6 February

Managed to get most of my steps done before gym class because Jonathon felt well enough to get up early and wait for a couple of deliveries which was great with rain forecast for later in the day.

Collected our takeaway (cook at home) from the Orpington - lasagne for today and mac 'n' cheese for tomorrow - tasty as always.

Mum's asked me to design something "footbally" for her to knit so I've conjured up a football pitch because I decided to try and keep it relatively simple. She's also asked for something "golfy" so I'll have a think about that once I'm happy with the footie one.

Day 2 of steroids and Jonathon says he feels better than he did a few days ago so we're hoping the improvement continues. The only downside so far is his inability to get to sleep at night but he's had a nap in his chair this afternoon so caught up a bit.

7 February

The snow finally arrived having been threatened a few times with no sign of it. It snowed almost all day and settled a little bit but not enough to cause any problems. There's more forecast for the rest of the week so let's see. Thankfully we have enough logs, coal (smokeless) etc. to keep the fires burning should it get very chilly.

Jonathon seems a bit stronger today. He managed to shave himself at the bathroom basin which is a great achievement. Still needs a chair for the shower but can get in and out more easily. There's a definite improvement in the last couple of days but he's probably not as better as he thinks he is so I have to keep reminding him to focus and not try to do too much. Easier said than done!

Joined the on-line church service after body pump then popped to Tesco for some bits and my paper. That's as far as I went today so very few steps - the lowest for a long time. Hopefully, tomorrow will be a better day so I can get out more.

Had the usual Skype call with Mum and Dad but there didn't seem to be any news. Alison FaceTime called for a chat with Jonathon. Nicola called for a chat, again no news. Hardly surprising as nobody is allowed to go anywhere or do anything.

Spoke to Christine. Her Mum is quite poorly. She's in hospital, has had shingles recently, her legs are covered in ulcers etc. Every time she goes into hospital, Christine wonders if it will be her last but so far she's rallied round (she's 91).

Oli had the best idea and has slept inside most of the day.

8 February

Woke up to find snow still on the ground. Did a few jobs and checked round the garden to make sure all OK. The pond filter is still running but very slowly. Hope it will still work when the weather turns even colder in the next couple of days.

Tesco has a special offer on Jonathon's coffee so went there to get a few jars but that's the only place I visited today. I still managed to do my 10k steps by prowling round the garden late afternoon. Seems I wasn't the only one as there are lots of paw and foot prints around. The foxes have been around most of the day and the birds have flitted in and out (one of my jobs this morning was to refill all their feeders and try and do something with the bird baths that had frozen solid. The water in the water butts is frozen solid so I can't use any water from them. It's forecast to rise above 0C on Wednesday (to a sultry 1C) so it's not too long to wait.

Had the usual Zoom call with Gilda. Her next door neightbour's son has had a heart attack and was dealt with very well by the NHS. Comforting to know that emergencies can and will be dealt with as they arise.

Nigel confirmed I was expected / invited to attend the Webinar on Wednesday so I now have the joining instructions for that. A nice surprise in that it doesn't start until 12.30 p.m. for 1 p.m. UK time whereas I thought it was going to be an all day thing.

9 February

First job - early bodypump class with Shreena then Tesco for paper and a few bits and pieces. Jonathon's coffee is on offer at the moment so I bring a few jars home whenever I go there - hope they don't think I'm panic buying!

I went to the Orpington to collect my takeaway lunch (Jonathon was eating up leftovers) and decided to go via Priory Gardens for my little walk. I was delighted to see seven Egyptian Geese goslings. We must have gone a full circle now because there were goslings when I started this Lockdown diary! I also popped into Rymans to get some new graph paper to draw the aforementioned football pitch to send to Mum.

Christine let me know her Mum is now on end of life care and is being moved from York hospital back to her nursing home where she will be taken very good care of.

Carole phoned for a quick chat which was nice. It's so good to be able to report that Jonathon appears to have turned a corner and is now showing improvement rather than the weeks we had when he was getting worse on a daily basis.

10 February

Did a pilates class before I set off for a very icy walk today. Watched the sun break through in Poverest Park; admired the blue sky as I walked alongside the River Cray and loved how beautiful Priory Gardens looked in the winter sunshine. Didn't see the goslings today but I was probably too early for them - they should have been tucked up in their nest with their parents.

