Saturday 27 March 2021

Week 12 One Daily Positive - Eating in the garden, cut flowers and a tidy house

When I mention a dog walk, it's because it has lasted more than the usual 30 minutes, often up 2 hours. The starting point is always the front door and the dog dictates whether we turn left or right off the drive and I sort of follow his lead, literally. Sometimes we end up on the hills or down the retail park, in town, over the common, or just round the block which varies in size also. I have a little bag with treats, bags, hand sanitisers etc which contains £20 and I have my card linked to my coffee app on my phone. 

Apart from buying milk, it was 2 weeks on Wednesday since I did any shopping, apart from milk, fresh fruit/veg I'm able to roll over till next week. I buy frozen fruit and veg as well as fresh stuff. I do miss having salad items other than tomatoes, carrots and peppers which I use for cooking also, such as lettuce and dips (hummus etc). I did however then have to do an emergency food shop for child 5 and deliver it, so did my shopping at the same time.

I've had my UK invite for the covid vaccine. I phoned the GP surgery to ask if they could somehow get my Chinese vaccine logged on the system. I'd sent it all to them a few weeks ago.

79 Saturday Awake around 4am, some blogging, tea drinking and tv watching occurred. Dog walked, bedding washed, dried, ironed. Did some gardening, dusted downstairs and cleaned the bathroom. We have 3 but I'm only using 1 at the moment and the downstairs loo. Did a batch cook, making enough meals for the next 10 days, not sure I have enough frozen veg etc and I may run out of milk before the week is out, but I do have some UHT.


80 Sunday Finally got round to having the whole house clean at the same time, other than the floors. I've been keeping rooms tidy and clean but haven't had it all done at the same time and it was bugging me. The dog got walked twice as the weather was so nice, but too chilly to sit out in, I used the fire pit but it was too smokey. Cooked a roast and spent the evening reading the Sunday papers.


81 Monday Started the day watching Line of Duty, mowed the lawns, walked the dog, hoovered and mopped the top 2 floors and spent the rest of the day catching up with blogging and social media. 

I've decided I need to distance myself from certain people in order to maintain my mental health and wellbeing, I've feel as if I have imposter syndrome, that I don't deserve the life I have and that there is no or little value to it and I find myself having to justify what I say and why.  I feel sometimes that as soon as I open my mouth a translator is switched on and my words are twisted. But I'm ok with that now. I actually get nothing physically or mentally from the situation, it's all take, especially when it comes to expectations around finances, so no more. 

82 Tuesday Took the cat to the vets and did a food shop while I was out for child 5 who needs some support at the moment. He's on his own in a one bed flat, working everyday, no going out, no socialising. I haven't seen anyone for several weeks and won't be seeing anyone other than garden visits until the week after next. I finished hoovering the house downstairs and mopping the floors and stood on the doorstep for half an hour with a lit candle with the neighbour, no one else came out, but we could hear the church bells and people were up on the hills shining a bright light down on the town.

No contact chip shop order, on dog walk, ordered through door, contactless payment and chips handed over through door.


83 Wednesday A year since I arrived back in the UK to an empty T5 which was shut soon after I landed and Dubai closed the borders on me a few hours later. I did a food shop for child 5 and dropped it off with him in Cirencester. I've not been more than 12 miles in the car since I got back to the UK. We had a KFC for lunch. I returned home with his washing, which I'll drop back next week and will then be able to spend some time with him as restrictions will have been eased. Apart from the fact I left my local area, we were Covid compliant, which is what my son said to me as I was leaving 'Virtual hug to be covid compliant' Spent the evening in front of the TV in between doing the washing.


84 Thursday Blood test at 8.50am ahead of my consultation with the haematologist next week.  The rest of the day was spent blogging, commenting, scheduling posts and some crafts I've been meaning to do for a while. The house is full of child 5's washing, as it started raining earlier, I love it really. The cat and dog are outside every minute if the sun is shining.


85 Friday Not really sure what I did all day. I've nothing to do now until the week after next, clean the house and mow the lawn before I return to Dubai. When I get back in June, it'll will be with Peter as he will have retired and life with be different all over again.

I asked what I did to deserve these and my friends told me it's just for being me.


