Day Two

Feest Isolation Days – 16 March 2020

I am one of those fortunate women who have worked from home for a long time. I get up and dress and put on my makeup every day.  I read about a woman who was in isolation with her husband and her two kids and she was determined to try not to sleep in too late and get up and dress and put her make up on. It sounded such an effort for her!  I guess home for her had been the place to kick back and relax and do none of those regular things.  Working days needed makeup. To me these things just happen with regularity – there are SOME advantages to being older and retired.  We are well practiced in our healthy daily routines!

The curtains opened to the most glorious delicious day!  After yesterday’s nonstop rain, today was bright and sunny with unclouded blue sky.  Terry and I  decided to go for an isolated walk in the country side. First, after that all important make up and morning routine, I did a few emails and tried to cancel my gym membership. I really don’t want to abide by the three month cancellation rules.  The government has said over seventies must soon self isolate.  My husband is over seventy and so I have to join him.  I feel a letter to the gym coming on…

Normally when we go for a walk in the country it is then followed by a pub lunch and a carefree trip, possibly to a garden centre on the way home.  Not today.

Instead, I made sandwiches while Terry did an online shop at Waitrose. Our delivery will arrive in a week’s time as there were no other delivery slots available. We are well stocked for now though as we shopped on Saturday before we made the decision that we needed to be self isolating.  I did Waitrose while Terry did the butcher and veg shop on Henleze High Street. We met for what became our last coffee out for quite awhile.

We drove to Wales and walked in St. Arvans.  We parked up close to the church and spoke to no one.  When the two people we saw on our walk passed us by we held our breath when they were six feet in front of us until they were six feet behind us.  We are taking this seriously.  Unlike many of our friends who still haven’t quite got the measure of isolation.  Shopping and hairdressers and ski trips are off of our agenda. It will be from theirs soon too.  Those Kubler Ross loss words are useful to remember if you find yourself starting to judge others.  People are on different stages and have to come to terms with a great deal.  Death itself may be around the corner for some of us.  The PM Boris says “Some of us will lose loved ones before their time.” 

While I am not a Boris fan (an understatement!) I think he’s doing the right thing.  He’s brought in experts. Until recently and all throughout the Brexit shambles, it would seem that intelligence and expertise was sidelined.  No more. Two men who stand to his left and right when he gives his press conferences are particularly outstanding.

Professor Chris Whitty is the Chief Medical Officer and an epidemiologist who has amassed  an impressive array of skills.  He is a never married man who also has a degree in law and an MBA in addition to his medical degree.  While working for GSK, Sir Patrick Vallance, who is medical doctor,  was responsible for enabling new medicines for asthma, autoimmune diseases, cancer and HIV to be developed and approved for worldwide use. He championed industry-academic partnerships.  Both of these men are impressive and their honesty and openness is refreshing.  It’s a shame they and others like them weren’t listened to sooner in the ongoing discussions about what the NHS needed, but at least they are in place now and clearly steering the government’s plans.

When we finished our glorious walk and the sandwiches were scoffed, we headed back to the car.  We only passed two other people and breath holding didn’t have to happen too often.  Wonder if they felt the same way as they walked towards us?  We didn’t stop to find out.  Normally we would change our boots at the car but a little school boy with a dummy in his mouth (some parents need more advice on raising kids!) stood at his door watching us. Terry closed the boot and we headed home.  We didn’t want him scampering over to us and he looked just the sort of lad who would. 

Boris and Chris and Patrick held a press conference at five o’clock for nearly forty five minutes and we felt we had made the right decision to isolate. People are now being asked to stay away from pubs, restaurants, cafes and theatres and work from home where they can. We are and we will.

After our roast chicken leftovers we tried to find something to watch on telly but haven’t got stuck into anything yet.  In the end we watched an old Frasier. That always makes us laugh and a bit of laughter is just what these doctors ordered!

Try this one……

Apparently Boris plans to order all over seventies to stay at home and self isolate so he doesn’t need to look at Corbyn anymore…or David Davies!

If that doesn’t work for you don’t worry, how about this one from his hero to pick us all up?

“Success is going from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm.” ~Winston Churchill …

Keep enthusiastic…whatever you do.  See you tomorrow!

Love,

Kathy x