Cherry takes the reins

Cherryfudge

Day off today, and nothing spent yesterday. I'm wondering about using contactless instead of cash as obviously there must be some risk, however small, with cash handling and the reason I took the housekeeping money out as cash was so I could see what I was spending/had left. Well that side of my purse has been empty since Saturday as I usually refill on a Monday so it makes sense to try contactless.

DS2 I also on a day off today: his ward was less busy as they now have a corona virus ward so his isn't taking respiratory cases. He was moved temporarily yesterday but nowhere he finds particularly interesting. I think he's got used to the crazy pace of his usual ward and really enjoyed the relative calm when the corona ward opened as it gave him a chance to spend more time with his patients.

My work has been a bit odd, with everyone obsessing about the virus (inevitably). A possible case that could have affected us has been cleared but almost immediately after, we had a phone call to say a member of staff is self isolating - this is someone who had a family member in Italy recently and who is never normally sick at all. From their symptoms it sounds as though they may have covid-19. I texted them and got a cheerful reply saying it feels like a bad cold, so I'm somewhat reassured. By the way, someone else I know who is self-isolating with two sick people in the house says supportive texts do make a big difference.

My Tuesday group wasn't due to meet today and it's sounding as though it may be a while till we can so in the meantime we're keeping in touch on social media.

I've got what I think may be my second cold of the winter - slight sore throat and snuffles - but no sign of a temperature or new, persistent cough. There's no working from home option for me (I work hands-on with people and in a specialised unit) but numbers of clients are low this week so I think we will be treading water waiting to see which way the wind blows next (sorry about the mixed metaphor).  There may be shifts to pick up with my colleague being off but to be honest I'd rather be at home and I actually have time off in the next ten days. I don't see our trip to London going ahead but London will still be there later in the year (though the exhibition we want to see won't).

I've been thinking and reading a little about what people do who have to self-isolate but are well enough to do things. One article I really liked is by a nun who says have a structured day, 'be intentional and love others' and use the time for self-reflection and relaxation. If like me you find it easier to do than be when under pressure, this perspective is helpful. My plans, should I be in god health but have to stay at home, include doing cleaning and decluttering but not all the time, doing the garden if I can go out in it and doing a bit of decorating. I can play computer games, complete courses of study and play the piano. I doubt I'll have the resources to bake a huge amount but I'll have to plan meals around what we have and try to avoid going to the shops if possible.

DS2 has just set out for the shops so I've asked him to pick up a few things if he can. One fewer trip out and I can transfer the money straight to him. I've asked him to get mince (which we rarely have) as I can supplement it with lentils and vegetables and if I stretch it far enough there will be some for the freezer. The shape of things to come? As I said to a friend the other day, if I can get potatoes and carrots I can make Lord Woolton pie! I still feel bad about throwing out the parsnips the other day though even the compost heap smells bad from them.

Well, it's very positive having a day off and not having an enforced agenda so I am going to clear some ground in the garden for veg and maybe ask DS2 to take the green bin to the recycling centre so I can refill it. Am not shelling out £40 for them to collect it!

Cherryfudge

I decided to be productive and tackle the abundance of thistles that have sprung up in our lawn. 70 gone so far! Most are tiny but there is a big cluster still to work on - maybe later. I also found 9 tiny ragworts so they have gone too. I'm not going to take out the dandelions and moss or there will be no lawn left.
DS2 came back with my shopping and won't let me pay him, bless him. He says he's owed us for long enough (true) but it's a nice gesture.

Cherryfudge

My productive day deteriorated when I watched the news instead of catch-up TV. I felt all right while I was doing so but went into a panic later when my sore throat got quite quickly worse. However, plenty of fluids, and antibacterial lozenge or two and a temperature check and I seem to be okay again. I don't know quite what was going on but I do find the antiseptic sweets really help and I have a few left.

That said, there was a bit more productivity: I did most of the ironing and turned half the mince into a pie for tea, with another two helpings in the freezer and tonight I'll soak some kidney beans so I can make chilli with the rest of it. That's provided the kidney beans aren't too hard as they've been on the shelf for ages.

