So today is Friday 10th July and we have to wear masks in shops so thought it’s share a few reminders I’ve seen on FB 🤣
This makes me think of my poor mum! I have 2 masks heading to her today direct from Oceanside Designs. My goddaughter Zoë, who I’ve not seen since she was a wee girl I’m ashamed to say… is making masks for COVID-19. I can think of times when this would have been VERY tempting… 😷🤭🙄
Pups ready for their early walk It’s the loveliest morning! We picked a new field todayCalaidh just wants to sniff and eat grass!It’s summer for 5 mins! A tree in Reek Street that I liked! They are so bored that I was stopping to take another photo that they don’t even look at me 🤣🤣I actually smiled taking this!!! Been a strange day out and about wearing this. I know we need to but it’s harder to hear people when you can’t see them speak…. yeah I know how crazy that sounds but you know what I mean!
Oh and good news I am finally getting my eyebrows done on 24th July… that poor girl is gonna have her work cut out for her…. and I’ve just thought that through and reckon it’s gonna hurt me WAY more than it’s gonna hurt her 😳😳😳
So Auntie Jac popped down today and we went to the little gift shop in Beith as she has some pressies she wanted to get, so lovely to see Gayle in her mask and us in our masks and we had to shout to hear each other!! Should have taken some pics… but I didn’t!
Then drove over to Largs for a wee wander but it got awfy cold awfy fast and started to rain… we were both wearing flip flops so not the best… hung about in Abbie the camper for a wee while then went to the Co-op to get sandwiches and into Costa for a takeaway coffee. We found a wee isolated bench and had our lunch.
Screens in Costa around the tills…. it’s the same everywhere but I find it really sad. It’s like we are shutting away from each other. I know that we need to but it’s sadPretending it’s warm enough to sit out! My first ferry sighting in months!! Still love a CalMac Ferry! Can you tell I like a daisy in my pictures 🙄We then took Abbie down to Tartan Campers to see about the conversion work we’re getting quoted Couldn’t get Abbie in the shot so you have to make do with me. Tartan Campers hire fleet 🏴
Had a great wee chat and got to see the Skyline pop top roof which is the one they recommend . Jac tried to get me a job spec’ing camper vans 🤦🏻♀️🤣🤣 not a bad shout to be fair…. 🤭🤣
Absolutely no more 9-5, do you think you can get paid for camping in your van?!?!?! 🤔🤭🤣I think this is a true reflection of the last few day’s… My reminder to keep plodding along, every step in the right direction…
Had a good few Pawsitive Solutions calls to make this afternoon when I got back although couldn’t get a few folk on the phone. My anxiety loves this it feeds on the “when should I call the person back”…. I’ve actually been pretty anxious all day so going to take the weekend to focus on having a good chill out. Been a busy week again.
I’ve been tired for so long…. 🥱100% So many of you have done this for me this week. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I have some amazing family and friends xxx
Yeah the day was never going to start the best as I woke up to the self flagellation of why did I drink wine last night, why did I think I needed it, what good did it do me??? Over and over (and then some).
Went out a walk with wee Rachel and Leo from next door. Was lovely and warm in the sun. A few pics to follow…. surprise, surprise!! Beautiful girlThere’s a stone in here somewhere!!Rachel took Leo and Freya and I had Bhruic & Calaidh
When I got home I threw myself into some housework to keep my mind off things…. I scrubbed and cleaned and hoovered almost like it was a punishment for my losing control last night.
I don’t handle drink well these days and I have to control myself on a daily basis not to touch the stuff… always said I would be totally honest in this blog… I could scoot past it and pretend it never happened but then I don’t learn anything from it. The rosé wine was talking to me since we stocked the pub fridges on Sunday in preparation for it opening. A nice pale rosé was always my thing on a sunny day. I thought about buying one from the pub on Sunday but didn’t and it was in my head all week. After all this time of not drinking wine, what made actually reach for it…..
A desire to be the same as everyone else. A desire to fit in, not to be different. A desire to be “normal”.
I’m jealous of others that they don’t need the self control that I do. It’s hard work being In control 24/7. All the reasons why I stay off it are long gone at that point. The wine witch is telling me it will all be ok and I can just have one. One wee glass. I can never stop after one glass, one becomes two and two becomes four. Thankfully that’s all I have but I don’t remember much after the third glass, I come home and try to start an argument in an empty room. I don’t try…. I do and I keep going and going and going.
I am not that person anymore.
And yet last night I was.
I had a emotional freedom tapping call at 3 today and as you can imagine it frees my emotions for a good hour and 15 mins….. We worked on a “Fear of being imperfect” today and boy did that hit a spot. I set myself some pretty high targets, sometimes unattainable targets so I fail to hit them on a regular basis.
