New hours

Day 26

The fog had disappeared this morning, to be replaced with grey cloud, so not a lot better! Keith and I went to Tesco this morning and did the shopping for the next three nights. It was busy in the store, which surprised me for a Monday morning!

When we came to the checkout, our bill went from about £50 down to about £35 - because of the savings made on our Clubcard. I was amazed, to be honest, so it might be worth us doing more of our shopping in Tesco rather than Aldi, although I do wonder if the company artificially inflated the prices, so it looks like we're getting a good bargain!

Keith had an appointment at the hospital in the afternoon, to have a blood test, so he went by himself as I had to pick up Mike from work. His hours have now changed but not much to our advantage - we did think he would be working 8am until 3pm, but he's now doing 6.30am until 1.30pm, which interferes with Sophie's lunch hour and a walk if we manage to get out. Earlier in the year, we had worried about the 8am start as it clashed with my hours, but that's no longer a concern!

Keith came back from the hospital to say he was able to park easily, so that was a relief! The rest of the afternoon was spent relaxing and dinner this evening was minced beef crumble. Before we did the final touches to the meal, Sophie and I watched the last episode of The Undoing which we had been looking forward to all week! We were both a bit surprised by the outcome and I thought the ending was great, although Sophie was not so sure!

A foggy walk

Day 25

For a Sunday, today has been busy! The weather has been very foggy again, and it lingered all day, with no let-up at all and no sign of the sun.

When Keith and I collected Mike from work we took him to McDonald's for a drive-thru breakfast as a treat. I think he deserved it after working both days this weekend! Back home we made our own breakfast, and after we'd eaten I suggested to Sophie that we start preparations for the evening meal - a chicken and pappardelle soup. We had to cook a whole chicken for about an hour and a half on the hob with garlic and onions, and then let it cool before taking off all the meat.

While that was cooking Sophie did some more prep - grating tomatoes, and peeling and slicing celery and carrots. We also managed to apply face masks, which is becoming a lovely habit on a Sunday! While they were setting we watched an episode of A Place in the Sun - this time a very fussy couple who turned down everything they were shown!

While Sophie had a quick shower I removed all the meat from the chicken carcass and put it in the fridge. Sophie put the rest of the ingredients into a saucepan and we let the soup come to the boil before setting it aside. This evening all we'll have to do is blitz it until it's smooth, add the chicken and pasta and warm it through.

We decided to set off for a walk into the village, and then down the rough track between the fields. The fog looked like it had become even denser!

We walked down the track, and it was eerily quiet, all sounds muffled by the fog. Sheep filled the fields to the right of us, and we stopped to say hello. They all stared at us curiously, and I think we saw a ram in with the ewes.

In the distance we could hear the muffled buzz of off-rode motorbikes, so we decided to turn around and head back to the village. The track was lonely and quite eerie in the fog! We walked to the "triangle" of grass and then headed back home.

We met Lynn who was doing some digging in one of the borders on the green and had a chat with her. She said that a couple of the residents had very kindly put up solar lights on the trees, but with the fog today, it was unlikely that they would be shining when it got dark. Even though it's not yet December, quite a few of our neighbours had already put up outside lights and decorations, which will cheer us all up!

We relaxed for a while before it was time to put the finishing touches to the meal. We blitzed the soup, Sophie made garlic bread and I added the chicken and pasta to the saucepan. There looked a lot of it, so that was a relief!

The meal was a success but I said to Sophie there was one ingredient in the recipe I wasn't keen on, which we discovered was thyme... I am not a fan for some reason!

Where's the grub?

Day 24

Today dawned foggy and damp and stayed that way all day. It was a real November day!

Mike was working this morning, and Keith took him in at the slightly later time of 7.30am. He then went back to collect him while Sophie and I stayed in the warm and watched Saturday Kitchen, which raised our spirits a bit, especially when we saw the segment where Rick Stein was in the Jura region of France, It looked beautiful!

At midday, we showered and went over to Tesco to get my Mum some bits that she needed. I picked out two boxes of Christmas cards, and some toiletries and we got out as quickly as we could. The store was packed with people and the whole retail park itself was very busy with queues of people waiting to go into B&M. I bought myself a sandwich and ate it in the car before we set off for the care home for our 2pm appointment.

We sat with my parents and chatted for the shorter time of half an hour, and before going home I booked appointments to see my parents at Christmas. Unfortunately, the slots for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were already taken (unbelievable) but I booked an appointment for the 23 December and one for Boxing Day. I kept telling my Mum it was only one year and we would make up for it next year, but I can see her being very upset in the month ahead. I think she was under the impression that they would both be able to come out for the day and have Christmas dinner with us, so she was very tearful. I felt wracked with guilt, but what can I do? I said to her that we'd had some fantastic Christmases in the past and that we would have a great one in 2021, but it was not much consolation.

Back at home, and despite the gloomy weather, Sophie and I decided to go for a walk, and we went down to the village and did a circuit. It was chilly and damp, and still foggy, but it was great to get out and have some exercise. We both felt so much better when we returned home.

It was lovely to put the heating on, light the candle in the window, and watch a Christmas cooking programme with Jamie Oliver. At 6pm we ordered a Chinese takeaway from Broughton, and they told us we should expect it at about 7.30pm.

Sophie and I had already enjoyed a Martini, and we opened a bottle of the Jurancon wine I'd bought a few weeks ago in Woburn, and we waited. Keith set the table and put the plates in the oven to warm, but 7.30pm came, and then 8pm, but there was no sign of our meals!

At 8.15pm we called the takeaway and they said they were waiting for the delivery driver to return but it was almost 9pm before we took delivery of our dinner. We all fell upon the food like ravenous wolves, but I hate eating so late in the evening!

After eating Sophie went upstairs to collapse on our bed, while Keith and I watched I'm A Celebrity. I was going to try and stay up a bit later in an effort to digest the food, but I caved in at about 10.30pm and went to bed as well. Maybe next time we order, we won't decide to have a takeaway on such a busy evening!

Horse whispering

Day 23

Keith and I decided to pop to Jones's today to get a heater for the conservatory as it's been so cold in there. We do have another wall-mounted radiator. but it's very ugly, so we thought a portable heater would be a better choice. It can then be used anywhere we need extra heat.

It was another gorgeous day today with clear blue skies and sunshine. Jones's was as busy as I had imagined it would be, and we had to park in the overflow area. I bought some more bird food, and we chose a heater from the limited stock available. I was going to get some cards for my Mum, but the Christmas area was really busy, so I decided to look for some in Tesco. I did buy some outdoor lights, though, to replace the ones we cut through earlier in the year!

Along with some other bits and bobs we needed, we made our way through the busy checkouts and headed home. Sophie was just about to break for lunch so the three of us set off down to Walgrave this time, as a change from our usual route.

We walked just past the bridge and up the slight incline to give us some harder exercise! Although it was a chilly day, I was soon feeling warm! On the way back we stopped to say hello to the horses who came over to see us.

We didn't have any food with us, but they didn't seem to mind and were content to be patted and stroked. 

After lunch, I sat on the sofa in the beautifully warm and cosy conservatory and fell asleep for half an hour. Mike worked an extra hour today so we picked him up at 3.30pm. He'd been walking the entire golf course, and had completed over 20,000 steps!

I still can't get used to Keith not going out on Friday night, and he won't be able to go out next week either, as you have to have a "substantial" meal in a pub to be served alcohol. He and Dave just normally go and have a few pints so that won't be allowed. Crazy!

In tiers...

Day 22

I received a letter from my GP surgery this morning asking me to arrange a flu vaccination. As I am now over 50, I am entitled to one! It will be the first time I've ever had one, and Mike received a letter, too, presumably because of his asthma problems last winter.

