The Best and The Worst

It is interesting to note human behaviour in response to this pandemic.  We hear of balcony musicians and artists serenading in Italy and neighbours leaving notes offering help with shopping or collecting medicines.  Conversely we also hear of people buying huge quantities of pasta and refusing to share a bag with an elderly person or baby formula milk being sold on ebay for at least twice its normal retail value :-(  Hardly surprising then that the supermarkets are now limiting items and even offering early morning shopping hours for the vulnerable and elderly.  There is enough for everyone's need but not for certain folks greed!

Needless to say we were very grateful that most of the items that we ordered were in our delivery this morning, the only two missing items were chicken breasts and toilet roll!  I had managed to purchase a pack of loo roll last Friday so we are not without. 

Pip has once again kept herself busy with her illustrations and it is great to see the progression of her work.  Ben did struggle with not being at college but he rallied after lunch and had some fun in the garden, in fact they both enjoyed some outdoor time.  Thank goodness for blue skies and sunshine, it makes this whole lock down more bearable for sure.

Maintaining contact with family members is reassuring.  We telephoned Em in Northern Spain this morning and the community is fine at the moment. However there are two Home of The Mother communities based in Madrid and Em said the city is on a total lock down which is enforced by the army and police.  She mentioned Fr Raphael's homily from yesterday and three coments particularly struck a cord, " Don't complain, be thankful and be brave."  It is true things could be a whole lot worse, we have access to medical services and sanitation, the poor folk in impoverished communities or refugee camps have nothing.

Sara, Tom and Oliver are well and were able to celebrate Ollie's 2nd birthday with friends.  That little boy is such a cheery chap, you cannot help but smile when he is around.  Naturally we weren't with them but thanks to the wonders of Whatsapp were able to see pictures of his day.

Prayers would be appreciated for our daughter Kathryn as she works flat out navigating support for the vulnerable people in her care. On top of which Mary has had a second asthma attack but due to the current guidelines associated with any cough, they are now both on self isolation for seven days. Poor Kath is having to work from home whilst entertaining a not actually sick child, it will be a challenging week for all concerned.

 Left over roast dinner vegetables and gravy from yesterday topped with our favourite herb dumplings.

 Busy weeding along the side fence.

 Mum and Son Selfie :-)

Fire Fun

Trying to keep warm over the measly flame, thank goodness for the mug of tea!

Ollie Bear Birthday Photos

 A walk to a castle.

 Helping in the garden.

 Hiding in the teepee.

 Playing with the vacuum cleaner hose!

 Tea trolley boy :-)

It's The Little Things

Slowly we are finding places for things, organising areas and the house is beginning to feel like home:

 We now finally have a clock in one of the rooms!  The grey "bed" is Dave's Robo Physio bed.

 The inside door in the entryway has a lovely wrought iron feature, which is perfect for attaching twine in order to display cards.  With all the chaos of the move we were unable to display and appreciate Dave's birthday and our anniversary cards, so they too are included in the display. 

 In the same area is a shoe and slipper basket, Dave's walking pole, our magnetic white board and a basket of leaflets.  The white board is likely to hang on the opposite wall and our calendar/organiser will probably fill this space.

 The bookcase that used to be in our lounge fits rather nicely in our downstairs bedroom.

 I even have room for a knitting nook in the corner.  At the moment I am using a folding camping chair, but my intention is to find a small "tub" chair for this corner, preferably from one of the local charity shops.

 A selection of stuffed animals are guarding the area in my absence!

 A friend recommended " Joseph and Joseph" and their products are not only cheerful to look at but really well thought out design concepts.

Since the kitchen in the old house was really small, every nook and cranny was used in some way and as a result we actually had three utensil drawers and one deep pan drawer.  This kitchen is a lot bigger but not as well designed and we only have one utensil drawer.  This cleverly designed insert has meant that we have been able to fit in almost three drawers worth into one space!  Cool or what :-)

 We are now also able to store our crockery in the kitchen.  Most used items are placed on this tiered rack and the overflow is stored in a cupboard with the mugs, teas and coffee.

 This interactive world map has instigated many interesting adventures and questions over breakfast and lunch.  Pip has had fun finding our dear friends on the map as well as learning about new places and their habitats.

Only two chairs are currently displayed, the other two are housed on their side just underneath.  We have managed to seat all four of us round the table with just one leaf in use, but for more space we can pull the table away from the wall and utilise the extra leaf. 

 

#40Acts ~ Giving Thanks

Our family challenge today was to give thanks.  Benedict's list included food(naturally!) warmth and a treat in a local cafe.  My list is as follows:

1. Thanks for Benedict and Pip.  These two keep me on my toes, they make me laugh, cry and every emotion in between!

2.  Four loads of laundry washed, dried and put away.

3.  A productive day in the home school.

4.  A decaf fairtrade latte and a shared fruit slice after a not so great diabetic appointment :-(

5.  A roaring fire on a very cold and rainy day.

Today's challenge:  Fair and Square