Staying Home

Thank you for all the lovely comments on my previous post. More than ever I appreciate the connection with everyone in this wonderful blogging community. Long may it continue.

With work and the usual school day on hold for the time being, life has taken a very different turn. I have been trying to keep to some sort of a routine, although this isn't always adhered to when I don't have any time constraints. It's a very strange feeling.

Most mornings we've completed around two hours of school work. This includes spelling practice, reading, writing and maths, followed by some topic work. It's surprising how much can be covered in a short space of time and it leaves our afternoons free to play in the garden and to go for a walk.

Now that the weather has improved, the garden is looking so much better. The grass has had it's first proper cut of the year and the soil has been dug over. Unfortunately, there's only so much work I can do until I can get to a garden centre, but Lily and I have managed to sow some sweet peas, spinach, tomatoes and sunflowers. There is still carrot and beetroot to go in, but this really should wait until I can get hold of some more netting to keep any cats off. I've also weeded and swept the driveway, no longer having the excuse of not having enough time. Until this last week I never knew how much I would come to value this outdoor space and, although it's lacking in colour at the moment, I'm just so grateful that Lily is able to play out, enjoy her swing and even ride her bike along the driveway.

The supermarket now appears to have most things in stock and on my last visit I was able to get everything we needed, even flour! The staff there are doing an amazing job and manage to keep smiling, even while working in very difficult circumstances, so I'm very grateful for  them. It's been a great comfort to me being able to bake once again and even more comfort in being able to eat the results. I've made Weetabix cake and some bread so far. 😁 There's a new cake recipe I want to have a try at baking this week but I need some oranges which I don't have in at the moment, so it will just have to wait until my next shop. I'm taking care to be more organised with my shopping lists and I know to add an extra carton of milk to the list in future, so that I can avoid having to go any more often than is absolutely necessary.

Most afternoons we've enjoyed a walk along the riverbank and not surprisingly it's a little busier than usual down there. Still, there is plenty of space for people to pass each other at a safe distance, although, with Lily often waving a stick around, we're usually given a wide berth anyway.
Stay well.
J. X