As promised the weather has been glorious today with mist hanging over the frosty fields first thing, and blue skies and sunshine through the day. Just the thing to lift our spirits a bit after the gloom of yesterday!

My manager, Sara, called this morning about the return to work next week. The government have extended the furlough scheme until next March, and I had a feeling that our organisation would make use of it, and I was right... I will be going back twice a week, on a Tuesday and a Thursday for six hours each day, so 10am until 4pm. The rest of my hours will be paid by furlough. Only two of us will be manning the phones but as December is traditionally the quietest month of the year for us, this shouldn't be a problem.

I was delighted, to be honest. This means I start back next Thursday instead of Wednesday so Sophie has booked off next Tuesday and we plan to put up the Christmas decorations, drink hot chocolate laced with brandy, and watch a festive film!

We watched the news at 11.30am and discovered that Northamptonshire is now in Tier 2, as I had predicted. Most of the country is in either Tier 2 or 3, with only Cornwall, the Isle of Wight and the Scilly Islands in Tier 1, the lowest. Writing this, it feels like we have entered some kind of weird dystopian world. Market Harborough, in Leicestershire, is in Tier 3, which means we can't go there, even though the town is barely 12 miles away! All the cafes and restaurants will be closed, so there'll be no trips for afternoon tea or lunch at Farndon Fields. Sophie and I were due to go for a meal there in December with Sue, but this will have to be postponed until the new year, but is that even safe to book?

We are talking about this all now like it's normal, but a year ago, we wouldn't have dreamed we'd be in a situation like this or using words like "furlough" and "tier"! I still sometimes think I'll wake up and discover it's been a terrible dream.

Of course, in Tier 2, it means that we can't mix households inside, so Mike won't be able to see Abbi (that did not go down well), and Sophie won't be able to see Zain unless she meets him outside, but who wants to spend the whole day outdoors when the weather could be horrible?

Hopefully, after the review on the 16 December, things might change, but I do feel sorry for the hospitality industry who rely on Christmas bookings in the run-up to the festive season to make their profit. I have booked to go out with Lynda, Fiona and Andrea on the 18 December, so we will wait to see what happens before cancelling.

After we'd absorbed the news I cleaned the upstairs of the house and Sophie and I went for a walk at lunchtime, which was lovely:

It was certainly chilly, but the feeling of the sun on our faces was bliss! We walked up to the village and then returned home for lunch of soup (Keith and Sophie) and leftover chicken and rice for me.

While we waited for Mike to finish work in the afternoon, we noticed a strange man wandering about the golf club, drinking from a can of what looked like beer. I texted Mike but his boss had gone home early. Luckily, there were some men building a new shed near the clubhouse, but the man was acting very strangely, wandering up and down the patio area and then looking at the building closely. Hmmm! We passed him as we drove home and he could just have been out for a walk, but he looked very suspicious indeed!

A very grey day...

Day 21

The weather today has been truly awful with dark grey skies, rain and a chill wind. It's been the very worst of November weather!

Keith and I ventured out to get the newspaper from Brixworth, and then we returned home where I cleaned the downstairs of the house. I am getting a bit fed up of cleaning now! I find it such a demoralising task, because it doesn't last very long, and I have to do it all again! However, when it is done, the house looks lovely!

As the weather was horrible, Sophie and I didn't venture out for a walk at lunchtime, but looking at the forecast it's set to get colder tonight with clear skies tomorrow. 

Dinner this evening was chicken tacos, and Keith helped Sophie prepare the meal while I caught up on a documentary about how the discovery and use of fire transformed humans. I suppose this is why we all love a real fire - it goes back to the very heart of our existence when we needed it for warmth and cooking, and also keeping away fierce animals!

News of Christmas

Day 20

It looks definite now that I will be back at work next Wednesday but this time I am a bit reluctant to go in. We had so much stress the last time we returned, and I think we're all hoping that it won't be the case this time. 

It was in the news this week that Christmas will be allowed to be "almost normal", and that up to three households can get together for five days over the festive period, but I personally think it's a recipe for disaster. It could even mean we all go back into lockdown in January, one of the most dismal, miserable months of the year with very little to look forward to (except my birthday, of course!). I don't expect I will be celebrating that with a trip to Berlin or a meal out!

As has been pointed out, other religions have had to forfeit their celebrations this year, and even though we are a largely Christian country, surely one year of subdued celebrations won't kill us...or maybe it will. It seems madness with three vaccines on the horizon - surely we could all wait a few more months and have a fantastic Easter instead?

We managed to get out for a walk at lunchtime today and it was very enjoyable. The weather has been dry with sunny spells but there was a cold wind which reminded us that we are almost into December. Incredible!

Keith and I caught up with The Fall in the afternoon, and we are both loving the series. We think the acting is brilliant, and we'll be sad when we reach the end!

Bank wrangles!

Day 19

Keith and I had no choice but to go to the Weston Favell centre this morning because I had a cheque to pay in for my parents, and I wanted to take in a mandate form giving me third party access to their bank accounts.

I honestly couldn't remember the last time I'd been to the shopping mall, but it must have been months. I was expecting a queue at the bank, and I got one! A long one! Keith stayed in the car while I joined the queue, but luckily I have my Kindle on my phone so I could at least read a bit whilst waiting!

I estimate I queued for about 20 minutes, and when it was my turn I explained to the teller that I had a form I wanted to give in and what it was for. The first thing she said was, "They need to come into the bank in person." I explained that at the moment, and for the foreseeable future, that was impossible and that as a family, we'd banked with them for decades. I recognised the teller from when we had the business, and I regularly came in with my parents!

Thankfully, she led me over to the information desk where another woman we used to deal with was waiting to help me out. It was a good job she did otherwise I would have been tempted to empty the bank account, and put the money into my parents' building society account!

After a slight problem when she thought I needed yet another form (but luckily I didn't), the deed was done, and I could re-join Keith in the car. We drove over to Aldi and Tesco in Kettering where we did some shopping for the next three nights, and I treated myself to a bottle of Bombay Sapphire Gin as it was reduced by quite a bit!

Back home it was time for lunch, and I marvelled at how quickly the time had gone by this morning! The weather has been beautiful all day, and I decided to wash my car in the afternoon. It was covered in a layer of mud, and it was hard work if I'm honest! The wheels were the worst as they were covered in a black sooty substance and mud, and I used about four buckets of water to get all the dirt off the car and it did look a lot better when I finished. I made a mental note to myself not to let it get so bad in the future, and take it through the carwash! The chore in the summer isn't bad, but in the winter, it's not fun! At least I had a chat with neighbours passing by, though, so that was a bonus!

Dinner tonight was a Rick Stein recipe for Macaroni Cheese, and there was loads of it! It was a monster dish! Unfortunately, it didn't have as much taste as I was hoping for, and next time I'll stick to the recipe that we always use!

Feeling better!

Day 18

I managed to sleep for almost 10 hours last night and woke up this morning feeling a lot better, thank goodness. We still had a lazy start to the day, though, and watched Saturday Morning Kitchen Best Bits while enjoying coffee and pastries.

It was a shame I still felt a bit fragile as it was gorgeous outside - a really beautiful late Autumn day with sunshine and blue skies. I would have loved to have done some work in the garden but it will have to wait until the next dry and sunny day!

I had some things to drop off at the care home so Sophie and I went over, and I made an appointment for next Saturday to see my parents. I then suggested to Sophie we get my car washed, and as I also needed to fill up with diesel, we popped back home, I picked up my purse, and we set off for the garage at Moulton.

Unfortunately, the carwash wasn't working for some reason so we headed for the garage near Kingsthorpe. That was also extremely busy so we abandoned that idea and went to another nearby, which didn't have a carwash. Oh well, I'll have to do it myself one day next week! I have enough time!

