Help calm me, house buying and selling stress. Part 4

I agree with you Franbern about getting the youngsters out of this asap.
My DB lives in Denmark and they are beginning to think about a cautious easing. DS in NZ is very proud that there has only been one death as lockdown and closing borders was introduced so quickly.

The death toll here is just shocking.

I looked for bright clothes but don't have any! The nearest is a denim blue jersey dress and I knitted a multicoloured jacketty thing which I will fish out.

We did an hour or two of cutting back of briar roses to reveal the path through our garden. We kept hearing a football being kicked in the distance but couldn't see who it was. The nearest garden has very little children but maybe they have grown! How long its it since we have been in captivity?

DH had another letter about shielding from the Scottish government today. He is quite tempted to order a free food box just to see what it's like, see enclosed picture, though we don't need it while we have these lovely friends bringing us everything we ask for.

DD was given the Baby Box, as everyone is who has a baby in Scotland.
www.parentclub.scot/baby-box

We are fortunate to live in Britain and even to be old (speaking for myself) whatever the scaremongers say.

So glad you found your sunglasses. Franbern I found the source of the moths. They were attracted by an open bag of dry dog food at the back of the cupboard. I keep a bag in case I am asked to dog sit my DC's animals at short notice..

oh whiff, brilliant

lily of the valley, I planted some in a self contained space on a north side, they are invasive and like bark and damp and shade. Mine have come up and are showing buds

Best to get the virus when the vaccines are in place and effective treatments available. A lot of medics plus vets and co-opted nhs dentists and final year med students are helping out but once they get back to normal working then that is when I will relax my vigilance. Dil, was delighted 2 weeks ago when they made a breakthrough in her lab in scotland, it is happening and for once the whole world is united in trying to crack this virus. It is a weakly constructed virus and can easily die without a host so hang in there.

The presently grouping people will likely get it and we may get a terrible peak in 2-3 weeks. Then a slowdown after that and a potential lower peak next winter and maybe after that we will be out of the woods

Glad you are all sounding up beat. Very happy to report spoke to a manager at Sainsbury's and got a delivery spot on 16th and an apology. So ordered extras of all the things I use as don't know how long it will before I can get another one. Means the children won't have to risk themselves going out extra times just for me. I un earthed a patch of lily of the valley yesterday when weeding one of my favourite flowers. Lucky find.

Sun's just come out here looks like it's going to be a nice day. Enjoy your day everyone.

I once had prescription sunglasses and found them a nuisance. When I was driving on those sort of days when it was alternatvely sunny and dull, I would be everlastingly trying to change over my glasses.
A few years back, I purchased a pair of sunglasses that fit over normal glasses, (or by themselves), these are use in the car and they are great. So, when the sun disappears, all I need to do is to push them up on to my head, and use my normal driving glasses underneath, and then bring them back down when the sun come out. Also, saves the costs of having to prescription sunglasses changed every time the optician changes my prescription (usually most years). Ellianne, I accept what you say about young people bring the virus back into the homes BUT we really do have to accept that the majority of us ARE GOING TO CONTRACT THIS VIRUS over the next few months. The lockdown is just in place to try to spread that out.
Actually, if we are discussing the worst scenarios - the deaths from the virus - think we do have to put that into context also. Horrific that we are now nearly at a thousand a day (highest per capita number in the world), obviously this will start to level out and even fall over next week or so. However, we also to realise that just on cancer and heart attack deaths, that is the sort of figure that die every day of the year in normal circumstances in the UK - let alone from very many other causes.

Glad you found your sunglasses Franbern. Do yours have your prescription lenses? Mine do because I dislike those clip on things that go on over normal glasses.

Yes, getting the kids back to school at some point is a must. In theory that is no problem for secondary school pupils but a bit more complicated for younger ones .... parents, maybe even grandparents too, will be exposed on a daily basis ferrying the children back and forth. And what about teachers who are self isolating for various reasons? School cleaners, caretakers, caterers, deliverers? There's a whole army of employees. But I guess you have to start somewhere. I think large gatherings should be the last things to come back.

