Calla Lily

Lockdown Day 38

It's been another very wet morning, but before I started work there was a slight glimmer of sunshine, so I popped into the garden to take some photos of my calla lilies.

I finished work at 1pm and popped out to the building society as I had a cheque to pay in that mum sent me - she has no means of withdrawing any money, so we now have an arrangement where I transfer money to her neighbour who will then withdraw it for her, gives mum the money and then when they do any shopping for her she has money to pay for it.

This afternoon I went through my freezer and cupboards so I could do my shopping list for tomorrow, and then when it stopped raining I took the boys out for a walk.  Ted the bear is still sat in the window today,  in his raincoat so I didn't bother to take another photo.

Rachel messaged me this afternoon to say that she's been furloughed for 3 weeks starting next week.  She didn't want to be, but she's struggling to work with home schooling Scarlett and trying to occupy Violet, so I think she's thankful to have a break.  Apparently the bigger departments are furloughing staff in 3 week cycles, so that everybody has some time off, but for Rach, she's their only marketing executive so there's no-one to alternate with, but they felt it wasn't fair for her to be the only one having to carry on working as 'normal'.

The Covid news today is that they are now including UK care home deaths in our numbers and we have overtaken both France and Spain. With 4,419 deaths logged today, we are now just behind Italy with America having the highest rate of deaths.  I was talking to Evashni, my GP boss and Nik's wife - both Nik and Evashni work for the NHS as well as owning our private clinic, and she was saying today that she is worried about when the lockdown ends as this is when things will get a lot worse.  I asked her opinion on wearing masks as I know there are  mixed views on them, and she said that in her opinion, everyone should be forced to wear them, and that even the home made ones if they have a double layer of fabric, are very effective - even more so if 4 ply toilet tissue  is used in between the layers.   Evashni is South African, and she told me about her cousin who works at a surgery, and one of the patients tested positive, so other patients who were there at the same time were re-called and tested, as was her cousin.  Her cousin had no symptoms whatsoever, yet tested positive - she was asymptomatic.  It therefore begs the question of why we're not all wearing masks at least for when we're out in public, such as the supermarket.  I know there's a shortage on surgical masks, but there are plenty of homemade/washable ones available to buy and if everyone had to wear one like in other countries, I'm sure it would help stop the spread, as anyone coughing, would be coughing into their own mask.  Elif posted a video on You Tube  to show how to make a homemade mask  and I've attached a link here if you're interested. I may well give it a go myself!