The work I’ve done in the last year and a half is to learn that I am enough. I may be imperfect but that’s ok as we all have our own imperfections that make us who we are.
So end of I’m moving on…. in COVID news there’s been a further announcement in lockdown easing today in Scotland.
Up with the larks this morning…. coffee, shower and out to Beith Trust for volunteering with Abbie the camper van!
Had a lovely volunteering day… everyone was so in need of a good chat and I’m only more than happy to oblige! I took one lady some jam sachets that she wanted and she was so chuffed she tried to kiss and hug me and I had to say “you realise you can’t do that” which I was really sad about. She was so chuffed and took my hand and I knew what she meant. That made me smile as my Nana always said “she took me by the hand…” miss my Nana who died a few years back.
One lovely man almost had me in tears as he wanted to donate to Beith Trust and have a a huge donation while I was delivering his food…. he said “I want you to know I don’t need charity” I told him “this is not charity, this is us helping you as you can’t go to the shops right now as it’s not safe with the virus around”. He still gave me a cheque for a huge amount of money which was for his holiday that got cancelled for this year. What a lovely, lovely gesture from a lovely man. Made me feel very humble.
Home at about 1.30 and had lunch in the glorious sunshine… was so nice to feel some heat in the sun. Then Craig decided that he had some work to do on the Jeep… that is usually grounds for divorce in our house but I had my best behaviour on…. chief helper….if that’s even English…. 🤔🤷🏻♀️😆
Surprise delivery from Jeepey…. wonder if it’s parts for my VW?!? 🤦🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️😆The old plate got taken off and left the dust of the JKS that was on the plate that covered the old wheel carriers… I had to clean that with baby wipes…. 🤪😊Brackets ready for removal Bhru thought she’d come out to show support in the family Jeep work! New spare wheel carrier bracket work in progress Oh my word there are clouds gathering…… The new really heavy and supportive bracket!!!
All ready to go just waiting on the tyre carrier – boy done well and girl took good photos…. 🤔The sky looks so ominous…. the rain is coming! We popped into the pub next door for the first time since it opened! Cider for Craig and Alcohol free Kopparberg for me. Then the heavens opened so we moved under the canopy to stay dry, it was still fairly warmAnd then I ordered a glass of rosé wine.
So this needs investigating… I stopped drinking on 2nd January 2019 and never planned to give it up for good but actually found that my quality of life was so much better without it.
When the pubs closed on Friday 20th March I had wine that night and only showed myself why I didn’t drink. I didn’t like the taste, didn’t like the way it made me feel blah blah…. ever since we helped stock the pub the other day the wine witch has been calling to me…. telling me I can just have one and it will be fine. I’d even said to Craig if we go to the pub and I say I want wine, don’t let me have it. That’s not fair to put on him as I told him last night that one would be just fine…. then I’d just have a wee second glass.
I just wanted to be the same as everyone else… I guess it’s a fear of missing out? Why can everyone else have alcohol and I can’t?
Yet… again this morning I know why I can’t… I don’t want to be the person it turns me into. It goes into my system so fast that I don’t remember everything that happens. I lost my glasses last night and couldn’t find them anywhere (this morning… turns out they were still in the van!) so I couldn’t see to write this properly even although it was already half way through.
So yeah let’s put it into perspective. I had wine last night and I don’t like how it makes me feel… It reminds me of who I used to be and I am working hard to have a better quality of life than that….end of. I might need to work hard today to stop the self flagellation…. 😔
Had to set an alarm today…. 😳 up and out sharp to the cash and carry with Holly. The pubs first day open yesterday went really well and everyone obeyed the booking and social distancing rules.
3 pubs down south had to close already as they’ve tested positive for COVID-19.
The cash and carry was quiet today and no one wearing face masks yet but antibac spray to clean your hands and the trolleys at the entrance. Still great to have the van to shove everything in. Doesn’t take long to wheech around! Then we headed to Asda as I had to have potatoes with cheese for dinner last night as we had nothing decent in. 🤦🏻♀️😳😬 (my mum will be saying…. awwww Jul as she reads this…. !!? I know…. will be better today…. I promise!) So food shop done for the week and didn’t even really have to think about it! Need to start eating proper meals again. I’ve been tired with all this out of the comfort zone stuff so prefer just to eat chocolate or crisps…. need to get the finger out and cook!!
