Apart from Tuesday, hubby went without me, have been out with the dog locally and clocking up the miles on my exercise bike as well. Added thirty eight miles to this weeks total.
A friend of mine who is a key worker has made a very very difficult decision to send her two children hundreds of miles away to stay with her sister. She has been put on twelve hour shifts and adding travel time will be away for approx fifteen hours a day, meaning she will not see them on her working days and decided this saved her babysitting hassles. I know the cover is there but only 9-3 and that does not work for her either. This is the impact it is having on people, and I am sure she will not be the only one in the country.
Sunday
Hubby wanted to buy a bag of post mix to sort the front gates so while we were there we decided to walk the dog at the beach park. On a normal day you get ten or twelve cars in the car park, the car park was jam packed and a bit more besides. There were hundreds. We decided to give the park a wide berth and walked round the edge and up over the high bits instead of the beach. The first half mile of the beach was heaving with people. This for me was the thing that hit home. Now of course they are preparing Conference centres capable of holding 4000 beds so still expecting it to get worse before better.
This is my Mother's Day present form DD2. A very useful gift indeed.
Monday
The village have set up a local group to help each other out if we can. Every door got a leaflet with the name of two people in the street to contact if you need help. Community pulling together nicely.
A walk down the woods with dog and hubby. Just over two hours and never saw another person.
Tuesday
I have volunteered to make soup. Our council is only currently offering a packed lunch to local school children if they walk to the school and pick it up. The idea of the soup is for us to go along and hand them put to the children that pick up a lunch but need permission from the school to do this. Made two pots for the cause. They have funding from the community council and are supplying us with the ingredients, and I have plenty of time on my hands.
On my way out the back door this morning I some how manage to fall off the back door step, scraped my right shin, bruised my right knee, twisted my left ankle as I fell, bruised my little toe and hit the back of my head as well. Not quite sure how I managed it to be honest.
It was a chilly night last night with plenty of dew this morning
Wednesday
Pay day therefore shopping day. I got bits and pieces for DD1 while I was out. Still finding it frustrating to not be able to get main meals, no mince, no chicken, they did have big chunks of meat and steak and other expensive pieces that are beyond my budget. I always cook from scratch but had to resort to ready made things like chicken gougons, sausages and such like, not my idea of main meals but beggars cant be choosers. Went and got my cheap shopping as well. Sadly due to it being run by volunteers they have quite rightly decided to close the shop temporarily.They will still be doing food parcels but through the office for people who still need their help. Right now I am fine but who knows in a few weeks. Hopefully apart from bread we should be fine for a fortnight or so and I hopefully can get bread locally. The less time I spend outside the less chance I have of catching it.
Tried to get hubby's prescription while I was out but the chemist is shutting at lunch time now so they were not open. I could not be bothered waiting forty five minutes until they opened again. I had already trawled four shops and spent over three hours to get what was on mine and my daughter's list.
Bumped into my unofficial DD4, not seen her in months as she works different shifts than me. Normally when we meet we have a hug, but no hug today.
I got the grandchildren to paint me rainbows for my windows.
Thursday
Two more pots of soup were made this morning, cooled bagged and frozen ready to go to the woman round the corner who has room in her freezer.
Decided earlier this week to start finishing off some of the crafts I had previously started but never got round to finishing and will knit some baby item in between.
This one was being used at work in between shifts, but having had no in between shifts for over six months now then it has not been touched. But finished it off now and it looks really nice.
Friday
Took the frozen soup round for storage. Made us a pot of spicy tomato and red pepper for us and used the stewing steak I had got hold of, popped it in the slow cooker with onions and diet coke and defrosted some pastry out the freezer and made a steak pie. It was delicious with the meat melt in your mouth soft and a beautiful flavour. Split the meat into two and will use the rest on Sunday.
Had to pick hubbys prescription up as he had run out of one of them. Tried to get a loaf but
many shops had long queues outside them with a one in one out policy as they are limiting the numbers that can be in at a time. One did not have any queued outside but there was only one check out on with a queue of about eight trolleys in front of me. So I popped the bread on a shelf and left, no patience for waiting , the longer out the bigger risk.Walked the dog round an empty field on the way home.
Saturday
Sharing some love. The recipient knows it is coming but does not know what it is. Will post it on Monday, and maybe you will find out next week what it is.
