Oh, it's such a perfect day...

Today's been one of those days that just meandered along, nothing spectacular happening, just going with the flow, then as it's getting near the end of the day it strikes you just what a lovely day it's been.

I gate crashed a conversation between David and Alan this morning where Alan was telling D which lucky people to put on his "fantasy visitors chart."  We have head shots of family and friends and this is an opportunity every day for Alan to tell us who he's missing and who he wants to visit when lockdown is over....except that's not soon enough for Alan!  So today he chose Ashleigh and Christine to come and see him tomorrow and Sarah to come next week!  :-)))  He knows it won't be as soon as that, he just likes us to know that's how soon he would prefer it to be.  Us too Alan :-)

Another beautiful sunny day.  And the last day of May already.

After a rather lovely lunch of avocado on toast with poached egg and salad, eaten in the garden, I spent a little while taking photos before heading indoors just before 4pm for a zoom get together with friends Dot, Eileen, Alice and Marie.  

This lovely bunch  plus Jo and Heather and Alison should all have been here at mine this weekend for our annual get together.  Sadly it wasn't to be so those of us who could, Zoomed together instead.  It was so lovely to chat to them.  Loads to catch up on.  Eileen and Dot are both going to be first time Gran's this year Eileen in September and Dot in November.  I am so excited for them!  Seems like two minutes since our children were tiny (we all met in 1999 on a course for parents of children with disabilities.  Twenty one years gone by in a blink!) 

We blethered for just over two hours, till our stomachs started reminding us it was dinner time!   Bid each other farewell and made arrangements to Zoom again soon.

Dinner of sea bass with homemade salsa verde, Jersey Royals, carrots and asparagus parmesan, followed by fresh raspberry cheesecake (for D ) washed down with a very tasty South African white wine, and eaten outside again as the sun was still shining.  It still had a fair bit of warmth in to too, so much so I remarked to David that it reminded me of our holidays in France.  Oh the simple joy of eating outside then sitting back in the evening air and having idle chit chat.  I shocked David by telling him that 36 years ago today we officially left school (thanks 1984 diary for that little snippet :-))  Another sharp intake of breath as we wondered where the time had gone.

Then back inside to edit some photos, catch up with a couple of texts and to upload my blip.  Apologies, I am so behind with your journals again but I promise I will do my best to catch up tomorrow.  

Hope you've had a lovely weekend, especially those of you who've been able to meet up with family and friends after weeks and weeks apart :-))) 

PS I had an interesting discussion with my friends this afternoon about families being separated during lockdown.  I was commenting that I hope there's no lockdown when Eileen and Dot's grandchildren are born as I really feel sorry for the grandparents and new parents who've not been able to see each other since new babies have been born.  

Eileen, who heads an organisation that works with parents and children in education, told us about a study her organisation has been involved in, that looked at parents and children born in the last 12 weeks, to ascertain what effect, good or bad, lockdown has had on their parenting experience.  

Turns out that in almost every case the study has shown that the babies are thriving, eating better, sleeping better and are more content, and the parents (especially the mums) feel more relaxed and bonded with their child.  Reasons given for this are not being in-undated with visitors, not getting conflicting advice from professionals and well meaning relatives, not feeling pressure to tidy the house, look good, be back in skinny jeans within three weeks of giving birth, not feeling they are being scrutinised,   forced to breast feed or justify their choices....the list goes on.  

Instead they feel able to concentrate fully on their baby and themselves, getting to know their baby and working out their own routine, without feeling judged, questioned or under any pressure to be "perfect."  

Wow.  What pressure society puts new mums under.  Lessons to be learned here.