😔I am resting and waiting for the energy to settle… I feel less lazy when I read stuff like this! 😆I am really working at this. I have more on every day than I have had in the last 18 months… it’s nothing compared to what I used to do when I was working but I’m just taking each day as it comes and it being too hard on myselfPopped back into the pub so Holly could compose a post for the Gateside Inn – fully booked for food already this weekend! It was lovely and sunny when I took the photos and now it’s raining again!!! Scottish weather 4 seasons in one day!! I think this a fantastic summation of my life just now. Everything is new to me since I was made redundant… that stopping doing something old has really been the making of me… she says in a very wee voice 🤔😆Need to wear masks out in public from 9th July. I understand why but it does take a bit of getting used to. I think we all knew this but covered in Sky news today Sad to hear my cousins in Melbourne have gone into a strict lockdown due to 191 cases in Victoria yesterday. The border with New South Wales is closedSad to see that Brazil didn’t take Covid-19 seriously and are learning the hard wayI realise this is a huge debate and not one that is going to go away easily…. it suggests that at least 75% of the population would have to be vaccinated for it to be enough of a success. Going to be more tough times to come I guess. Found this on FB- food for thought….Going to need to show some of this in the coming months as we all start to disagree with each other… Kindness is so importantShe is me.
So, so lovely to see some sunshine again today after that incessant rain! Lockdown in the sun seems less restrictive and more enjoyable. Two washing’s done and hung outside and lovely to hear voices back in the beer garden of the pub next door after all this time! It seems to have been a very calm and sedate return so far. Not that our village pub is ever a riot and if it is we are usually in the middle of it.
Had a very productive morning today looking up all things camper van and trying to narrow down some of the equipment I’m going to go for. Phoned a good few companies to discuss their products to try and narrow it down. May have made a wee spreadsheet of comparison costs etc, forgotten how much I love a wee spreadsheet!
I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned before but making phone calls had become really difficult for me. Since I’d been off sick and hiding in my wee bubble, I’ve found it really difficult to connect with the outside world preferring text over phone calls so that I could think about what I wanted to say and rewrite it a million times before I sent it! So even calling camper van places feels like an achievement for me! Not to mention the 3 calls I made for Pawsitive Solutions today!!!
I’m proud to say Craig is out working the first job that I booked for him at this very moment. #proudmoment 🤦🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️😆
So back to the camper, I’ve ordered a plain wood u shaped lounge seating configuration for us to fit. Should be available in a maximum of 4-5 weeks. The lady on the phone was so lovely it made me really glad I’d decided to go with them!
There’s a drawer system that slides out to allow access from outside true van so thought this would be great for hiking boots & wellies
So at least that’s a start and we have somewhere to sleep and something storage. So much easier than having to build it ourselves but so much cheaper than getting it all laminated. We’ll just have to ensure it’s all protected. So we can paint it or paint wash over it or decoupage?!? 😬 I can almost visualise Craig’s face when he reads decoupage!!) 🤢🤔😬🙄
Dog walk in the sunshine was lovely today. It’s very windy but that’s just great for drying the clothes on the line… jeez how old do I sound?!? Calaidh desperately trying to pretend she’s not with us…. Must be interesting?!Freya puppy in the buttercups! 🌼🌼🌼The burn’s gone back down a lot They had a great run around and it was so lovely that it wasn’t pouring and miserable! Just had to take a pic of the same thistle as I passed it! Wish there was a thistle emoji!!
So I’m not gonna lie I sat down in Grans chair in the sun room and out the recliner up and sat and had a lovely chill with the pups. We all had an hours’ snooze!
Then back out walking again with Claire after she finished work. Went on the roads as I didn’t have the dogs. It’s getting a bit too busy now to walk at the side of the road at 5pm do note to selves not to do that again… Passed this lovely old barn…. my taking a photo was more a catch your breath moment than anything else 🤦🏻♀️😬😆We did also pass some big cows that were just about to get moved back into the farmBeautiful skies again… have so missed the sun!
Honestly the pains in my legs from walking is unreal, I’m sitting now with the bag-of-frozen-sweetcorn-that-shall-not-be-eaten under my right ankle and loving it to my left knee once it get too cold. I’m 47 going on 87 I reckon!!! Need to stop eating our sugar and I did fess up to Claire that I’ve only had chocolate today…. 🙄
As I said, Scotland has allowed beer gardens and outdoor cafes to open from today and I can hear the unusual drum of conversation coming from next door. Everyone has to book by phone before they can reserve a table so people can’t just drop in as they only have 5 tables outside to fill. It’s a big change for us as the village has been so quiet for so long but it’s lovely for our neighbours to get some custom again.
Scotland have 9 new cases confirmed today but we remain at 2,488 deaths. Nicola sturgeon hopes she can confirm phase 3 of lockdown easing this week. The UK stands at 44,220 deaths today.
