Sunday: Day 68

Just saying, I am isolating still as per that letter, so hope this blog isn’t too boring for the readers.  I’m pleased to say that DH is going out for a walk locally, avoiding close contact and shops. We are learning how to navigate Sainsbury’s online shopping list, I thought I’d purchased packs of 1 litre fruit juice, turned out to be 200ml cartons, substitutes are another problem, a block of mature cheddar cheese was requested, instead we were sent a small pack of grated cheese was substituted, we asked for sardines in olive oil, instead sardines in sunflower oil was listed so DH asked the very pleasant delivery man if the cheese and sardines could be taken back, they were. The other item that was substituted was chocolate but the alternative was so similar it was acceptable.

From time to time I am annoyed with myself for not achieving much, however I have been decluttering old knitting and crochet magazines, found a 10 year old pattern in Yarn Forward for January 2011,

for a girl’s beret, I had the Rowan wool to make two, this is my effort at Lief beret, blue is Big Wool, cream colour, called China Clay, is Rowan Drift. Not easy knitting with 10mm circular needles and such thick wool it worth the effort. Whether Alice likes them will be another matter, at 3 years old she has very definite ideas about what she will wear, or not, she has a habit of taking all her clothes off.

The lockdown has led to small changes in our lifestyle, shopping by post, as I said above using grocery delivery service, learning to use Zoom, following church services on Facebook and using Chromecast to view on larger TV screen. The streamed church services, 9.30 on Sunday to Thursday mornings and Saturday evening prayer has given us a structure to our day, although pleased it isn’t Zoom when we are in pyjamas.

A few years ago we extended the downstairs cloakroom into a shower room, the shower is an electric one, our upstairs bathroom has shower over the bath, takes the hot water from the tank, we had a different system for each bathroom. The downstairs shower was mostly used when the family stayed, DH realised he preferred the spaciousness of freestanding shower so effectively we have our own bathrooms now.

Our dining room is at the front of our house, in normal times we just have meals in there and spend rest of time in lounge/sitting room/drawing room/parlour/back room (what is the correct name?) or in kitchen, now we use the dining  room more, we can look out in the street, feel less cut off, see people, some of whom even admire DH’s front garden. Another change after clearing the larder to use up food lurking at the back we found a packet of ground coffee so we retrieved a cafetière from the depths of a cupboard,  read the rules and I will have proper coffee now on instead of instant. So flavoursome, the feeling of power and style pushing down the plunger is silly and fun.

Oh,  in case you were wondering about present project, just making more cotton face cloths using up yarn, these will be for face washing grandchildren, preferable to using disposable wipes. Picture of one made earlier, just garter stitch, cast on one stitch, increase in front and back of second stitch, knit to end of row, knit enough rows to diagonal of square and then decrease by knitting second and third stitches together.

January ninth

Just a brief item on how we marked this day of anniversaries.

Started off at church, lots of panic for Ian who is learning to organise the  Eucharistic ministers as some didn't turn up or notify their absence. Well, there is a lot of illness about. All was well though. Thought about my Mum when her name read out in Years Mind. Also, daughter's baptism 28 years ago, especially as today had a baptism theme of course.

Would have been my Dad's 98th birthday, 32 years ago today Ian met my parents for the first time; 13 years ago we moved into this house on a very warm day, apart from Mum's death and Martha's baptism  on her grandfather's 70th birthday.

Our readings went well although Aristocratic Lady with Hearing Problems said that Ian has too quiet a voice and that it would help if I projected my voice more too.

After church we drove to Richmond and had lunch at Caffe Mamma in Kew Road, so friendly there. Again it was obvious many are sick or have been as the restaurant has had many cancellations. Including ours but they were understanding.

Much debate after meal as to a destination but settled for Kew Gardens so parked nearer. Inside just walked to the Palm House and went into hot steamy jungle, learnt about useful plants, climbed the windy staircase (after a whoosh of ventolin) and admired the Victorian building and of course the bamboos. Ian likes bamboo thus we have a lovely black bamboo in back garden.

 Ian taking the picture of me that is at the end of this sequence.

View from the top of the Palm House

This is the right way round, looking along the 'roof' of the Palm House.

Last picture taken by Ian with his Blackberry, shows me wearing my pink beret knitted in Rowan alpaca and cotton. Matches jumper, in fact was made with left over yarn.

Back home, two mugs of tea each, Sunday papers then update here. Now time to eat and The Archers.

Byeeee.