Jonathon slept better last night so just his tummy and swollen feet to address now but he is so much better with more ability to toddle around (not quite walking yet) and potter a bit. He's now on a much lower dose of steroids so hopefully they'll continue to help him on his road to recovery.

I had to work this afternoon! pbb holds an annual conference / off-site for the team I'm still officailly attached to and it was in the form of a Webinar this year (rather than in Munich) for obvious reasons. I joined like a good girl and stayed for the whole of the afternoon but didn't join the evening session. At coffee breaks, I flew around replenishing Jonathon's coffee, seeing to the fires and looking after Oli as needed.

Teresa came as usual. Thankfully she was more than happy to take the 6 out-of-date beers that we'd been given by the Orpington so we've found a home for them.

11 February

Pilates again then Tesco before trying to defreeze one of the bird baths - took about an hour but got there in the end! The other two will stay part frozen for now - I did pour some hot water into each of them to melt some of the ice so the birds should be OK.

Whilst going on a nice long walk I came across a tea table (Chinese New Year we think) and a Mrs Snow Mop (perhaps reminding us to get on with Spring Cleaning)?

Caught up with Mum and Dad on Skype but, as usual, no news and the connection was poor so we didn't chat for long.

12 February

Today started with an amazing sunrise. If I'd seen this in a book, I'd suggest that it had been Photoshopped but I know it was real (and taken through glass)

Jo and I did a tour of the churches in St.Paul's Cray and St. Mary Cray - 13 in total and all quite different. It was a lovely walk but a bit further than I expected which is my own fault as I planned the route. My feet had definitely had enough of wellies by the time I got home.

Jonathon continues to improve and I could leave him with instructions re the jacket potatoes while I was out (couldn't have done that a couple of days ago!) knowing that he could stand long enough to follow them.

Gilda let me know that she'd had her first Covid jab even though she's not 65 yet - she had a surprise contact from her GP surgery yesterday and had the jab today.

I checked on the pond today (I do so every couple of days when it's this cold). Most of it is frozen but, thankfully, the filter is still running water through so there's a small area that's still unfrozen which means the fish should be safe because oxygen is still getting in.

It appears we have a dripping gutter above the honeysuckle - tell tale sign is the icicles! Another job for me when the weather improves (forecast for next week).

13 February

Managed to most of my steps before Fay's gym class - my route was trying out the start of my next walk with Jo. There's still some ice on the pavements and alleyways but it's almost all gone now and the weather is forecast to warm up from Monday (not above 0C today so pretty chilly).

The theme for the next walk is "pubs". I'm surprised how few pubs there are in Orpington - hardly any in the town itself and only a few in the outskirts. I've managed to create a walk round 13 of them.

I collected our St. Valentine's food from the Orpington and was pleased to receive a red rose bush that I can plant in the garden later. Jonathon had beef bourginon with cheesy dumplings and I had sea bream with a lemon and cream sauce. Both really yummy. Ash had kindly done us a special pudding rather than the tiramasu that was on the menu. We'll have that and the starter (arancini) either later today or tomorrow.

Oli took full advantage of the fact we had the log burner lit and sprawled out in front of it on a regular basis, moving only when he got too hot!

14 February

Valentine's Day and cards were exchanged! Started today with bodypump. Jonathon was already downstairs having spent most of the night in his chair rather than bed - the steroids are still affecting his sleep (we assume that's what it is) but other than that, funny red feet and a bit of an upset tummy he doesn't seem to be having any ill effects which is good.

Mark texted to let me know he'd had his first Covid jab. He's 65 and hadn't heard anything so went on the NHS website yesterday and had the jab today at the Excel Centre.

I tested out part of the potential Friday walk and found a couple of new alleyways to make it more interesting. A couple of the pubs are on the A21 and the pathway that looked OK on the map runs right alongside the road so I've had to tweak that part of the route. The snow has just about gone now, just bits left here and there. The temperature is now above 0C and rain forecast for later so that should wash the rest of it away.

