Waving From Across The Bay

We actually sallied forth today!  I could feel the crazies setting in, Ben relished the house to himself and the three of us ventured to the seaside.  It was an interesting drive as I was driving a different vehicle since ours was in the body shop; a lady had backed into me last week in the car park on Friday 13th of all days!  

It was lovely to be back in our old stomping ground on Morecambe sea front and in order to minimise any unnecessary contact I packed water bottles and some home made brownies.  Just being in the sunshine and listening to the birds was a real tonic.  The weather looks to be steady for the next few days and so hopefully many more jaunts will ensue.

Ben had made a really tasty leek and potato soup for lunch which was just the thing as we were quite cold.  After lunch the kids worked on independent tasks, Pip on her illustrations and Ben spent the afternoon setting up my new phone and transferring data.  Dave did his thing on the computer and I crashed and slept for two hours solid.  I've been dealing with an ME blip which has been exacerbated by a throat virus, thank goodness for garlic tablets, echinacea, elderberry and big doses of vitamin C.

 Waving to Family across the bay :-)

 An empty mug comes in handy as an impromptu scoop.

 Happy as a clam, although how on earth anyone would know if a clam was happy is beyond me!

 Having a go at sketching in Pip's book.

 Making a dog's head.

 YES!!  Finally I have managed to make rabbit ears, it makes a change as little miss is usually on the case!

 Realising that I have beaten her to it :-)

Sending some cheer to you all and I hope this video below gives you cause to chuckle:

Be Thou

Be thou my footsteps as I tread through this day,

Overcome and weary and full of dismay

at a world facing lock down and ignoring your plea,

" To be still and loving and Trust in me."

Be thou my headspace as I gird for this fight,

Guard my well being and send me Your light,

Teach me to look for the joy in each day,

To reach out to others and not turn them away.

Be thou my hands as I care for my home,

May I see You in those I love most,

Give me Your patience as I listen once more,

to the cries of frustration in a world so unsure.

Be thou my everything, my all in all,

May my faith strengthen, not crumble or fall,

Give me Your strength to rise up each day,

and allow You to lead me along The Way.

To the tune of St Patrick's Breastplate

We didn't quite manage our usual St Patrick Day with crafts and a story but Ben made a fab Irish Stew and I made Guiness Chocolate Brownies courtesy of Jack Monroe.

 Stirring the butter and chocolate, the Guiness is reducing underneath!

 Irish Stew with Herby Dumplings.

 Cheers!  Ben with alcohol free beer and Dave with the left over guiness :-)

 Reall yummy brownies.

College has already switched to work online and for practical work I needed to show evidence that Ben was caring for Poppy and offering enrichment, hence the photos below:

 "Right, so which one of you is going to feed me then?!"

Log off, shutdown, go outside as long as you are observing the 2 metre rule ;-) 

Good old washable loo roll, ideal for when you pee thus saving on the toilet paper.  I cloth bummed Pip which also included home made baby wipes, so it was a no brainer to make the cloth alternative.  The family embraced the whole idea and it is amazing just how much paper we have saved, which is great considering there is very little in circulation right now!

Today both Dave and Ben were very trusting and let me loose on their hair!!  Ben's was easier to tidy as he had not long been to the hairdresser, Dave was due a cut yesterday and so had gone a full six weeks, his was a bit more tricky.  I am going to have to watch a few youtube videos on cutting gents hair and we are going to have to invest in a pair of clippers :-)

 Ben made potato rosti and fried egg for tea followed by...

... banana, raspberry and coconut ice cream.

Speaking of raspberries we have bought a whole heap of seeds, some raspberry canes, a walk in poly tunnel and raised beds for the back patio and garden.  Plenty of hands on activities to sooth any frazzled nerves during this crazy time and a bonus of being able to hopefully eat the produce at the end.

Ah the wonders of the internet and the joy of being able to partake in the mass online. This is St Mary's Church in our home town and mass will be televised live each day around lunch time with Sunday mass at 11:00 am.  The website is here

I hope that wherever you are and whatever you have been doing you have managed to find some joy in your day, God Bless xx 

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 :-)

Is Your Contact Really Necessary?

