afternoon there. We followed our satnav down winding country lanes and soon found signs directing us to the car park. Already, there were loads of cars parked but the area is large so it was never crowded.

We took a one-way system to the main entrance, walking past people sitting having lunch on the terraces overlooking a children's playground. Once in, we had a lovely view of the house itself and the nearby church.

There were lots of people strolling around the gardens and some even had picnics on blankets. Luckily, the weather was still fine and dry! We had a good walk around and we particularly loved the Orangery.

The gardens are really beautiful and I think Capability Brown had a hand in the design! It was lovely to stroll around and gaze at all the beautiful plants, lots of which were purple, one of my favourite colours in the garden.

The church

We threw coins in!

Some of the gorgeous lavender plants

The gardens also contain a menagerie with a Falabella (tiny) horse, a pig, various birds and rabbits and a big draw for me, meerkats!

All in a heap, playing!

We had a good chat with the tiny Falabella pony and then spent ages watching the meerkats, which I find fascinating! They were happily play-fighting and dashing about, occasionally diving down their holes to hide. We also saw Marmosets which were jumping about in the trees having a great time. Their faces are really comical!

Overhead the sky was growing a bit darker so we reluctantly made our way back to the exit, having a look at some beautiful lavender on the way and learning about the history of the house and gardens.

We did talk about having a cup of tea before leaving but there were no tables free so we decided to head home instead. Just as we got back to the car we saw spots of rain so it was a good decision to go! We called Mike to see if he wanted a lift home as I would have been annoyed if we'd got home and then he called to ask us to pick him up. I think he was a bit reluctant to leave but it was 4pm by now and I didn't want to have to go out again.

Back home we relaxed and then Sophie made us a delicious Aperol Spritz and we sat in the garden. The black clouds had passed over and there was blue sky overhead again. We sat and relaxed and for dinner enjoyed cold meats and salad, perfect after our substantial lunch!

Back at work... AND a haircut!

I felt a little nervous this morning going to work but we had a good support team in the office and we said that the customers would just have to bear with us for a while!

At 9am when the phone lines opened, nothing happened! We had all been expecting a flood of calls seeing as this was the first day since the 20th March when our members had been able to actually talk to someone! Nicola even made a test call to make sure the system was working properly but within a few minutes the calls started coming in. Our wallboard was acting up and our calls weren't divided into different categories like they usually were, so that was a bit strange. Normally we get a voice telling us what kind of call is coming through so we're prepared.

Once the calls started, they didn't stop and most of them were about problems booking gym sessions online or whether our pools were open. Again, a lot of the information was available on our website page or our Facebook page but we were happy to help and we didn't get any ranting calls from people, so that was a relief! I even signed up quite a few customers who had cancelled their direct debits during lockdown.

The time passed very quickly and both Kathy and I found ourselves adapting well to being back at work. It's amazing how easily you lapse back into the habits of old! Kathy left at 1pm and I was glad Sheila was also manning the phones today. Just before 2pm Sara started closing everything down and on the dot of 2pm that was it! Our first day was over! Normally the phone lines would be open until 4pm so it was great to go at 2pm and meet Sophie who had come to collect me.

We had a hair appointment at 2.30pm and had plenty of time to get to the salon and find a parking space for ET. I thought we were going to have our hair done at the same time but I had to wait for Sophie, which wasn't a bad thing as I was able to read my Kindle. As she was being finished off I had my hair washed and then it was my turn in the chair to have my dry ends lopped. The man cutting my hair didn't stop talking once, which was an absolute pain as I really didn't want to hear what he was going on about! It was also a nuisance wearing a mask throughout, but again, it's something we will just have to get used to!

Back home I had a cup of tea and read the paper while outside the weather turned really horrible. We had a weather warning out for thunderstorms today but we just had torrential rain. Keith cooked a "posh" cottage pie for dinner using chunks of delicious beef rather than mince and it was delicious accompanied by a gorgeous red from Aldi.

After we'd eaten we settled down to watch Ad Astra starring Brad Pitt and halfway through the evening a huge black ominous cloud moved across the sky. It looked terrifying! Later we discovered that an area of Northampton had been affected by a tornado and I think the black cloud we saw was the remnants of the weather system!

Getting back into it!

Day 123

I was due in at work at 10am this morning to go over the big changes since we were there last, and to get re-acquainted with all of our computer systems!

Walking back in was quite emotional as I will never forget the moment when I walked out of the building on the 23rd March and wondered if things would ever be the same again. So much has happened in the last four months, and most of it not good...

In the office we were told that we would no longer be "hot-desking" and I was given my favourite seat, which was a bonus! Everything had been moved off the desks and we were told not to bring in anything that wasn't needed. We gave the desks a thorough clean and I had a trial run of turning the computer on, which was a task in itself as everything had been turned off at the wall. I then turned it on and couldn't remember my login details!

After staring at the screen for a few minutes, Sara told me not to worry as Sheila would be going through all of our passwords later in the morning. We then went upstairs to our function room and had a meeting about the changes that had been brought in and what we needed to tell members on the phone. Our gyms are the only facilities on offer at the moment and more classes and swimming will be available in August.

We then had a tour around the building with details of all the cleaning processes and a long conversation about air conditioning and air inlets! The gym looked immaculately clean and I'm sure the walls had even been re-painted so everything looked great. Everyone has to book to use the gym at the moment and staff will be on hand to welcome them tomorrow and make sure they have booked a session.