Had the usual Skype call with Mum and Dad. Nothing new but apparently Gareth is looking into their state pensions now so we are stood down. Having sent a thank you note to Carole for Gareth it seems they aren't doing this so who knows. We'll await further instructions.

Christine phoned. Her mum is still weak but keen to get out of bed and do her colouring and puzzles. Christine thinks the "end of life" status has been put in place because if she takes another turn for the worse there will be nothing to help other than keeping her comfortable and pain free. In the meantime, she seems to be as feisty as ever.

Jonathon's very tired today. Hardely surprising given that he's not sleeping well. However, he did venture outside the back door for 5 minutes today and is continuing to make progress.

15 February

What a change in weather - today felt like Spring, albeit it was raining when I first got up.

Jonathon slept well and has a bit more energy today. I left him chatting to Alison while I went for a lovely long walk, testing out the main part of Friday's walk. No ice to slip on today, only the usual mud!

It was so nice after dinner that we sat outside to have our tea and coffee - a first for this year.

Had a Zoom call with Gilda. Her knee seems to be getting better but other than that no real news.

Caught up with some TV in the evening - Jonathon now feels able to sit in the front room chairs which is another improvement.

16 February

Today was MRI scan day for Jonathon but first body pump and a quick trip to Tesco to get some food for pack up lunch. I'm not allowed in the hospital so wasn't sure what I would do with myself for the 2.5 hour appointment. I looked at my map when we got there and saw what I thought was a public footpath, only to discover it was a lovely nature reserve (Vintners Valley) so had a good wander around there for an hour or so, Thankfully I got back to the car before the rain came.

Mark and I had a nice chat while I was in the car, I ate my packed lunch and listened to the church service from Sunday by which time Jonathon phoned to say he was all done. I hadn't even had time to finish my crossword! Although Jonathon had booked a wheelchair (and used one when he went in), he felt confident enough to walk out to the car rather than bother the porter again.

The rest of the day was basically relaxing at home with a bit more TV watching in the evening.

17 February

Stayed in bed a bit longer to finish my book then popped to get my paper etc., going via Priory Gardens. All the goslings were there, growing nicely, and I was surprised to see HollyPombombs round one of the trees. Apparently this is in memory of a young lady called Holly who took her own life.

Pleased to see our first daffoldils in flower - always a good indication that Spring is definitely on its way. I'd only told Pauline earlier today that we didn't have any out yet but when I went down to the bottom of the garden to reunite the garden chair with the others (J doesn't need it in the shower any more) I noticed these.

Went for my exercise walk along the Kyd Brook and checked on the horses - 8 in the field today. Why they want to be in the muddiest part of the field I don't know!

Teresa came a bit earlier - think she might change her hours to start here at 1 p.m. from now on as it's easier now she's changed her Wednesday routine.

Usual Skype call with Mum and Dad but no real news other than Dad had been to get some veg from Margaret James's garden so Mum will be busy sorting it all out.

Did Fay's class in the evening - tired now so time for bed!

18 February

Two main events today - life is sooo exciting!

1. Hair cut. I was getting really fed up with having untidy hair and the drizzle yesterday made me realise just how much I needed to trim it so that was my first job for this morning.

2. Year end appraisal from work. Talk about box-ticking but I'm still officially on extended sabbatical so an appraisal had to be done. Nigel had drafted it out, I'd tweaked a couple of bits and today was merely a formality prior to my sending it back with confirmation that it was OK.

In between all that I went for a stroll through Poverest, along the river etc. before I got rained off. There's still a lot of water around. I finished my steps in the afternoon by going to Priory Gardens to check on the birds.

Alison phoned to see how Jonathon was - he continues to show improvement but didn't sleep well last night. It seems he has one good night's sleep, one poor night but at least he can doze in his chair during the day if he needs to. That said, he managed to walk round the garden after afternoon drinkings outside - 4 times, without the aid of a stick. It's a long time since he's been able to do that so real progress.

I think the visiting foxes are getting (too) used to us - this vixen is such a pretty animal that she's very welcome. We've known her since she was a cub in 2019 so she clearly thinks this is home.

19 February

Pilates, Sainsbury's and a long walk with Jo took up most of today. Today's walk used pubs as mileposts. I was surprised how few pubs there were around Orpington but managed to find 13 to walk past, albeit that it took us 3.5 hours to do so. Needless to say, steps were done today and we got home before it started raining which was a bonus.

