Friday 21 August 2020


Trepidation, anger and hope

It has been quite a surreal time over the last four or five months, a mixture of trepidation, anger and hope.
Trepidation because my SIL, sister-in-law, is one of those people caught up in the high risk category as she had a liver transplant a few years ago.
We did not see her for four months, even though she lives just 30 miles away in the east of the county. We may have been sensible over this time but were still not willing to take the risk.
However, since restrictions were eased a while back we have met up at our respective homes a few times – always socially distanced, using our own mugs and plates and even separate toilets (we are lucky to have more than one). But also with a sense of trepidation as she is still at greater risk than the rest of us.
The anger comes from seeing many people who seem to think they are exempt from the general guidelines about keeping two metres (or is one metre?) apart, wearing a mask whenever out and about and generally thinking of no-one but themselves. Whatever has happened to community spirit and respect?
The hope comes from the fact that this dreadful pandemic will eventually be over and the risks diminished as people realise we are all in this together and need to act responsibly.

Thursday 13 August 2020

That Nostradamus has got nothing on me
It seems I am something of a 21st century Nostradamus. Now my reader may think that is a bold, and possibly outrageous, statement but I have the proof.
Some years ago a friend, and former business partner, suggested I start a blog as “you have a unique and humorous way of writing”.
Assuming that was a compliment I started to put my random and rambling thoughts in writing.
All I needed was a catchy title. But I just couldn’t think of anything.
Then BIL, my brother-in-law, told me that I needed to get out more after what I thought was a stimulating and terribly interesting chat about pros and cons of various brands of wood stain. Yes, really.
That was a lightbulb moment and I Don’t Get Out Much was born.
And here I am, five months after the initial COVID-19 lockdown, not getting out much. Told you so.