Testing times
Happy days here. Slowly, things are starting to happen. Toes are dipped in the water and there’s the promise of a return to, well, almost normal. I like to keep track of how things are, for I know that I’ll look back in the hope of remembering what life was like here in September 2021. Hopefully, I can capture that sense of guarded relief we’re feeling; the cautious but slightly more relaxed approach we share, albeit with the occasional sharp reminder that we’re not out of the woods yet.
My WI met last Thursday evening. It wasn’t quite our first get together in person - you may recall, that happened at Gatcombe Park in June, following the invitation from HRH The Princess Royal. This was our first regular second-Thursday-in-the-month meeting though, even if it didn’t happen in our usual meeting place. So yes, another example of “nearly there, but not quite…” Anyway, a couple from the local Hedgehog hospital came to talk and I wish I’d paid a bit more attention because yesterday morning, for the first time ever, I saw a hedgehog in our drive as I set off for my swim. It was dark and it was only when the round “thing” began to shuffle off that I recognised what it was. I can remember what not to do anyway - no bread and milk!
Another sign of increased confidence came in the form of another local show. Upton St Leonards Gardening Club have been holding an annual show for many years and I’m always delighted to be invited to judge their craft section. In common with almost every other similar event, last year’s show was cancelled but I sensed a determination when the date was announced and sure enough, last Saturday saw a great reward for all the hard work that had gone into the organisation: A good number of entries and, as I noted in my report, they were of a high standard, too.
On Monday, my Hero met Jane, our friend from Florida when she arrived at Heathrow. On her way to join a tour of Ireland, she’d accepted our invitation to spend a couple of days here and before her arrival my Hero kept up to speed with the testing requirements. We’d learned a little from Jan and Dave, who had been through all of this last week, so websites like this became familiar reading and the air was tinged with slight anxiety. Would Jane’s Day 2 test arrive in time and most importantly, would it deliver the result she - we all - wanted? Was that all she needed to do?
It wasn’t exactly a piece of cake, for a variety of reasons, but we sealed up the package and dropped it into the post on our way to Daylesford, where a new garden department had the most beautiful Autumn displays to take our mind off the wait for a result!
Every “ping” of her phone made each of us jump until the green topped message arrived with the good news that prompted a sigh of relief all round - this is one time when “negative” is great! The blue skies and bright sunshine that accompanied our visit to Blenheim Palace was indicative of our mood then - happy days in the company of good friends, relaxed and for the first time anywhere for quite some time, we didn’t even need to pre-book our visit.
We said our goodbyes at Heathrow and Jane went off to Ireland, with three or four more tests there on her schedule in the next couple of weeks. Travel is not for the faint of heart right now!
When my Hero woke with the symptoms of a cold though, there was nothing for it….the box was cracked open and a test was taken.
Negative. (phew) A second one done the following day also returned a negative result. Phew again.
It’s how life is these days, isn’t it? A slight anxiety accompanies any minor symptom or other. Is it a side effect of getting back out and about again after so long? Do we need to rebuild our own resilience and become used to getting on with life again?
Thankfully, I had the perfect excuse to take it easy for a couple of afternoons. One lovely attraction at Upton St Leonards Gardening Club show is a fabulous bookstall.
Am I the last person to read this?