We passed a lot of interesting properties, some very Kentish like the oast house below, others not so much but there was certainly a lot of variety as we took in Orpington, Locksbottom, Farnborough and Green Street Green (all parts of Orpington so within the rules). We enjoyed woodland, fields, country lanes etc. It was a really great walk. We came across Lesley (a friend of Gilda's) as we were walking through Crofton Woods so caught up with her. Jo's going to organise our route for next week so I'm looking forward to that.

Jonathon decided he was well enough to make pancakes so we caught up having missed them on Tuesday. They were delicious! Jonathon, being a traditionalist, had his with lemon and sugar whereas I had fruit and honey on mine. Making pancakes meant standing for quite a while and, once again, it confirms his ongoing recovery. He's down to 30mg of steroids per day now so gradually weaning off them.

Every day I hear of more people getting their Covid vaccination. It must be my turn soon?? Jonathon can't have his while he's on steroids but he's only got another 5 days of those and I don't imagine we'll hear from the GP before that.

20 February

Usual Saturday stuff but it was very mild today so everything seemed a bit easier.

Walk was followed by Fay's class then down to the Orpington for our Beef Rendang (yummy) which we ate outside - first time for outside eating this year.

Fay's had her vaccination (Pfizer) and is feeling OK. Her mum had the Astra Zeneca one and was in bed this morning as she was feeling really rough. From what the other gym members said it seems the AZ jab has more of an impact on how you feel than the Pfizer one.

As the weather was so good I managed to get some gardening done - just tidying up but I managed to tick everything on my list. Our snowdrops look lovely this year and the first tete-a-tete daffodils are now in flower.

Jonathon spoke to HSL about his poorly chair (it doesn't recline etc any more). They were very helpful and will send spare part. When it arrives we have to call them and they'll arrange for an engineer to come and sort it out.

Finally got round to watching Matthew Bourne's "Romeo and Juliet" that we recorded at Christmas - very dark but a brilliant ballet.

21 February

Body pump followed by a walk to Darrick and Newstead Woods. It's a while since I've been there (too muddy) but it was much better today. Some of the pathways were still not walkable in trainers but most were fine. It was a lovely, clear day so lots of good views.

It was warm enough to have dinner outside again but soon got cool when the sun started to go down - just about the time we had to get ready for family Zoom. Needless to say, we came last in the quiz again - Carole and Gareth won. We had to stop the Zoom call and restart it 10 minutes later because Mum and Dad had a poor connection. Second time around it was fine. The theme this time was battenburg so pink and yellow! Oli joined the call for a while but he's happier when we're outside with him and he can "guard" us from his grass bed.

Had a chat with Christine but she didn't have a lot to tell me. Listened to music and relaxed after the excitement of the zoom!

The next zoom theme is spring flowers so tulips duly knit and sewn onto Jonathon's jumper.

22 February

Pauline's birthday! It was grey but dry and Shreena had asked if we could go for a walk on Thursday, following a similar route to one that one of our neighbours had put on Facebook. No problem other than his map was a bit vague so I thought I should go check it out. I wondered if it might be a bit too far for her (she has to be home for home-schooling) so reported back that it was about 11 km. That one's shelved until Amelie has gone back to school so I need to test out a shorter one tomorrow ready for Thursday. The walk itself was really good - plenty of variety with country lanes, parkland, fields and woodland so it's definitely one I'll bear in mind for future.

Did the next song recording for church and got that sent off (Colours of Day this time). Apparently Jennifer has a list of songs she'd like us to sing for the Easter service so it sounds like Steve (who pulls the recordings together) will have his work cut out.

Jonathon had a call from Naomi, Dr. Saldahna's secretary. He doesn't need to see Jonathon at the moment but has put him on the NHS list for more tests at Kings Hospital in Camberwell (the hospitals and GP surgeries in this area are all linked to Kings). Although Dr. S. mentioned this in Jonathon's last consultation and on the note he sent to our GP surgery, we don't really know why the NHS rather than private so perhaps that's a question to ask at some point, especially if it takes forever to get an appointment. These tests will probably mean an overnight stay so Jonathon isn't looking forward to that. In the meantime, he's been asked to have another Covid test. The pack arrived this morning and it's already been done and posted in the Priority Postbox in the High Street.

