Catherine lives on her own in Harlow with three cats. Being alone is a new thing for her; her husband, Bruce, died last October. Adjusting to widowhood and Lockdown is a Big Ask. Her daughter plays a huge part in her life, as do longstanding friends and those she has met more recently in a couple of clubs she has joined since Bruce’s death. Catherine knows how to keep in touch with people and she does this with enthusiasm. Her diary, here, is written by hand and posted to me because she doesn’t haven’t the technology to send it online. She is looking forward to a ‘Flash Phone’ when Lockdown is over; the ability to send and receive photographs would be a real bonus although I’m not sure the world would want to see the cobwebs under her kitchen units………….
The tea towel I have chosen picks up the theme of Catherine’s Blog1
14 April 2020
Last night I attempted to cut my toenails as I can’t get to the chiropodist. I tried with the kitchen scissors but the nails are so hard hard so tried to file them instead!
Also can’t get to the hairdresser. My hair is starting to ‘fray’ round the ears and neck. It will be sticking up soon. I will probably do what I did years ago and resort to cellotaping it, though painful to remove it does work.
Up early this morning to post two letters to Barbara and two competitions to Norwich; the prize money we are going to win will be for Afternoon Tea at Claridges, arriving in a huge limo.
I am helping Christine with the crossword questions out of the Daily Telegraph. It’s quite funny having three-way calls between Christine and Barbara. I once asked Beatrice (Barbara’s mother, Catherine’s sister) if we could play Scrabble by telephone; she said “Yes, why not?”. It didn’t materialise but I can’t look back (that has to have been more than 30 years ago).
I found a Nutrabullet in my cupboard and have revived it; it took more than half an hour to remember how to use it! Now I have healthy fruit drinks. The ‘Mandolin’ I found only manages to slice onions so I am sending it to ‘Mandolin’ Heaven.
17 April 2020
Oh please, oh please someone help me!! I thought I could see a light at the end of my freezer drawer. Of course, I am talking about Brussel Sprouts, thinking there was one small bag left. My daughter informed me this morning that she had popped another bag of frozen sprouts in my vegetable delivery. I think my skin is getting a greenish tinge! How many sprouts can one eat?
I have ordered my thyroid medication from Boots; they were very helpful (more than I can say about the Doctors). It will take 7 to 10 days but I am happy I managed to do it.
Everything now is routine under Lockdown: get up, feed everyone (the cats), wash up, shower, dress, combing Tilly and Tinker, do cat trays. I try to get up later now, then the day is not so long. Every day do something different: dusting, hoovering, washing. Highlights of the day: phone calls from Amanda, Sue, Christine, sometimes Wendy and Vivienne. Anna calls every week; she is making bags to put scrubs in for the NHS.
The biggest part of my day is deciding on meals. My fridge and freezer are well-stocked thanks to Amanda and her deliveries. So well fed am I! Bruce would have laughed at the fruit I’ve got (I’m not good at eating fruit); that is why I put it in the Nutrabullet. Bruce loved fruit.
I seem to be getting through a lot of Fairy Liquid with all this washing up I’m doing.
P.S: At the end of this Lockdown, I shall be obese!!
It’s funny, so many people I have spoken to are worried about (a) their hair, their grey hairs and their roots (b) the biggest problem of the day being what to eat, not because they haven’t got enough food but because it’s boring always having this as the centre of the day and (c) how many more fruits and veg they have been eating. All I want is a big bar of Fruit and Nut!
Virtual Tea Towel Museum 