Thought this was a good indicator that we should still stay at home as much as we canThe Bournemouth beach goers and Soho pub drinkers who have taken risks…I need to remind myself of this as I still concern myself what other people think… ❤️
Off to make a dinner of some real food that’s not just chocolate….. 😬😆
A lazy morning with coffee and breakfast as we had to be in the pub next door to help our neighbour set up for the beer garden opening tomorrow. All Covid-19 restrictions have to be in place so Craig helped measure out the tables in the beer garden to make sure they were all 2m apart. Of the 6 tables they had they could only make 5 fit in with the required guidelines.
I posted on the Gateside Inn FB page to tell everyone they could start phoning to book tables. No one can just turn up now as there’s not enough space. The pub needs to allocate table for up to 3 hours to a clean down of the table before the next people come in. The entrance will be through the beer garden door.
We moved all the tables between the back door and the toilets so that people can pass each other with plenty space but only one person can be in the toilets at any one time.
It’s really sad that so much is changing but it had to be adhered to to ensure the virus doesn’t spread.
The following photos show the amazing job I did stacking up the crisps and nuts 🤣🤣🤣I obviously don’t get out much 🤦🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️😆 Given that I’m alcohol free I thought I’d better not post photos of all the booze. I did get the fridges all stocked up while Craig sorted everything out in the cellar storage and Holly did all the important stuff with the kegs.
G
I read this morning that a top scientist guy said that the British government is opening things up to try and manage the virus to specific numbers. He said that Downing Streets policy was to try and “maintain” the current 3,000 new cases a day rate. However this means an excess 27,000 people will die before April as a result. What a decision to make. What a gamble…. those 27,000 people are alive right now. I know that’s obvious but just think about that…..
Many of the drunken scenes were totally disrespectful to the NHS last night. People crowded into pubs and a top police chief said they had dealt with naked men, angry drunks, happy drunks then more angry drunks, arrests etc. These huge gatherings are putting way more pressure on the NHS after asking all these key workers to put their lives on the line to deal with the first wave just so “we” can have a good time.
Just shocking…
The World Health Organisation have reported a huge increase in cases across the world…. 212,326 new cases in one day. The States are seeing around 50-52K a day…
And this news is terrifying….. Donald Trump is putting the United States at risk big time.
In much nicer news we helped Craig’s mum celebrate her lockdown birthday! We went back up to theirs and sat out in the gazebo bar again and this time Craig’s brother Stuart and his wife Lee were there too! I’ll just as in a whole bunch of photos as we had a lovely time. Was great to see them all but it’s now 22.18 and I’m one tired girl!!! Happy birthday to my lovely mawlaw!
Pups first time in Abbie the camper but they just won’t pose nicely 🤦🏻♀️😆Back in oor wee corner in the gazebo! Stuart and Lee brought treats!! Lotsa puppy love for treats! Birthday outside in the rain but we kept pretty dry when the heavens openedThe outdoor bar!Calaidh found a safe place to hide when the rain came on!Check wee Willow! She is a gorgeous wee giant fluff ball! Love this pic of Craig with all the tri-coloured dogs! A chihuahua in his arms, Border Collie under the seat and a Sheltie at his feet! Willow posing with Cookie!Bhru steals Calaidh’s cornerAstrid the Sheltie watching Bhru getting patsAstrid plants a perfect soaking wet paw on Craig’s jeans!Astrid on Cookie’s cushion with Willow wanting a shotAstrid moves and Willow’s straight in there!!!Bhru and Freya just desperate to play outsideDifficult to get everyone in the pic while socially distanced! Yet for Calaidh it’s still all about the ball! Helen and Doug the in laws!Cookie chilling with Auntie LeeJust about to head homePups readyNot loving the pose in the back of Abbie the camper8/10 for this one pups!Astrid and Willow ready for the off
We had a lovely day helping our lovely neighbours and seeing the Avery/Jamieson’s today. it’s not 22.43 and I’m ready for bed now!
The torrential rain finally stopped last night and you’d have been forgiven for thinking the twilight sky was an indication it had been a lovely day. I sat at the back door listening to the birds tweeting and watching the clouds clears out 9.30pm. A lovely wee moment while the dogs had a wander. It’s times like that that mean a lot more to me now.
I managed a good 12 hour sleep last night and could have slept all day and it’s only the back of 2 so far! Mr Avery, on the other hand, had a lovely wee night to himself coming through to bed at about 4 am and he was back up again at 8! I did wake up at 3.03am and heard some political debate on the tv, Boris Johnson blah blah blah-in’ away as only he can do 😳 the stuff of nightmares! 🤦🏻♀️😱🤣 someone is gonna crash later 🤣🤣🤣 (hmmm it’s now 6.30pm and he’s still going strong….)