We drove home via Harlestone Firs and I was amazed at how many people were out and about! There was a long line of cars parked all along the road and the woods were busy with people out walking and enjoying the weather. Although we're all supposed to be in lockdown at the moment, the roads were full of cars - it's so different to how it was earlier in the year!

Back home Sophie and I applied face masks (bright blue ones), and watched an episode of A Place in the Sun again. It's becoming a bit of a Sunday tradition! This programme featured Mallorca and a house on the Pine Walk in Puerto Pollensa was up for sale for £2.7 million!

I had a lovely bath later in the afternoon, and Keith cooked roast lamb for dinner. It was delicious but he does get very stressed about cooking it! My pleas to go out once a month for a roast at a good pub has fallen on deaf ears!

Under the weather...

Day 17

Today has been very quiet and uneventful. I woke up with a bit of a tummy ache and felt slightly fragile - I have no idea why, unless it was the sandwich I bought yesterday to eat while I waited for Mike to finish work. It was chicken and stuffing, so that could have disagreed with me!

Therefore, it's been a lazy day with not much going on and I do feel a bit guilty that I didn't do a lot! At lunchtime, Sophie and I went over to Boots at Riverside as she needed some bits in there, and I bought a pot of pungent Tiger Balm for my arm, which still hurts. I'm falling apart! Can I go back to work? Being off obviously doesn't suit me!

I treated Sophie to a Flat White at Costa and we sat in the car to enjoy our drinks. I indulged in a small slice of chocolate torte which was delicious.

Back home I sat in the conservatory (where it was too cold, to be honest) and watched a couple of episodes of The Crown. I am new to this series but I've enjoyed it so far, even though the latest episodes have come under fire a bit for their portrayal of Diana.

The previously beautiful day turned a bit cloudy and I bundled up with a cardigan. We really need to get some extra heating for the conservatory, especially as Sophie will be working here for the foreseeable future.

Keith cooked coq au vin this evening but I really didn't do justice to it at all. I couldn't even drink much wine so something must have been up! We sat and watched Strictly after dinner and then I'm A Celebrity, but it was a recap of the past week, so I went to bed. At 9pm, on a Saturday night!

Sophie was a bit worried about me as she said I felt really hot, but I just wanted to go to sleep. Although I worried slightly about having Covid, I could still smell and taste and didn't have a cough, so that was a relief. Let's hope I feel better tomorrow!

It's Friday again!

Day 16

I had real difficulty believing it was Friday today! Where has this week gone? I have another full week and two days before I go back to work, but things haven't been confirmed yet. I have to say that this time I'm enjoying the break, and two weeks of this lockdown are classed as annual leave anyway.

After a quiet morning, I went to see my parents at 1pm. There had been a bit of confusion earlier as Mum had been told by one of the carers that she was still self-isolating until Sunday! I called again to confirm, and was told that she was out today, thank goodness!

I braved the muddy roads again and was held up on the way in by building works. I will be mightily glad when they have finished the estate! My Mum and Dad were fine, and we chatted for an hour, which was great. After this week, the visits have been reduced to just 30 minutes as more residents have moved into the care home. I just don't know what will happen at Christmas...

After seeing my parents I went to collect Mike, and then it was home to relax. The weather today has been grey and horrible and this afternoon it started to rain heavily. It's also colder than of late! Winter is well on its way!

I still can't get used to Keith not going to the pub on Friday evening, so he very kindly prepared dinner, which was simple this evening - just chicken escalopes or fish cakes! It was a relief to not have prepare a complicated dish!

In a vain attempt to find a film or drama for Sophie and me to watch, I trawled through the Sky channels and discovered that there were some great documentaries on Sky Arts of our favourite bands. I downloaded a Dire Straits concert and a documentary on The Cure music videos! We also found the second part of a Belgian drama we'd watched a few years back, called Public Enemy!

After I'm A Celebrity this evening, Sophie and I stayed up late and watched Graham Norton. Obviously, there was no studio audience but it was great to watch nevertheless, and I think the applause and laughter were added for effect!

 

An upsetting discovery...

Day 15

My two front tyres were replaced today, so that was one less thing to worry about! While he was here, we asked the tyre fitter to have a look at Dad's car as well, but he assured us they were fine and would do about another 4000 miles. As I rarely take the car out, that was a relief as well!

Sophie was hosting an online training session today so we had to keep Monty out of the conservatory at all costs! He is fine first thing and then starts to be a wandering willie, constantly in and out of the house and demanding to be fed. We kept him in the living room, which he didn't appreciate, even though he had a comfortable chair all to himself!

Last weekend I'd sent off for a death certificate for my Great Grandmother, and it arrived today. I was under the impression that she had died of the Spanish flu in 1917, but when I read the death certificate, it stated "antepartum haemorrhage" as the cause. Why, then, had I believed it was the Spanish flu? It also meant she was pregnant with her 11th (?) child and my grandmother would have had another sibling. My grandmother (on my Dad's side) was just 14 months old when she died, and I found the discovery quite heartbreaking, to be honest. The poor woman must have really suffered and must have been exhausted having so many children and then falling pregnant with yet another. Plus, they certainly weren't well off, World War I was raging, and it must have been an enormously difficult time. It certainly made me think about how life was then.

Now that we were free to go out, Keith and I popped over to Aldi and Tesco as I had some shopping to do for my Mum. We dropped off the bag at the care home, and I couldn't believe the roads leading to the building -  they were coated in a thick layer of mud!

We headed home, had lunch of sourdough sandwiches, and then went to collect Mike from work. When we returned, Sophie's training session was over, and she was very relieved! I prepped our dinner of sausage casserole so all we had to do was cook the sausages and pop the dish into the oven. We then played Scrabble which always takes longer than we imagine!

After we'd eaten it was time for I'm a Celebrity and I have to say I'm really enjoying the show this time!

Return of the leaves...

Day 14

After a bad night's sleep, I woke this morning feeling yukky, with a dull headache that lasted until lunchtime. I was very glad I wasn't at work, so it was a relief to ease myself into the day! Keith and I did something we rarely do - we watched television first thing and caught up with I'm A Celebrity! as Keith was too tired to watch it last night.

Although I felt a bit off, I did change our bedding, and at 1pm Sophie and I went for a walk to the village, which helped me feel a lot better. The weather today has been dismal and grey, with a cold wind blowing (from the north, apparently). I swept up all the leaves from the back door, but within an hour another load had gathered! Why I bother, I'll never know, but they blow in through the door and get trodden everywhere. I wonder, over the millions (billions?) of years how many leaves have fallen? It's mind-boggling!

Our one trip out today was to collect Mike from work, and then it was home to put fresh bedding on. Keith helped me which was a great bonus! It was heaven to have a soak in the bath, and then while Keith cooked a spicy curry for dinner, I watched the first episode of Surviving the Stone Age, which was very interesting. All the people taking part were survival experts, but they still failed to catch any fish from the lake they'd camped by!

After dinner, Keith disappeared upstairs to watch England play Iceland, while Sophie and I relaxed downstairs. Neither of us was in the mood to watch another episode of The Plague, so we had a lighthearted hour watching I'm A Celebrity! Some of the trials were truly disgusting, but it took our minds off our worries for a little while!

Tyre calamities!

 Day 13

Keith had an appointment at the respiratory clinic today, and I have to admit I was surprised it was still taking place.

We set off at about 10.15am and whilst we were driving on the A43 I felt like I'd driven over something hard. I couldn't see anything in the road when I glanced in my rear view mirror, but immediately I sensed something was wrong with the front tyre on the driver's side. Luckily, we were very near to the Shell garage in Moulton, so I pulled up outside and we both got out to take a look. To our dismay, the tyre was as flat as a pancake and all pleated where I'd been forced to drive on it.