Back in the office I had a return to work interview and finally managed to log onto our system, which had changed slightly since we were on lockdown. However, the basic screens hadn't changed and very soon I was getting the hang of it again, thank goodness!

At 1pm the other two members of staff arrived and after a quick chat I left to go home. I was intending to go to Wilko's to get some bird food but I just wanted to go home and have lunch. The thought of wearing a mask in the shop put me off a little bit, but we will have to get used to it!

The afternoon was spent relaxing and I took Mike into town so he could see Abbie. When I arrived back home Sophie was there and we had a good chat about the events of the day. Her CEO at work has been made redundant so yet more changes taking place!

This evening we were due to go over to Paul's house for a get-together so Sophie and I made a chicken and pasta bake to take with us, as well as a plate of garlic bread. To be honest I could have done without it because of working tomorrow, but we had a pleasant evening sitting on Paul's terrace overlooking the fabulous view. Keith had already been to the pub so he wasn't keen on drinking much more but Sophie and I polished off a bottle of The Ned and very good it was, too!

View from the terrace

Feeling bored!

Day 122

Today is my last free day before things go back to near-normal, work-wise! My rota has changed temporarily but hopefully, we can all go back to our usual hours soon.

Keith went shopping this morning while I pottered about and after he'd got back and we had breakfast I felt very bored! I am so glad I'm going back to work on Saturday! I'm not sure another few weeks like this would be very good! I was so bored, I even decanted a load of tomato ketchup sachets that had been hanging about in the fridge for ages into our big bottle of Heinz, it was that bad! I suppose I could have watched TV or read but I feel guilty doing that during the day in the week!

I did go out and water our plants and feed them, as well as help Sophie add up some figures, but I really am itching to go back and do some work now. It will be good to see the women I work with and catch up with their news as it's been a fair while since our meet in Abington Park, when we all thought we would be going back soon.

The weather today has been warm but the skies have been overcast so it felt muggy and close. Sophie went into town in the evening to meet her beau off the train as they were going out for dinner together. She'd had to book a table at a pub, another at a restaurant and a third at a place for dessert! No more spontaneous visits!

I watched a good film in the evening starring Andy Garcia and the three of us had Tesco curries for dinner. Keith had bought the meals for one so it was a bit like eating a airline food, but he did buy extra accompaniments, so that was good!

Re-living old times.

Day 121

This morning I went to see my old manager from Levi's, Mich, with my friend Lynda. Sadly, Mich's husband Pete had died in May and she was very lonely and also suffering a little with dementia, so it was great to go and see her and re-live the old times at work.

It's been 30 years since I first joined Levi's as a customer service representative and Mich was my immediate boss. She was (and still is) very motherly and we all adored her in our department. She said she will be 80 next year but she looked hardly any different from the last time I saw her many years ago.

We met her irritable little dog Dobbie who was going blind, so she barked whenever she heard us talking until she got used to our voices! It was lovely to sit in Mich's living room and have a good chat and look at some old photos that I'd found. Although she did ask us the same question a few times, she was fine holding a conversation and she remembered a lot from the old days.

When Lynda dropped me back at home she came in for a cup of tea and we sat chatting in the conservatory with Sophie. The weather today has been gorgeous - warm, dry and sunny - a perfect summer's day.

Sophie was dealt a bit of a bombshell this afternoon when she found out her company was merging with another, the parent company, apparently, that Sophie didn't even know about! They had a very brief meeting before work finished and although Sophie asked a question about where they might be based in the future, not an awful lot of information was divulged, which made her a bit mad. There are far too many changes happening this year for my liking!

We went out for a quick walk and took some carrots to feed the horses. They were much more friendly this evening (because of the carrots) and stayed for a while letting us pat and stroke them. The poor things were plagued with flies, though, so we didn't hang around for long. We walked around the estate and then it was home to help Keith with the barbecue for dinner. I made a salad and looked after the potatoes while he went outside and grilled the meat. I have to say that the burgers and marinated chicken from Beckworth were delicious and we will definitely buy them again when we barbecue!

Getting things done!

Day 120

The other day I downloaded an app onto my phone that scans old photographs and lets you upload them to Google photos, where I store all my online pics. I started off with these as an experiment:

Keith and I just after getting engaged on a cross-channel ferry! 

My mum looking very glamorous!

The app was OK and it was great to be able to transfer the photos onto the computer, but the quality wasn't brilliant. I have thousands of old photos that are stuffed into albums and my parents have about the same quantity at their home as well that will need sorting out when they sell the house, so it's worth persevering with.

Talking of selling the house, Keith and I had a meeting with my parents at the care home this morning. My Mum looked a little wobbly on her feet after the fall she had recently but they were both in good spirits and at least they walked into the lounge, albeit with the help of zimmer frames.

Alison and the care home manager were also at the meeting and we all said how we needed my parents to sign the form so we could proceed with the sale of the house. There really is no other option at the moment as the care home fees will need to be paid. We did discuss the option of buying a small bungalow at a later date if my parents improve, so with that in mind they signed the form, which was a huge relief.

We then sat and chatted and had a coffee with them which was lovely and I could see my Dad brightening up even more. It's such a shame that care homes are still locked down at the moment as I would love to have taken them out for lunch or to my Dad's flying field so he could meet his old friends.

