DAY 13 - NEGATIVE finally!

What a looooong week!!

It's taken until today, day 13 to see a negative test result!

I still feel a bit congested/coldy but am definitely on the mend!

As you know Sam tested positive same day as me but was negative quickly, so wasn't having to isolate for so long. Poor Sophie tested positive on Sunday but she too tested negative quite quickly so was free, unlike their mother!!! It's felt a real slog! Great timing in a way as the weather has been awful and ....

....the tiler was still willing to come and start work on the hall.

Bless him, he's nearly 80 but has rocked up every morning at 8am, been supplied with copious cups of tea and sung away to himself in a very well ventilated space (blumin freezing) with the front door wide open!!

And he's made excellent progress. 

It's quite a bold choice and as you know, I've spent hours deliberating on my tile choice but I'm really happy with it. Will look better once the stair carpet comes up and we decide what to do with it, leave natural, paint, have a runner??? still lots of work to do and decisions to be made.

He's got to come back on Monday and finish the loo and bit by the kitchen door and then once grouted he'll be done and it'll be up to me to get decorating!

Obviously with the tiler here and me having Covid, I've had to keep my distance. Finally on Friday, day 12, I left him for an hour and went out for a much needed walk around the block. I'd not been out for 13 days!!! Such a small thing to do but it felt so good to get some fresh air and exercise.

The weather over the past two days has been sunny and dry, much needed. 
I've swapped everything around on the dresser, brought in some sunshiny yellow. Easter isn't for another 7 weeks, it's really late this year, so although I use these to decorate for Easter, an early arrival is most welcome.

What isn't welcome, is the war in Ukraine. The news is frightening and my heart goes out to the people of Ukraine who find themselves in this terrible, needless war and to those Russian people who do not want war. It must be the most frightening of times and is so hard to watch feeling so helpless. 

Anyway I'm off for a quick walk. It's back to work for me on Sunday (tomorrow) and it's plinth change, so I'm in for the next 4 days, back with a bump after 2 weeks off but then from next week, I start my new hours and will have most Tuesday's free. More time to paint the hallway!! 

Half term wash out!

So what a week! 

Valentines Monday morning.....

....and an unexpected gift of a positive test! 

Poor Sophie!!! Our few days together, ended up with her keeping her distance from me up in her room. Couldn't even give her a hug goodbye! She's tested negative every day, so heading back to Uni on Thursday! 5 weeks until the Easter hols!

Poor Jeff hasn't had much of a half term break, not being able to really go anywhere. He always finds something to do though and has been doing bits out in the garden, under my direction!!!!

The weather hasn't been on our side either.....

....storm Eunice arrived on Friday morning. 

We were in the Red Zone, with 90mph winds forecast. We didn't fair too badly, the recycling unit at the side of the house came off the worst, sheared in half! Our neighbours fence came down and a couple of their roof tiles, narrowly missing the car!! The church spire in Wells came down, 4 lives lost across the country, 122mph winds recorded off the Needles!! 

It's now Sunday morning. I should be at work but......

.....I'm still testing positive! (Day 7)

I do still feel heady, and my sinuses still hurt. 

Poor Sophie has just sent a message, she's now tested positive and Sam who tested positive the same time as me (although up in Cardiff) is now testing negative. Just Jeff to go!

Thankfully our tiler is still happy to start work on Monday! I can keep out of his way and the hallway is easily ventilated. It will be wonderful to get that job ticked off and as I'm enforced to stay at home until at least Thursday, if I continue to test positive, I can at least be around. Although Boris is making an announcement tomorrow which may end isolation!!

So not the week we had planned.

We had considered flights to Barcelona back in January but Sophie said she'd be coming home, so thankfully we didn't do anything more about it. In a way I'm glad to have got it over and done with, ticked that box, move on! Obviously I know you can get it again but it's not been as bad as so many others had in the beginning, for which I'm thankful. Definitely Omicron symptoms, a bad heady cold, feel washed out, can still taste and smell but in 'normal' times I would have still gone to work, soldiered on, not wanting to let people down!

Anyway, we had a food delivery last night. Got enough there to keep us going until Thursday, all the veg and the biggest cauliflower ever!! I think one of the worse things has been not being able to come and go as you please! I take just going out for a walk as a given, nipping to the supermarket.... I've been lucky that Jeff can still do errands, not like at the beginning, when he would have had to isolate too and I've had lots of offers from friends, asking if I need anything. It's just you can't do it yourself!!

Still am on the final countdown, freedom on Thursday! x

Tested POSITIVE!!

 It had to happen eventually I guess.....

....on Monday morning I did a test and it was positive!!!

Sinus pain, headache, pain behind my eyes, generally feel washed out!

