Diary > Sunday 5th April

[IgorStrav]

First up?

Absolutely beautiful and very warm day here today - have just returned from carefully self-distancing country walk which I am fortunate to be able to access simply walking from my front door.

Lovely throughout, but specially great moment when a shadow fell across me and when I looked up a red kite was flying low, presumably eyeing up prey possibilities on the hillside I was walking.....such beautiful colouring on the underside of his/her wings.

Most people were careful to give each other room, smile and wave but it is interesting that some people absolutely don't, even when it's obvious that someone has stepped aside and waited for them to pass, to give sufficient space. 

I succumbed to just one passive agressive "that's ok, don't mention it" to someone I'd waited for a couple of minutes to allow to pass who were completely ignoring me as I stood on one side for them. 

I fear that I will have caught the sun, though - always a risk at this time of year, especially when there aren't enough leaves on the trees for very much shelter.

Not complaining though.

[louisa maud]

Forgot your suncream then?, it was deceiving today but a really lovely  day, have you noticed how the ground has dried after so much rain? , my pots and front garden are very dry, I have resorted to watering already

Louisa Maud

[Viktoria]

Tea bags  Igor,but take them out of the cup before the milk is added.
Leave to cool and use as compresses.
They are more or less sterile ,and if put in the fridge even more soothing.

Some people Igor , think if they can’t see something or someone it is not there!
That is why old ladies don’t look at moving traffic when they want to cross busy roads.
From one who knows!
Viktoria.

[KGarrad]

10C and overcast most of the day here!
When the sun did come out, we had 40 mph winds

Spoke with my daughters, who live in North Somerset.

Daughter #1 is a Kitchen Manager in a primary school, and has been making packed lunches, for those that need them, all week.

Daughter #2 works in Southmead Hospital, Bristol in Pharmaceutical Stores.
Not front-line, but she has to take some medications around to various wards.

Both doing OK, and coping well.

Tea-bags, Viktoria?!
I only use loose-leaf tea!
Assam for breakfast; Ceylon at lunchtime;  Russian caravan this afternoon.

[Viktoria]

I love Broken Orange Pekoe,used to get it in  a little tea chest about ten inch cube,.
Also Ceylon tea my OH used to bring back from his travels .
Used Earl Grey for years ,but hardly any flavour nowadays.
Tea bags are handy but  I agree properly brewed loose leaf tea is far superior .
The tea leaves could be put in a cloth and in the fridge,when cool,and the cloth saturated use them as a compress.


Today taken up with a thorough tidying and organising of F H stuff .
If I don’t get on with it  I will be sleeping on the settee ,so many papers but all now in good order ,just need filing etc.
They got in such  a mess when I moved, I think boxes got dropped .
When I say boxes I mean plastic clipped top crates.
Feel good about it now
So a cuppa and back upstairs to finish off.
Then ready for bed ,but not before I have checked under the bed for rhe green groblin.
My Ggrandson lives in a grumbalow , you know a house with no upstairs, and  there is  a green  groblin  under his bed ,not that he is frightened , but it is his newly invented Corona Virus best friend.He will be four in a little while .
He misses his friends from Nursery and visiting my daughter his Nanny, so his imagination has gone into overdrive
I think the groblin is made from Duplo , the big Lego.
Cheerio folks.
Sleep well .
Viktoria.
,

[KGarrad]

Just as well I don't suffer with sunburn!

[trystan]

8:30am Quite quiet outside.

Porridge with Date Syrup, apparently a healthy substitute for sugar.

I saw Nino my barber yesterday, he was sanding down his picnic bench in front of his shop. He was closed for business, but we chatted a safe distance from each other.

He really misses cutting hair and talking to us all. I asked him for tips on cutting my hair. There he was hopping around showing me how to move the clippers around. He was wonderfully animated. I told him I'd give him a bigger tip when he next cuts my hair.

So today, I put a chair in the back, sat down, and put my clippers, sissors and a comb in Sarah's hands. What had I done? I'd let Sarah loose on my hair! She did a wonderful job - I washed my hair again afterwards and put some Brylcreem in and it looked great!

In the afternoon we went on our allowed walk. Very enjoyable as usual.

On the way back we crossed the road and saw a lad waiting outside a shop coughing almost continuously. His girlfriend came out of the  shop with bottles of fizzy drinks. They then continued walking along with him coughing all the time as he walked. A likely Coronavirus victim perhaps. Now, the shopkeepers in the local shop are likely to be infected now, quite tragically.

Started reading Samuel Pypes' Diary. I skipped forward to December 1664 just before the Plague. Amazing writing and insight into life then. He describes the incredible scientists Boyle and Hooke at the Royal Institute. Brilliant stuff.

Baked potatoes with tuna and Double Gloucester cheese for tea.

Enjoyed Antiques Roadshow, filmed at Lytham Hall. We recognised a couple we know, in the audience.

An enjoyable day.

[tjugg]

Bad day OH broke a bit of his elderly tractor... didn't hear what he said but he wasn't too happy!
Lunchtime and as I was nibbling around a hard kiwi fruit there was  crack and I had lost half a front tooth. In self isolation because of our age so no sensible hope of repair but at least it doesn't hurt!
Saw a swallow this afternoon so can't be too bad!

[Roobarb]

Was very tired last night, not really sure why, so didn't sit reading in bed too late. Woke up early this morning, went to the loo, thought Sod this! and got back in bed. Out like a light and woke up late. Usual quantity of tea to enliven me. Read for a while and checked the news. Looked out of the window at lots of neighbours out on the front washing cars, cutting lawns etc.

Found out that a friend seems to have coronavirus, unconfirmed as thank goodness she hasn't been hospitalised. This is her thirteenth day of being ill so am very much hoping she's feeling better soon.

Hung some washing out, did some dead heading in the garden and had lunch. Warm but very windy here. Went out for my walk, there seemed to be less dog walkers about, thought perhaps I should do my walk at this time in future but it does lift my spirits so the earlier in my day I go the better. Still ended up taking detours around the dog walkers and avoiding the people who were having a stroll or cycling in the woods.

Had a reviving cuppa, logged onto Rootschat while I was drinking it. Back out to do some gardening for a while, the wind was a bit pesky. Did some ironing while watching Episode 2 of Line of Duty. Why would a woman who has security gates open the door without checking who is there? 

Loneliness has been getting to me today, haven't spoken to anyone for a few days so phoned a friend. Looking forward to the day when we can converse about other things. Watched the Queen at eight p.m, felt a bit tearful. And here I am on Rootschat again. Only written words but it does keep me sane and makes me feel like I'm among friends. Thanks folks. 

Sympathy with you tjugg, tomorrow will be better.