Keith and I returned home and I sent all the forms off to the solicitors before having cheese on toast with Sophie for lunch again. The afternoon was spent catching up with other jobs and after Sophie had finished work we decided to go for a walk again. This time we strolled down to Walgrave and stopped to see the horses on the way. This afternoon they were a bit feisty and as we didn't have any carrots or apples with us they soon lost interest and wandered off!

In the village we met John, one of Keith's mates from his Friday night pub sessions, and we had a good chat. There is a road closed in Walgrave at the moment so the narrow street we were on was like the M25 at rush hour as people used it to get through the village!

Back home Sophie and I prepared dinner and tonight there were five of us sitting down to eat because Abbie was over visiting Mike. We'd made a chicken and sausage tray bake served with roasted new potatoes, couscous and asparagus and it was delicious!

Cocktails in the garden!

Day 119

So begins my last week of being at home on furlough and I heard today that my manager wants us to go in on Friday to get ourselves up to date with what we used to do and do a little bit of training. It was good news to me!

Today the weather has been gorgeous and Keith and I went to Beckworth to get some food for the rest of the week. We have been threatening to get our meat from there and today was the day! We bought turkey, ham and leek pies for tonight, chicken and sausages for tomorrow when we're going to have a traybake, and some barbecue meats for Wednesday. We also picked out some cheese and garlic bread for lunch and, as a treat, three sausage rolls!

The place was very quiet and there was a sign saying they're going to re-open the restaurant on the 3rd August. This is very good news and we can't wait to go back!

We dropped the food off at home and then popped to Aldi where we bought vegetables, salad and some items for the food bank collection tomorrow. The weeks certainly roll around quickly!

Sophie had mentioned wanting an Aperol Spritz so as a treat I bought a bottle of Prosecco in Aldi and a bottle of Aperol in Asda. It was £17 but the alcohol content is only 11%... how does that work? Anyway, it was something to look forward to at the end of the day and we had decided to go for a walk after work, so it was great to think about sitting in the garden afterwards and enjoying the cocktail!

We enjoyed cheese on the garlicky bread for lunch, even though Keith stated that the bread tasted like soil! Hmmm! I will have to think about lunches for work again soon and spotted my little insulated food bag the other day in the corner of the study. It felt like I hadn't used it for an age!

Sophie and I went for a great walk after she finished work and it brought back memories of the early days of lockdown when we went out regularly. We walked up to the sheep field and pushed our way through loads of nettles to get to the right path.

When we got to the sheep field we couldn't see any of them at all but then we found out they were near to the farm and were being given hay by the farmer. We walked into the village, up to the "triangle" of grass and then walked home. It had been lovely and I took some cloud pics on the way:

Just before getting home we met Paul and the doggies and had a good chat. Things are so much more relaxed now, thank goodness and we spoke about all getting together on Friday evening for a drink and some nibbles.

Back home Sophie and I made the Aperol Spritz cocktails and sat in the garden, which was really lovely. The bees were buzzing about in the lavender, which smelt wonderful and reminded me of the south of France, where Keith and I once stayed in an Auberge surrounded by fields of lavender. Heavenly!

Keith was watching Newcastle play this evening so Sophie and I finished the preparations for dinner. I didn't think the pies were very good, to be honest. They were certainly deep filled but I preferred the ones we normally buy from Aldi!

A hive of activity!

Day 118

To make up for the sloth of yesterday, this morning was a hive of activity in our household! I stripped our bed and washed everything while Keith cleaned the oven. I then cleaned the house, did several loads of washing and Keith ironed it all. He also prepared all the vegetables for dinner so I think we made up for yesterday!

Sophie called me to say she was having brunch and then getting the train at about 1.30pm. She'd had a fabulous time and her and her boyfriend (I'm now allowed to call him that!) had had dinner at The Shard last night. I was very envious!

Mike also called to ask for a lift home but the timing wasn't brilliant so we asked if he wanted to stay at Abbie's or come with us to Milton Keynes where we were picking Sophie up. There were works to the railway line taking place between Milton Keynes and Northampton so we said we'd collect her from there rather than her get the bus. He wisely said he'd stay and we could pick him up on the way back so we set off and made good time, arriving just before Sophie's train arrived.

She was full of what she'd been doing over the weekend (a lot of food and drink was mentioned) but looked tired and as she'd had a cocktail at lunchtime, a little sleepy! We drove back to Northampton avoiding the M1 as the slip road at junction 14 was closed.

Back home with both of our offspring it was time to relax for a while and read the Sunday newspapers in our sunny conservatory. Sophie had a nap and in the early evening Keith cooked us all a delicious roast beef dinner. As it had been a while since we'd had a Sunday roast, it was a real treat!

An evening treat.

Day 117

Sophie was off to London this morning for the weekend so Keith and I dropped her off at the station at about 11am. This meant that we were childless until tomorrow afternoon and the house was very quiet indeed!

When we arrived back home I have to confess to doing very little and I watched the last two episodes of The Secrets She Keeps on my Kindle Fire, finished the book I was reading and generally lolled about relaxing. I am facing my final week of being off work and at some point next week I will have to go in and re-acquaint myself with all the systems I use and update my passwords, which have long since expired!

Keith had booked a table at the Royal Oak for 7.30pm and we drove down about an hour before to have a drink. For a Saturday night the pub was very quiet with only a handful of people sitting having a meal. We were shown to one of our favourite tables by the fireplace and had a good look at the menu. Do I need to say which dish Keith chose? No, I don't! I had a chicken breast accompanied by vegetables and sauteed potatoes in a lovely mushroom sauce. We had starters of soup and pate and the food was delicious.

