Lockdown: The Story So Far...

The first three days haven't been too shabby, all things considered. I've been up at 5 am for the last three mornings, and watched the sun rise over the mountains. We have had glorious sunshine and temperatures that would make our summers weep. We have heard the sound of lawnmowers, radios playing in the gardens, children playing in their gardens. My daughter has sat out with books she has been meaning to read since she was a kid, my son has grabbed a beach towel, and gone to sunbathe in the garden.

We moved a new wardrobe into Ryan's room and went through all his old clothes. I washed, dried and ironed all the stuff by today, and it's now in a bag, waiting, ready for donation. When that will be, I don't know, but it's done. Sorted out some old bedding, so we have plenty of new decorating sheets. The whole house needs decorating again, and ordinarily I would just crack on, but for now, I'm trying to take it easy. The last thing I need is my house pulled to my head, and we can't do the back and forth, back and forth to hardware stores like we usually need to when we decorate. We may have paint left that would do some rooms, just to freshen them up.

I washed all the sofa covers and cushion covers and line dried them. Mr G made his famous meat and potato pie. I know this isn't SW friendly, but I think we all needed it. It was his meal pre SW. The one thing he could cook for the family, the one thing that everyone would eat and enjoy, no questions asked. Now, his repertoire is ever increasing, he's becoming the proper little chef, and he is good too, make no bones about that. He is good, just needs to build his confidence in the kitchen. That comes with time, and practice.

It was proper comfort food though, and I think we all needed to be comforted. He needed to cook it for us and we needed to eat it. That shred of familiarity. Plus, it used up nearly all of the sack of crap potatoes we had, that go with the water.

We are making a concerted effort now not to waste food. We were so bloody privileged, so complacent in our old lives, weren't we? Shoving food on top of food in our fridges, cupboards and freezers, finding things that had gone out of date weeks later. So, I am being mindful of everything. All meat that comes in the house is being portioned out and frozen. The meal plans are being planned thinking of things such as salad, so that it gets used up on consecutive days - because it doesn't keep well. I'm keeping an eagle eye on dates of perishables; bacon, eggs, milk, yogurt etc, and stock rotating them or using them up as needed. All those years in grocery retail are paying off now!

I'm trying to cook meals that I know or hope at least some of the children will enjoy with us, because it's easier to cook a recipe that feeds four and stretch it to five with extra carbs and veg or salad, than it is to cook something for Mr G and myself and then potentially three separate things for the kids. Like the last two nights, two Two Chubby Cubs recipes, the Arroz con Pollo, which we tried for the first time, and their Pasta Bake. Nice to only have to cook one meal, two nights on the trot.

Arroz con Pollo

Bacon, Mushroom and Jalapeno pasta bake

Mr G is now officially a Furloughed Worker. His employers are paying 100% of his contracted hours, and we are so relieved. They really are a fantastic company to work for, and have made this worrying time a lot easier for us to try and get through.

We stood on our front doorstep earlier to applaud the NHS. My children joined us too. The neighbours were out in force, and we could hear people in the adjoining streets, cars were tooting their horns, it was amazing to hear, and I hope they all do realise just how much they are valued and appreciated, not only now, but always.

 Still not panicking, but still very afraid, and very tired right now...