Finally irritated by Co - vid

 Every year the NHS prescription service begs us to get our repeat medicines early for Xmas/New Year. Not this year apparently. I did the on line order and realised it was the 26th of the month so would need more and made a two month request. When I went to collect the pharmacy inside the Health centre absolutely refused to give an extra month's!

I  was told I MUST reorder 7 days before run out ie 19/20th and collect probably 24th!!! Because this year they will not close over Xmas.   As if I want to spend Christmas Eve or Boxing Day coming round here I thought. Not that there will be anything more interesting on TV!!

As I stood there with my mouth open (inside the mask of course) I had some logical and illogical thoughts.

1. We are old, so they expect us to drop dead in the pandemic in the next month because local figures are high? But the high figures are in the next county to the north about 10 miles have been that way since September, and we have not been there since March. Or they are high to the south in town 6 miles away and we have not been in town for 5 or 6 weeks and only twice since February? Not likely to get infected by the open North Sea to the east or the open fen land to the west. We are in lockdown and are remotely rural  "obedient people".

2. They will be open all over Christmas  I am told. Really? Never usually open for weeks in Dec/Jan!!!  Is that the plan to give us the vaccine?  But its not even been declared safe yet! Do you lot really think that is going to happen in any meaningful way in the next 25 days?

3. If they are up to their ears in vaccinating over Xmas surely they don't want to spend time and evoke dangers of queues giving out regular prescriptions as well? If I was their manager (and I have been a manager in times of crises) I would be saying clear the decks of all other work and concentrate on the targets!

By the time I got out to my bike, de fogged my specs and prepared to cycle home I realised I had been manipulated by "the system".  By not giving me the prescriptions I was tied to home for the run up to Xmas and not able to go and stay away. We have already given up hope of seeing any family over Christmas and that was depressing already but it was our choice and this felt very much not my choice.

I know, none of it is logical really and totally minor, but it was the first time all year I felt my normal routines, and my acceptance of the rules,  were sorely tried.  😕

Haircuts?

 Where do you stand on the haircutting issue in our Covid world? We both went once in August and felt quite safe as the national rates were low, extremely low in our county, and the procedures were all in place. But the "joy" of the occasion was spoilt by about 25% by the whole safety process and the lack of buzz about the place. Its just a local one room establishment but it is always busy and chatty. Also the price had gone well up (from £17.50 to £21.00)!

Another advantage is the cost. I just looked at the accounts and last year we spent £215 on hair cuts between us. I know its not a lot, some people pay more on one visit but its a lot for pensioners. This year, so far, we have spent £33.28 which includes a packet of old fashioned hair grips! 

Its time to think about another appointment. Though we are sad not to support the local business we have both decided as the infection rates rise, and  local schools and food factories have reported cases, we are going to give it a miss.

I now have longer hair (almost pony tail) and just recut my fringe. This morning I trimmed my husbands hair and if I say so myself it does not look half bad!!! 

Face coverings/masks - best pattern?

 Which pattern are you making for your home made face coverings?

I did not like the folded as it did not look like a tight fit.  So started with the pattern on the Big Community Sew promoted by the lovely Patrick from the Great British Sewing Bee.

Designed for two layers and to be tied on round the head. My quickest make using left over Scrubs material was overlocked. Under constant revision as I wore them I tried elastic round ears and elastic round the back of head. But mostly I could not get the 3rd layer in to this pattern comfortably and that was at one stage recommended. Plus tying the long strings round the back of my head was too awkward. 

I have now found a pattern on the WI site. 

This is much more shaped for the nose and has a flat bit across the bridge. It also comes further round the face for a tighter fit. I am dipping into my Fat Quarter stash sent to me as an Xmas gift which I think one of my sons got it in Aldi at a very reasonable price.

Again some experimenting. I found a way to stitch in a third layer by cutting a spare copy of the pattern down a bit and then sewing an extra bit (for any spare material) into the lining before constructing. 