The people who have just taken over the pub were working on their own this evening and seemed a little nervous, which is only to be expected, I suppose. I think they were terrified of getting too close, but we certainly weren't worried and there were no other diners near us at all so we both felt very safe.

We were too full to have dessert so we left at 8.30pm to go home... not really a wild night then, being child-free! Back home we lolled about on the sofa and Keith fell asleep while we watched the last episode of The Rise of the Nazis, which was certainly eye-opening!

Toiling away!

Day 116

Unbelievably, the schools here in Northamptonshire broke up for the long summer holidays today, although I expect most children were still at home. I had to look up the term dates on the County Council website to make sure, and if I'd been at work we would have been very busy with booking playscheme places throughout the holidays.

Sophie had a run around the estate and then went to work as usual. Keith and I drove over to Mum and Dad's and spent two hours gardening. The grass on the back lawn was really long and while Keith mowed, I weeded the borders and then went out to the front garden to get rid of all the weeds in the gravel.

It was hot at the front and the sun was full on me, so it wasn't too pleasant. I managed to clear all the weeds and then I worked my way along the front, digging over the soil and pulling out more huge dandelions. Keith strimmed a patch of long grass and when we finished it looked so much better.

We sat for a little while in the garden and I thought how sad it was that my parents weren't here to enjoy the house. However, there's no point in dwelling on things and I still believe they're in the right place.

We went home, had a shower and lunch and I spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing. It had grown hotter by the hour and going to collect Mike from work I noticed it was hovering around 27-28c. Mike was thankful to be finished work for the week and as soon as he arrived home he cooked himself a pizza, had a shower and then got ready to go to Abbie's for the weekend.

I tried to persuade Mike to wait until Sophie came home but he was raring to go so we left at about 5pm and passed Sophie on the way. I dropped him off and noticed how busy Abington Park was... there were cars parked all along the road and the area was packed with people out enjoying the early evening sunshine.

I sped back home and enjoyed a glass of Prosecco with Sophie and Married At First Sight Australia. Dinner tonight was a delicious curry - Keith had started cooking it and we finished it!

Muted celebrations...

Day 115

Keith and I went to the care home today to deliver flowers, cards and gifts to my parents. I managed to call them and stop outside so I could see my Mum through the window. I'm sure it wasn't the kind of day they were hoping for but the staff did make it a little special for them with a lovely lunch and nice table settings.

In the afternoon we popped to Jones's which was now allowing two people in to shop. We urgently needed a bulb for the cooker hood and some glue, but we didn't buy much else! It wasn't too different in there and the place was very quiet. I said to Keith that I wouldn't have been surprised if they had any Christmas displays but there was still a lot of summer gardening things going on. Give it a month, though!

We drove home and mooched about until it was time to collect Mike from work. Both him and Keith are really tired at the moment because they've both been up early for 11 days in a row. Thank goodness tomorrow is Friday and the last day they have to be up at 6am!

Getting ready.

Day 114

Keith and I had planned on going to Mum's today to tidy up the garden but the weather soon put paid to that! It's been a really horrible day today with drizzly rain and heavy grey skies. What has happened to our summer?

Keith needed a haircut badly so I dropped him off at The Men's Room in Kettering and I popped to Tesco to buy some cards and gifts for my Mum and Dad's wedding anniversary tomorrow. My Mum called while I was shopping and didn't sound very good at all and I think the UTI is affecting her quite badly. It's so sad that they are both in a care home when they should be looking forward to going out and celebrating 54 years together.

Keith was waiting for me and looked very smart with his new haircut! He definitely needed it after so long! We returned home and had a late breakfast and I completed two online courses in preparation for my return to work on the 25 July. I had to do two courses - an infection control course and a return to work after Covid-19. Thankfully, I passed both of them!

The rest of the day was spent mooching about and doing very little so I feel like I've wasted the day a bit. The rain carried on all day, off and on, and the skies remained heavy and overcast. It was also on the cool side as well, so quite unpleasant!

Keith was glued to the television in the evening as Newcastle were playing at 6pm but he still managed to cook chilli for dinner in between watching them get beat...oh dear! After dinner he disappeared upstairs to watch yet more football while Sophie and I caught up on Married At First Sight Australia. The sky looked very stormy at one point and I thought we were going to have a downpour but the black clouds just stayed there looking ominous. Hopefully the weather will improve soon but it is St Swithin's Day so we could have this for another forty days!

New carpet!

Day 113

Our new carpet was due to be fitted today so as soon as Sophie had started work, Keith and I cleared out our bedroom as much as we could. I had already taken out all the bedding and the bedside cabinets, and we managed to move the chest of drawers and a wooden storage box into Sophie's room. We leant the mattress up against the banisters but we kept the divan in the bedroom and managed to separate it into two single beds.

It was hard work and after we'd finished I hoovered the floor again. I am more than ready for the new carpet now, and hate walking on the bare boards!

I decided to go and tidy up the front garden this morning and was pleased that the soil was lovely and crumbly after the rain we 'd had. Keith had cut the verge on Sunday and we could see that the grass seed we'd put down had definitely sprouted. I swept up all the leaves on the road and tidied everything, and then had a good chat with Michelle as she pulled onto the red brick driveway.

