Day 16 17/3/20

Good morning Facebook chums

Day 16

Just a few short days ago I was busy planning for our intended trips to Europe in our motorhome. In view of the changing circumstances I modified my plans to touring the UK. Now it seems I merely have a self isolation unit on our drive. Just as well I sorned it when I knew I was going to be incapacitated.

Self isolation is a wonderful thing. I've been thinking of the impact social distancing may have on our lives. On one level it's easy and Tricia and I have been doing it already, it just means no visitors. We're bordering the vulnerable group anyway with us both having had surgery including general anaesthetic and to make our decisions easier I'm signed off work. On other levels it begins to unravel. Take Tricia's mum who's in her 90s lives at home, has care twice a day, has meals delivered, depends entirely on her family for shopping, laundry and many other things. She sometimes can't even remember how to answer her phone. We are unable to stop the visits.

We both have on going medical intervention. Tricia's is much more critical than mine. She needs to go to Treliske for appointments. I've been to the waiting room, not a safe place.

My youngest daughter her partner and two young children are hoping to move in with us for a couple of months while moving house. Social distancing is really difficult...........Now where did I park that self isolation unit?

I still notice plenty of people who haven't adjusted their behaviour. Still clinging to the past (which admittedly was only yesterday). Our little coffee club, a few retirees, and me, who get together most mornings at 8.30am at Costa or AJs have decided to abandon future get togethers.

Today I have offered my support to someone with her universal credit claim for which we need to visit the job centre. Now there's somewhere that will be full of people jumping through hoops to secure their benefits pretending to apply for increasingly non existent jobs when half the population are scared of being laid off. Perhaps all claimants should stay away.

The ongoing effects of my surgery means at present, amongst other things, I'm unable to:-

lift anything heavy

comfortably walk very far

easily turn over in bed

Sit at a table for very long or

knead bread.

But I can stand long enough to do a bit of cake baking. So have I arrived at a moment in these turbulent and changing times when I can genuinely say to Tricia when we have non existent guests,

"Qu'ils mangent du gâteau"?

Au revoir à demain.