Its been extra hot this week and I found 3 layers just that bit too stuffy. Possibly I could go that far in the coming winter?

Then there was the fastenings. I have really, really small ears, longer lockdown hair and I wear specs. I just don't have room for the wider elastic I have at hand!! Trying out the round the back of the head loops more which means you can keep round your neck and pull up when needed. 

My next experiments will be:

• thinner elastic
• stretch material possibly taking the side pieces to form loops which I have seen on the natty face coverings on Grand Prix F1 drivers. Not seen a pattern for it yet.
• Third layer in some sort of interfacing.
• Find a neater way to make the ends flush with the elastic firmly attached. The short bit of overlook is OK to seal but not catch the elastic. Found I had to go back and stitch the elastic down with a straight stitch and it likes jump out of the way from the machine foot!

So what are other people making?  Any shared wisdom?

Still making simple little fabric bags to carry them round in. Leaving some in car and some in each shopping bag or rucksack (for when I cycle locally to the shops) so I will not be without!

Face covering prepare

Made face masks for hubby and I yesterday using the more curved design and elastic round ears type I was surprisingly how short a piece rather than the ties on the original US web site I took it from. Patrick Grant of Great Sewing Bee has the pattern on the BigCounnunitySew site now too labelled as the more complex design!.

Husband insisted I put his name on his too. I made a small bag to pop them into and like they do with scrubs just throw the whole lot in the wash at the end of the day.

Not resolved the glove issue yet.


Now i need to know where the car park and loo are open on the great north Norfolk coast line. Got own tea making things so not too worried about cafe (except I could really do with a bit of that carrot cake at Great Bircham windmill which we pass on the way ........). Sigh.

Gloves

I have been thinking about gloves. I hate the thin disposable ones (shudder, too many genealogical exam thoughts!) and by the time I am half way round the local small supermarket my hands are all sweaty. Then you have got to peel them off and dispose of them properly. Far too many plastic gloves being seen littering the UK.

 But am I ready for  bare hands when out and about? (If I ever leave the house). Then using that gel stuff that is making hands all dry and painful till you get home for another lot of hand washing.

Back in the 1950s my (daft) mother thought it was really posh, and necessary, for us to wear gloves when going out on a Sunday outing. (You can imagine my rebellious 1960s years!) But before running her down was she right?

We were elegant and protected.  Well a bit. Like face coverings in cotton its not going to stop the deadly virus completely. Would still need to wash them after each use and your hands all the time but you may feel better.


Thinking about it there are still patterns out there to make thin cotton gloves and these days we have nice light stretchy fabric. I could reuse all those baby gros and things my grandchildren have given me for recycling.


You can even still buy pairs of 1940/50s gloves on various sites like Etsy.  These were £17!


Hang on. I think there is a pair of my mothers posh cotton gloves around somewhere with her pearls (fake). To the attic!!!!

Click and collect 4 weeks of supermarket shopping

So this week we did our first ever Click and Collect supermarket shop. For 6 years we have had online supermarket drop every 2/3 weeks but since 4 March we have failed to get a delivery booking. We ate our way through the cupboard stores, the freezer and what was on offer locally and saved up all those things we get from supermarkets for the one big effort.

Before we had even left the village we passed an online delivery van from our supermarket (Grrr..) and in the next village we met another one from the alternative (Grrr..). We carried on the 7.5 miles to the start of the arranged hour slightly apprehensive after watching far too many news broadcasts. There was no one there. Literally no one on that side of the supermarket's large car park. Few cars round the other side but no long snaking queue to the entrance. It was 10 am but it was a bitter cold east Anglian wind that morning and hanging about would have been wickedly chilly.

Rang the intercom, followed the instructions to wait in car and a young man wheeled out a mountain of boxes filled with carrier bags. I loaded wearing plastic gloves and we drove away and did the 7.5 miles back with very little traffic.

At home I had set up a table outside the back entrance. So emptied bags on to that, wiped with antiseptic wipes or soapy water depending on packaging and ferried it into the house to sit and dry on a plastic tablecloth which was wiped again at end.

