Anti Dementors Party with Patronii

[LilacTree1]

Are you out there, my lovelies?

185 new cases in Wales yesterday.

I had a good go at a covidiot last night, my new name for a dementor, who thinks she can cower in her bunker and come out blinking in the sun late October or when it’s ‘safe’ and have a walk along the prom and finish off with fish and chips.

No love, that’s not going to happen, the businesses will be long gone if we don’t support them now. They are desperate for trAde. Our beach area looks it’s best it’s ever done in decades. I’m so proud of it.
Yet the stay at home covidiots were out in full force, begging for the car parks not to be opened with no thought of how vulnerable people and mums with pushchairs could get safely out of their cars.
So mean spirited. Bet none of them have businesses either.

My Dd called into A cafe after her beach run yesterday. The owner has built up a really good business Pre lockdown and my dd said she sounded very down. She was thinking of ways to trade while keeping people safe
We might go down shortly, although it’s getting on a bit.
That’s how it is here . The day is starting later and later.

Yes, every day is a bank holiday and today is a miserable grey, windy one.

UK deaths today.

16 deaths in Scotland Northern Ireland 1, Wales 6, England 157 = 180

The care home figures will of course push this up.

@justasking111 wow I hadn’t seen the figures for today yet!

I’m getting myself all tangled up worrying about part time schooling. NS set this out in her phases the other day, I am already on flexible working at work (community nursing) and DH works away a lot (this won’t change) how on earth can I plan if it’s so many days in or different years in different weeks? I have 3 DC all of different ages and year groups! My off duty’s are done months in advance

‘Warning! This bench has not been sanitised. Do not share this bench with anyone except a member of your household’.‘

How STUPID is that?! I mean, nobody is going to think the bench HAS been sanitised, right? Who on earth comes up with this stuff?!

Just back from Dunelm... not a single pack of elastic to be had. There goes my mask sewing fun.

My mum has been asking for 'knicker elastic' for the last two weeks. Only she actually uses it for her knickers .When I told her it was probably out of stock due to mask-making she went silent for a minute and then said "Oh well, I suppose it doesn't matter if my drawers fall down in my own house"

I ordered some from Amazon in the end. Just so she can maintain her modesty indoors.

Thanks everyone, for the kind and positive messages. I know from everything I've been told how far leukaemia treatments have come in the last 20 years and how the outcomes are so much better. And I know that for a previously healthy person in their early 30s, the odds are good. I'm feeling a bit better, both emotionally and physically, now.

I don't know if I mentioned previously, but our DC went to stay with their grandparents (my in laws) in Cornwall while I was having the first lot of treatment. It was a bit much for everyone, they needed a bit of time out from it all, and we were worried that DH might get the virus while I was in treatment and who would look after them in that scenario. But grandpa is bringing them back (by car) on Monday. It's going to be so amazing to see them again "in the flesh" although we have done lots of facetime and so on. Apparently both DD1 and DD2 have shot up and they had to get new clothes from M&S (apparently, it is now open again?). I owe my PiL a lot!

DH has been put on online learning provision duties for the rest of the school year, so he will be wfh, but we decided that DC should go to school on 1 June. The school is happy to have all three of them, even though DDs are Y2 and 3 (DS is Reception). They qualify as key worker children anyway, and the school didn't mind about the shielding issue as long as we put in writing that we understand the risk and are happy with the school's precautions.

Next week we're just going to be getting everything set up. I'm just not having my kids imprisoned inside because of me shielding. Nor DH, for that matter! So we're planning everything - coats, shoes, scooters stay on the landing outside, hand washing, no sharing cutlery and toiletries and towels between me and the others, change out of uniform when they get in from school. And I think this is what is reasonable to do. We're also going to have to do a bit of expectation management about how unwell I'm going to be during treatment weeks - so that they don't get too worried or scared. But that's also why I think that it is better for them to be in school.

I also need to get some kind of easy recipe book for DH. Because he Does Not Cook and I think ideally the kids shouldn't live on chips and ice cream. But I am (if I say so myself!) quite good at cooking and I usually just make it up as I go along. I'm trying to think of things he could do: pasta with pesto? Salads? Frozen things and steamed / sauté / braised veg? I usually do a lot of "Indochine" type dishes but I fear it is going to be beyond him! Any ideas and suggestions welcome, to prevent my children getting scurvy.

So, lots to do and lots to think about! And I am waffling - sorry...

A few weeks ago, there was a fascinating thread about mystery illnesses over the winter that had a lot of overlaps with Covid 19 symptoms. There was a disproportionate resonse from the SW which is interesting given their data over the last few months of low cases, no real spike, and R rates being quite low so not particularly susecptible.