Just like the ducks!!I took part in this today. A lovely session with 3 lovely ladies learning how to banish our allergies. Look forward to trying it out when my hay fever is bad. So lovely of Shelagh to run this for nothing!
The Scottish government have now relaxed the 5 mile limit for leisure travel so I’ll be looking forward to a wee trip to the coast when the weather lifts a bit.
Of course….we free up lockdown restrictions and the weather takes a turn back to wet and cold!
Outdoor hospitality will open back up on Monday 6th July with the Gateside Inn opening next door! Holly has released the following announcement:
People need to book to get space in the beer garden and may lose their slots if the weather is dreadful – everyone is going to have to chill out and take it as it comes to allow the pub to keep people safe.Locals up north are worrying about the tourists coming back and that’s understandable with the littering and overcrowding we’ve seen as rules relaxed down south
I know what we’re like living on a main road. We’ve enjoyed the light traffic, our village has felt like it belonged to just us and it’s been lovely. I can’t imagine dreading the influx of tourists in camper vans taking over again…. I know I’ve just got one….. 😬😆 I’ll be different….. 🚐🖤😊 I read that Skye are nervous as to who’s going to open up first as the locals might blame them for bringing COVID-19 back to the island. It’s a tough time for everyone as those of us who have been stuck at home for so long are desperate to get away but I know a lot of us realise that this is still too early.
The Camping & Caravanning club sites have opened today but only to self contained units as the toilet blocks are not open yet. Loch Lomond and the Trossachs have asked people to wait until around the 17th and Glencoe have asked visitors to be mindful of locals and the local area.
Pubs opened in England today 😳🥺😣I may have shared this yesterday but no wonder… first day back at work and there’s a huge queue outside desperate to get in. No chance to ease in gently!! Nuff said…. This did make me laugh!!! Foreign travel has also opened up. The countries in red are exempt from the 2 week quarantine when you come homeSo while all this crazy stuff is going on I’m sitting with my feet up in front of the fire planning the camper van interior and he really just chilling!This is very true but I think it’s taken lockdown for me to realise that facing the triggers head on is actually helping. It can be terrifying and exhausting and has been this week but I am dealing with it and working through it. A huge trigger for me, what will everyone think, what should I do, what should I not do?? I want a camper van and I don’t really know exactly why but I’m doing it for me and it all feels right🤦🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️😆 uh huh…. yip…. that’s me… 😬Now here’s a confession…. I have always wanted to just fit in, never wanted to be different…. and yet now, hell yeah. I am me and I might not be like everyone else and that’s ok. I am kinda liking the way I’m turning out 😄
We’ve spent the afternoon watching the Goonies as Craig was incensed earlier in the week when he found out I hadn’t seen it!!! It was really good and his wee face was a picture with all the iconic lines.
It came about as he stumbled on an amazing YouTube show with Josh Gadd called Reunited Apart. In line with Covid-19 restrictions he pulls together actors from old movies and talks about the making of the film in a zoom call style. So far we’ve watched The Lord of the Rings 💍, Ghostbusters 👻, Splash 🧜🏻♀️, Goonies (obviously) Back to the Future and Ferris Beuller’s Day Off!!
Highly recommend it! What a trip down memory lane and wonderful to hear the sentiment from all the actors in these strange time. What a great idea!
Someone has new plates fitted!! They actually say OVERLAND AND BORDERS at the bottom! Love it!
So we’re off to decide on this evening’s viewing…. how many movies, box sets, tv etc have we watched during lockdown?!?!? Pure hunners. Staying in is the new going out and I love it!!!
💯days eh?! Which means I have written a blog every day for 92 days as I only started on what we recorded as our day 8. I see others saying we’re already up to 103/104 etc but this is when we calculated it at the time and rather than stress that my whole blog is worthless and rubbish the new me is choosing to keep going as is. It’s our day 100. Mine and Craigie’s and Calaidh’s and Bhruic’s and Freya’s….. forgive the poor English 🤦🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️😬 but you know what I mean.
If anyone had told you, 100 days ago, that our lives were going to change in a way we could never begin to imagine, we just wouldn’t have believed it. A world where we could stand right next to anyone and touch anyone (with reason obvs!) and we literally hugged people we didn’t even know. We didn’t have a care in the world when it came to that kind of stuff. Yeah we turned out noses up at folk not washing their hands after going to the loo etc but we screwed up our face and moved on. We survived.
Now we have an unseen killer. A virus that can spread among us through touch, can survive on surfaces and pass to others and we can’t see it. We have no idea where it’s lurking and worst of all, people can have it and not even know they are infected. It’s the stuff of horror movies!!
We watched every virus movie while we’ve been stuck home and the truth is actually terrifying. We watched these in the past thinking they were just that… far fetched thrillers. We had no idea.
