Mavis went from hospital into a nursing home. We went and looked round several, some of which were absolutely beautiful and usually astoningshly expensive. It turned out that the social worker had selected two cheaper ones and suggested we choose one. Both lacked the exquisite decor but the staff were really caring. We chose the one in the country and Mavis has been really happy there.
The awkward thing when we were looking round places was that, because of the wheelchair, the staff would assume I was the patient. The first time I just looked horrified and then wished I'd made a joke or just said 'Oh you thought it was for me' in a friendly voice but I didn't. I just looked horrified. The worst bit was when we went into a lounge and another woman in a wheelchair and smiled at me like 'I've got a new friend' but she hadn't. Well if Mavis had gone there I would have been her friend but she didn't.
Anyway it's good that Mavis is settled. We can't go and see her now though, not with the virus situation.
Tuesday, 17 March 2020
What happened next?
Just to try and lighten things a bit I'm going to do this thing where occasionally I select random bits of my blog from the past and update on what happened since then. So this is the first:
'Friday 15th August 2008
It's been a bit of a while since I wrote anything but life has been hectic of late. Faith Camp was truly awesome but I can't really put into words what it was like, perhaps I'll talk about it more later. We all really enjoyed it especially J who loved the children's group he was in and also enjoyed the bungee trampoline. We're even contemplating going again next year and camping. There seemed to be such a good community spirit among the campers and also of the food on sale J would only eat chicken nuggets and bacon rolls. It might be easier if we were preparing our own food.
Our hotel to be honest was just a bit on the grotty side. We know where not to stay again.'
Yes Faith Camp (a large Christian conference/event run by Kingdom Faith Church) was awesome and the next year we did camp. Camping was mostly ok apart from the rain and the wind and the beetles. And P was a great camp cook - bacon and egg at 7.30 anyone? And we went back for another eight years after that. Then the year before last they announced it was coming to an end. Big shock! In its place last year was another Christian event called New Wine which was very different and much, much bigger but very good. Won't mention weather. J didn't come. Said had had enough of camping.
Shopping trip
P went shopping today. There were still some empty shelves but he managed to get this:
It's a tiny bottle of hand sanitiser but a tiny bottle of hand sanitiser is better than no bottle of hand sanitiser.
Difficult times
Ok so I didn't have Coronavirus which is good. I think it was exhaustion really. Feeling a lot better now.
Boris's update yesterday has obviously changed everything. I'm trying to get my head round the fact that all my social activities are about to stop. Of course this is of miniscule importance compared to the prospect of people getting seriously ill or dying.
It all seems so unreal and sudden. On Friday we went out to the theatre. Now the theatre is closed. For how long? Who knows?
We haven't heard what's happening with our church but others in the area have closed and presumably ours will too. Who would ever have thought that churches would close?
P says the last time theatres and churches closed was in 1665 during the plague.
We are to stay away from restaurants and pubs etc and avoid non essential travel.
And non urgent operations are cancelled. We are only to go to the doctor if it's really necessary. NHS staff are under immense pressure. Holidays are cancelled and people are stranded abroad. Businesses are under severe financial pressure.
People over 70 are shutting themselves away in their houses and most of us are severely restricting our social contacts. And many are worrying quite how they'll cope with that.
And there have been 55 deaths from Coronavirus in the UK.
Who would ever have thought that all this would happen?
If you are reading this of course you know it all already but some day I'll look back and I may not remember quite what it was like.
Praying for everyone affected all over the world. And that it will stop, that it will come to a sudden, abrupt, miraculous halt.
Boris's update yesterday has obviously changed everything. I'm trying to get my head round the fact that all my social activities are about to stop. Of course this is of miniscule importance compared to the prospect of people getting seriously ill or dying.
It all seems so unreal and sudden. On Friday we went out to the theatre. Now the theatre is closed. For how long? Who knows?
We haven't heard what's happening with our church but others in the area have closed and presumably ours will too. Who would ever have thought that churches would close?
P says the last time theatres and churches closed was in 1665 during the plague.
We are to stay away from restaurants and pubs etc and avoid non essential travel.
And non urgent operations are cancelled. We are only to go to the doctor if it's really necessary. NHS staff are under immense pressure. Holidays are cancelled and people are stranded abroad. Businesses are under severe financial pressure.
People over 70 are shutting themselves away in their houses and most of us are severely restricting our social contacts. And many are worrying quite how they'll cope with that.
And there have been 55 deaths from Coronavirus in the UK.
Who would ever have thought that all this would happen?
If you are reading this of course you know it all already but some day I'll look back and I may not remember quite what it was like.