We hurriedly called Sophie to come and pick us up and take Keith to the hospital, and I drove the car over to the other side of the road so Keith wouldn't be changing the tyre later with traffic driving past. Sophie came as soon as she could, and we managed to get Keith to the hospital in time for his appointment at 11am. We dropped him off and went to get some petrol for Sophie's car on the way home. 

Back home Sophie resumed her work while I set off back to Northampton to pick up Keith. Unfortunately, he hadn't taken his phone with him, and I had enormous difficulty finding a space in the car parks. He had said he would wait in the cafe but I was hoping he'd come outside to meet me!

After circling two car parks I attempted to park on the road outside the hospital but when I reached the meter, it was coins only, and I had no cash on me at all! I made one last visit to the small car park opposite the entrance and, at last, found a space! I dashed inside to find Keith waiting for me and said that next time, he needed to take his phone with him!

We returned home, had some lunch and before we knew it, it was time to collect Mike from work. I'd already asked if he could help Keith change the tyre so he was forewarned! We decided to take my Dad's car and as we were getting in, Paul dashed out and said that he thought my Dad's tyres looked defective! Could the day get any better? Keith had a quick look, and when we got to the golf club we both examined them. They did look a little cracked so when we get the tyre fitter out to do mine, we'll ask his opinion. As we were looking at the tyres, Mike's manager drove up and asked what we were doing! He didn't recognise us, and as the car was different from mine, he was suspicious!

As soon as Mike came out of work we sped off to change the tyre on my car. However, when the spare was on, that looked a bit flat as well! We couldn't believe it! We went back home, collected the air pressure machine from Sophie's car and headed back to pump it up a bit. I was very glad to finally get home!

Luckily, we have arranged an appointment for Thursday to have two new tyres fitted to my car, and in the meantime, we'll use Sophie's car to take Mike to work.

Dinner tonight was a delicious paella. I'd prepared all the veggies for Sophie while Keith had chopped up the chicken, so she was very pleased we'd helped out. After we'd eaten we watched an alarming programme about the Great Plague in the 1600s. Apparently, the bacteria still exist today, which we didn't know about! Scary!

Another soup...

Day 12

I decided to make curried parsnip soup today, a recipe taken from one of Mary Berry's books. We had four parsnips hanging about in the fridge and I thought they would be sufficient, but I had to add a couple of carrots to make up the required weight!

It was a simple soup to make - I peeled and chopped the parsnips (and carrots), fried an onion in some butter with flour and curry powder, then added the vegetables, and a pint and a half of stock and let it simmer for about twenty minutes.

While it was cooling, Keith, Sophie and I went for a half hour's walk to the village to get some fresh air and a little exercise. It was a grey, breezy day but it was lovely to get out for a little while. When we returned, I blitzed the soup with the blender and then reheated it for a couple of minutes. I then sat down with Sophie to enjoy our lunch and served the soup with some croutons sprinkled on top. Delicious!

The rest of the day was quiet, and we didn't even have to do much for dinner this evening as we bought a steak pie from Aldi. Sophie and I caught up with the latest episode of The Undoing while dinner was cooking, and just wished all the episodes were available so we could binge-watch it! 

Christmas beckons!

Day 11

I was up a bit earlier this morning, thank goodness, and sat drinking coffee with Monty while it carried on raining outside. At one point it became really bad, and I realised I'd left our bedroom windows open, so I ran up to close them! It was like a mini hurricane going on!

However, by lunchtime, it had calmed down and we saw sunshine and blue skies for the rest of the afternoon. As a treat, I took Sophie and Mike to McDonald's for lunch, and we sat and enjoyed our food in the car park along with lots of other people who all had the same idea! Sophie and I just shared a carton of French fries as there were white chocolate and raspberry muffins waiting for us at home, which I'd made earlier in the morning.

Back home Sophie and I applied face masks (the cosmetic kind), and we sat and watched A Place in the Sun. How I would love to be abroad at the moment! It was filmed in Gran Canaria, which looked lovely, and I didn't realise it was so mountainous!

At 4pm Sophie settled down to video chat with her friends, Laura and Daisy, and I had a soak in the bath. This weekend has flown by again and it feels strange to think that I am not at work tomorrow. We haven't really been watching the news lately, but we found out today that Boris Johnson is self-isolating again because he was in close contact with someone who tested positive. It feels like it's March/April all over again!

Dinner this evening was a delicious beef casserole topped with cheesy potatoes. Afterwards, we watched the Strictly results and then settled down to see I'm A Celebrity. The first episode heralds the start of the Christmas advert campaigns, and I can hardly believe that it's so close! We like the Tesco advert, which is funny but I found the John Lewis effort sickeningly sweet, as it always is every year. One thing we did notice was that a lot of the adverts were animated, and it's no surprise why!

Keith and I enjoyed I'm A Celebrity - I liked the castle setting much more than the jungle for some reason, and it was lovely to think it was being filmed in Wales, rather than a very sunny and warm Australia! I'm not sure the participants would agree with me!

Cooking up a storm!

Day 10

The weather today has been atrocious, with non-stop rain and wind... all day! It was horrible! I didn't wake up until just before 9am, and felt like I'd wasted half the day. I much prefer to be up by 7.30am at the latest so I can have an early coffee and ease into the morning!

Sophie and I went to Farndon Fields at lunchtime and I drove my Dad's car to give it a run. On the way, the roads were wet and muddy, and the leaves were flying about like mad things. There was a queue at the farm shop, and we huddled outside in the wind waiting to be let in. I did worry that we wouldn't be allowed in together, but my fears were allayed by couples in front of us going in to shop.

We wanted a bag of porridge oats, and also some treats to cheer us up! I bought a bottle of Christmas beer each for Keith and Mike, but we were alarmed by some of the prices being charged. I know they have to try and make up for the losses this year, but almost £5 for a small cake was a bit much, in my opinion!

We had a look at the Christmas decorations and chose a little grey star to go onto our white tree. Both of us have agreed that some of the older decorations might have to be retired this year to make way for the new ones, otherwise we'll run out of space!

Alas, there was no afternoon tea this afternoon, so after paying, we made our wet way home. We decided to tackle this evening's meal straight away - a tomato and orecchiette soup. I had bought two packs of sugardrop tomatoes in Tesco, and they're known for their sweetness, which is what we wanted. Sophie peeled and chopped two large onions, while I de-stalked the tomatoes. We then gently cooked the onions for almost half an hour until they were golden and soft, taking half out to sprinkle onto the soup later. We cooked the tomatoes and the rest of the onions, along with a handful of basil leaves, until they had softened up, and while this was going on, Sophie made a bread and butter pudding for dessert.

We then left the soup to cool and the bread and butter pudding to chill in the fridge and soak up the milk. I had promised my Mum I would go and "see" her this afternoon, so we drove over and parked outside her window. Standing there in the wind and rain wasn't pleasant, but I think it cheered her up and we had a good chat on the phone.

Back home we relaxed and played cards in the conservatory, all four of us, which made a pleasant change. Sophie and I did the last-minute preparations for the soup - blending it so it was smooth, cooking the pasta and heating the garlic bread. We all agreed the soup was delicious and very spicy!

It was perfect for a day like today! The bread and butter pudding was rather good, too!

A quiet end to the week.

 Day 9

This week has gone extraordinarily fast! In fact, this whole year has whizzed by and looking back, it feels like there's been a gaping hole when we were in lockdown, and when our lives were put on hold.

Today has been quiet again. I hurt my right arm last week cutting down the conifers in the front garden, so today, even though it was beautiful weather, and there were lots of jobs to be done in the garden, Keith and I decided to have a day off and give my arm a rest. I sat in the conservatory with Sophie in the morning and read a few chapters of a very interesting book about the Irish Potato Famine between 1845 and 1851. I think some of my ancestors came over at about the time so it was enlightening to read about the events leading up to the famine and the history of the Irish people in general.