We Zoomed with Gilda and talked for just over an hour about nothing much.

Boris Johnson held a press conference this evening about a slow, phased release from lockdown. It will be a long time until we are back to anything like normal. From Jonathon's point of view, it's good that the venues can't open yet as it means he can't be tempted to go to any concerts until he's properly better (relief on my part).

Watched a Breabach (folk band) concert in the evening through KPlayer (Kings Place streaming), at least we thought it would be a concert. It turned out to be a release of their latest modern folk verse, backed by music and an animation. Whilst it was interesting it wasn't what we expected. When we realised that the second half was a chat about the verse etc. we switched off and watched TV instead!

23 February

Shreena's body pump class to start the day then a bit of pottering around, shopping etc. before dinner. Tricia, gym friend, sent a link round for people to apply for a Covid jab so that was my main job early afternoon. I've now booked my first jab (3 March, the earliest I could get) and second (19 May) so all set and I only have to go as far as Bromley so nice and local. Christine has also managed to book her jabs through the same link - she has her first one on Saturday.

Jonathon was contacted by Dr. Saldahna's secretary and now has an appointment for Friday evening in Sevenoaks. Just "a chat" to give us the results of recent scans and blood tests and explain why he wants Jonathon to go into Kings on the NHS rather than private.

Went for a walk to enjoy the sunshine in the afternoon. It was very breezy but still a lovely day and I was surprised that there were so few people around. It was also a test for a shorter walk with Shreena on Thursday.

24 February

A lovely surprise when I went to get my paper - I saw the first blossom on the tree in our front garden. Spring is definitely on its way!

Walked to Jubilee Country Park. I haven't been there for a while so it was good to go back. It was pretty muddy in parts but still lovely to walk around.

Weeded the veg beds under foxy supervision (they look a lot better now) then had the usual Skype call with Mum and Dad. They didn't have a lot to tell me (or me them).

Jonathon spent most of the afternoon up in the loft doing something with servers and computers but it's good to see that he can actually get up the top stairs now. Teresa came and did the cleaning.

We watched a presentation from London Wildlife Trusts. Not at all what we were expecting! We thought it was about butterflies but it was about how humans can react better with nature. Oh well, it was still interesting.

Did Fay's exercise class then watched the last episode of "The Bay" on ITV.

25 February

Pilates to start the day followed by a visit to Sainsbury's for my paper and a few other bits.

I had a very easy morning after that, did Pop Master (badly) and the ironing but the big success of the morning was Jonathon leaving the house on foot for the first time in ages to walk round the block. As we live on top of a hill it meant some ups and downs for the first time since he started walking again. He managed very well. He had his stick with him but didn't need to use it. Real progress!

Jonathon's Covid test came back negative (as expected).

Afternoon was a bit busier with giving the grass (for which read weeds and moss) its first cut of the year and then doing a whole load of weeding. My supervisor today was Oli.

I went for a walk then down to Masala Dabbas for an Indian meal for tea. We were going to have it tomorrow for our wedding anniversary but J is at the docs tomorrow so we had it today instead. It was yummy. The sun was just starting to set as I walked back up the hill with our food.

Watched a streamed concert in the evening - folk music this time with the headline act being The Wilderness Yet - excellent.

26 February

Our Wedding Anniversary today and possibly one we won't forget in a hurry.

Usual trip to get my paper then met Jo to go for our walk. She was in charge of the route today and we headed off for Chelsfield Lakes, somewhere I've not been before. Unfortunately, as we were crossing Chelsfield Recreation Ground she suddenly fell down. I don't know if she tripped or collapsed but she really hurt her shoulder. Thankfully two ladies stopped to help and it was decided I should call for an ambulance and contact Jenny, Jo's daughter, which I duly did. The main problem was we were effectively in the middle of a field. One of the ladies clearly knew what she was doing so she stayed with Jo and kept her talking while the other lady went to wait in the car park in case the ambulance stopped there. I hung around waiting until the ambulance came along the road that runs alongside the field, complete with blue lights and siren (they arrived pretty quickly) then ran to meet them and bring them to her. Jenny arrived and they eventually took Jo off to the local hospital for X-rays (after giving her gas and air to ease the pain). At that point, I was redundant so I walked home, quite a bit earlier than I expected. Although it wasn't me that was hurt, I was quite shaken up by the whole thing so was very glad to get home.

