Sunday 29th March – Have I got the dreaded virus?
I woke up feeling fine, by 3pm I had a persistent cough, sore throat and a blinding headache. Niall (my husband) & I took the decision to isolate me today. He is moving into the spare room in our tiny house, and I am living in our bedroom. However, we only have one bathroom and toilet, so there is no escaping the fact that we both have to use it. I checked online and found the dilution rate for making your own mild disinfectant spray. We had a good sized trigger bottle and so I can disinfect the bathroom before and after I use it. Niall is also spraying everything that comes into the house – all the post, deliveries and parcels.
Tuesday 31st March – What the hell does furloughed mean?
I’ve been furloughed. I’d been working from home for almost two weeks and was just getting used to it. Then, with Rishi Sunak’s announcement that the Government will pay 80% of wages, the company have decided to put most of us on furlough. Considering the way that the trade we are in has just stopped, it is hardly a surprise. But it does seem odd, being paid to do nothing, go nowhere, and speak to no one. The total opposite of our industry
Thursday 2nd April – That’s not half bad!
I talked Niall through the cooking process for making a Veggie Bake today. I sat at the top of our stairs and shouted instructions. We got through it okay, (his white sauce skills need work) and he baked it for dinner. Eating dinner alone in the bedroom is not much fun! I have to say, it wasn’t half bad, and so good to get a load of vegetables into me; the best meal of Isolation so far.
Friday 3rd April – Loss of taste & smell and a retirement!
Woke up and realised I’d lost my sense of taste and smell which was decidedly odd. I ate some garlic and found the smelliest thing in the house just to confirm it, yup it has definitely gone. This lasted just over a week.
It was also a big day for Niall as he retired after working for the same company for 43 years. Talk about perfect timing! So, we opened a bottle of Pol Roger Champagne that we had been saving for the occasion. It was lovely apart from the fact I couldn’t taste a thing, it could have been fizzy water for all I knew!!
Sunday 12th April – The longest 14 days of my life!
Today is the end of my Isolation and it couldn’t come soon enough. I only had a mild dose of Covid 19, but it was still horrid and scary. It could have been so much worse, I know I have been lucky and will never forget that. I cannot wait to cuddle my husband. A lot of these precautions have been to keep the virus away from him, because he on the at-risk list, due to his respiratory history. So we won’t be kissing just yet! My senses of taste and smell have been missing for a few days now, which I hate. Niall has done well in the kitchen but not being able to taste his Friday Night Pasta dish was so dispiriting. Still, I’m over the worst and can start to lead what now constitutes as a normal life. What crazy times these are.
April – May 2020 – Cooking during Lockdown!
Well, I love cooking so I decided to try and do something new every week. There have been some lovely surprises and the odd disaster along the way! Trying to invent a new dish at the end of each week when the stocks have been running low, is quite good fun. We call it “whatever dinner” i.e. whatever is left in the fridge! I swear, every time I open the fridge, it says “oh not you again” ! I am sure I am not the only one eating and drinking more. I also learned how to make the dreaded “banana cake”. If I see another banana, I’ll run a mile in under 4 minutes!!
I have to say, I am in total awe at professional chefs. I decided one day to do an entirely Italian three course meal as Niall and I are missing our favourite restaurant so much. It took me all day and there’s only the two of us! Suffice to say, I don’t think being a chef will be my next career move!
May – June – Gardening during Lockdown
I’ve never really liked gardening, but as I had some time on my hands, I thought I would make an extra effort. From having almost nothing in our small garden, we now have over fifty pots in a beautiful array of colours along with ten pots of herbs! It has made a huge difference to our wellbeing sitting out in the garden with something to look at. We now have loads of bees and birds visiting which we didn’t have before. It’s only small, but it makes us smile.
Friday 5th June – Oh My God, I’ve only gone and done it!
So many people have done inspiring things during lockdown. I decided, to raise money for cancer and mental health charities. Something I have wanted to do for years is to shave my head and I thought this is the ideal time (not expecting I maybe going to interviews in the near future. Thankfully, my hair grows quickly) I have to say, I am glad the weather has been warm and it’s not the middle of winter! It has been very liberating, but most important of all, it has raised over £1,300 which is the most important.
Present Day – Searching for new employment
Well, not something I envisaged I would be doing a few months ago. Unfortunately, many of us are in the same position. Hopefully, I can stay in the industry I love so much in one way or the other. Fingers crossed.