Found the sunglasses, I had put them away carefully (along wiht 2x 3D glasses, and my summer hats in a box which I put on the high top shelve in one of the wardrobes. Spotted that as I was changing over winter clothes for summer ones yesterday.
Have put into spare bedroom wardrobe my jumpers and winter fleecy trousers, and put into wardrobes, etc in my bedroom, Spring and Summer weight trousers and skirts and tops. I know they say it will get colder again later in the week, but the sunshine is so lovely at present.
I always 'watch Breakfast' (BBC1) each morning whilst I have my breakfast. I know they are trying hard with what they call 'good news' stories about the virus - but I find any talk about this too much and only has me in tears. Escapist tv is what I need, total escapism, so watch lots of recorded programmes, and only have the news on for about 10 minutes in the morning and then 30 mins for the 5 pm...ish daily briefing.
Now being said it will probably be about a year before full lockdown procedures will be stopped and things return to whatever will be the new normality. In the meanwhile, as they start partial lifting of these rules, it will mean that more and more people (now in self isolation, etc.) will contract this disease, they just hope that the Health Service will be able to cope with them at that time.
It is not a happy thought for the next twelve months. I did try to close down 2020 and restart. but it seems to have made no difference!!!
I do think that there needs to be some serious thought given to getting the children and young people out of lockdown as soon as possible. They are far less at risk of themselves becoming very ill with this, and they are at serious risk of serious mental health problems with being kept inside. Obviously, the danger is that they will take this back to home where there may be people living who are more vulnerable - but as it has been said time and time again, that until such time as some sort of vaccine in found (12-18 months), upto 80% of the population will contract this disease, it could probably be a chance that has to be taken.
Difficult to say that it not depressing times for us all - but those of on here seem to be so fortunate, we have nice homes, no over-crowding, access to our own outside space, no particular worries about business' and jobs disappearing, I cannot imagine what so many groups and families are going through at present. Imagine being cooped up for days on end in a small tower block flat, with maybe a toddler and a teenager or more. We should be so grateful for what we have.
When I did my trundle down to the Promenade yesterday I went past my local butcher, and noticed that his (local farm) eggs shelves were virtually back to what they had been a month ago - before all of this.
The only things I have been unable to purchase in the last week or so in Supermarket is flour and icing sugar.

ooh yes I do agree about the colours, uplifting and we need every bit of uplift that we can get, in more ways than one. Haven`t had my breakfast yet and am feeling very good. Washing is out, house and garage are cooler now and I have put new elastic on the lafuma, just finished. Grannaretto, I think it was you recommended these as temporary indoor lounging chairs. I used mine like that before I actually bought a zero recliner. It helped me get through the dark days after being widowed

I have nothing to do outside today so will sit and read in the sun, I have a clip-on shade for the lafuma, the sun is best behind me. I have tonics, frozen lemon chunks and both real gin and non-alcoholic gin, which I won`t buy again

I have a loaf in the bm, xl, pesto and pine nut, not made that before but thought I would freeze slices to have with savoury things. I also pottered a bit in the garage and put several things away. I can do such a lot if I get going early

lol, I am still in my dressing gown, will shower and change into something bright, get out my nicer big sunhat, an aussie make sun blocker hat and some books and get into the sun this morning, its the best time for enabling a good nights sleep. Shoulder ache is just a dull ache now and then, much better

Same here Ellianne, very warm

It is very warm down here in Devon and for once I am up early. I have been painting fence panels and need to get going before the sun beats down. I chose a strong blue to remind me of our life in Brittany on the coast. Actually Devon is similar in many ways. I loved having French shutters on windows, no curtains, though they too needed painting regularly.

I do believe, and even if there turns out to be no after life I will have lived a better life for believing if you get my drift. My grandfather was a clergyman and the children were all educated free at posh boarding schools but my mother was a rebel and ran away! She used to say she was the black sheep of the family but the most loved by her father.
Oh yes and I must finish the jigsaw that has been on the go for over a week now.
Have a good day.

Oops, posted too soon.
I can of course justify the colour of my clothes because it is not winter here although one would not know that judging by the weather we have had today.

Made some scones and some ANZAC biscuits now off to cook a roast dinner. Enjoy your day everyone.

Grammaretto, I've long wondered why winter fashions are predominately drab colours. This does seem to have changed a little over the last few years but I always feel if we had bright colours in winter clothes we would feel so much brighter ourselves. I'm all for wearing brighter colours - says she sitting in black pants and navy top

I don’t have any religious beliefs, although do have a ‘what goes around, comes around’ approach to life and the feeling there is something out there in the ether. I was cycling to work one morning in 1994 when I started thinking about my dad, 2 years into retirement, and about the longevity or otherwise of his family. About 2 hours later, I got a call to say he’d died, very suddenly, of a heart attack. I do send the occasional ‘message’ to my mam to help sort things out or see us through something.

Hello lovely people. I think you are doing really well craftyone and Whiff and all of us, just getting on with it and counting our blessings (and our eggs)
It must be much warmer in the south of England than here in Scotland. I haven't been tempted to leave my thermals off yet!
I heard somewhere we should be wearing bright clothes to lift our mood. I will give it a go

Craftyone so glad to hear you are alright. I've ordered some plants and seeds for my garden. Really pleased I went and used my tree saw yesterday as it as rained heavy here during the night. It would be to wet out there today. Hopefully I will finally develope green fingers.

crossed posts whiff, I am fine whiff, I just potter a lot in the garden and live in the moment. Cannot do anything else, just have to get on with it and listen to the birds

morning all, just checking in. Are you up whiff?

Its nice right now but the heat has built a bit in the house so most windows are open and it is being aired. I am on heat patrol today, the perfect fit blinds will be down on each sunny side aspect in turn, I am glad I bought the insulating ones, lets hope they make a difference. Washing machine is washing and will be ready in an hour

Food today will be whatever, starting with bacon tomato and some bread, saving my egg for buns or fruit loaf to make later. I have excess carrots and will delve into my old recipe notebook, I think I have a nice recipe in there for carrot and lentil soup with cumin. Thinking cap on for whatever to make a nice mixed salad too

I have to reduce food in my freezer, I am expecting a huge crop of blueberries in june, provided I see at least one more bumble bee. I still have many bags of blackcurrants so am aiming to make jam when the weather cools. Gooseberries out of the freezer today for a very nice crumble to last a few days. Lots of flowers on my gooseberry plants.