For the rest of the day, we did very little, although I did put the hoover around and tidy up. In the afternoon, Sophie had a "Murder Mystery" meeting with her new work colleagues, with a Harry Potter theme. At least it gave her the chance to dress up and put some make-up on with her character in mind!

Dinner this evening was baked potatoes, so it gave us the chance to sit and play Scrabble. Sophie bemoaned the fact that she wasn't good at it, but she won this evening!

Mrs Angry, Part 2

Day 8

Sophie and I set off for Tesco at 7am this morning and I was surprised at how busy the roads were! However, the car park at Tesco was quiet, and there were very few actual shoppers in the supermarket. It was mostly staff shopping for online customers, and there were hordes of them! As their trolleys are much bigger than the ones we use, they certainly blocked up the aisles!

We did half of our shopping in Tesco and then drove the short distance to Aldi. It's not a good idea to shop this way around as if there's anything we can't get in Aldi, we've had it! I wasn't going to go back into Tesco for beef stock that we couldn't find!

As Sophie doesn't go shopping in Aldi very much, she was amazed at the way the checkout woman hurled our purchases down the conveyor belt. It took both of us to keep up with her, and we just chucked it all back into the trolley! My morning routine had been severely disrupted, and I hadn't had time to enjoy a coffee before we left so I was determined to have one when we finished at Aldi! We went over to the drive-thru opposite, but because there was a long queue of cars we actually went inside! I ordered a Flat White and a blueberry muffin, Sophie had a mocha, and we headed home.

Keith met us and he unloaded the car while I sat and enjoyed my coffee and muffin in the conservatory. Sophie had to start work immediately as it was now 9am, and I said to Keith that I wouldn't be going early again. He then volunteered to resume the job and go early when it's very quiet. He is better at doing it than me - I find it a complete chore, and if I had my way I'd have it delivered! However, I doubt very much whether there are any slots available at the moment! Judging by the number of online trolleys in Tesco, I think everyone is ordering over the internet!

It's been a gorgeous day today, and Keith and I went to the care home to pick up the jumper and trousers I'd bought my Mum for her birthday. The jumper is too big, and she couldn't get the trousers on, so I did really well! They were waiting in reception for me, and we headed off to Next to take them back and get a refund. The care home is situated on a new residential estate that's still being built, so the roads around the care home were full of mud. My car looked like I'd driven it through a field so I planned on taking it through the carwash at the Tesco garage before going home.

At Next, I had to queue for a while, and when it was my turn and I explained I was returning clothes I'd bought in the shop, they said I'd have to wait until the 6th December when the shop re-opened to return them! I was flabbergasted! All they'd needed to do was take the bag back, and bring out a card machine to refund my payment, but this was obviously impossible with the pandemic raging all around us... Now it means I'll have wait for almost a month, and my poor Mum doesn't have her gifts! I was going to re-order online!

Muttering angrily, I drove to the Tesco garage, and while Keith put some diesel in, I went into the shop to ask about the carwash. One of the women on the till said that they weren't allowed to have it up and running, so that was that! I find it amazing that this morning I went into Tesco and Aldi and bought a coffee in Costa but I couldn't take my filthy car through a fully automated carwash! I was furious! Common sense seems to have gone out of the window!

Before going home Keith and I went to the chemist at Brixworth to get some eye drops for Keith's eye. It looks like he has a little stye in his left eye, and he had a pleasant chat to the pharmacist who gave him something to make it better.

Getting home was a relief but it was nearly lunchtime! I re-heated the spaghetti bolognese from the other evening and cooked some pasta we had hanging about in the cupboard. It makes a change from the sandwiches I normally have!

Keith and I spent the afternoon in the garden raking up the fallen leaves and tidying up the summer bedding plants. I moved the geraniums to a sheltered part of the garden in the hope they'll last the winter again. We ventured down to the gravel garden, and I was amazed at how much the ivy had grown. It's very bushy in places, and I suspect our little sparrows roost in it at night. We made the decision to cut down the Virginia creeper when the weather is dry again, as it has become overgrown and messy. In fact, this part of the garden is totally overgrown and we need to make a decision about what to do with it. We hardly ever go into this part, and I feel the space is wasted.

It was lovely to be out in the garden as the sun was going down but I think the birds were a bit miffed with us, as they sat in the trees on the other side of the fence waiting for us to finish, and leave them to have their supper in peace!

A little research

Day 7

Today has been another quiet day with not a great deal going on! I pottered about in the morning and managed to listen to Pop Master with Ken Bruce at 10.30am. I love his radio show and normally don't do well on the quiz, but today I scored 9 for the first one and 15 for the second! I was amazed!

Sophie and I had another bowl of Mulligatawny soup for lunch along with some spicy naan bread I'd bought yesterday. The soup had thickened overnight and was very filling!

After lunch, I decided to resume my research into my family tree. When we cleared everything out of my Mum and Dad's house I took home all their important documents, such as family birth, marriage and death certificates, and a lot of paperwork including my Dad's old school reports, which make for hilarious reading!

It was lovely to upload them to the Ancestry site so I have documented proof of births, etc. I have lots of gaps to fill, and then there is Keith's side of the family to look into as well, so that should keep me busy! 

Keith and I went to get Mike from the golf club and he'd had a busy day maintaining the greens. He is still starting at 6am for some unknown reason, and it's a source of irritation to us all. There are no golfers going out early so why he has to start at that ungodly hour is beyond me!

Keith and I indulged in a couple of episodes of The Fall in the late afternoon. I normally don't watch television during the day, but as there wasn't much going on, we sat and enjoyed the drama. It's getting very interesting indeed!

Dinner this evening was a delicious beef casserole and afterwards, Keith and I watched an episode of Berlin 1945. It made for harrowing viewing, and the film footage of our favourite city in ruins was terrible to see. We all think we've had it bad this year with coronavirus, but seeing people lying dead in the streets, the devastated buildings and scenes of war, it made me realise that although this year hasn't been the best, it doesn't come anywhere close to what our grandparents and great-grandparents endured during the two world wars.

It was an early night tonight as Sophie and I are going shopping tomorrow morning at 7am!

A souper lunch!

 Day 6

Today has been less busy than the previous few days, thank goodness! I had a slow start to Tuesday and sat with Sophie in the conservatory, reading the paper and having breakfast. Outside, we had flocks of sparrows feeding, and a magpie came down to snatch at some old bacon I'd put down. 

Throughout the morning I did various little jobs and also cleaned the house, including the bathroom, which was in dire need of a good scrub! I love it when the house is tidy and clean, but alas, it doesn't last long, I'm afraid!

For lunch, I re-heated the Mulligatawny soup I'd made yesterday, added some rice, and served it with naan bread. Sophie and Keith said it was delicious, and I have to admit I was very pleased with how it turned out. It was sweet but spicy, and very warming. I'll definitely be making it again!

After collecting Mike from work (the only time I went out today) I settled down in the conservatory with my Kindle Fire and started watching a film called The Man in the Hat. It was set in France but was a bit strange, with hardly any dialogue! I tried to get Monty to curl up with me on the sofa but he has been very restless today, wandering about (we now call him Wandering Willie), and he kept wanting to go in and out of the conservatory all the time, for no real reason. I do wonder if he has been unsettled by the change in our routine? Normally I am out until the late afternoon, and Sophie used to spend at least two days in the office so he might just be reacting to that.

The weather today has been disappointing, with mainly grey skies and little sunshine. While I sat in the conservatory I looked up and noticed that there were leaves covering the roof. We really must try and get out into the garden at some point and clear them all away as I am sure they are blocking the guttering. That will be a lovely job!