So 100 days ago, we finally realised how serious this was and Craig stopped work and we stayed home to save lives, to help stop the transmission of COVID-19. We “sheltered in place” as they said in America. We only left the house for dog walks and food shopping for months.
It feels like a time for reflection…. what have we learned in this 100 days? Apart from the fact that the rainbow is a sign of hope 🌈❤️
We’ve learned that family and being together is everything. We’ve been given a special gift to spend time with each other but we’ve also been told that we can’t see other family members or friends that have been a part of our daily lives. We’ve seen a community spirit that was always there in Gateside but growing in a way we would never have imagined. That old war time share and share alike. I’ve bartered with rice and milk and sugar… there’s been a lot of sugar passing over fences. We’ve made the best of the lockdown life we’ve been given. Generations ago our grandparents etc were sent to war, we were told to stay home and watch tv, I mean how lucky are we?
The material things in life have become irrelevant. Even with all the money and possessions in the world you still had to stay home. Businesses are realising people can work from home without the world ending and it will reduce their overheads and the carbon footprint of their staff.
We have learned to appreciate the present. To live in the moment as everything else is too uncertain. Everyone is living on the same terms. 🌍
Personally we’ve learned to appreciate each other again and communicate clearly as we have had time to spend together. We can see what makes the other tick, what triggers and argument and we can stop it in its tracks with a laugh or a shrug of the shoulders saying here we go again. Through writing this I have expressed my daily feelings in a way that shows how erratic they are, how quick they are to flare up to anxious, fever pitch but most importantly how virtually none of it is Craig’s fault. He doesn’t have to second guess everything. He can just read it if he didn’t already know it. 🤣🤣🤣
I have learned to slow down, to watch the world move on through different eyes. To watch my handsome husband and smile realising he’s mine, to walk 3 Border Collies without them pulling on the lead, to value the endless movie nights, the takeaways and the connections with others. I hope that the world will be a better place as a result.
However, we have to remember that we have been untouched by this deadly virus. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. We are very lucky.
Worldwide stats
The UK have lost 44,131 souls to COVID-19 officially but there is evidence that the number of excess deaths for this year far exceeds that. Scotland stands at 2,488 people so far.
England is seeing a surge in new cases, particularly in London where the R rate is creeping above 1. For everyone one person infected at least one other person catches it. There seemed no doubt this would be the case as the amount of protests and large gatherings threw people together at a time when we were still meant to be 2m apart. It’s easy for me to sit here smugly and be happy that our lockdown isn’t as loose as England’s, that our government is being more strict.
Localised restrictions in Dumfries and Galloway now tooI’ve read today that Boris has urged people not to think of Saturday as Super Saturday as we need to still be careful and make sure that we protect each other by not spreading the virus. Yet apparently pubs can open at 6am….. several chains are planning to open just after this. Maybe it just because I don’t drink anymore that this seems so crazy to me?!?
I am nervous of normal returning as I had stepped back from normal for a good year or so. This is my new normal and I love it!!
I did not love the weather today!! It has stoated down all day… absolutely soaked on the dog walk again. This is where the dogs usually play and Craig day over the other side of the burn. Bhru stuck her tongue in it to take a drink but didn’t go any closer. Same at this but! It’s like they are on a life raft together 🤣Phone got soaked every time I took a pic!Drookit pup #1 wouldn’t stop playing with the stick long enough! Check the coos behind her under that tree… miserable!Drookit pup #2Drookit pup #3 always happy regardless of the weather… 😬😆Bhru’s telling Calaidh Reek St is flooded Did manage to see some beauty in the dreich day!Thistles in the rain
It’s all about how you look at it… I was walking along thinking this is miserable, cold and wet, must be crazy being out in this when I saw a neighbour in Reek Street and he said “good weather for ducks!” 🦆🦆🦆🦆🦆🦆🦆🦆🦆🦆🦆🦆🦆🦆🦆🦆🦆🦆🦆 that really made me smile as I’ve not heard that in years!! Splashed through all the puddles in my wellies from then on! 😆
And I wonder why my house isn’t a palace?!? Check these 3…. how many sopping wet dogs can you fit on a couch?! Least I put their dog robes on!! Unlike some people 😬🤣
Came home from dog walk and did a poop scoop as I was soaked anyway…. thought it would be a good idea to do it before the bins go out. Got the grey bin ready and took it round the front…. it’s Friday…. grey bin doesn’t go out until Tuesday……. wtf 🤦🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️🤣🤣🤣 my brain is frazzled today as it’s been such a busy week. Not busy in the sense of how busy I used to be… but very busy for me. I did another 2 Pawsitive Solution calls today… the first was dreadful… it was like putting the wheelie bin out 4 days early! Nothing flowed…. but the second was great.