During the Second World War propaganda posters appeared and their job was to inform, motivate and challenge.  I thought of the phrase this morning in relation to the current crisis and after having read numerous reports and theories we have decided to reduce social contact for the foreseable future.  We are aware of the Government and Public Health banking on a tipping point and at that point folk will likely be asked to self isolate but this flies against the advice from the World Health Organisation, which is to shut down sooner. 

 As you will know from reading this blog we are a family living with numerous health conditions and are more vulnerable than others to complications associated with this virus.  It hasn't been an easy decision and Ben is particularly miffed about missing college for the time being but he does understand the rationale behind our decision.  On the upside there are numerous places online that are offering some of their services for free, even The Met is streaming live opera for those who may be interested!  

Our Day One of being 'busy' has involved the usual food prep (thank you Ben) and laundry but in between we have connected with loved ones (here's looking at you: Mum and Dad, Mum, Kath and Ros!) and Pip has been undertaking a new form of illustration:

Harry was drawn using the word 'harry' as the starting point!  She followed the ideas from the 'Let's Draw' Youtube channel.

The starting point for this one was Corona Virus, although they are not adopting the 2metre rule!  

Wednesday Wonderings

Is Covid-19 actually infectious before the symptoms appear?  Sara rang this morning to inform us that they have to self isolate for fourteen days.  Apparantly one of their clients eventually tested positive for the virus.  The only contact they had was when he passed them a cup of tea but it is suspected the virus can remain on surfaces for up to seven days.  Thankfully they are still able to garden for clients that are not around when they visit and they are not under house arrest provided they stay away from public areas.  They are fortunate to live near a wood and are not far from the sea, so at least they can get Ollie out and about.  Sadly we will miss his second birthday on Sunday, so we suggested a FaceTime video call and a catch up one they are out of quarantine.

Attempting to a make a difference:  as a result of the General Election and Brexit debacle we joined the Labour party just after Christmas.  Our reasoning was twofold, we wanted to vote for the next Labour leader and their deputy and to have access to a Christian campaigning arm within Westminster.  Christians on The Left are affiliated to the Labour Party and are commited to promoting Gospel values of Social Justice, peace and Stewardship of the earth and finances, so in short it was a no-brainer!  We cast our vote last night and are praying for a good outcome.

The positive aspects of Social Media:  I am grateful for lovely friends here and those I have made in other places notably Instagram and Twitter.  As a result of these connections one kind hearted lass has offered her time regarding an application for a possible venture. I try not to use this space as a ranting zone but due to the Government austerity measures in 2013 I was forced off a sickness benefit (which I was entitled too) and the best option was to register as self employed. 

I know that my knitting and sewing skills are of a good standard, but everyone is crafting.  You only have to type an item in a search bar on Etsy or Folksy and you are awash with potential suppliers!  My best and fairest paid job was blogging and running the social media for the now defunct Mindfulness for Christians.  However I am acutely aware that whatever I do has to fit around my own unpredicatable health and my caring role for some family members and therefore a 'regular' part time role is a non starter.  Even though I wouldn't call myself a natural business person, I do believe that I am capable of learning with the right support and input.  Keeping everything crossed that my application will be successful.

Thankful for the #40acts prompts.  Yesterday was 'Chocolate Tuesday' and it was also a catch up day with my GP.  She was really pleased to here that I had returned to the icon painting and taken up playing the guitar.  She also suggested some potential courses should the venture above not turn out; its always good to have a plan B!  I have been given the website details for a stress management course and she has also referred me to a pain clinic for my long term health condition.  At the close of the meeting I delved into the bottom of my bag and handed her a box of Roses chocolates :-)  I briefly explained about the challenge and thankfully she loves chocolate!   #itsthelittlethings 

Coffee Concert

I actually managed a Mother's Sabbath on Saturday and spent the day with a friend.  We attended one of the very popular and free concerts hosted at Lancaster Priory and saw 'Opposite Saxes' a quartet of three women and one man.  The music was really uplifting and the group were excellent, especially when it came to their version of 'Bohemian Rhapsody!'  There was an opportunity to chat with the group afterwards and I also enjoyed taking some photos of the Priory:

  The East Meets West Tapestries have been made by the international group of women by that same name; they are not only a fusion of cultures but of faith too.

When we arrived at Bea's her lovely hubby David had made mushroom soup followed by Baked potatoes, salad, cheese and a bacon and tomato sauce.  Utterly yummy :-)