A lot went on to the "store" section for future weeks.

All the fruit and veg was tipped out of the packaging and washed.

So after what felt like a long session, or at least stocking a boat for a transatlantic crossing, I was left with sore hands and one problem.  The 31 plastic carriers that I never usually have.  Felt guilty for throwing away. Felt guilty about keeping. On discussion the next day we decided if they spent 72 hours on the washing line it should be safe enough but we would keep in shed for outside uses.

Not had this much white squares on the washing line since the terry nappy days of the 1970s! (when we often decorate the shrouds of our sail boat with nappies too much to the disgust the Hamble yaughty types)

Too fussy about the shopping?

I am not going to do a supermarket shop again for 4 to 5 weeks thank goodness as it was all a bit much really. Hopefully delivery spots start to open up for regular customers over 70 by then.

New isolation game

Spot the supermarket delivery van!!!

Having failed since March 4th to get any sort of online supermarket delivery or delivery spot we are consumed with interest when one finally passes our windows going somewhere out on the marshes and farmland  bordering The Wash.  Who's out there? Why are they getting stuff? How did they get stuff?



Normally see 2 or 3 a day,; we have seen 1  a week now. One Sains; one Morrisons; one Orcardo.  I am reminded of the years we spent living in the back of beyond in Wales. When ever we left the hills and headed to the border our children played spot an Eddie Stobart lorry - they believed they had reached civilisation when they saw one. 

Did a local supermarket Co=opp shop this week and got the necessary items and some bread flour! But I do think in a week or so I may really, really need to do a lot more.

Meanwhile we are generally enjoying the lack of traffic, the flower packing plant along the road that has 2 or 3 Dutch lorries  a day does not seem to be operating much (they export flowers to EU and supermarket chains)  and the house foundations which react badly to the EU sized lorries have settled down nicely. Unfortunately it is now very dry and warming up so the really, really big ploughs and seeders and potato planting equipment are coming out and giving us a good rumble as they dash past to the next set of fields.

Spending as much time outside as possible. Potatoes have been planted in our veg patch. Built a cage for brassicas capable of keeping out the flock of pigeons. Ate for too much rhubarb to be called good for you. Its very dry not having rained for a good while and there have been fierce cold drying winds too. Three big water butts are empty and waiting for a good shower.

Shopping in lockdown or not

Have not entered any large shops since the 2nd March so I listen and watch the "The Tales of Shopping Hell" and get more concerned about what I may face. My supermarket shopping usually done on line (for 6 years) has been blocked at present and I await improvements in service patiently enough. Though we are in the age range we have not been identified as "at risk" cause we are healthy.

I just logged into Sainsbury's as there was a local facebook page of delivery slots being available. Nothing there. But here is the strange thing; the basket I had left "full" on my account ready had mysteriously gone up nearly £5 in the last few days without any new items being added. Mmm - price rises?

 Local Farm shop doing a delivery tonight so no fresh worries.

I may have hunt down 1. Shampoo and 2. tinned tomatoes fairly soon. Otherwise we are fine!

Here is my panic "sometime soon" lists before the farm shop delivery. Mostly could wait 7 days and a lot 10 days.  next door old chap asked us to get some sausages if we could.

I can make a good list as for the last 4 years I have had a store cupboard master list to work off and every now and then I empty the cupboard and freezer and check we have most or spares.  Yesterday i did an empty and found a kilo of basmati rice I did not know I had in a storage box I do not usually use (must have been too tidy last time round)!! Been on lists all month and definitely none in shops I hear.  Hurrah a win!

Stay safe.

Today's joy

Bright sunshine, hand weeded autumn planted garlic and onions looking neat and healthy, husband volunteered to plant the leeks!

He volunteered as he had the overalls. I stayed on the grass as my gardening jeans are now fashionably (and uncomfortably) ripped right across the knees.  It better be a hot summer soon so I can wear shorts or the best going out jeans are going to get muddy!!