DS (9) was really ill (by his standards) a couple of weeks before Christmas. Came over exhausted. Slept and slept and slept. Had a fever and was sweating so much I had to check if he'd weed the bed due to the size of the puddle he was sleeping in. Rallied a bit after a few days. Crashed a day later. Glands came up to the extent that I began reading up on mumps. Tried to get hold of the GP but gave up after getting the engaged tone 35+ times. Began to get basic functional energy back a week after it started. He normally has 99-100% attendence. He didn't really have any energy until the other side of Christmas, and it's only in the last couple of months that he's really got as fit as he was beforehand. DS2 went down tired around the same time and ended up coming home with me after doing his nativity when he dissolved into exhausted tears. We were coughy/ coldy around that time, but DS1 clearly had something more potent, whatever it was.

"Oh well, I suppose it doesn't matter if my drawers fall down in my own house"

Jourdain, I really admire your positive, pragmatic approach.
Going to school will be very positive for your DCs. When I had a tough phase as a child, burying myself in normality as a distraction was very helpful.

Has anyone seen the various articles on why Japan have done so well in this crisis? They are an island population of 126 million so extremely populated and a better comparison than Sweden. Japan's state of emergency wasn't a strict lockdown with many businesses staying open throughout, see article here www.google.co.uk/amp/s/m.economictimes.com/news/international/world-news/did-japan-just-beat-the-virus-without-lockdowns-or-mass-testing/amp_articleshow/75911339.cms

No restrictions were placed on residents’ movements, and businesses from restaurants to hairdressers stayed open. No high-tech apps that tracked people’s movements were deployed. The country doesn’t have a center for disease control. And even as nations were exhorted to “test, test, test,” Japan has tested just 0.2% of its population -- one of the lowest rates among developed countries.

ZERO cases in the Highlands in the last week-ZERO. And yet it will still be deemed unsafe for children to attend school normally in 3 MONTHS time.

@SomewhereEast - I think I had something COVID like Easter 2019. Awful cough, fever and lost my sense of smell for about 3 months. Who knows??

@Allnamesaregone that’s ridiculous. We are the same in my area, no new cases in well over a week now! 2nd wave in July unlikely to happen now either according to work and are now putting figures forward for September

Sorry to correct myself (since I can’t edit) no NEW cases.

Not sure if this has been posted but a little link for my fellow frustrated welshies

www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/tourist-towns-butchered-says-coronavirus-18218608

1 in 3 adults at risk of being made redundant in my home town.

It's okay for me as I'm NHS but apart from friends who are nurses, every single person I know works in tourism/hospitality in the area. I've tried speaking gently to my best friend about her looking for something clerical in nhs or the emergency services but she is steadfastly waiting for October when 'everything will go back to normal'.
Genuinely worried for her.

The hunky Spanish PM has announced that Spain will be open to foreign tourists from July. The 'you're never going to get on an airplane again so get used to a caravan in LLandudno if you're lucky' gang will be enraged!

english.elpais.com/politics/2020-05-23/spanish-pm-foreign-tourists-will-be-able-to-return-to-spain-from-july.html

IcedPurple that upsets me as bloody Ryanair have just cancelled our flights to Spain in July 😭

That's an interesting article about Japan.

My first thought was they are much healthier - better diet, low obesity levels etc. But I always thought they were a nation of heavy smokers?

@Lollyneenah this is my area, oh the irony the dementors on FB are in full flow in the Gwynedd area, the stay away brigade who barrack tourists are in full flow, some not very polite either. My DS has been laid off in the hospitality field, no chance to earn the money he anticipated before going back to uni.

Also ironic the second worst hit place being Cornwall where there is also much criticism.

But can't you rebook? My brother had his flight from Spain cancelled last week but managed to rebook to a different date, although it was slightly more expensive.

Of course, the PM's statement is pretty vague and it's possible Brits may not be among the 'approved' nationalities. Though given that more Brits holiday in Spain than any other nationality, hopefully that won't be the case and Brits will be welcome. There will probably be restrictions in hotels and resorts, but still, this is welcome news and the 'Forget any holidays for the foreseeable' types will be terribly disappointed.

IcedPurple There was an equally positive Italian minister on Radio 4 this morning, so I'm now feeling slightly optimistic about my rescheduled week in Rome in October. My original plan (for April) was a week by myself in a little studio flat, but I'm now really bored with my own company, so I will see if an equally single and bored friend is free...

IcedPurple yeah but that’s the only time DH can get off work. There aren’t any other flights available within his dates that we can find at the moment. Will keep looking though.

Yes, Italy is opening up its borders in June. And Greece is particularly keen to welcome tourists too. Rome in Oct sounds fantastic, and while it's impossible to predict how things will be by then, I'd say you have reason to be cautiously optimistic.

And I know what you mean about being bored with your own company. I'm pretty self-sufficient and love travelling alone, but after months of sitting in my flat, I'd probably welcome some company too!

We’re going to stay with IL’s anyway so no worries about resorts or anything being open.

We were supposed to be flying to greece today. Rebooked for august. Back in march when we had to change it I posted on here it made me feel sad.
I got abused like you wouldn't believe. One of my biggest bugbears is being shamed for feeling bad about missing my holiday. Well, I do. I miss my friends and family terribly and I want to relax and have fun with my family. Anyone got a beef with that now can suck my balls.