Today was a weird day at work but the goal posts and rules keep getting adapted so tomorrow may well be a totally different day then today was.
We watched The Lost Room is a 2006 science fiction television miniseries that aired on the Sci Fi Channel in the United States. The series revolves around the titular room and some of the everyday items from that room which possess unusual powers. The show's protagonist, Joe Miller, is searching for these objects to rescue his daughter, Anna, who has disappeared inside the Room. Which I found enjoyable.
Sorry to hear your friend had to send her children away but it does make sense if she will be working 15 hours!
ReplyDeleteLovely of you to volunteer and make soup.
Totally impressed with your latchhook craft!
Life has changed so much over the past week.
ReplyDeleteAww! Your poor friend sending her children to her sisters but what an amazing person she is, going to work.
It's no wonder we're in lockdown when people were out having a jolly on Sunday, not exactly staying safe. Ugh!
It is wonderful to see how well communities have pulled together. It sounds like you have been a great help and the soup sound like a great idea.
It is rubbish how the shops haven't had much meat in. I have been using what we have in the freezer and picked up a few things from the local butchers who seems to be getting deliveries every day. It's costing a small fortune though.
I am racking my brains trying to work out what you are sending me. I am stumped but very thankful. I will share next week on my 366 post. Thank you xxx
Nice that you're able to help with the soup making. We made bread rolls this week with some mix - our first attempt, they were a bit 'heavy'. Luckily our local shop is getting local bakery deliveries, so I know we'll still be able to get some of that, and eggs from a local supplier too. I've not been out shopping since the shut down, and not looking forward to it, so hoping I can get most of things from the local shop. I want to make some beeswax wraps - I have the beeswax, just need to find my fat quarters I have somewhere and check they're 100% cotton as the fabric shop in town will be shut. It'll probably be ages before I get round to doing it.
ReplyDeleteWhat a week it has been! How awful for your friend to have to send her children away, but it is perfectly understandable. It sounds like shopping has been really hard work for you. It's been slightly stressful here with things out of stock etc, but not as bad as that. How lovely to volunteer to make soup! I've put my name forward for a volunteering scheme in our village, but I've heard nothing back from it.
ReplyDeleteIt does feel as it life has turned upside down recently. That is good you have been able to make some soup. I've not done that yet, I should give that a go. That is such a shame your friend had to send her children away, heartbreaking. Shopping does sound difficult, but you are such a star. hugs and take care xx #366
ReplyDeleteHow lovely that your community are all rallying together to support each other at this time. The supermarkets are definitely getting better stocked after the last couple of weeks
ReplyDeleteThat must be so hard for your friend to have to send her children away in order to keep working. Makes me realise again how lucky I am to be able to spend the time with mine at home. Lovely that your community is pulling together and how lovely of you to volunteer to make soup. I love the hooked rug you made - I have a couple in the children's room that I made before they were born. #project366
ReplyDeleteSounds like you're still managing to get out quite a bit, which is good for keeping your spirits up. We're limited to an hour maximum and should stay within 1km of our house. It's great that you can help out with the soup and the rug looks great :)
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about your friend and her children it would break me sending them away.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you are still able to get out a fair bit and walk the dog. I know what you mean about main meals I really struggled last week. Although this week we have been relying on friends.
Great idea to make soup, such a thoughtful community that you live in.
Sounds like a lovely community you live in, with the volunteering. I imagine it will be hard for you not seeing the grandchildren as you normally spend so much time with them. What a tough decision your colleague made with her kids
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about your friend and her children. Next door to me have their grandchild with them (their son - the child's father also lives with them) Monday to Friday because the mother is a keyworker. Glad you are still able to get out. Shopping is taking an age isn't it? The soup making sounds like a good idea.
ReplyDeleteOoh, I wonder what you sent Kim! It is awful being so near and yet so far away from loved ones but it is all for the best if it keeps us safe #project366
ReplyDeleteOh my God, that must be terrible for the key worker to go through. I hope she'll be able to join them very soon. Do avoid public places wherever you can to keep you & your husband safe. The community group looks very supportive. Children are going to school? We haven't had meat shortages here at the moment but that could happen here soon. Tasty meat dishes.
ReplyDeleteElaine, your craftwork is amazing!