This is what I have to put up with…. 🥰😆🎾🐶
So now I am wrapped in my crocheted blanket with my feet up in front of the fire. I plan not to move until bedtime!
Thanks again to everyone for sticking with this everyday. It means a lot!
Stay safe everyone ❤️💜❤️ here’s to the next 100 days and who knows what they might bring?!? X
As I near my day 100 of Scottish lockdown for coronavirus I’m conscious that lots of people seem to have other counts. We took it from when Craig couldn’t go out to work any more and it seemed like the first day or lockdown for us! Anyhoo…
Lovely way to start the day!Guess where I went?? The Little Coffee Caravan as I’m heading up to Auntie Jac’s for a wee day out before her birthday tomorrow. A wee oat latte for the drive and some Blondies to take up with me!And we’ve arrived in Kennet! Jac has the most amazing sea thistles, outs haven’t bloomed yet. Must be warmer up north!I got to have a look round their TWO camper vans to get some ideas. Was great to see the pop top roof in real life. We went to Culross for a wee walk. Made her pose! I stood in the middle of a rail track for the first time in lockdown 🤣🤣🤣Culross Pier❤️Socially distanced Selfie! This was the best of a bad bunch of photos… must only take face shots from now on!!🤦🏻♀️🤣We found a lovely wee beachy bit and it was warm so sat and watched the sea float by for a bit… see the stones to the left… we walked over there and they got covered sooooo fast!!Sat on a rock… the tide was coming in pretty fast and we both got wet feet getting back to the beach!!Some wee thistlesSome real thistles!Someone photo bombed my thistles!! A wee boat!Would love to have explored this bit far too many nettles for my legs!! Popped into the community garden, it’s beautiful 🌺🌺🌺 Still think this looks like we went abroad??!?Just been repainted by a kid and his mum Used to have a rose bush like this in East Kilbride 🌹🌹🌹Can’t rmbr what this was calledThen had a wee walk through the village
Then we went back to Jac’s for lunch as the cafe in Culross just looked too busy and freaked me out a bit… corona-wise! Had a wee seat in the sun before heading out to Asda and B&M Stores for a wee wander. The shops were surprisingly quiet which was nice. Maybe because it was warm?
M’auntie and m’uncle, just before I left! Love this photo!
Had the loveliest wee day! Such a treat to see the sea and the sun!
So tonight was the last of the village deliveries for the pub as the beer garden opens back up on Monday so a slightly more normal service is resumed. I was late!!! Didn’t get home until about a good half hour after they started 😬🤣 I’ve really enjoyed being a part of their food delivery service and they have cheered up lockdown for so many people. Holly’s meals every Thursday night….. wow!!
While I was in between deliveries I booked my first Pawsitive Solutions job for Craig next week!!!!! Have made 6 or 7 calls so far (lost count!) and that’s the first one to call back and book. So had to find out the process to be followed while trying to juggle deliveries. My multitasking took a hammering!
Me & Leo (the pub dog) – he says I’m his favourite… not Craig… he’s very clear on that! Then Kenny steals his dog back and shows actually he is the favourite
So an end of a coronavirus wee mini era tonight with the last delivery done but it’s 22.43 and I’m still writing this… it’s been the craziest busy week so far but that’s ok. A wee day off tomorrow maybe?! Not looked at coronavirus updates today as no time sorry will catch back tmro. Night all! Xx
You don’t need to read this anymore as it’s all in the title….. 😆 I’m kidding of course there will be a million more witticisms for you to look forward too… 😉🤣
I have a feeling this was written when we could grant ourselves all our hearts desires but the sentiment still stands with the caveat of “as long as you stay safe!” 🌈So enjoy July to the full while keeping at least one highland coo between you and the next man!
Coffee and the last of the Banana bread to start the day while Craig and I talked all things camper van…. it seems to be a lovely morning so shorts on ready for Beith Trust food deliveries. Out at 10 and got Abbie filled up ready to go… such a difference having the space in the van rather than trying to put in all in the Beetle 🚗🤣
Had 9 deliveries this week and reversed and drove around country lanes like a pro…. I’m still surprised that the size of the van doesn’t bother me. It is so easy to drive!! Love love love!! Managed to get a pic of her out working! Only 2 tractors and a huge trailer to negotiate around here… in reverse!
So had my usual lovely chats and there a good few now that I look forward to catching up with. They all live alone and are shielding and can’t get out of the house so it’s really nice to take a bit of time and chat about what’s been going on. One lady gave me another book to read!
She found it in the house this week and thought I might like to read it. She’s my local historian!!