When I was finished Keith transferred some of the soil onto the verge and we put some more grass seed down. There's no harm in trying! While we were working the carpet fitter arrived and when it was time for him to take the new carpet in, Keith and I had to help him up the stairs with it as it was so heavy! I have no idea how he could have done it on his own!

We were delighted with the room when he'd finished and I hoovered the carpet and down the stairs which was full of fluff and loose bits of material. After lunch Keith and I went to Kettering to look at bed headboards in two stores but we didn't see anything we liked. After we'd mooched about looking at all the choices we went and collected a new white valance from Dunelm that I'd ordered this morning. While we were in there we checked out the curtains but we've decided to live with the new carpet for a while before making any decisions about new curtains and quilt covers.

As we had some time until we had to collect Mike, we popped to the Laura Ashley store near Tesco where they were having a closing down sale. Again, we didn't see anything we liked and in Next nearby we saw some very strange little ornaments that looked tacky and cheap!

Back home I ironed the new valance and put it on while Keith and Mike moved all the furniture back into the room. After we'd finished we decided that a cup of tea and a new documentary about the rise of the Nazis were just the thing, so we collapsed in a heap on the sofa and watched television for an hour! We'd had a very busy day!

It was lovely to sit and play cards in the evening before dinner and all four of us played. I was out early on so I started the dinner - very simple roasted chicken drumsticks with salad and new potatoes after our busy day!

Olive moving day!

Day 112

Sophie was back at work this morning and went for a run first thing. I think she really enjoyed her week off so the first day back was a bit of a shock!

Keith and I went to Mum and Dad's care home this morning to take a document from the solicitor that needs to be signed. I had no choice but to leave it with the staff and explained that it had to be signed so we could proceed with the sale of the house. I said we would go and do some shopping and call back for it later.

Keith and I went to Aldi and shopped for Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. Tonight we're trying a new recipe - crispy ginger beef, which sounds delicious and which we should have had last night!

We called back at the care home but the form hadn't been signed as the senior carer was in a meeting so I said I would call back for it again tomorrow. Before going home we popped to Mum and Dad's house and I made sure everything was OK and checked the bank statements. The grass was looking a bit long so Keith and I made plans to go around later in the week and cut the lawn.

Back home I took a call from the care home to say that my Dad was unsure about the form so we agreed a meeting next week when I can go in and sort it out. My Mum has another Urinary Tract Infection which has made her a bit confused again, and explained why she wasn't making a lot of sense when I spoke to her this morning.

In the afternoon I re-potted an olive tree that we have had for years and which doesn't seem to be growing very well. I have been meaning to sort it out for ages so today was the day! Another plant had invaded the pot it was in so I managed to separate the two of them and put the olive into a much larger pot. I'm hoping it will thrive!

When Sophie finished work she prepped all the ingredients for dinner and then we cooked it together. a bit later in the evening. We served the beef and vegetables with Jasmine rice and it was delicious!

Gardening weather!

Day 111

Today, the weather has been beautiful - a perfect day of gorgeous blue skies, fluffy clouds and lovely warm temperatures.

Mike was at work again at 5am and Keith went to collect him after he'd finished. I woke Sophie up at 9am and she was feeling very annoyed as we had two horses walk around the estate at about 7.30am and they'd woken her up. I have no problems with people riding horses around here but why do they visit so early?

Daisy and Laura were due at midday so Sophie and I went to Brixworth to get lunch and on the way back we took the slightly longer route and returned via Pitsford reservoir. The scenery was utterly beautiful.

While Sophie dashed about preparing the food and tidying the conservatory, I mowed the back lawn and trimmed all the Euphorbia back as the longer stems were dying. I also neatened the edges and generally tidied everything up so it looked a lot better. Keith cut the front verge for me - the grass seed I'd put down a few weeks ago had sprouted so it looked a lot healthier than it did earlier in the year when we had a long spell of dry weather.

It was quite hot outside and I went back into the house all sweaty! Much of the afternoon was then spent relaxing and I had a blissful deep bath later in the day and all my dirty clothes went straight into the wash bin!

Daisy and Laura stayed until about 6pm and I watched the end of Shirley Valentine to round off a great day. Keith cooked the chicken pie we should have had yesterday and very good it was, too! Sophie and I even managed to sit in the garden for a little while after we'd eaten but I think we were too early for the bats. We haven't really sat out much this summer and seen them so for the rest of the season we'll have to make more of an effort!

Getting rid!

Day 110

Mike was at work today and had to be in for 5am...not pleasant! I was up by 8am and waiting for him to call us as he really only does a few hours work at the weekend. However, Keith volunteered to go and get him and popped to Aldi at the same time so it was a late start for all of us. We didn't have breakfast until mid-morning!

After we'd eaten, Keith wanted us to help him take up the carpet in our bedroom and all four of us managed to do it very quickly and efficiently! Mike and Keith cut up the carpet in sections and then took it all downstairs, including the very heavy underlay. I hoovered the floor and then we moved all the furniture back. The new carpet is being fitted on Tuesday and we suspect we'll have to try and take the bed out, which won't be an easy task!

Mike and I took all the carpet, the underlay and various junk we'd accumulated to the tip. I was expecting long queues (the other day we'd seen 20-30 cars waiting) but there was no queue and it was all very effortless, thank goodness. We deposited several broken electrical appliances into a big skip, the carpet went into another and we even managed to get rid of two bottles of old cooking oil. The only thing that we had to put in the landfill skip was a misshapen cushion!

