Blogging from Bridport - Day 1

Day 1

The cast:
Me
The undertaker (husband)
Nearly 90 (mother)
On the ground in France (son)
Office darling (daughter)

At home.

Taking medical and government advice I am at home practising social distancing. I won't say 'stuck' because that's not true. I am merely using common sense, which like the sunshine is in short supply all around us. An immediate member of my family is classed as a 'high risk category', as to my surprise am I, from an illness many years ago, does it still count? I don't know but because of my responsibilities to my 'nearly 90' Mother I'm not prepared to jeopardise her health.

Last weekend I took the difficult decision to cancel my Preloved Pop Up'. This has cost me money not only in sales but booking fees too. I instead chose to stand outside in the fresh air on Saturday and do the Bridport market, at least the other traders could keep an eye on things as I constantly went off to wash my hands, but I'm cancelling that venue too as have other traders, presumably because they have no choice. And furthermore, I'm not going to explain why I had to take this decision because if you don't get it now then you are a sandwich short of a picnic. The amount of people with their head in the sand is astounding. Talking of sand, did you know the beaches in France are now closed? Does that surprise you? Having someone 'on the ground' both in France and Spain they are incredulous that some people are treating this all so lightly. I'm self employed, my husband is on a zero hour contract so we will be affected. I know, I know, he's an undertaker. DON'T even go there, no cracks on 'how you'll be busy' because the truth is its all changing very rapidly and I'm not going to be the one to spell out the nitty gritty.

'On the ground in France' is working at an airport dealing with the customers that are frantic to get home. Despite the winds of change blowing in the air for some time now there are still some that simply had to have their holiday and can't understand why they may be stuck. Gee thanks for giving everyone an extra headache both here and abroad trying to ferry you back. Lets hope when you finally make home soil you've got plenty of holiday snaps to sort through as you go into a 14 day self imposed isolation.

On a lighter note the house is quite tidy. To 'the undertakers' surprise there is a strict routine of clean tea towel/clean hand towel every single day. Is it sluttish not to have done this before?

We're down to four loo rolls from a pack I bought weeks ago (cross my heart) If 'the undertaker' sees a pack in the supermarket he has told me quite firmly he's buying them. I disagreed and replied that 'we should only buy them as and when necessary'. What fun it is to agree to disagree. What fun lies ahead as we all distance ourselves socially...

'Nearly 90' is being massively stoic and responsible as I knew she would. Sadly 'the undertaker' has the headache of an elderly couple still in denial. 'Can't help you there' I tell him cheerfully...

Wow. 'Office darling' has just sent me a message. The office is closed to the general public but they are available by phone/internet should anyone have any pressing enquiries. (Fair enough) Where she works is TOP SECRET (OBVS) but I can report that people are banging on the door and shouting for them to open. WTF?

The two love birds (collar doves) have returned to the garden fence and are oblivious to all this commotion as they do their little pre mating routine of strutting backwards and forwards. I watch them for a while before I go back to chatting to people online that I haven't heard from or spoken to in ages. We all have more time for these luxuries. Its a way of showing we care.

More time to think too and realise that how you treat others now is what you will be remembered for.