In the evening Sophie made spaghetti bolognese from scratch and spent over an hour on the preparation, bless her. She said it didn't have a lot of taste, but I thought it was lovely and will be great for lunch as well!

Mrs Angry!

Day 5

We awoke to another grey and gloomy day, and with the change in weather, came a change in mood. It's my Mum's birthday today, and for the first time ever I won't be able to see her or take her out. She is understandably upset, and even though I asked the care home to give her another test, they said she would have to stay in self-isolation for two weeks, and away from my Dad. Apparently, she is the only person, residents or staff, who tested positive, and doesn't have any symptoms! It's madness!

Therefore, I was in a right "fouly" when Keith and I went over to the post office at Brixworth to send a parcel off to Sophie's boyfriend. The row of shops in this large village is always busy, and traditionally when you wait for a car parking space, you pull forward so that another car can sit behind you and not clog up the surrounding roads. I turned into the small road leading to the shops but the car already waiting hadn't left enough room behind him for me to tuck in, so I was forced to sit in the road outside the car park, like an idiot! 

After a minute or so, another two cars joined the queue which now meant they were in danger of blocking the main road as well! I moved forward and tooted my horn to get the inconsiderate driver in front of me to move up a bit! He didn't move so I wound down my window and shouted at him to move up! I mean, it's hardly rocket science! He must have seen the queue behind me!

He eventually moved forward so that I could fit in, and then went and parked himself, but I was fuming about his lack of consideration for the others waiting to park. At the moment it feels like people are in their own little "bubble" with no thought for others! This was demonstrated when I was walking out of Tesco later, and a couple in front of me just stopped dead in the doorway to take off their masks! Get out of the way!

So, it was a bit of a fraught morning! I had to go shopping and get food for the next three nights and bumbled my way around Aldi again, not able to find anything I needed! No wonder Keith doesn't like going! At least we don't have the one-way system in place any more, though, which is some relief!

We got home at 1pm and had a quick lunch before I started on making my Mulligatawny soup. Keith went to get Mike from work, while I chopped up lots of vegetables and added beef stock to the carrots, onion, apple and swede mixture. I then let it simmer for about half an hour with curry powder, mango chutney and some mixed herbs, while I cleared away the almighty mess in the kitchen!

I had an appointment at the care home at 4pm, and the plan was to Facetime my Mum, so I could have a chat. My Dad appeared and we talked for a while but I found it extremely difficult to hear him through the thick plastic screen. I chatted with my Mum, which was great, and I saw the staff bring in a lovely chocolate cake for her and sing Happy Birthday!

I stayed for half an hour and felt upset that I was unable to chat with my Dad like the old times. When I think of how he used to be, I find it heartbreaking. He was always so active and enthusiastic about life, and it's brutally unfair to see him as he is now.

Back home I used my new stick blender to smooth the soup and then poured it into a jug to chill in the fridge. That's lunch tomorrow taken care of! It was then time to relax for a while before dinner, and Sophie and I started watching The Undoing starring a very beautiful Nicole Kidman, and Hugh Grant, who to me seemed a strange choice for this kind of drama. Normally, he's a rom-com type of man! We enjoyed the first episode and couldn't wait to see the second after dinner!

Grey and gloomy.

Day 4

The beautiful weather of the last few days disappeared this morning, to be replaced by thick fog and overall greyness. I had a longer lie-in than I would have liked and felt groggy this morning, so it was a slow start to the day. My Mum called before 9am with the bad news that she'd tested positive for Covid... how this had happened when she hadn't been anywhere was a mystery, especially as my Dad was negative. To my dismay, she said that because of this she will have to self-isolate for two weeks, even though the care home think it's a false positive result! It's her birthday tomorrow, and I was planning on seeing her in the afternoon!

Keith and I went over to the tip with the garden waste and had to wait ages to get in. Obviously, this weekend people have been out in their gardens! We were eventually allowed in, and spoke to one of the regular men who always addresses me as "Darlin'" as in "Whatcha got, darlin'?" We heaved our waste over to the huge skip, and I managed to get a lovely, itchy rash all over my arms as I was wearing a top with three-quarter length sleeves. It was horrible!

Before heading home we popped to the Co-op, and Keith bought the newspaper. I asked him to get a Chicken Chasseur sauce mix but they didn't have any so I planned on getting it from Beckworth where Sophie wanted to go later in the day.

Back home I sorted out my Mum's cards and presents, and Keith tried to get Mum and Dad's petrol lawnmower working. I had offered it to Lynn yesterday so she could mow the greens on our estate, and she had jumped at the chance of having it. Our garden is not big enough to warrant having a petrol lawnmower, and I wanted it to go to a good home. Keith couldn't get it to start so I said I'd go and get some petrol when we went out.

Everything felt damp and gloomy today - what a difference from the gorgeous weather of the last few days! Sophie and I headed to the care home where I dropped off some shoes for my Mum, and a card and present I'd bought from my Dad. We stopped outside her window, and I managed to have a chat with her on the phone. She was a bit tearful, and I felt terrible.

Sophie wanted to send a box of treats to Zain, so we went to Beckworth to do a bit of shopping. The restaurant wasn't open, so all we could do was shop. I bought some goodies for lunch, a new Christmas gonk, and a very expensive Chicken Chasseur sauce for our dinner this evening. 

We headed home, and although the sun tried to make an appearance, and I caught a glimpse of blue sky, the weather didn't really improve much at all. We enjoyed a late lunch, and I gave Keith the can of petrol to see if he could get the mower working. Even Mike tried! However, it wouldn't fire up but Lynn said she would still have it as she was confident her husband could fix it.

Sophie and I prepared the evening meal - the sauce smelt delicious, and I added a splash of wine and chicken stock as well before letting it marinate for an hour. Sophie had peeled all the vegetables, and it was time to relax for a while! We played Scrabble again and enjoyed a glass of white wine in the conservatory before switching to cards. I prepared some dumplings and finished off the dinner which was smelling lovely, although there was a hint of a herb or spice in the mix that I couldn't identify. We all agreed the meal was a success, and I fished out the packet to discover the mystery ingredient was mace, something we don't normally use in dishes!

Social gardening!

Day 3

Keith and I had to go to Tesco again this morning as we needed a few bits I had forgotten on Thursday. I bought the board game, Scrabble, so we could have a change from cards in the evening, and I also purchased a stick blender as I'm intending to make soup over lockdown. 

Lynn, who is our new chair of the Parish Council, had put out a plea for bulbs to plant in our middle green so I lobbed a bag of daffodil bulbs into the trolley as well! We headed home and drove around the estate, where I caught sight of Lynn working away in the bushes. I walked up and gave her the bulbs, and we had a long chat about the green areas of our estate, kitchens and hoarding stuff! It was a gorgeous morning with golden, Autumnal sunlight dappling the leaves. A perfect day to go back out into the garden!

Graham appeared with his dog, Dennis, and said that Keith had already made a start on the conifers, and I could hear the distant whine of the electric saw. When I got back, a heap of conifer branches was lying on the road, so I made a start and cleared them all into a plastic box.

Gardening can be very sociable, and over the course of the next hour, we chatted with various neighbours who stopped to say hello. Paul offered us a large rubble bag, and I half-filled it with the conifer branches and leaves. By the time we'd finished, both conifers were just stumps, and the garden looked so much better. The branches of the trees really affect my skin - if I brush against them they bring me out in an itchy rash so I wasn't sorry to see them go. We're not sure if they will sprout again as we didn't remove them completely, but if they do grow again, I will control them carefully!

As Keith was a bit tired from constantly sawing away at the branches, I asked Mike and Sophie to go to the tip with me. I had put a plastic sheet in my boot and had filled it with branches, plus there was another box full as well. We headed to the tip and found there was a considerable queue to get in!

