Feest Isolation Days – 7 April 2020
The day is golden and serene with no wind and a perfect robin’s egg blue sky. The colour of the eggs protects the growing bird inside from the harsh UVA rays of the sun according to scientists that study these things.
We could all do with having a blue shield to protect us at the moment not from the sun but from the virus that marches on. Boris Johnson who has had the dreaded disease for ten days is now in intensive care at St. Thomas’s hospital. Dominic Raab his Foreign Secretary is going to be taking over from the Prime Minister “when needed”. I’d say “when needed” is all the time that the PM is in hospital and as he recovers. Dominic looked shocked last night when he spoke to the BBC correspondent, and in fact she said the same thing in her report after the interview. Leaders are important to us all and never more than at a time of a national crisis. Boris was never my top pick, but as he surrounded himself with the experts and clearly was taking their advice, I became grudgingly happy with him and his handling of this pandemic.
Mr. Trump has said he is sending drug companies to Boris’s doctors and they are geniuses (like him!) and they will have dealt with ebola and aids and they speak a language no one understands and will be asked to help Boris. You can imagine the PM doctors having a conversation with these people can’t you?
In other political news, I am finally pleased that I voted for Thangham Debonaire our local MP in the last election. I held my nose as I did it as it meant voting for Jeremy Coryby as we elect a party not a PM, but Thangham is an excellent MP and has now been promoted to the Shadow Cabinet of Sir Kiers new opposition party. Kier kicked out most of the Corbynistas in the Cabinet and it looks like the grownups are finally back where they belong. Kier and his team will work with the government as they continue to tackle the crisis that is Coronavirus.
Meantime, in New Zealand, the Health Secretary admits he’s “an idiot” which we all agree. Not only did he take himself off to have a bike ride, but he drove his family to the beach for an outing this weekend. Jacinda, the countries PM, has demoted him but not fired him as she says he is needed for the moment. I could give her a few names of medics we know in NZ who would do a splendid job and follow the rules!
Closer to home, maybe Boris being in hospital will at the very least keep people indoors this weekend which is supposed to be glorious.
Time now to have breakfast and that first cup of in the garden with my husband. Hopefully our resident robin will pay us a visit. Thank heaven for those blue shells.
Have a good day.
A funny from a friend…
I put a map of the world up on the wall in the kitchen and said to my wife that when this was all over I’d take her anywhere in the world. I simply handed her a dart to throw and said we’d go wherever it landed. Looks like we’ll be spending two weeks behind the fridge….
Boris being Boris!
With love,
Kathy x
Thanks for the nudge Kathy – got the link, and love it. Like you, we’re happy to have our garden, and are rediscovering the joy a sowing and raising seeds. Our travels in other times has made the nurture impossible! I’m out lots on my bike as that isn’t restricted, and I’m doing many DIY jobs that are long overdue. Also now running a weekly tutorial for a groupof physician associate students stranded away from clinical placement. Little time left over for anything apart from an exhausted flop in front of the telly each evening – catching up on some missed series. I’m increasingly frustrated by the lack of evidence for policies, and so relieved that others are making the hard calls. Stephen Powis has played a blinder in my opinion, unlike that Scottish obstetrician/advisor. “To travel once to your holiday home, Miss Calderwood, may be regarded as a misfortune; to visit again the following weekend looks like carelessness.”
When you speak of your garden I smile. It’s a peaceful place where you can lose yourself in beauty
Kathy
I must confess to reading your posts in clumps of days – after forcing myself away from the beauty of your garden picture header that confronts us so splendidly.
Our Health Minister is a xxx yes but didn’t go around shaking hands when crook as Boris did.
Don’t want to get ahead of ourselves over here in Nouvelle Zealand sound arrogant but we feel that our responses over here ( apart from not monitoring voluntary self isolation of those flying in/back and usual very small minority of don’t cares) have been some way ahead of the big nations with consequent modest amount of hospital admissions and one death to date. It is probably easier in a small nation to act quickly and decisively as compared to a juggernaut of states such as the States.
Kathy & Terry
Couldn’t help thinking my comments were a little insensitive to our mother country- especially in light of Queen’s wonderful message, ” Kia kaha, kia maia, kia manawanui” ( be strong, be brave, be steadfast).
Also, we are keeping Boris in our thoughts and do wish him well to early recovery from his illness – good to hear that he is stable in ICU.
warmest wishes as always
Bernie