Covid-19 Shielding Diary

A blow by blow account Month 3 -Continues from Month 2

DayDateAction
9215/6Hot weather has returned so full watering required. Completed the Library jigsaw. An afternoon visit to GRFC for a 3 games of singles petanque M 3 me 0. No one else there today. Very heavy shower late afternoon battered the Lily plant and delayed our evening walk. Began search for a Projector.
9114/6A big social day with the visit of Sophie and family to a socially distanced tea in the garden. Relaxed in the evening on the jigsaw.
9013/6M painted the second portrait for the wall, a portrait of Mike. While I did some ironing.
In the afternoon went round to Mike’s to show off our effort (now painted onto 3′ x 4′ board. Sat outside so as to not break his shielding. Agreed the paintings work and we should proceed to the wall. Eveing meal was Chicken Caesar with lettuce from the herbs and greens table.
8912/6An excursion to Homebase to get paint for the new project, 8 £1 tester pots. Impulse bought two garden chairs to help kicj start the economy. In the afternoon went to Waitrose and did a first normal shop since lock down. Painted up the first portrait test using me as the test subject.

8811/6Worked on the configuring Lithium and started new jigsaw, Fed all the plants round the garden and harvested the first bean! Started the new project, The GRFC Petanque sides mural with two prototype portraits.
8710/6Miserable weather for June, 13 degrees and rain. An excursion to Crossways to see M’s brother and brother in law who were fishing at the Campanile lake. Then to a U3A colleague to borrow the projector for a new project and a bit of shopping at a local bakers for poppy seed rolls. A new version of Bunsen labs, Lithium is available so did a download and a test on the older laptop which passed so have gone for an install!
869/6Home grown raspberries for breakfast, hopefully the norm from now on. Made use of mint and coriander herbs in a slouvaki style marinade for chicken , very tasty dinner with flatbreads. M socially distance walked with sister and mother.
858/6Went to Lakeside, TGI’s car park to meet Ian and swap 3 jigsaws. Thanks to Jigsaw Swap UK on FB. A second outing to Waitrose for our Click and Collect grocery order. It is an easy way to shop. A bit of PE admin to round off the day.
847/6A big cleaning morning then after lunch a trip to the tip (by appointment!) to dispose of garden waste. Well organised and safe from contacts. Then three games of singles petanque with M at GRFC. Then the first harvest of raspberries!

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836/6Morning on a video meeting – Petanque England Board meeting. Went very well especially considering there were 4 new members and a new President to come up to speed. Later a thunderstorm! The first rain for a month?
825/6Dropped off a parcel of two jigsaws at the Hermes shop for a swap and then a walk at Ranscombe Farm Nature Reserve a wooded site on the hills above Cuxton. Sent out the Petanque England consultation document to all members.
814/6A rather dismal day weather wise but brightened by the observation of two pink red currents and two pink raspberries! Lettuce is eaten every day and the evening curry was helped with home grown coriander.
803/6Obtained an unwanted compost bin, thanks Josie. Journeyed to visit Daughter her husband and the grandsons with an in garden distancing lunch. Typically the hot weather had broken but we prevailed in fleeces! Sorted some PE membership issues.
792/6Carried out a Bee walk survey this morning, 20 Bumble bees seen but their favourite clover flowers were burnt by the lack of rain. Did a click and collect grocery shop at Waitrose, very quiet there at 1.30pm. M’s mother and sister paid a socially distanced visit in the garden. Updated the PE website with new Board members details.
781/6In the garden, watered all and noticed that the first bean has set and a red current is pink! Made a trip out to Dartford, not busy, M to M&S me to ASDA home for tomato feed.
7731/5Made white bread small tin and a small baguette for lunch. An exploratory walk round the Rede Common nature reserve at Strood was our exercise. Had a socially distanced garden visit with M’s brother who has been in full shielding mode until this week. Joined a Facebook group for Jigsaw swaps.
7630/5Added a minutes page to the Petanque England website followed by the AGM by video which went off OK. In the afternoon went for a walk at Grain Beach and Coastal Park. Lovely sunny location but the howling wind was a challenge.
7529/5A quiet day, finalised the PE Consultation document, did a little bit of work in the garden and then a big watering. Nice schnitzel for dinner with tomato and mozzarella salad that featured our first harvest of home Basil grown from seed. Evening walk as usual.
7428/5Listened to In our Time then to GRFC to finish the weeding. Extracted the AGM proxy data from LoveAdmin and sent it to the President and Secretary for the AGM tomorrow. Attended the virtual AGM of the Royal Institution which used Webinarjam as the platform which worked quite well, 4 presenters and some on line votes which worked! Checked in to the PE Zoom meeting as test for our AGM.
7327/5Listened to More or Less on R4 then did an hour weeding along the side of the Petanque terrain at GRFC. Went to ASDA to get our click and collect order, very smooth no waiting. Then an outing to Paercel Force depot Crayford to drop off a parcel for the Papworth grandchildren.
7226/5Jim al Kalili Life scientific thenan outing to M&S netted some white flour, an orchid for M and a baguette for lunch for me! Am reading David Spiegelhalter’s Art of Statistics.
7125/5A bit of jigsaw action then made bread 3 parts wholemeal 1 part plain flour. An hours walk in the shade through Ashenbank Woods, a full watering of the garden and finished refunding event entry fees.
7024/5A quiet Sunday in lockdown. Pruned the bay tree into a spiral and started a new jigsaw. Planted out the remaining bean seedlings.
6923/5Nice walk before breakfast of cereal and croisant. Watered and tidied in garden protected seedlings from high winds. Started refunding entry fees to Petanque events we have cancelled. A quiet relaxing day a few puzzles and good dinner of gnocci with meatballs.
6822/5Planted out two new bean seedlings. An excursion to Bexley to collect the U3A power supplies after a PAT test then to Springhead garden centre to pick up a lavender and Rosemary plant. Worked on the Petanque consultation paper,
6721/5Took the car to Garage for AC re-gas, welcome relief that it now works. Gave all the plants a feed. Disappointed that yellow spot is appearing on some of the raspberry leaves, will try to limit the spread by removal of the affected leaves. Very pleasant evening walk along the Thames.
6620/5Did the big clean then lunch which featured a cornedbeef and lettuce sandwich with the first leaves harvested from the salad table. In the pm it was a trip to Gravesend RFC to post up the risk assessment and guidance for petanque singles play. A quick game of singles that M won to 9.
6519/5Main event was an excursion to Waitrose at Longfield for our Click and Collect. Quick and efficient, not busy, no problems keeping distances. Too hot to walk until the post prandial perambulation. Watered garden and noted presence of green raspberries and blackberries forming.
6418/5Cheese verdict, mostly tasteless. Very bland, probably because it cane from semi-skimmed milk and thus became a low fat cream cheese that wasn’t creamy just a bit rubbery. Perhaps I should have added some butter to the milk? Had a lovely excursion to Harlow park for a picnic lunch, saw Sophie there and observed S. distancing. Car AC definitely not working.
6317/5A hiccup in the food delivery department has resulted in a “milk glut” so embarked on a bit of cheese making to consume 6 pints.
Queso blanco on the right, queso paprika on the left. Tasting tomorrow. Walked, ice cream in the garden to relax.
6216/5Entering 3rd month of shielding. Attended Petanque England Board meeting by video conference. Recreation today was a walk round Brooklands lakes saw Coots, Canada and Greylag geese with goslings and a pair of Grebes.

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