After taking Mike to the Co-op in Brixworth so he could get himself some lunch, we headed home where I had a much needed hot shower! Sophie and I popped over to the care home with some bits for Mum and Dad and then onto Tesco where we took a load of plastic bags for recycling. I think we've done our bit for the environment today!

Back home we had lunch of leftovers from the other evening when Sue and Michelle came around, and we had a sneaky glass of wine as well. It was all very relaxed and lovely sitting in the conservatory with the sun shining through the windows. I hope the weather has changed for the better now!

We played cards in the evening and none of us fancied our planned dinner for this evening, which was chicken pie and vegetables. Sophie and I were still full from lunch so we decided to have a light supper and have the pie tomorrow.

Keith disappeared upstairs to watch the football while Sophie and I indulged in a couple of episodes of Married At First Sight Australia. It was filmed three years ago and Sophie and I suspect that none of the couples are still together!

Scrub a dub dub!

Day 109

Yesterday at 5pm, the announcement came that I had been waiting for - gyms will re-open on Saturday 25th July. It will be 123 days since I left on the 23rd March and I'm not sure what to expect, to be honest. I don't think we will be holding classes to start with and everything will have to be booked online, something that quite a few of our members are unable to do. Sophie was delighted and plans to go back on Monday 27th for an early morning work-out!

Today dawned sunny and dry, so that was a relief! Sophie drove to Milton Keynes station to meet her friend and Keith and I mooched about the house getting jobs done. Between us we did a huge amount of laundry (Mike's girlfriend, Abbie, was staying over so he had chucked all the clothes on his bedroom floor into the wash basket!) with me loading the washing machine and hanging it out while he ironed.

I managed to clean my car inside and out and boy! did it need it! The back seats were like a field, where Mike gets in after working and spreads grass and soil everywhere! When I finished it looked a lot better but as I was going over it on the drive to polish it off it started to rain... typical!

Mum called me today to say that she was allowed out of hospital and could I pick her up, but I was very reluctant to, to be honest. In the end she went back to the care home with the community transport but will now have to self-isolate with my Dad again for two weeks, which will be a nuisance.

In the evening Keith, Mike and Abbie went to the pub while I stayed at home and cooked cottage pie for dinner. I missed my wine buddy! Sophie arrived home at about 8pm and had had a great day, visiting Woburn Safari Park and eating out for breakfast and dinner.

We caught up on a couple of episodes of Married At First Sight Australia and then it was time for bed. It's the weekend!

Out and about!

Day 108

I was awake at 5am this morning and offered to take Mike to work, and although Keith initially agreed, when I went back upstairs to make sure our son was getting ready, Keith said he would take him. I went back to bed as I felt very tired. The next thing I knew it was 8.30am! This will have to stop otherwise it's going to be a huge shock when I go back to work and have to get up at 6am!

Keith was shopping and when he arrived home I helped him put everything away and then went out into the garage to sort out the recycling we were going to take to Milton Keynes today. I had several large bags of pet food pouches and a bag of Tassimo pods, so the plan was to take them to George and then pop to M&S to get some nibbles for tonight, when Sue and Michelle are coming over.

Before we could go, though, Sophie and I went to get Mum's mobile from the care home as I have been unable to contact her since Monday. We picked up the phone, took it home to be charged up and then left for Milton Keynes.

Tomorrow Sophie is driving to meet her friend at Milton Keynes train station and going with him to Woburn Safari Park, so I said we would scout out the route to the station to make it easier for her. It was a very simple and straightforward route and before heading to the shopping centre, we dropped the bags off at Downs Barn where the crate of recycling was already full.

We parked outside M&S and headed up to the cafe for some lunch. It was a bonus that they were open! We enjoyed lunch (socially distanced, of course!) and then went back downstairs to the Food Hall where we bought some lovely food for tonight. Things feel like they're back to normal!

I had told Keith we would be back in time to get Mike from work, so we left and arrived home at just after 2pm. Mum's phone was fully charged so Keith and I left early to take it to the hospital before collecting Mike. We became stuck for a brief while on the A14 but managed to get to the golf course in time to pick up Mike. A few hardy golfers were making their way to the 18th hole and they were all very bedraggled, as the weather has been even worse today with a steady, soaking drizzle that hasn't stopped all day. Mike emerged from the shed where they work and was covered in mud!

Back home Sophie and I cleaned and tidied downstairs and at 6pm Sue and Michelle arrived. I had planned on sitting in the garden this evening but there was no chance of that so we sat around the table in the conservatory and had a lovely evening with lots of chat and gossip! A great escape from our current woes!

Out for a meal!

Day 107

The plan today was to finish painting the walls in the bedroom as there were a few patchy bits about! I managed to move the bed into the middle of the room and did all the patches that I could see whilst listening to Radio 2. It did look better when I finished and Keith had to agree, even though he had said it was fine.

My 2012 blog book arrived this morning which I was very pleased about! It looked great and will go with the others on the shelf and hopefully be passed down the generations! If nothing else, it'll be safe if anything ever happens to the website which hosts my blog!

The weather today has been truly horrible with heavy grey skies and constant rain in the afternoon. Sophie and I went to collect Mike from work and he was late out (the last time Sophie came with me he was late!) and he was drenched, poor thing. Hardly anyone was playing golf and I don't blame them! Apparently this area of low pressure is the tail end of tropical storm Edouard, and I wish he would go away!