I've been doing breathing exercises to help me slow down and trying to live in the present while remembering the future WILL happen and this WILL pass. 
And... it's been an NSD, (thanks to DS2).
MS
DS2 paid for mince, cocoa powder and yogurt for me.  
I have another two portions in the freezer for another day.
Decluttering
79 weeds gone from the garden - and for once it actually looks better for it.

Tonight I'm thankful for the family slowing me down from my panic and the throat feeling a lot better than it did earlier. I'm also thankful for people posting helpful things, from calm assurances through self-help techniques for anxiety to beautiful photos. And for another day off tomorrow, in which I fully intend to text a few people and ask how they are.

VelvetFreak

Sorry you are feeling a bit panicky x 
Have you tried mindfulness exercises? I hear the Calm app has some good ones.  

Cherryfudge

Thank you Velvet, yes, I am working on some! Someone put a useful thing on Facebook that reminded me of things I'd done in a course on resilience so I am trying to live in the moment, avoid the news most of the day and feed my serotonin levels. I've just been for a lovely run which has set me up beautifully, and I'm just making a shopping list, intending to go at 2 when the lunchtime shoppers will be out of the High Street. I'm also trying to distract myself with productive things (garden, piano practice, cleaning and decluttering, study...) and find positives to focus on. Other than that, wash hands, pray, keep calm and carry on.

I have just seen a study (the nearest I'm allowing myself to news for now) that suggests that most people with corona virus are asymptomatic. While the implications of this are very worrying for those who are vulnerable, unless and until universal testing is brought in, it also suggests to me that many of us have some degree of natural resistance.

And the history of today so far: late last night my phone asked me if I wanted to set an alarm for my early shift. I thought it was rather keen: the morning shift was yesterday and was cancelled. Then I thought to text night staff and yes, I was in this morning! I remember now. I picked up two extra mornings this week as I have the weekend off.

Work wasn't too onerous but a couple of staff who have asthma were worried and wanted to go home as per government guidelines (understandably) so our manager was getting advice as the unit needs a certain amount of staff to run and it may be a case of shutting or running a reduced service.

After that was my run - week 2 run 2 of C25K - perfect conditions and lovely going so I went a bit faster than usual (at this stage the runs are short and within my fitness comfort zone) and made the most of it. I could have gone on but I have to be realistic and build up my distance again.

Just had a text from my colleague who has symptoms which sound rather virus-y but he is coping - his sounds like 'the real thing' but I wonder if we will ever know for sure.

Right, shopping list here I come!

Sun_Addict

Glad the runs are making you feel better. We all need to keep some normality in this unusual time. We’ll get through it we just need to stay strong 💪 

Honeysucklelou2

The C25K runs sound good. Lighter nights and better weather make it all the better.

Cherryfudge

Yes, it was perfect today and I feel as though the extra bit of speed has speeded up my metabolism. A bit like a car benefitting from a motorway run!

Shopping has become something entirely different from a week ago. I remember being told there was no pasta at some other supermarket, then it was gone from here the next day. On Saturday it was getting hard to get liquid soap (and I think the loo rolls had long gone but I had bought in bulk a few months ago so didn't pay much attention). Today there were huge gaps - no bread, some empty shelves in the freezers, some meats sold out. Fresh chicken was all gone but people haven't bought out the fillet steak. I did spot my favourite pesto and bought one which I suppose is hoarding as I now have three and am holding onto the pasta we had in a week ago, until some later date when I can't get other carbs (which could be sooner than I thought possible). There were some potatoes and onions but no carrots or sweet potatoes. There were bananas, oranges, apples, melons and pineapple, tomatoes - but no cucumber or peppers. There was no ordinary bread but plenty of cakey-type things, white buns and 'fancy' bakery breads. I could have had milk had I wanted it, or yogurt, or butter, and most cheeses seemed to be available - perhaps they had not long had a dairy delivery. There was a limited choice of tins of fruit but lots of jam and other spreads. Jars of sauce have been decimated. No ordinary sugar but I got icing sugar because I want to be able to buttercream cakes to keep up morale, waistlines and carbs.