So after 2 years of working in a supermarket, not having to isolate once or have time off for my jabs, I've tested positive!! Have been banished to my corner of the kitchen and been thrusted a mask to wear when anyone else is in the room. Jeff was poorly last week and tested daily but was negative, end of term rundown!?! or secret Covid Carrier!!!!! Poor Sophie is keeping her distance. She's heading back to Uni tomorrow, we feel we've given it enough time to manifest, should she have got it the same time as me!! and completely by chance it would seem Sam has tested positive too!!

I guess it had to happen eventually x

Half term top up!

The rarest of Sundays off and it's cold, grey, miserable and peeing it down outside. 

So no long walk, just a slow day at home, doing nothing specific!

I worked my normal Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and an extra shift on Wednesday.  

Worth being in early to witness this fabulous sunrise.

Took myself off to the woods on Thursday, for some much needed fresh air, peace and calm.

Spotted more fabulous Scarlet Elf Cups.

Friday was Pay Day! and I treated myself to a couple of new cushions to brighten up a few corners. We now get a 15% discount for 5 days, every pay day, so worth taking advantage of it. I'd 'spotted' them earlier on in the week, so went with the notion ' if they're meant to be, they'll still be there on Friday!!' and they were!

Got back and met up with the tiler to check our sample was okay, had an early lunch then just a couple of free hours before Di came over to cut our hair. So I just went over to Ham Wall for a couple of hours of peace, time to walk, think, just soak up the calm surroundings.

Met the friendliest of robins whilst out. Pretty sure he'd of eaten from my hand, had I had any food. He stuck around for ages, so was able to get some good shots....

...possibly the best of the bunch!

So Friday night Sophie came home for a few days, her Reading Week. 

We headed off to Bristol early Saturday morning. 

A bit of shopping, a lovely lunch at The Stable and tickets to see Waitress!

FINALLY!!! we got to see Waitress! 

Booked these tickets on 21st of February 2020, just before Covid was a 'thing'!! 

Rescheduled for 13th March '21, then the 3rd July '21 and finally February '22, third time lucky!!

 It was worth the wait, fabulous show and Matt Willis as Dr Pomatter didn't disappoint!

Had a couple of my photos shared over the weekend by BBCWest and igerssomersetuk, always nice to get a little recognition, as there are 1000's of wonderful photo's shared every single day!!

So, today is Sunday. Normally I'd be out of the house by 8am with a full 8hr shift ahead of me. Have the rarest of Sundays off and the weather is awful, so it's a day at home doing nothing. Enjoyed a treat breakfast of leftover panettone, been waiting for Sophie to be home to cut into it. 

So whilst Sophie and I were out enjoying ourselves yesterday in Bristol, Jeff was hard at work at home, lifting up the old carpet in the hallway. The tiler has availability, so we're ordering the tiles today, clearing the space and hopefully in the next few weeks, will have a beautifully tiled hallway! No excuses then for me to get on with the rest of it!!

AWARD Winner!!

So my week started off as normal, work on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, 

only was asked to attend a meeting on Monday with my Manager in Bristol.........

........all a bit vague but assumed it was to do with my role as the Great Place to Work colleague. 

Anyway.....I only went and won an Award!!! 

For my positive contribution to our store, making it a better place for colleagues and customers and for all the extra bits I do, which didn't go unnoticed!! Wow!! totally surprised but thankful to my colleagues and managers for nominating me x

Still on cloud nine from the previous day, we welcomed in the month of February.

I don't really like January, find it a slog, a hard month to get through but it actually wasn't so bad. 

Let's hope February springs along in the same way.

I went out walking on Wednesday, a 4 mile mile circular route over by Burrows Mump. I've been up to the top of the Mump once with Sam but never walked around it and it was a good walk.

Right place, right time!

On Thursday I walked with my friend Lynn and again, we did a walk I'd not done before, a 4 mile walk around the back of Glastonbury Tor. I look out at the Tor every single day but rarely go up it, so we parked up at Middlewick farm and explored.

Views from the top.

My last tile sample has arrived for the hallway and I think it may be the one!

Friday, was a stay at home day. I got all the bedding washed and out on the line to dry, did all the house jobs that needed doing, met with a friend for coffee. A much needed low key day.

Then today, after a slow, lazy start, I did make myself go out for a walk, 

when I realised I won't get out again until next Thursday.

Spotted on my walk, a beautiful bank of crocuses.....

....snowdrops....

....daffodils.....

....bleating lambs.

And my favourite tree!

So it's back to work tomorrow, Monday, Tuesday and an extra shift on Wednesday, as it's Plinth change. Then Sophie comes home on Friday for Reading Week. Really? Where are the weeks going? I know I've only just 'pinched and punched' and welcomed in the month of February but blink, and it will be March! I have two days off, only working the Monday that week, as it's also Jeff's half term. Have a couple of things penciled in but the majority will have to be decided nearer the time, dependent on the weather.