In the evening we had booked a table for 7pm at The Saracen's Head in Little Brington. We had originally wanted to go to The Althorp Coaching Inn in Great Brington but there was no answer when we called to see if they were open. When we drove past, the windows were boarded up, which wasn't a good sign...

Everything was very professional and safe at The Saracen's Head. We were taken straight through the bar into the restaurant and seated at a table a fair distance from any others. The waitress took our drinks order and Keith volunteered to drive home so Sophie and I could enjoy a glass of wine. We ordered a French Viognier which was delicious.

We decided to order the deli platter to share between three of us while Mike chose the prawns. The food was lovely and we enjoyed cold meats, olives, mozzarella, crusty bread and an olive oil and balsamic dip.

For our main courses we chose fish and chips (I wonder who?), a vegetable curry, gammon for me and a Caesar salad for Mike which surprised me! It's not the sort of dish he would normally go for!

Again, the food was lovely, well-cooked and delicious. We had a very enjoyable evening with good banter and it was a pleasure to be out, doing something normal and relishing some family time.

We left at 9pm and the journey home was very wet indeed. It looked more like an Autumn evening rather than a midsummer one!

A half hour of bliss!

Day 106

Sophie was off down to London this morning to see her friend again, so Keith and I took her to the station in time for her 9.30am train. We were amazed to see the car park almost empty - a huge difference to what it would be like normally, with not a space free!

After we dropped her off we drove to B&Q and bought some more white spirit and some masking tape. We then popped to Aldi next door and bought pizzas and salad for our dinner this evening. I also bought some food for our fortnightly food bank collection, which is needed now more than ever.

We headed home, dropped off the food and then went back out again to head over to Mum's house, where I wanted to get some stuff to take to her in hospital. However, Mike called on the way and asked us if we could look in Sophie's car for some keys that had gone missing at work yesterday afternoon. He thought he might have dropped them on the way home, but we searched high and low and couldn't find them (he didn't expect us to), so we were running later than normal. I decided to drive to the care home and just pick up some clothes for Mum instead and when I collected the bag from reception and looked inside, I realised she needed a few more bits, so it was off to the Co-op nearby!

It's very frustrating that we can't visit at the moment so at the hospital all I could do was drop off her bag at reception and leave it. On the way home, in the village, we noticed the pub door open so I suggested we go in. I don't think Keith was that keen but I thought it would be nice just to pretend to be "normal" for a little while so we went in!

We were the only people in at 11.30am (I think they didn't really open until 12pm) but it was bliss to sit at one of our usual tables and have a very quick drink. Keith's Abbot was great and I could tell he really enjoyed his first pub ale since the 20 March! We chatted with the manager (Ian was about but was busy) and it was very pleasant indeed! For me, it was the highlight of an otherwise miserable day! Keith is now hoping to go back in on Friday evening and resume his normal weekly visit with his mates.

We returned home where I called various people and did some chores that I had been putting off until today. Unfortunately, the weather matched my general mood today - it's been dismal and drizzly and the rain carried on all afternoon and into the evening.

Sophie kept in touch with me and said she was getting the 8.15pm train home, getting back into Northampton at just after 9pm. We had a desultory dinner (I always fancy the idea of pizza but the reality is different!) and then we relaxed until it was time to leave.

She had had a fabulous day with a gorgeous brunch, cocktails, a visit to the Sky Garden and an early dinner with wine. She was feeling very mellow and it was lovely to see her so happy!

Oxford's dreaming spires...

Day 105

Unfortunately, Keith and I were woken at 3am this morning by one of the carers to say that my Mum was going to A&E because of the pain in her hip. She wanted to speak to me before she went so I had a quick word and tried to reassure her that she hadn't broken anything.

Both of us had trouble getting back to sleep after that, and Keith gave up at 4.30am and went downstairs to make Mike's sandwiches. I managed to drop off again and Sophie woke us both at 8.30am (Keith had come back to bed after taking Mike to work) blissfully unaware of our disturbed night.

She went off for a run around the estate and while she was gone the phone rang and it was Kettering hospital to say that my Mum had fractured her hip, which was unbelievable seeing as she had just slumped to the floor yesterday... how much more can go wrong? I managed to speak to her for a few minutes and the ward manager told me she needed to have an operation today but she was refusing to go to theatre... I told her she had to have it done otherwise she would end up in a wheelchair, so she reluctantly agreed. I was in shock about what had happened, especially as yesterday she said she hadn't been in any real pain.

The plan today was for Sophie and I to go to Oxford - my daughter should have been flying to Italy this morning for a week's holiday but of course, it had been cancelled due to coronavirus. She had kept her week's holiday from work so we thought it would be nice to try and have a bit of a break today. There was nothing I could do for my Mum today as visiting is still not allowed at the hospital and she was supposed to be having an operation anyway.

Sophie and I set off for Oxford, peering anxiously at the sky above. It was very cloudy and the temperature was a cool 16c. We used the Pear Tree park and ride and remembered to wear our masks on the bus. I wore the one Sheila had made and it was very comfortable to wear.

Once in the city we had coffee and a small slice of cake at the Black Sheep cafe opposite the bus stop. The streets were very quiet and there were markers on the pavement to make sure we kept to the one way system. Afterwards we popped into Waterstones and had a good look at the books before heading over to the covered market.