So the significant missing items from my list were potatoes, tissues, bread, a lactose-free cheese, split peas and sugar. I was able to get fish in batter for Saturday and I grabbed one while I saw it as the freezer was nearly empty. This is the difficulty: when most things are gone, I feel as people probably did in the war: 'Get it while you can'. Then of course it's not there for someone else - though I'm trying not to hoard but only buy what I know we can use and might well need if self-isolating. I'm getting a bit low on the frozen fruit that goes in my overnight oats for work so I was delighted that there was a lot available and I could have what I usually get. I did manage to add a few things for the food bank (the food bank collecting point was looking pretty hungry today but it was really full on Saturday so I think it fills up as the week goes on).

I rejigged plans for tea and cooked the rest of the mince as chilli. There's one spare portion in the freezer, and the kidney beans reconstituted and cooked well so I'm glad I saved them even if they were out of date. The well-sealed bag will have helped there. The chocolate cake I made a few days ago is half gone but I bought lemon curd to make lemon curd cake next time.

How, I wonder, with so many things missing from the shelves, are we supposed to avoid going to the shops? With hardly any bread left, one of us will probably go tomorrow though I had hoped to stay away a few days after this trip. I might have to resort to online shopping but I don't like the extra cost when I live so close to supermarkets.

Cherryfudge

Other than the shopping - which didn't take up as much of my day as writing about it did - I've spent time weeding. It will take a long time to get the ivy out of the way: it creeps under other things and I pull out long streamers of it, plus brambles, dead wood and overgrown fruit bushes. A little corner is now looking rather better for an hour's work. Eventually I'd like to plant the onion sets I was given a while ago but I haven't really sorted out where they will go. I just know I need to tidy up first. The garlic I planted a couple of weeks ago (late, I know) is doing well.

Spending
Housekeeping £17.59
MS
Nothing that I can think of, not even a tenth coin as I'm trying to use contactless.
Decluttering
Lots of ivy, quite a few brambles, some live but excessive twigs, an accidental holly (too close to the house).

Tonight I'm thankful for the ability to work out of doors and for my lovely run. Also for the ability to text friends and help people not to feel alone.

Cherryfudge

This is small in the entire scheme of things but today DH heard that his new contract has been cancelled as the employer will not be able to open while the corona virus is so much at large. I suppose that had been increasingly on the cards and I'm not entirely surprised: it was unlikely they could keep full staffing as things are.

We've talked about it and decided he still needs to leave his current job as he doesn't need the stress and his manager is definitely out to remove him if he doesn't go of his own accord. I suppose it's possible that the new job could come back online, as it were, in three months plus, or that there may be something else somewhere, but as so many are losing jobs right now, it will be harder to get back into work. We will try to avoid DH using his pension as yet because he loses a huge amount if he takes it so early. Even if we wait till autumn that situation won't be as extreme. We have savings, and are both due to inherit once estates are wound up so there's no immediate need to panic. So many people don't have those advantages. Obviously we will try hard to live off my income which should be possible on a day to day level but doesn't give much leeway for extraordinary costs.

Other than that, DH got dinner (southern fried chicken, beans and baked potatoes followed by a tin of peaches if you're interested) so it was an NSD for me. I'm on another early tomorrow and have picked up three hours over what was going to be my weekend off - somewhat reluctantly as weekends are precious but I think this may be the shape of things to come while the current crisis lasts.

Decluttering-wise, I spent another hour in the garden clearing ivy and dead branches off fruit bushes, and snipping off long shoots where self-sown trees are trying to regrow.

And I'm thankful for day to day provision, the chance to spend time in the garden, being able to face all these changes largely in accord with DH - and for DD doing a share of persuading her Dad he can and should work from home tomorrow.  

Right, I need sleep. Night all.