On the blog this week:

My Sunday Photo - A new building in Dubai

PoCoLo A weekly linky I co host - Planning a return to Dubai

National Day of Reflection - My Covid year


You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

22 comments:

  1. I love that you let Bob guide your walk.
    Your roast dinner looks so good. Yum, yum.
    Good on you for distancing yourself from those people. You don't need to justify anything.
    I hope child 5 is doing OK now. Bless him. It's good you'll be able to spend some time with him next week.
    Gorgeous flowers. x

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    1. I don't have a say with the dog sometimes, he just pulls me in one direction

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  2. I like how you let Bob decide the direction of your walks and it is nice to get out for some long walks, especially if you have nice places to walk nearby. How lovely to sit outside to eat your Sunday roast. I’m enjoying being able to sit out in the garden more again. I’m sorry that you feel like your words are twisted by some people and that it feels like it’s all take. I’m glad you’re able to help support child 5 at the moment – virtual hugs are certainly Covid-compliant, but it will be nice when we can have real ones again! Those flowers are beautiful – how lovely of your friends to send them to you for just being you. #project365

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    1. it is lovely living in this part of the country, but I can think of a million other places just as nice

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  3. It's so important we just surround ourselves by those who care and not those who make us feel bad. Good on you for putting that distance in. Good you're able to spend some time with child 5. I'm loving the contact free chippy takeaways. We do go into the shop to pick up, but it's an allocated time and order in advance. I hope they continue that method in future!

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    1. I only had the chips the once, the thought of it sounded so much nicer than the actual taste

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  4. So lovely to be able to eat outside again now is here! Those flowers are beautiful you are obviously a very good friend.
    My husband and Mum are both obsessed with Line of Duty they love it! #Project365

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    1. I really enjoyed the first 4 series but haven't been too excited about series 5 and the current one

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  5. Lovely flowers, glad you got to see child 5. We're meeting my brother for a walk tomorrow and that will be the furthest I've been apart form hospital clinic since October I think - mad isn't it. Will be great to see you both later in the year hopefully #365

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    1. I so hope we can meet up later this year, I'm hoping we can do some camping in August also

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  6. Sorry to hear child 5 is struggling at the moment. The pandemic affects everyone so differently it must be very hard for him not seeing anyone and just doing the same thing day in and day out. Good you got to help out. The flowers are lovely sounds like you have some very special friends.

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    1. such a shame he lives so far away as it's not commutable for work and he doesn't drive, so has to stay where he is

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  7. Beautiful flowers! Would you recommend Line of Duty? It is way down my catch up list but everyone raves about it. I hope your mental health improves when you removes those that drag you down. #project365

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    1. Thank you. Series 1-4 of Line of Duty was very good, haven't really been gripped by the last two series

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  8. So sweet of you to let Bob lead the way on your walks. :) Lovely to sit out in the garden for a meal. The flowers are beautiful. Sorry to hear you feel you need to justify your words or actions, and from what you say, it might be wise to distance yourself from people who give you grief. Do Bob and Pushkins eat chips? They look at the chips with great interest.

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    1. Oh yews, Bob and Pushkins will eat anything you put in front of them

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  9. Lovely flowers, it is always so lovely to receive a gift. Love that your dog guides your walks, I have tried to let the kids choose, but they always seem to pick the closest place

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    1. of course the kids will pick the shortest route, I do have to steer Bob back towards home sometimes

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  10. You are good with your batch cooking! I wish I had your energy in the kitchen. I am planning on doing a big house clean when the boys return to school next week. The house needs a proper sort out. I think it will be easier to keep on top of it then. Hope you are starting to feel better after distancing yourself from certain people.

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    1. Life has been so much better over recent weeks. I prefer to do batch cooking as there is always something in the freezer for dinner

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  11. Sometimes you have to distance yourself from people. Even if they are people you once thought you could trust! Love the dog and cat watching you eating your chips. I hope child 5 is OK it must be so hard in a one bed flat #365

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    1. It's been a difficult period for everyone, there has been a lot of attention on the elderly but I really feel there are more people that are on their own who have struggled. It's weird eating without the cat and dog watching

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