This article was written for Annabel & Grace, which is now part of Rest Less.
Isn’t it strange how, as we come to the end of Lockdown Week 3 – a rollercoaster of a week (more of that later), a routine has set in and we are managing to fill our days with jobs and pastimes which in normal times wouldn’t have made our ‘To Do List’.
But first the public week. It was great to see the Queen (along with 23 million other viewers) urging us on, congratulating us for adapting to lockdown, and thanking our wonderful NHS. She is a superstar and wow didn’t she look fab. She has clearly read my post, Are you having a beauty feast or famine?, and is having a bit of a feast; face masks, deep moisturising, and using up all those old lippies. She is the Queen of a pop of colour and I loved that dress in calming green.
However the feeling of uplift was shortlived as later on that same day in Lockdown week 3 Boris succumbed to Covid-19 and was moved into intensive care. There was a deep intake of breath when everyone’s phone pinged with that newsflash. Boris, our political leader, who is normally larger than life now has to prove that he is bigger than death. We can’t wait to see him back behind his lectern booming, “Hi Folks”, and ruffling that mop of blonde hair.
Meanwhile the rest of us just have to get on with it, learn to live in lockdown and adapt to this strange life. I am in awe of those people who are getting their life in order so that post lockdown their lives are ship-shape, houses sparkling, not a weed in their gardens, and they can step back in to normality with a sense of achievement.
Grace is one of these people. I spoke to her on Wednesday and she and her son were painting the garden shed. I was overwhelmed as all I have achieved is the tidying of my sock drawer and I am not even wearing socks right now.
Then today she sent me a picture with this caption – “busy sanding four antique French chairs and a table that we’ve got in the garden. Then we painstakingly painted every one. All done now and looking glorious!” The best bit was that she was doing it with a healthy sized G&T in her hand. She was making hard work fun! I love her for that.
However there are still those out there working and keeping our lives from falling apart completely. The food providers, the delivery people and yes I am even thanking Amazon for their existence. I say this because I was yearning for some Balsamic vinegar, a bit like a pregnancy food fetish, and when we ran out I thought I would just add it to my weekly shop (online of course) but this morning I got a text saying, “Your 1pm-2pm order will be delivered by Oghenekaro in Cabbage van. Sorry but no Balsamic vinegar.” And I was so looking forward to this weekend eating in the sunshine with a delicious salad. However a quick click on Amazon and a bottle is winging its way to me arriving tomorrow.
I have created a new office in the garden where I am sitting right now as I write this. If there is one thing that I am thankful for is that the sun is out….
However stop right there, what am I thinking? Actually it is now that I want to thank all those who are in lockdown, in apartments with maybe no outdoor space. Perhaps they have children and are desperately trying to entertain them. It must be so hard for them and we have to thank them for what they are doing in an attempt to stop the spread of coronavirus.
How are you all doing with your food shopping? Yesterday I spent hours watching a little purple van creeping across my computer screen as I waited to be allowed onto the website. When I began the wait it said 5 hours wait and 36,483 people ahead of me. Well I had nothing else to do so wait I did and it ended up being less than 5 hours, about 2 in total. The site crashed a couple of times but eventually I got a slot and food is on its way.
OH was so relieved as we have been surviving on Riverford veggie box deliveries but he was yearning for some meat. Earlier in the week he had asked me, whilst unloading the dogs food delivery of raw meat and veg from Natural Instinct, whether the meat could be consumed by humans. It said clearly on the packet, “Natural human grade ingredients.” However Ocado have saved the day and roast Lamb for Easter lunch is now on the menu.
Meanwhile there is an army of volunteers out there looking after those who not allowed out under any circumstances, the elderly and those with underlying health issues. My eldest daughter is one such volunteer. She is in lockdown in Notting Hill Gate and is looking after two elderly people both of whom live on their own, Christine and Jeff.
For more info on the government volunteer service click HERE.
Her role is to talk to them regularly as they may be lonely. She says Christine, who has no family, tells her she is very lonely and frightened. Yesterday my daughter went shopping for Christine but it involved a 4 mile round walking trip to collect Christine some salmon fillets from Marks and Spencer as Christine wanted that more than anything. No Tesco substitute for Christine.
Meanwhile Jeff, who is a bit more techie than Christine, sent my daughter a very specific list. After a two hour queue for Tesco my daughter went on a supermarket hunt for the items. Tomato purée had sold out so a quick Google and Passata was substituted with an instruction to Jeff that he just needed to boil it down to a paste. Of course Jeff already knew this.
My daughter has been furloughed from her job so she is happy to be doing something to help. And to be honest I know her personality so well and know that she will bring joy to those that she is asked to help.
These people who are part of the governments volunteer service, are also our heroes. They are keeping our country going, boosting our morale, delivering our shopping, keeping in touch and generally caring. I will be clapping on my balcony every Thursday for the NHS who are way beyond any thanks that I could write here but I will also be clapping for the other unsung heroes who are keeping our helping our country to carry on. I will also be clapping for all those who have not got gardens or balconies and are continuing to…
STAY INSIDE, PROTECT THE NHS, SAVE LIVES
P.S. A great idea that my friend just suggested to me – leave a note on your dustbins for your refuse collectors to say thank-you as they are also unsung heroes. Can you imagine if they couldn’t empty our bins in this heat etc.
And clap for ourselves – you have managed Lockdown Week 3!