Living Between the Lines

The Sun is Shining

Thank goodness the sun is shining and has continued to shine for the past few weeks. Spring has truly sprung.

So, what are the highpoints of this time spent shutting ourselves away like lepers? I have thought of a few:

1. Hand clapping the amazing NHS every Thursday evening and feeling over emotional and humble throughout and hearing that my 6 year old grandson is so proud to be clapping for his Daddy who is a policeman and his uncle who is a paramedic.

2. Seeing the grandchildren hanging on the gate while I wave from a safe distance and listen to their news.

Hanging on the gate
So near yet so far…

3. Video calling children and grandchildren and hearing about their home schooling efforts which I am happy to say, concentrate mainly on fun activities and keeping mind and body happy. That is not to say there isn’t a good deal of learning going on as well!

4. Walking the dogs and discovering new footpaths.

5. Meeting distant neighbours virtually, speaking to those I have never spoken to before and learning about them and their lives.

6. The cheery, “Good Morning!” that we all call out to one another, so pleased to see another person on our walks even though we walk on opposite sides of a road or jump into a ditch to keep to social distancing. (As one lady put it, “It makes all the difference,”)

It is surprising how used to this way of life one becomes. My policeman son-in-law continues to go to work of course and my middle daughter continues to teach University students, remotely, between running her own business, childcare and home schooling their two small children. My eldest son has his family and partner to consider, she is undergoing chemotherapy, but he works alone in his workshop and is doing an amazing job. Everyone else is working from home as best they can.
Dave is working from home as is our friend Lisa who shares our house. With them located in suitable rooms, equipped with desks, Wi-fi and phones, the dogs and I have the rest of the house in which to roam. Being self-employed, I work from home when and as needed so that bit is not new to me. Sharing my day time space, is.
I have baked more cakes than I have done in a long while, gone for much longer walks with old Floss than I usually manage (only one per day of course) and completed more than one jigsaw. I have explained Covid-19, to my Mother every day. Every day, she forgets and wonders why my elder sister cannot visit her, why her care workers still come yet the friend, who normally does her hair and cleans the house, cannot.
I explain that my sister, 14 miles away from her, over 70 and in poor health, herself, cannot drive over at the moment due to Government restrictions and her own need to isolate. “Oh yes, she has bad knees, I know,” she says, “I know she finds it difficult to drive,”
I arranged for her to have additional visits by the private care team to get her hair washed and her shopping done.
Her hair is washed but she doesn’t like to ask for help with changing the bed or vacuuming, neither of which can she do herself, so I have to get the team to rephrase their questions into direct instructions from me.
I suffer feelings of guilt because I did not bring my mother down to stay with me before the lockdown, and then of relief because she is surely safer where she is.
Her Guardian Angel may still be with her though has not been mentioned in a while.

Who could have foretold how the first part of this year would turn out?
Indeed, I could not. Here is a post I wrote to myself, back in 2013 from the future me of today. In it, I bemoan my 12 weeks of stay at home/do nothingness, under Doctor’s orders, following an operation in the summer of 2013. How naïve of me now! Although, in a small way, the current situation is less restrictive as I am thankfully, healthy and fit and can do all the things I was unable to do then, which makes being at home at least enjoyable. The part of the post that really got to me was the line: “Hold on, I will just put the kettle on and let my dear old Golden Retriever waddle out into the garden before continuing
Flossie does indeed waddle a bit but her recent post Christmas diet, seems to have helped. She is a lively and extremely affectionate ten year old even if she can no longer run for so long or as fast as she used to. The Welsh Woman might still be wary of her LOL!

Flossie aged 10yrs
Where did that cat go?

Flossie aged 10 years
Where did that cat go?!

As for writing…well, for some reason – I haven’t managed to get much writing done. I think I needed the break to be honest. Ideas are beginning to flow again and I am getting such wonderful feedback from those reading, The Ghost Girl at Angel Cottage, that I feel duty bound to produce something else, soon. So, watch this space but do stay at least two metres away from me please!

Stay Safe!

I am an Author, wife to one, mother to five and grandmother to six. I live in the English countryside in Hampshire, UK, with my husband and two dogs and am a non exec Director for Glow www.theglowstudio.com.

4 Comments

  • patricia60

    Happy to find you safe and healthy at this posting – And yes the sunshine does help a great deal. The flowers are dynamic healers. We are having protestors in town against the social distancing orders – they are paid to be noisy and attack the health care workers. They all have to carry their guns? My walks have changed directions to stay away. This craziness is truly ugly and so anti democracy. Makes me wish I could move away and then I am reminded that at least 61% of the folks want health and pandemic relief in the scientific way. There are so many ways to celebrate and truly this has not been very hard at all. I rather am enjoying it!

    • Debbie

      Protestors attacking health care workers? I would find guns frightening. We watch in horror at Trump’s apparent willingness to gamble with people’s lives and hope that good sense will prevail. There is so much good still to celebrate and this lockdown will one day be a distant memory but one that we will remind our grandchildren and great grandchildren of. There is always joy to find when one looks for it, stay safe and thank you so much for your comment!

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