Tales from The Shire

beanielou

You stay safe & well 

Fortune_Smiles

beanielou said:

You stay safe & well 

Thank you Beanie - you too x
Fortune x

Fortune_Smiles

Cancelled

I cancelled our remaining two Annex bookings this morning.  Air8&8 have amended their cancellation policy and I met the criteria for cancelling without penalty.  I feel bad about spoiling people's plans but the Government will be asking vulnerable people to self-isolate officially soon and I thought it better to cancel now and give people longer notice.  The bookings were for holidays and one of the guests has already been in touch to say they totally understand and would like to book for another date this year when we re-open.

Niece is still planning to arrive on Sunday.  I do feel nervous about her stay but don't want to interrupt her training.  My worry is, what will happen if she becomes ill whilst she's here as we won't be able to look after her.  It's only for a week so fingers crossed all goes well.  I'll speak to her dad and set up a contingency plan.

All our social events, trips and visitors have been cancelled.  I am a social animal so I think I'm going to find things hard.  However, the weather is forecast to improve so Mr F and I will take the opportunity to get on top of the garden and do some decorating.  And of course, everyday chores have to continue.  Lunch yesterday was a baguette with tuna, cheese, red onion and sweetcorn.  Supper was Halloumi Pasta.

I think it's important for me to have a plan each day so today I will be getting some washing and ironing done and researching what to plant in the veg patch.

Take care everybody

Fortune x

VintageHistorian

I've just been talking to someone on Twitter on things she can do to keep her elderly mother occupied while she self-isolates. I suggested getting her Mum a notebook (or recording her talk by Skype) and getting her to write down stories about her childhood and things she can remember about her family history. 

Also consider keeping a diary - in 100 years historians will be studying this period and will want to know more than random blogs and news website archives!

Grogged

(Long time lurker) You may find your nieces visit is cut short by her company anyway. It's a very fluid situation and the advice changes daily.

Fortune_Smiles

VintageHistorian said:

I've just been talking to someone on Twitter on things she can do to keep her elderly mother occupied while she self-isolates. I suggested getting her Mum a notebook (or recording her talk by Skype) and getting her to write down stories about her childhood and things she can remember about her family history. 

Also consider keeping a diary - in 100 years historians will be studying this period and will want to know more than random blogs and news website archives!

Grogged said:

(Long time lurker) You may find your nieces visit is cut short by her company anyway. It's a very fluid situation and the advice changes daily.

Hello both 

We have a very long outstanding job list for house and garden VH so that may reduce a little.  Plus I have my writing and painting.  Plenty to keep me occupied.  My plan is to do a little of something I love every day to keep my spirits up.

Thank you for de-lurking Grogged.  I think you might be right - it will all depend on what the Government advises next I think.

Fortune x

Fortune_Smiles

It's so quiet

It feel as though we are the only people in the world.  Our close neighbours are elderly and vulnerable so are self-isolating too.  There is no one around.  It is strangely calming and liberating having no where to be but the quiet is also eerie and a little disturbing.

I did the on-line food shop yesterday, although how much of it arrives remains to be seen.  Toilet rolls, pasta, tinned tomatoes and eggs were in short supply.  I will check the list the day before delivery to see whether I need to make any substitutions.  We sometimes have lentil or corn pasta but this week we'll be trying buckwheat    It was all that was available but we love a bit of variety anyway.

Mr F sanded and oiled the garden furniture ready for the sunshine that's coming.  Can't wait for some blue sky.  I cracked on with the ironing pile.  My current ironing watch is the 2012 version of Tr£a$ur£ I$land with £ddi£ 1zzard.  We've chosen Tr£a$ur£ I$land as the theme for one of the WI displays at the county show so I thought I'd do some research.  I'm enjoying it so far.

I was contacted by my writing group who have decided to suspend meetings for the time being.  I think it's a sensible decision bearing in mind the average age of our members.  I'm intending to continue writing and to send something out to the group on the day our meeting is usually held.  I'm hoping to get some feedback so I can progress my book plans.  I sent my latest finished story out to the group last night.

Meals yesterday were Leek & Tomato Eggy Bread Bake, Leek & Potato Soup and Jerusalem Artichoke Risotto.  The Risotto was a recipe which came in my veg box.

Stay safe and well everyone

Fortune x

beanielou

You too.  😎 

badmemory

I think we are all lucky to have this place to keep contact with people, even if we are anonymous.  We are able to "talk" to people, to order online etc.  What worries me are the people who have very little contact with the outside world at the best of times & can't order their shopping online.  Lack of human contact is very bad for your mental health & if your mental health deteriorates that tends to be followed by your physical health.

Personally I am not looking forward to the enforced 4 month self isolation (I'm over 70) & I am fairly antisocial.  But I also do not like being told what to do!  Although to be honest I would be surprised if they actually ENFORCE it, because after all the more of us they kill off the greater the NHS & social care savings they will have.  They have already indicated that they will not be treating us in hospital!

badmemory

& the state pension savings too!!  How could I forget that!