My new hose and reel came yesterday, it is a very long way from the tap at the back of the house all the way around to the front far side. I now have a heavy 40m hozelock cassette plus a 25m reel and a joining piece, it was much easier last night, I needed to water, the roses are too soft and have all been invaded by aphids

Have a lovely day. I heard on the radio that there is a potential 26 degrees in the offing with police and army out to stop the rule breakers.

Craftyone how are you doing? From the sound of your last post not to well. I hope you are not heading to were I was last week as I would not wish how I was feeling on my worst enemy. The utter despair and loneliness I felt was all consuming. If you are feeling in anyway like that please try and do anything to halt it. Scream, shout, swear, hit something . I didn't even want to get out of bed and when I did just lay on the settee and cried. Should have talked to someone when it started but thought I was strong enough to cope on my own. I was so wrong. If I am way off bat sorry it's just I care about you. Funny how you can care and worry about friends on here that you have not meet.

Stay safe friends. There will be plenty of idiots breaking the rules this weekend. The police are going to have their hands full.

It is surreal outside, not a single sound apart from the goodnights from a few birds, there is a kind of hush and the air is very still

I decided I had to change my bedding from cosy winter to cool summer, kept the duvet for now, which is wool and part of an all season system from the wooldroom. The washing machine is full and is timed to finish at 7 am. I do need to have another clearing session in my airing cupboard, I have far too much in there, too many welsh wool blankets and throws. They are too good to give away and I won`t be giving them to AC or the pets would lie on them, really they will be heirlooms. When I can find the time, maybe on a rainy day, I will sort under a bed, vac pack the blankets and store them there

I can`t be doing with watching tv nor reading but I will have to do something or I will nod off, maybe find a crossword

I am not religious, although born and bred catholic. I do firmly believe in a parallel universe and know that energy can neither be created nor destroyed. I have no fear of being dead, ever since at 14, I saw my body hovering over me when I was in bed and relatives who had passed. It is the method of dying that is fearful so I am glad for my husband who always said that he wished he could die quickly and on his bike. His wish came true while he was cycling up a hill. His heart just stopped.

I see small white fluffy feathers from time to time, the day I left my last property, when it was getting the final clean, there was a small fluffy white feather on the half landing, no open windows, it could not have blown in. My last trip downstairs from upstairs. I get a feather like this when I am troubled about something big

I am a total atheist and so are all my family. when my son died, people said to us it would have helped if we believed in some sort of after-life. Think we all felt that sounded horrible, we did then and still do celebrate the years he lived and what he achieved and our wonderful memories (good and bad) of him.
I am not even sure that I can genuinely say that I respect people who do believe, I often find this embarrassing, similar to an adult I respect suddenly admitting they believe in Father Christmas or the Tooth Fairy. I feel that the differences in even similar religions have caused so much unhappiness and cruelty in the world we would be better off without any.
I am very comfortable in my non-believes, and feel that Life without god can be Good!! For some time I was on the cttee of our local Humanist group, and I must say that some of the nicest people I have ever met were members there.
Went for a trundle today down the Promenade. So very quiet, beach empty. Last year was also hot at Easter, two weeks later than this year. I did my first flat hunting that Saturday and it took us nearly half an hour to drive down the promenade for under a mile. No traffic at all today!!!

Okay perhaps I didn’t phrase that as well as I could have. My sister feels, really feels the presence of our late parents. I don’t. But I still believe that they’re somewhere watching over us. I still talk to them. I ask them to protect our family and the GGC they never met. Whatever bring us solace can not Be
a bad thing

I'm not religious at all. I don't believe in any god but respect others who do. Since my husband died I talk to him everyday and do ask him to help me do things or find things. I find it gives me comfort to do so and has helped me through the darkest days. When my dad died I encouraged my mom to talk to him everyday she was religious but it made her feel better talking to dad. Think we all have to fine our way. For me grief for husband has never died but coping has got easier over the years. Don't believe we will meet again as I don't believe in an after life. But believe talking to him helps me in this one.

Ellieanne, I laughed when I read the feeling you got when your heated seats came on. It is exactly what a friend of mine said about his recently. Not sure I need heated seats here though.

I’m really missing not being able to do my twice weekly hydrotherapy sessions. I always feel so much better both physically and mentally after those. I cannot imagine getting back to them anytime soon though.

DS and family usually go camping over Easter. Not to be thwarted by COVID19 they have set up camp in the backyard this year. The GS think it is great as they have the best of both worlds.

Crafty, thank you for telling us about your last DH helping you find your book. It was so uplifting. I really do believe that our loved ones watch over us. Have no evidence, don’t think I’m very spiritual, but I believe.

This really cheered me up, it really did. I’m struggling today. Thank goodness for You lot. You really keep me going