It was such a lovely day we had dinner outside (we'd mixed the left over sauce from last night into beef, onions and tomatoes and had it with pasta - very tasty). I made the most of the sunshine, reading the paper, doing my puzzles etc. until the sun went behind a cloud and it got a bit chilly. Still, a lovely day bearing in mind we had a keen frost last night.

Jonathon had a call from Mervyn, just to check in, and an email from Derek, also to make sure everything going in the right direction.

Jo contacted our gym group later in the afternoon. She has broken a bone in her arm so is now in a sling. It's a bit of a drastic way to get out of Fay's classes!

The evening saw us back at Sevenoaks Medical Centre to see Dr. Saldhana. He was surprised but pleased at Jonathon's progress. He was looking for a wheelchair so was delighted that Jonathon could walk into the consulting room, especially without sticks. He is not certain it is Covid related but thinks that is what is the likely cause. Next steps - neurophysiotherapist, lumber puncture (day patient rather than staying in) and follow up consultation in 6 weeks.

Watched Hollie Rogers' stream after we got back from hospital.

27 February

The moon was up when I opened the blinds, apparently it's a Snow Moon (so Christine tells me). She had her first Covid jab today.

I did a short-ish walk before Fay's gym class then went down to the Orpington for our usual Saturday "cook at home" dinner - chicken and leek pie today, yum! I went via Priory Gardens to check on the birds. All 7 goslings are doing well. The weather was glorious and meant I got some lovely "reflection" photos.

Jonathon walked a bit further today without his stick but was so tired out after that he went to bed for 2 hours while I did some cleaning and tidying!

We watched Royal Opera House's Sleeping Beauty in the evening.

28 February

I was surprised to see mist when I opened the curtains this morning - don't remember that being forecast! Oh well, I guess the "best view" of the Snow Moon was hidden behind the mist / cloud / fog so we didn't get to see it.

Did the usual body pump and church service then went for a walk. It felt really cold after the last two sunny days but at least it was dry and it meant there were fewer people around.

Had the usual Skype call with Mum and Dad. They've heard on the grapevine (Ken) that Aunty Jan has died but can't find out if that's true or not. I've suggested they check with Katherine or Aunty June, both live in Whixley so should know what's going on. I then finished off my steps, by which time it was lovely and sunny.

Had a chat with Christine. The only side effect from her Covid jab yesterday is a bit of a light headedness so she's OK with that.

1 March

Chores and errands to start the day, the errands taking me via Priory Gardens to check on the goslings. All seven of them are growing fast and doing well.

When I got home, the man had already arrived to sort out Jonathon's chair and that's now working again so the house looks a bit more back to normal.

Went off to Petts Wood for a walk and was pleased to see it wasn't too muddy. I didn't have a lot of time so just skirted the edge before wandering to the Orpington via Covet Wood / Poverest Park to pick up our takeaways.

Jonathon went out for a walk after dinner (with me following to make sure all OK). He managed 1.3 km / 2k steps so very pleased with progress. Such a long walk tires him out so he had to go to bed for about an hour and a half to recover but Oli kept him company to make sure he was OK.

Did a bit of gardening at the front of the house when interrupted by Bob to say he has water leaks and therefore no water. I filled up a container that he gave me and he thinks that will do him for two days (he must drink less than us).

Shreena and her daughter, Amelie, walked past so had a quick chat with them.

Zoomed with Gilda. Her leg seems to be improving. Her next visit to the physio is Thursday so we'll see her briefly then.

2 March

Usual start to Tuesday with Bodypump class. Next week it starts at 6.30 a.m. because a lot of the attendees are mums that will have to get their children ready for school with them returning on Monday. It will be quite a shock to everyone's system but most of the kids seem to be looking forward to getting back almost as much as the parents are to them going back.

