Lockdown diaries - week 4

Hello!  What a time to be alive, hey?!  I really hope you're all keeping well and healthy?

I've been home for 4 weeks and 5 days today.  I locked myself down a little earlier than Boris suggested, I'd started my holiday in London, came home after one day because it was eerily quiet in London and as soon as we got there they announced the theatres etc were to close, and I haven't been out since.  If I'd picked up some germs in London I didn't want to spread them around Shropshire. We've managed to get some refunds from our London trip and I have a really long travel insurance form to fill in, we were supposed to see The Lion King musical, Wicked, the Tutankhamun exhibition, go to all the museums and to Kew Gardens.  We did have a lovely afternoon in the sunshine, wandering aroud the Barbican and visting the Sky Garden, before we got back to the hotel and saw the news and decided to come home. 

I thought I'd do one of these old school reading/watching/making/...ing…blog posts, I might even get round to doing one a week while we're in lockdown, I've definitely got enough time at the moment! 

Reading

I've been listening to some audiobooks using  my library's eBook app, I've got Harry Potter and I Capture the Castle on the go at the moment.

I also signed up for a free month's subscription to Scribd, and read a lot of graphic novels but then it started restricting my access to them, so I probably won't carry on and pay for it when the trial finishes.  I've read a lot of copies of Giant Days though!

I'm currently reading something called 'The Little Unicorn Gift Shop' - I need easy, fluffy, distraction reads at the moment!

Watching 

I've been enjoying watching musicals and plays on YouTube (National Theatre Live and The Shows Must Go On), so far I've seen Jayne Eyre, Jesus Christ Superstar and The Phantom of the Opera from the comfort of my sofa. Sarah Millican is reading out part of her book 'How to be Champion' everyday too and I've been enjoying that.  Me and Joe have been watching Taskmaster's 'Hometasking' on YouTube too. 

CBBC's adaptation of Malory Towers is nice, although the girls weren't as naughty and vicious as in the books, you should watch it for the blankets in the dorm room alone.  I like the CBBC adaptation of the Worst Witch as well, and there's 3 series of that to watch. 

I watched 'I am not OK with this' on Netflix which was really good. 

We've got Disney+ and we're watching the Mandalorian but I'm only in it for Baby Yoda. 

Making

I've had the sewing machine out and made a kickass curtain for my front door, and I tried to make a monkey for work (as a prop for when we sing '5 little monkeys jumping on the bed') but it didn't turn out right and Joe says it's a cursed object.

I'm finishing off lots of crochet projects. 

I had a Tatty Devine necklace kit hanging about and I made it and it's really lovely.

Growing

I'm missing buying plants, but I've tried to scratch that itch by dividing some of my own plants and spreading them about.  I've also been planting everything that's in a pot into the garden, to cut down on watering and to make me feel like theres 'new' things in the beds. 

My greenhouse has been repainted and is full of lovely seedlings.

I've been growing some extras and I hope to pass them on to neighbours.

We're still allowed on the allotment, thank goodness, and I've got lots of potatoes in.

Cleaning

My house has never been cleaner.  I'm doing my doorknobs and light switches twice a day! 

Working

My library is closed!  I don't have a work laptop or phone so that kind of limits how much work I can do at home, I've mostly been making craft videos for our Facebook page, trying to make props for our children's singing sessions, doing online learning and trying to plan for some children's crafts in the winter (when hopefully we'll be open!).  For 3 days this week I was part of a project to call lots of council residents, and while it was nice to do something useful, I absolutely hate phoning people so it was quite stressful!

Scheduling

After 3 weeks of drifting about I decided I needed a schedule, so I do something work-ish on normal work days, write to my niblings on an 'auntying' day, do an extra big workout when I would have been swimming.  For Rainbow guides day I've bought myself some challenge badges to do by myself at home (I've already awarded myself the Easter badge and Star Baker badge!), I know it's a bit silly but I love doing badges with the girls and it's a bit of fun in the week for me!

Waiting

For the postman!  I've got a new (old, reconditioned) sewing machine on the way, as well as some new needles and thread, some books and a heated clothes dryer (ours has broke!) and I'm very impatient for them to arrive! 

Missing

Chips! My nieces and nephews and family and friends. Charity shopping.  Library books.  Swimming. Rainbow guides. I really want to buy some new sewing thread from the haberdashery (or actually the 'daberhashery' as my local one is called!).  I miss the fruit and veg stall, the plant shop, Aldi, and just choosing my own food.  I haven't been in a shop for over 4 weeks, and I'm lucky Joe is doing the shopping and my mum's dropped a few bits off but I want to go myself! 

I'm really going to miss our holiday to Wales this year, it's already cancelled and rescheduled for next year, so at least I have something to look forward to.  Might have to have a seaside-y day trip when it's safe to because I need to sniff some sea air and paddle my toes in the sea!

Feeling

Generally ok, with a few wobbles.  Joe works nights in a supermarket, so he comes into contact with lots of staff and people on the train or taxi, which is a worry.  I have the kind of asthma where if I get a cold I immediately get a chest infection and need antibiotics and steroids, so I'm not sure how well my lungs would hold up against this virus, which is also a worry.  We know people who are in the high risk category, and that's also a worry.  If I feel meh or argh I let myself feel it, but I'm trying to keep busy and find enjoyable things to do.  If you ignore the sense of existential dread, I'm actually quite enjoying this staying at home thing, turns out keeping the house clean, cooking meals and growing food is a full time job in itself!  Shame the only way I could stay home and be a domestic goddess would be if we won the lottery...

How are you doing?  And what have you been up to? 

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