Praying for everyone affected all over the world. And that it will stop, that it will come to a sudden, abrupt, miraculous halt.
Sunday, 15 March 2020
Feeling ill
We've been going up to see J quite a lot recently and we went up there on Friday and stayed overnight. Yesterday morning, while he and his housemate were still not up, P and I popped out to the local supermarket. I saw a nice summer dress and wanted to try it on in three sizes to see which would fit. It took ages to get an assistant to come and open the changing room. When we saw the length of the queues I understood why. (I didn't get the dress - it showed too much flab flesh at the side). We just bought a few bits and headed back to J's house.
As I walked up the path I started to feel ill, as in sick and dizzy. "We have to leave now!" I said to P and I got into the car. He packed up and we drove home.
Since then I've been feeling ill but I haven't got a cough or fever so I don't think it's Coronavirus. Have been at home today resting. Will see what happens.
As I walked up the path I started to feel ill, as in sick and dizzy. "We have to leave now!" I said to P and I got into the car. He packed up and we drove home.
Since then I've been feeling ill but I haven't got a cough or fever so I don't think it's Coronavirus. Have been at home today resting. Will see what happens.
Uncertain times
So where do I start?
Well of course the thing that's on all our minds right now is Coronavirus. It's been approaching with a horrible inevitability and now it's been unleashed in the UK. The thing is at the moment no-one knows exactly what's going to happen and it must be hard for the politicians to decide what to do.
The panic buying has been horrible. Being someone with health issues I use hand sanitiser on a regular basis eg after using an ATM. As I was getting low I innnocently went out to get some and... there was none! Not any anywhere. And hand sanitiser is appearing for sale at extortionate prices on Ebay and other sites and you can't get much of a sadder reflection of our society than that.
And then there was no tissues, paracetamol, hand wash, soap, pasta, tinned tomatoes, toilet paper etc etc. Ok people might need to buy a little bit more but people piling their trolleys high with multiple packs of the same thing isn't necessary.
We tend to keep our cupboards well stocked with food anyway because it is possible for us to get snowed in and not be able to get to the shops. We might run out of a few things but we haven't been bulk buying. We'll just use up whatever we've got.
At the moment one member of my extended family probably has the virus though not too badly. A friend's nephew also has it.
It's my elderly family and friends that are on my heart especially my dad and uncle and Mavis. If any of them get it I may simply never see them again.
We have already cancelled plans to go to Wales for Easter and we had been planning to go to Ireland in May (have booked cottage) and ferry and that's looking unlikely.
Uncertain is really the word that describes things at the moment.
Well of course the thing that's on all our minds right now is Coronavirus. It's been approaching with a horrible inevitability and now it's been unleashed in the UK. The thing is at the moment no-one knows exactly what's going to happen and it must be hard for the politicians to decide what to do.
The panic buying has been horrible. Being someone with health issues I use hand sanitiser on a regular basis eg after using an ATM. As I was getting low I innnocently went out to get some and... there was none! Not any anywhere. And hand sanitiser is appearing for sale at extortionate prices on Ebay and other sites and you can't get much of a sadder reflection of our society than that.
And then there was no tissues, paracetamol, hand wash, soap, pasta, tinned tomatoes, toilet paper etc etc. Ok people might need to buy a little bit more but people piling their trolleys high with multiple packs of the same thing isn't necessary.
We tend to keep our cupboards well stocked with food anyway because it is possible for us to get snowed in and not be able to get to the shops. We might run out of a few things but we haven't been bulk buying. We'll just use up whatever we've got.
At the moment one member of my extended family probably has the virus though not too badly. A friend's nephew also has it.
It's my elderly family and friends that are on my heart especially my dad and uncle and Mavis. If any of them get it I may simply never see them again.
We have already cancelled plans to go to Wales for Easter and we had been planning to go to Ireland in May (have booked cottage) and ferry and that's looking unlikely.
Uncertain is really the word that describes things at the moment.
Hello again
It's sort of been a bit of a long time since I blogged. Life has actually been a bit tough really. Among other things J became really unwell.
Sometimes you just kind of get from one day to the next and that's a major achievement.
Sometimes you go into the bathroom and have an emotional meltdown and say you can't go on. But you do go on. Because you have to.
Anyway life has gone on and there's been er quite a lot happening in the world since I last blogged.
Sometimes you just kind of get from one day to the next and that's a major achievement.
Sometimes you go into the bathroom and have an emotional meltdown and say you can't go on. But you do go on. Because you have to.
Anyway life has gone on and there's been er quite a lot happening in the world since I last blogged.
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