Gave my hair a bit of a trim and went to run a few errands before coming home for Pop Master. Jonathon was still asleep but got up in a rush so he was ready in time (couldn't have done that a week ago).

Voice recorded "Thine be the Glory" for the Easter service - really hard to sing to the organ remotely, far harder than the piano (and than I expected). Still, it's now done so hope it's OK for Steve to work his magic on.

The weather brightened up in the afternoon so went for a proper walk around Petts Wood. Lots of signs of spring on the way including some beautiful blossom.

Jonathon had a chat with Nolan who runs a jazz club about potential new acts to perform there when they can reopen. Some overlapped with people Nolan already knows but there were a few new names for him to consider and Jonathon has sent him a list.

Christine phoned. She's trying to get her milk rounds in order in case she wants to sell the villages part of her business. This means typing all the info into a spreadsheet by village. Guess who's doing the typing! Unfortunately, she has no way to print off her customer list at the moment (hence the need for a new spreadsheet) so she reads and I type. An interesting process to say the least. Today we did Full Sutton!

We watched Northern Ballet's "Victoria" in the evening - so much better quality viewing with Jonathon's new set up!

3 March

The day started well with Jonathon managing to walk as far as the Orpington for an emotional reunion with Scott.

I didn't go for a photo walk today because I went for my first Covid vaccination. I decided to walk to Bromley Civic Centre (about 4.4 miles) because the weather forecast wasn't too bad. By the time I got there I was absolutely soaked because the forecast drizzle was really heavy rain and there was no bus or train near my route.

The Civic Centre was really well organised and everything went really smoothly. I caught the train on the way home and Jonathon had got the fire lit so I could warm up when I'd put dry clothes on!

Teresa did her usual stuff so the house was nice and clean when I got back.

Skipped gym because I was feeling a bit "heady" when I got home. I'm not sure if that's because I'd got so cold and wet or because of the jab but I thought I should be careful.

4 March

Well, I might have been OK when I went to bed but I definitely wasn't at midnight when I woke up, shivering uncontrollably and feeling like I was being run over by a steamroller while someone was attacking my muscles with a sledgehammer. I forced myself to get out of bed and get a paracetemol which helped. Putting my electric blanket back on also helped as it warmed me up. However, I couldn't get to sleep however I tried so I'm really tired today. Have had a headache all day - probably as much to do with lack of sleep as anything else.

Managed to get to Tesco for my paper and a few bits then down to the Orpington to collect Gilda's order for her (she was at the physio today) but didn't go out again so no walk today.

Had the usual Skype call with Mum and Dad then went for a little nap to catch up on some sleep. Went to bed early, dosed up on Lemsip, and slept!

5 March

Back to normal health today which is a big relief. Popped out to get my paper and bits then met Jo for a little walk around Priory Gardens. She managed to walk round the lake 3 times, quite slowly, but it's hard to believe it's only a week since her accident. She's doing really well and is determined to try and get out rather than stay cooped up in her flat.

Jonathon's prescription for his blood pressure tablets was ready so we went to Boots, via the Orpington - again a new "record" for distance and steps for Jonathon since December so definitely all moving in the right direction.

Took a delivery down to my shed and notiecd that an insole from a boot was in the bird bath. No idea how it got there - squirrels, foxes, crows? Guess we'll never know.

Zoe, the team of scientists that are monitoring Covid etc., has asked me to have another Covid test because of my reaction to the vaccination. No point ordering it today because that could mean trying to post it on Sunday which wouldn't fit in the guidelines so will order it on Sunday and do it next week. Not looking forward to it as the test is horrible.

Caught up with Fay's class from Wednesday evening but without weights - better than nothing!

Hard to believe it's year since we flew to Ecuador for my retirement holiday - one that we won't forget in a hurry for so many reasons, including the fact the whole world seemed to tip on its head while we were enjoying a lovely cruise round the Galapagos.

7 March

Usual type of Sunday - body pump, walking, Skyping, chatting with Christine.

The camellia is on Bob's lovely bush (next door). The horses were having a bit of a set to when I walked past their field but seemed to have kissed and made up by the time I left.

Jonathon continues to increase his walking steps / distance and went out on his own for the first time since the beginning of December so real progress.