A Continuation of Reflections

This weekend,the weather changed, is has gone colder, the young neighbours were around and about and I find that reassuring. They got me some shopping , we are trying to avoid using cash and I am transferring to their accounts, even for small amounts. I continue to clean the ground floor doors light switches, floors. It is good to help, everyone in the house is helping we all find things to help each other. I make cake and pass them round the neighbours. I still have no central heating and don't think I will get help until the crisis is over, but I have hot water and a borrowed heater so I have more than many. I had a call on Saturday night with my brother and my nephew, very unusual, but nice  I think many of us are changing our behaviour. We managed another three way sister chat :) I have a long chat with my son in P  in Taiwan, he sounds remarkably upbeat, and enjoying his beautiful balcony with all the new furniture, herbs, and fairy lights I have worked out a...

It was another beautiful morning, I have added to my morning rituals; wiping down the clothes rope; and I will only use my own clothes pegs, I share with another three flats, so I have to think about that. I did a telephone counselling session with a woman who is is struggling she is looking after family who are very ill, with covid19  another client works in NHS and is on the front line ,taking care of our most vulnerable people. I feel so privileged to be able to listen and support them. I put on my working clothes , make up and a spray of Chanel, made me feel good. I will do more of that, it is so easy to stay in Jammie 's and dressing gowns. I striped my beds and got all the laundry washed and dried very quickly in the March sunshine, which was very warm today. As it was so nice I decided to bring out all my summer clothes and launder them , and managed to get them all done too. My neighbours got me some non essential shopping , nail varnish remover, Nivea, Marigold ...

I wakened early and the sun was shining the birds were singing and for a wee while I forgot about the  crisis. I made tea, opened the windows,  thought about the day , what would it bring. Ullet Road was very quite , again, empty busses going up the road, ; fair play to the drivers, and the people who have to go out to work A young friend M  text me to say she was going to Tesco and  did I need anything. The only thing I needed was onions. She showed up later with my onions, and a lovely bunch of yellow tulips, and a big bar of chocolate.We had a lovely distance chat at my window. I am so grateful for all the help and care that I am receiving. I went for a lovely walk in the March sunshine, it did me good, physically and spiritually. I took a flask of coffee with me and had some coffee at my dad's tree, the branches are still very bare  but the ground all around it is surrounded by daffodils, a lovely moment in the warmth of the March sunshine. I cam...

Ullet Road is so quiet,  the buses going up and down are almost empty, there are a lot less police cars and ambulances rushing up and down. I fell asleep last night over my hot chocolate , and was rudely awakened by four neighbours looking over me; as I had not gone to bed my door was unlocked and they were able to come in. My boiler was making a terrifying noise, like it might explode, they all heard it from their apartments upstairs and across the landing. I managed to stop the noise eventually, by frantically pressing everything in sight. I really thought it might explode. I rang the person who fitted it less that a year ago, but he did not answer last night, and this morning his phone just rang out, I had no heat or hot water,yet I felt remarkably calm as I realised I have more than many folk on the planet Finally my engineer text to say , he was self isolating as he has a very sick child, so what to do in the time of Covid ? My brother in law talked me through a f...

Today I cleaned all the communal door handles letterboxes buzzers , with water and Domestos as I have no wipes but pretty sure that will help. We share a laundry line and pegs, so I have decided to use just my own pegs, to be safe and to wipe down the laundry line too. I did my Jane Fonda for the lower body, I am not sure if I am in denial ,but I feel calm after last nights lockdown news. My Collins family are all keeping in touch and it is encouraging to see that already the pandemic is bringing us closer, when theoretically it should keep us apart. Wishing all my family and friends ,the ones I know and the ones I do not know, peace love and healing.

I have a morning ritual now , I get up, open the door in the bedroom out onto the gardenm, open the window in the lounge and draw back the blinds, then I can see and hear the folk and traffic out side, and I feel connected. My young friend across the park asked if I needed anything the other day. I asked that if he was passing a place that sold logs, could he get me some. He let me know he had some coal and kindling the he would drop off today. He came while I was out for my walk, I was so touched when I got home to discover  that he had bought me both the coal and the kindling - I had imagined he had some bits in his cellar, I offered to pay, but he would not hear of it and in the end I accepted the generous gift gracefully. I feel moved by this kindness. My Asda shopping was delivered today, by a young man named Liam. He  gave me my shopping through my window, I thanked him for keeping going and making my life easier, he was very humble about it, this also moved me. My...

Mothers Day was a good day for me, I had a face time with Andrew and Lucy instead of meeting at the park, Lucy had been for a run and Andrew was still in his dressing gown, amazing to be able to see them like this, we all agreed meeting in the park was not a good idea. I wonder when I will see them again , in the flesh. I had a lovely long chat with Philip in Taiwan, a local student brought me a bag off goodies including loo rolls and a lovely post card, saying nice things , the front said " always wear your invisible crown" which made me smile. My neighbours were in our communal garden in the March sunshine, some working , some having a beer, it was nice to see and hear them chatting. I had many messages from folk to wish me happy mothers day , many young clients and students who( I think )see me in the mother role for them, it is very touching. I feel slightly below par, just a little tired , slowly the serious of this crisis is sinking in. Peace and love an...

Today I listened to lovely music, and finished my audio book. I did 20 minutes with Jane Fonda, Made delicious soup. I feel very blessed to be hearing from lots of friends family and students. I spent time emptying all the pots in the garden of old dead plants, saving what I could  and feeling happy to get some work done, although it is bright sunshine and blue skies, it is very cold outside. After getting my new hub set up and feeling happy that everything was up and running, my laptop lost its sound, a few folk on Next Door offered to help me out distantly, but happily my son came to my rescue, after checking various things on my laptop using my phone camera to see everything, He suggested switching off and on again,and hey presto it came to life ! Which meant we could have our first Skype ( Zoom actually ) wine ;with A&L&S&H It was a lovely experience, a great way of keeping in touch, staying physically isolated but not emotionally isolated. Already we are...

Today I went to York Centre to have my bloods done;I took and book and went early expecting to be there for a long time ,which I often am. I was pleasantly surprised to find both sets of door were fastened open. The waiting area is usually full of people and too hot in winter  and I dread going because I think I will pick up a cold,  today was fresh, airy and not many people waiting. I was taken very quickly , the two nurses taking the blood were very warm and friendly, my nurse did not wear a mask she did wear gloves, the other nurse wore both. I thanked them for their work ,for keeping going on the front line, they were very humble about that.  One nurse was more worried because , as she is a key worker her son will still go to school, but he is only five and still getting used to school, will now be going to a different school and that is frightening for him, she was not anxious about her work and covid 19 she was a mum worried about her child, I was touched by her...

I was struck by the beauty of the March sunshine on the flowers and shrubs in the gardens on Ullet Road this morning, as I walked to Bentley Road to my local doctors . I had a text from the GP to say it was time for my bloods to be checked again, a regular occurrence for me. I rang the surgery to ask when it would be convenient for me to collect the paperwork, they said today. I was surprised when I arrived to find that the doors were closed and a line of people were talking to the receptionist through the speaker on the wall. People were asking questions and being given answers from the receptionist in that fashion, then. When it was my turn I was asked my name my date of birth, why I was there, did I have a cough or a cold ? I said "no "to to the last question. I was surprised that the doors magically opened and I was allowed to go in.  In front of the reception area was a big desk making the distance between me and the woman there ,wider. She gave me my paperwork ...