Was out for over 3 hours today as one of the addresses was wrong but had a lovely chat with a man in the wrong house! Then had to drive out to Kilbirnie for the correct one. So all good, taking it in my stride now and enjoying the catch up with people. Yet again the heavens opened just before my last 2 deliveries. The sky had gone black and the rain pelted down. So my shorts and T-shirt combo wasn’t the best but at least there was less to get soaked! A wee drowned rat made the last 2 deliveries then off to the Post Office and finally to the little gift shop!!
I did ask Gayle if I could take her photo and she’ll kill me as she has her eyes shut (just pretend they are open!!) but she looked amazing and it was sooooo good to see her after all this time! (I only took one pic…. not like me I know Craig!)
The shop has been really busy since she opened on Monday. She has loads of new stock but says that so much of it has gone already. I’m so pleased for her! Another few folk came in while we were gabbing and said they were so pleased she was back.
She had the new plexi glass screen around the till and this to meet you at the door. Anything you want you can have to make you feel more secure. She has set up a one way system so you end up at the till. Main display table! Full of lovely, lovely stuff!!I hope I did this today. ❤️💜All day!I realise this more and more every day. I am working on this too!And this takes time… a whole lotta time. My fear of failure still jumps to the front of everything but I have to remember that I am enough. The things I do are enough. If I speak my truth I will be calm… Starting a wee bit of work this week is probably the thing I’m most afraid of. Was meant to have a training call today but was so shattered when I came in. I’ve done A WHOLE LOTTA TALKING these last few days and all way, way, way out my current comfort zone. The old me talked all the time… the new me likes a bit of silence and alone time. (I can hear some of you cheering and thinking yeah, when will the silence kick in?!?)I needed a moment…. settled down on the couch after a quite bite of lunch and managed the best 2 hour nana nap!!!! Out for the count! Check the Calaidh pup sprawled on out the other couch while Bhru and Freya were with me! Craig walked them today as the heavens opened and they were all dripping wet when they got home! I only know this as there were big puddles everywhere and the dogs were still soaking when I got home an hour later!!
So I forgot to tell you a wee drama that came to light yesterday morning…. remember Craig was cleaning on Monday when we went crazy and did the whole house. Well… Craig is very thorough when he cleans. He’s really good but he can be pretty ruthless…. everything is moved, put away, not always in the right place, maybe just a random space he found but that’s ok as his cleaning is exceptional. Oh and he does use really good tea towels sometimes but again, he gets a good finish so shouldn’t complain.
He’d bought me two new iPhone charger cables for the van which I hadn’t fitted yet so I did a quick hunt of the house on Tuesday morning when I left for the cash and carry…. no sign… not unusual as they would be surplus to Craig’s cleaning requirements so would be stashed somewhere safe. Went back into the room to say bye and as he was awake I asked if he’d seen them…. no… maybe in the basket of surplus stuff he’d taken into the office… I checked… nope not there…. I hear the voice shouting “Eh Jules……. (🤦🏻♀️) were they still in the amazon box?” Eh yeah………… “hmmmmm I think I might have burnt them” he says. 😳
Burnt them. In the fire. Gone. Brand new. Oops. The old me would have been horrified at the waste… the new me… laughed and shrugged my shoulders. The right person did it. Asked him today if he’s ordered replacements. Yes. Good. DO NOT BURN THEM THIS TIME!!!! 😘
Another giggle this week has been the very-cheap-in-the-sale-coz-of-bashed-box handheld hoover for the van….. it’s a Ryobi which is apparently “a good one” as my Nana would say! Gets it home and needs a Ryobi battery pack for it to work but as it’s a good one it’s worth getting.
Battery comes, it’s a big one but it’s “a good one”…. how do you charge it?!? Hmmmmm it needs a Ryobi battery charger!!!!!! 🤦🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️ honestly. Craig said yeah had no idea when we got such a great deal I’d spend more on everything else than I did on the hoover….. it’s done now and I will use it to rid Abbie of every little Border Collie hair I can find!! (Wish me luck!)
In COVID news today, Scotland saw one more death taking us to 2,486 with another 8 new confirmed cases taking us to a total of 18,259 cases in total.
The total UK numbers show an increase in cases week on week with 176 deaths yesterday taking us to 43,906 in total. Leicester is still on a local lockdown due to a spike in cases over the last week there.
The US is still suffering from increased cases and hasn’t yet come out of the first wave. Oh and they seem to have bought up all stocks of the Ebola drug remdesivir which means that UK and Europe won’t have access to stocks until October. Maybe be a bit better if the world worked together on vaccines?!? Just saying…. 🌈
They are warning that we need to be very careful in winter if there’s still no vaccine. Could be scare mongering but worth being aware of.
The Rambling Sloth 🦥 