It didn't take us long to offload everything, and I suggested going to the new Costa drive-thru near Kettering. Mike said he would treat us (he was the only one of us with the means to pay!) so we drove over and placed our orders. Sophie and I had hot chocolates - an After Eight mint one for her, and a Terry's Chocolate Orange for me, while Mike had a Frostino. We drank them in the brand new car park and gazed around at the industrial estate, which has been built on the site of an old car yard. I remember the old cars stretching away into the distance beside the A14, but it was cleared a few years ago, and some new warehouses have been built. I don't think any of them have been let or sold yet, but it's just a matter of time.

We headed home where I finished tidying the garden, and put two more big boxes of branches into the boot of my car. I didn't fancy going to the tip and queuing again so I left them until tomorrow. It was then time for a hot bath!

Before dinner Sophie, Keith and I played Scrabble, and I don't think we did very well! It was enjoyable, though, and made a change from playing cards! We then cooked dinner of beef stroganoff, which was delicious!

The evening was spent watching Strictly, and I managed to catch the last half hour of It's A Wonderful Life with Sophie sat beside me. She knows I cry every time I see it, and tonight was no exception! We then decided to watch Doctor Sleep, a sequel to The Shining, but gave up after fifteen minutes. It was seriously weird!

Garden leave

 Day 2

It didn't feel like Friday at all today! Sophie shut herself up in the conservatory to work, and after having breakfast and doing some odd jobs, I ventured out into the front garden. My aim was to tidy up a bit, rake up some leaves and that was it, but then I decided to cut back our Hypericum bush that was really straggly.

It was our garden bin day today but as we only had a few cuttings of grass and some old flowers in it, we didn't put it out. However, as I started cutting down the bush, I realised that all the branches would fill the bin completely, and then some! I also cut back a conifer that was way past its best so very soon I had a huge pile of branches that I needed to get rid of.

Keith came out to see what I was doing and started helping, which was a huge bonus. He went and fetched the bin, and we managed to fill it to the top, as well as having some more leaves and branches in another plastic box. Our next garden collection is two weeks away so we had no choice but to go to the tip with it all!

While we were putting all the stuff in the bin, Michelle came out for a long chat, which was great. We haven't seen her for a while so we had a lot to catch up on and Sophie came out as well to join in the chat. All plans to get together have had to be put on hold for the time being but hopefully, in December, we can meet up for a glass of wine, or two!

Thankfully, the waste and recycling centres are still open through this lockdown so we took the first load, and joined other people who all had the same idea! We struggled with the first bin load, but the second was much easier. However, on this visit, we had to queue for ages and we looked at the time anxiously as Mike was finishing soon!

Luckily, we were all done and home by 3pm so while Keith put everything back in the boot of my car I tried to tidy away as much stuff as I could, to keep it off the road. We still had another bin load, and after collecting Mike from an empty golf club, we headed home to finish off in the dwindling light.

It has been a beautiful, really Autumnal day today and perfect for working in the garden. By about 4.30pm we were finished, and everything looked a lot better. I cut the hypericum down to the ground, and we've decided to remove both conifers as well, just leaving another tall one in the middle. It's really opened up the garden, and Monty kept walking about as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing!

I went and had a hot bath as I was a bit achy, and then caught up with the news. We are still awaiting the outcome of the US elections - it's taking ages!

Dinner tonight had a German theme because Sophie and I bought a bottle of Riesling last week at Woburn. I'd bought smoked cheeses, sausage, German bread and a quiche for supper, and we enjoyed a Black Forest tart for pudding. The wine was lovely, but at £14 it wasn't worth the price tag, in my opinion!

Keith went upstairs to watch Newcastle play and Sophie and I enjoyed Tootsie, starring Dustin Hoffman. There was none of the usual, "Ahhh, it's Friday!" for me as now every day will feel like the weekend!

Lockdown starts

Day 1

I could have had a lie-in this morning as Sophie can't go to the gym but I was awake at 6am, probably due to the alarm going off at 5am! Mike is still working because, although the golf club is closed, they will still have to maintain the grounds. Keith was hoping that they wouldn't have to start at 6am, though! Mike has to work some extra hours because for the last few days they haven't been able to do anything due to the huge numbers of people playing a last round of golf before the restrictions kick in!

It's been a beautiful day today with blue skies and plenty of Autumnal sunshine. It felt bizarre not having to go to work, but this time I am determined to use the time to relax a bit, watch films and read a lot. The last lockdown was spent looking after my parents, and in-between, doing a lot of housework and decorating!

Over breakfast, I finished off the shopping list, and we decided what meals to have over the next few days. We are going to keep Keith at home during lockdown to be safe, so it will be down to me to go and get the shopping. I set off at 11am and drove to Aldi first where I went up and down the aisles several times looking for the things we needed! The store is brand new, so everything has changed, and despite making a quick visit the other day, I still hadn't a clue where anything was! Luckily, it was quiet!

I filled the trolley, which came to an amazing £60, including beer and wine, and drove over to Tesco where it was a bit busier. My small trolley was only half-full but the bill in there came to £50, and no alcohol this time! 

After getting some diesel for my ever thirsty car I headed home where I was met on the drive by Sophie and Keith who helped me unload it all and put it away. I then spent an hour sorting out paperwork and emailing Harborough Kitchens about their quote. Les had called Keith the other day to say the price for the kitchen (cabinetry, worktops, sink and taps, extractor and installation) was £25430, not including VAT. That would then take the price up to £30,000, and then we would have to pay for the building work, appliances, flooring, new lighting, new window and tiling. We wouldn't get much change out of £40,000, which was far more than we had budgeted for! I was very disappointed but had been half-expecting the cost to be high. It's back to the drawing board, then!

Keith and I went to get Mike at 3pm and we had to squeeze our way through lines of parked cars of parents waiting to pick up their children from nearby schools. I hope Mike's hours go back to normal soon!

Back home it was time for a hot bath, and a snooze on the bed while watching the news. The US elections are still not over, but it looks likely that the outcome will be very close indeed!

Although it's bonfire night, there will be no fireworks for us this year, which is a huge shame. I did hear some going off at a neighbouring house but they were very short-lived. I did contemplate buying some and setting them off in the garden, but I chickened out at the last minute! Memories of when I set one off years ago, and it was upside down, still haunt me! 

The Last Supper

So, today was our last at work for a month, and things started off quietly again. The announcement still hadn't been made but we were warned it would be put onto our website and media pages by lunch. As a thank you and, because it was our last day, Nicola gave us all a mini bottle of Prosecco, which should go well with the flavoured Gin I have at home!

At almost midday, we were told the announcement was to be made, and we were given details first. As we are a charity we were hoping people would keep paying for November, but as soon as the details went live, the phones started ringing! I could see the number of emails steadily increasing as I watched, going from 28 in the inbox to over 400 by the time I left at 2pm.

I'd volunteered to stay until 4pm but both Sara and Nicola said that it was OK for me to go. After the initial flurry of calls, things did quieten down a bit, which was a relief! I had visions of many calls queuing!

I left the building but I didn't feel as emotional as I did back in March. Then, we didn't know how long the lockdown would last, and it was all new and scary, but I am really hoping that things will improve and we can go back to our jobs on the 2 December. I have included my holiday hours in the next month's pay so at least I will get two weeks at 100%. 

Keith and I went over to B&M in Kettering because the blind in our en-suite had fallen down, and wouldn't work properly. We managed to find a lovely chequered blind with shades of grey and taupe that will go well with the colours in the shower-room. We then popped to Next where I bought two jumpers and some trousers for my Mum for her birthday next week.