A lot of the individual shops were still closed, some of them only opening at the weekend, and the place was very quiet indeed.

We emerged back into the daylight and wandered around, managing to find some beautiful buildings - the Radcliffe Camera and St Mary's Church, the official place of worship for the university.

Everything was closed of course but it was still lovely to gaze at the beautiful buildings and imagine the students everywhere in normal times.

We wandered back to the main shopping streets as by now both of us fancied some lunch. One little noodle restaurant was accepting cash only so we had to give up on the idea of eating there and we walked back down to where we got off the bus. There was another Asian restaurant along this street that was quiet, but we were told there was a ten to fifteen minute wait so we carried on to the Westgate Centre instead.

Up on the top floor there were numerous restaurants but some of them were still closed and after going into The Alchemist and beating a hasty retreat (it was very loud in there), we decided to try our luck on the ground floor. We were now hungry and a bit weary!

Luckily we found a street food hub and we were able to choose from burgers, Asian food, burritos and mac 'n' cheese. We really fancied rice or noodles, so after placing our order at the counter we went to a nearby table to wait for our food.

The meals came in little Chinese takeaway boxes:

The food was filling and very tasty! We also ordered some veggie gyoza to go with the meals and they were hot and crispy!

Suitably refreshed we made our way to a nearby Park and Ride bus stop just as one pulled in. Masks back on, we sat and enjoyed the ride back to Pear Tree before driving home. By now, the weather had improved dramatically and the sun had come out so it was a very pleasant journey home.

When we got home I called the hospital and eventually managed to have a video chat with Mum. She seemed a little confused as she kept thinking she had been on the ward longer than just one day. Her operation had been cancelled and she's due to go down tomorrow.

Supper this evening was just soup, crusty bread and a lovely cheesecake for dinner. I was looking forward to a much better night's sleep!

Glossing over...

Day 104

Today I glossed all the skirting boards and both doors in our bedroom, something I wasn't really keen on doing, but it had to be done! I also changed our bedding and managed to get it dry outside which was lovely - it smelt of sunshine when I put it all back!

Of course, it was a beautiful day with lovely blue skies and big fluffy white clouds. It was also very windy indeed, which certainly helped the paint (and three loads of washing) dry! Sophie hoovered the house for me and then I took a break to help her with the hair colour, which turned out really well.

While I was painting, my Mum called to say that she had fallen over and hurt her hip. She was worried she'd broken something but when her carer called me a bit later she said she seemed fine and had managed to get herself back up onto her feet, so I thought maybe she had just jarred something. The carer said that she hadn't tripped or anything, she'd just fallen from standing behind my Dad who was in his wheelchair, which was very strange.

I finished all the painting by 3pm and was able to relax for a while before Mike called us to ask for a lift home. We all went into town to get him and after we'd arrived back home Sophie and I started cooking Korean Fried Chicken, our chosen recipe for this evening. We have really got the hang of deep frying now and we're no longer terrified that the wok is going to go up in flames! Sophie had prepped everything earlier in the day and the smells coming out of the kitchen were delicious!

Tea and cake!

Day 103

Today, pubs restaurants, cafes and hair salons are able to re-open after three months of closure. I am wondering how long I should be numbering the days on this blog but I think I will carry on until I go back to work. The easing of the lockdown is a worrying time for all of us and there are fears that there'll be a second spike of infections now we're allowed to go out and mingle more.

We had a slow start to the day with bacon sandwiches for breakfast and lots of coffee. Sophie and I decided to go to Market Harborough in the afternoon and see whether our favourite cafe had re-opened. We also needed to go to Boots as both of us wanted a hair colour. Me, because I'm starting to resemble a badger again and Sophie because the blonde colour she'd applied was now fading away and her roots were showing!

The weather today has been cloudy and cool and very breezy. It's supposed to get windier tomorrow with gales forecast in some parts of the UK. Have we had our summer?

We drove over in Sophie's car and parked for free behind Tesco, noticing that the B&M store was all closed up and empty. There have been so many casualties of this pandemic and a lot of shops are sadly going into administration, including Monsoon/Accessorize where we like to go and browse.

We popped to Boots first but they didn't have the hair colours we wanted so we headed to Savers where we were able to buy the brand we needed at a reduced price. We both bought the same John Frieda colour! From there we had a look around the town and popped into Monsoon where Sophie bought some earrings in the 50% sale.

Although restaurants could re-open today we noticed that Pizza Express and Wildwood were still closed. Our favourite little cafe, within a shop called Polka Dot, was still closed, which was a real disappointment. The shop itself was open but the cafe was in darkness. It was no surprise, I suppose, as the place is tiny with only about six or seven tables. We walked to nearby Aldwinckles but they only had two tables in the tiny courtyard, both of which were occupied so we gave up on that as well.

By now, I was dying for a cup of tea and a slice of cake so we tried Louisa's Place which was open and doing a brisk business. We had to give our names and a contact number and we were shown to a table and given a menu.

We had been here before quite a while ago and I hadn't been impressed then, but today was fine. You can't really go wrong with tea and cake, though, can you?! Across the road Starbucks was open but only doing takeaways and we wondered why? I think there has been a lot of caution in re-opening and maybe some businesses just aren't ready yet.

We enjoyed a big pot of tea and a slice of coffee cake each and it was lovely to finally be able to indulge in one of our favourite pastimes!