Our last stop was Tesco where I bought cards and chocolates. I am seeing my parents this evening for the last time because all care home visits will be cancelled again. To me, this is ridiculous, as I never come into contact with them because of the plastic sheet between us. What difference would it make?

Keith and I headed home and I had half an hour before having to go back out again. I sat with Sophie in the conservatory, and read the paper until it was time for me to leave.

It was a beautiful late afternoon, and the sky was a mixture of pinks and blues. I am hoping the weather will stay dry and sunny for the weeks we are off, but that's perhaps being too optimistic for this time of year! We did say back in March that we were lucky the weather was so good, and how horrible it would be to go through this in the winter, and now we are!

Both my parents looked well again, and my Mum looked particularly smart. She said she needed some new shoes so I will order them for her. We chatted for almost an hour again, and then I left, feeling very sad that I won't see them for a while. I told my Mum to keep her phone charged up all the time so at least I could phone her.

Back home Keith and Mike were just about to walk down to the pub where we'd booked a table for a last dinner before lockdown. It was a cold night but perfect for walking to the pub! I changed and put on some make-up then sat and watched the news. At least the topic of coronavirus has been pushed off the top slot by the US elections, and the world is watching with interest to see what the outcome will be!

Sophie and I drove down to the pub, and found the men in the backroom, somewhere we hardly ever go. There was a lovely atmosphere in there, and Sophie and I ordered a bottle of red wine to last us the evening.

We were called through to the main dining area at about 7.45pm and took our seats near the bar. Silence ensued while we perused the menus, and we chose garlic bread to share for starters, followed by fish and chips for Keith, chicken for Sophie, beef and ale pie for Mike, and a sirloin steak with peppercorn sauce for me. We might as well go out in style!

The food was delicious, as ever, but they did forget my sauce so we had to chase that up. It was delicious poured over my steak and thick-cut chips! There was a real party atmosphere in the pub this evening, and at 10pm when we all had to leave it was really quite emotional. The pub will remain open for takeaway food so I'm hoping we'll have at least one meal from them before December. Anything to keep our precious pub open!

Small disappointments...

We were expecting to be very busy at work today, but after the first initial flurry, it went quiet again. I helped Sara create a spreadsheet with a list of people who wanted to freeze their November membership payments, which took me most of my shift to do. We still haven't had an announcement from our management team but it looks like even they will be furloughed during lockdown.

Before leaving at 4pm I managed to put a few more classes onto the booking system, but who knows whether they will go ahead, especially in December?

At home, Keith reminded me that it was our episode of Pointless this evening so at 5.15pm we settled down to watch... only it wasn't our episode, and Richard Osman, previously bearded, was clean-shaven again! We were so disappointed! Our episodes were the first of Series 24 and mysteriously, the BBC are now showing Series 22! Why?

This was just another disappointment to add to the list at the moment - we won't now be able to go and see On The Rocks at the Northampton Filmhouse as it will not re-open as planned. We had a ticket for the drive-in fireworks at Franklin's Gardens on Saturday - now cancelled. Everything enjoyable has been stopped - eating out, going to the theatre or cinema, live music, meeting up with friends and family, travel... the list goes on. I felt very grumpy! And yes, I realise there are far worse things going on, but we were looking forward to these events, as I'm sure a lot of other people were. The fireworks event was sold out.

Sophie had an appointment at the beauty salon for a treatment, so I said I would take her, and I'm glad I did as the car park was rammed. Obviously, everyone else had rushed to have last-minute treatments before the salon closes on Thursday! I finally managed to park in the street outside, and waited in the car for her. Luckily, she wasn't long and we were soon heading home through heavy traffic. Back at home, I had a drink, and we relaxed while Keith cooked dinner.

After we'd eaten we watched another episode of The Fall, which was very nasty indeed!

It's not Pointless...yet!

I really didn't know what to expect this morning at work, but was praying we wouldn't have a repeat of what happened back in March when we were flooded with people either cancelling or freezing their memberships.

Before going to work I cleared away drifts of leaves which had gathered around our back door. Looking over at Vince and Sue's door, they had none! I also made an appointment to see my parents tomorrow afternoon as it will be the last time for a month, and it's my Mum's birthday next Monday. Sadly, it will be the first time I have never gone out with her for a meal or afternoon tea, but even if she was still living at home, we wouldn't be able to go out or even meet. I had watched a video on Facebook of the carers celebrating Halloween on Saturday, and she was having a great time, so that's some consolation.

At work, I learnt that we didn't have masses of emails and that yesterday had been fine, so that was a relief! The calls started off by being busy, but that seems to be the pattern now. We did have a few people cancelling classes or swim sessions for later in the week, but not that many anxious calls about memberships. Our management team were in the midst of a meeting, and we awaited their announcement later in the day.

The calls tailed off by late morning, and I made a start on putting on the activities for the children, both during the day and after school. I put them on until Easter, and I was really hoping it wouldn't be a waste of time!

Because I was busy, the time flew and at 4pm I sped home to see what had happened at Mike's place of work as golf courses are to be closed as well. He didn't really have a lot of information, but Sophie said she couldn't go into her office for the foreseeable future, which was a shame as she looked forward to her one day a week to dress up a bit.

I had a lovely soak in the bath, and Keith said that tonight's episode of Pointless was the one before the one we saw back in January! We both recognised two couples who went out and came back for the first one we watched at Elstree! So tomorrow and Wednesday should be the episodes we saw! How long ago it seems!

Keith cooked a delicious cottage pie for dinner and then we were delighted to discover that The Fall is now available for download on the BBC! We caught up with an episode to celebrate!

The best meal ever!

Sophie decided to go to the gym this morning, to make the most of it before everywhere closes on Thursday. She will miss going very much but we have talked about having a walk at lunchtime, just to get some exercise and fresh air.

I gave her a lift and then went and put my filthy car through the car wash. The rain had cleared away and the sun came out so I decided to risk it! I also put £40 worth of diesel in the car, bought the Sunday papers and then went back to pick her up.

Back home Sophie helped me put a colour on my hair (I really was very badgery!), and while it was taking she went and did the preparations for dinner tonight. We had decided to cook The Hairy Bikers' Chicken Tikka Marsala and there were loads of things to do. I could smell her dry-frying a whole lot of delicious spices and filling the house with the lovely aroma.

As well as doing that she put some items on eBay, so let's hope we have better luck with them this week! We planned on going for a walk later, but the weather changed and it started to rain again so we decided to stay at home! I can hardly believe that today is the first day of November! Going into the winter in lockdown will not be pleasant for anybody.

Sophie and I went to get Mike from Abbie's house, and understandably she was upset as she now won't be able to see Mike for at least a month. We headed home, poured a glass of wine, and after relaxing for a little while Sophie and I made a start on dinner.

The chicken had been marinating all afternoon, and while Sophie made the marsala sauce I threaded the gooey meat onto wooden skewers that I'd soaked in water. The smells were delicious and we banished Keith from the kitchen as he was hanging around and subtly commenting on what we were doing as if we were clueless! Be gone!

We set the grill to the highest heat and thoroughly grilled the chicken, turning it over several times. The recipe called for us to blitz the marsala sauce in a processor, but we left it as it was with the chopped up onion intact. Once the chicken was cooked through we added it to the sauce, finished off the rice and popped the naan bread under the grill.

Well, I have to say it was the best dish Sophie had ever cooked, bless her! It was absolutely delicious and matched anything I've had in a restaurant. Mike had eaten at lunchtime and missed out, but there was plenty for the three of us with enough left over for Sophie's lunch tomorrow. The range of flavours in the dish was fabulous, and we could really taste all the spices and ingredients that Sophie had been preparing all afternoon. There was a lot of preparation, but it was so worth doing!

This weekend has passed in a blur and it's back to work tomorrow. What will I face, I wonder?!