You may be tempted to visit beauty spots or family/friends, but don't. Stay safe, keep your family safe. Protect the NHS and save lives. 

There's much to be enjoyed at home and in this good weather, so make the most of it! 

We're planning a BBQ for the three of us, a replanting of seeds since the slugs got our veg, bread baking, and setting up the static exercise bike. If it's super nice, the paddling pool might even make an appearance!

Stay safe,

Lou x

Following my appendicitis, my family and I are isolating to shield me for two weeks, so lockdown just got riiiiipe! Our dog has been packed off on holidays round the corner as we three are confined to the house and garden. It's been six days and it has been ok so far, to be honest. But then one often doesn't feel like doing much when feeling rough. This coming week will be more of a test, I think.

Today, to make someone smile: I made yoghurt cranberry muffins for my husband's breakfast tomorrow. 

Today, for me: I did my first exercise since my hospitalization, and felt great for it, energised.

Today, to be productive, I cleared out my recipe books and put together two charity bags of clothes for when lockdown ends. 

Stay well,

Lou x

Tuesday night, after dinner, I had such stomach ache, felt sick and had a real domed gut. I felt pregnant again and 3-4 months gone within half an hour! I went to bed early thinking I'd just eaten too much bread (!!), only to throw up three times overnight. I awoke with localised pain where it had shrunk down to a smaller than first sized area near my right hip and I called the Dr. After a video chat, she shared my concerns: This could be appendicitis. 

Fabulous. I was terrified - hospitals, as we know, have been a real hub for covid-19 and I imagined a disaster zone, even in wards out of ICU. 

I didn't have to worry. The hospital was like a ghost town, no visitors being allowed and many people choosing to avoid hospital if they were feeling ill. The staff had put in lots of protective measures too, of course, like having just one person operating the touch screen self-checkin machines. 

An hour or two after speaking to my GP I was bent over double walking into the hospital, wincing in pain and feeling very sick, donning a mask I'd been given kindly by a ****beautiful loser stalker of a friend nearby****, I was tested (bloods and obs) and CT and Ultrasound scanned in Southmead Hospital, feeling weirdly not hungry for hours. The fever symptoms associated with appendicitis also meant I was put in my own room as a precaution during this time. 

Mild appendicitis was diagnosed and I stayed overnight with IV antibiotics. That did the trick. I'd identified my problem and caught it early, thank goodness. I even had a covid-19 test (not pleasant, I warn you now!) as is the hospital's current policy for overnight patients. 

Honestly, the pain wasn't ever too bad. Undoubtedly it gets worse with a burst appendix, but the worst bit was leaving behind my baby. Time for dad to step up and put her to bed haha! He did amazingly though, both seeming happy enough on video chat. 

I cannot fault the nursing staff. They were reassuring, professional, calm, friendly, washing their hands every time I looked at them, it seemed. We were laughing behind our masks quite a lot, and it made me feel a little sad to not see the faces of these angels in scrubs. 

As I walked out of the ward, exhausted but happy and upright once again, I told the staff on the reception desk I'd be clapping extra hard that night for the NHS Clap. 

Thank you (again) Southmead. You may have saved my life. 

Lou x

P.S. My family and I are now isolating to shield me as I recover from infection. I am so grateful we are together, and I am slowly getting back to normal.

FLOUR
Seriously folks, what's going on? Demand is up 500% I hear for domestic baking during lockdown. Is baking with kids staying at home really that big an activity to cause  flour shortages like we're seeing? I'm all in favour of kids learning to bake but really, has all that flour been used?? Did people bulk buy ridiculously? It's certainly not because theres a shortage of cake or bread in the shops and people intended to make their own. Of anything in the shops, if I can't find flour (or eggs), I find it very disheartening. 

WALKS
I walk the dog daily. I have favourite routes, but most of them are where, normally, there are not many people. I prefer deep woodland and open fields to streets and parks. However, since lockdown, even my more remote walk have seen an increase of fellow walkers. I reckon, on average, you can use the power of 5 to measure it. So if you normally see two groups or people, you'll see 10 now. It's nuts - did these people not exercise at all before lockdown, and suddenly everyone's determined to get their daily 'Boris Walk' in?

I want to say... Amateurs!! You're spoiling my baking habits and my solitude and peace in walking. 

How miserable do I sound? I'm not miserable really, just a bit gobsmacked and mildly amused/annoyed. It is good people are getting out and about more, and baking. It just feels a bit like when you have a gym membership and the facilities get soooooo busy in January when everyone's on a health drive. I wonder if these walkers and bakers will continue in such numbers once lockdown ends. 

Lou x

However, some comfort food is permitted and what better than shortbread. I use this recipe: 

www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/shortbread_1290

I would normally double this recipe to make thicker shortbread, but I'm being tight with flour these days! 

My mum used to make shortbread a lot when we were kids and I can see why now. Its ultra quick, only has three ingredients (4 if you count the cherries I added) and has great results. 

Try it today! You wont be disappointed. 

Lou x

Productivity today: See above
Make someone smile: See above
Something for me: See above.

Easy. Cheating, but easy!

Anyone else starting to feel like this is the new normal? Not seeing friends and family, no reliable deliveries, no outings, work all a-cock... 

I'm hearing a lot from other people about "things they've read" about how long lockdown  is going to last for. We obviously don't know for sure but the speculation makes me panic a bit. I haven't dared to think about not seeing my family for the whole summer... and into the Autumn. 

I normally see my mum (often my dad joins too) once a week and my brother probably every two weeks, that's what I'm missing the most. They're not walkable to where they live so I can't walk past and wave like I've done with some local friends. If I think about it more than a couple of seconds, it is hard to bear. 

I do try to remember though that El Husbandio's family permanently live away, in another country, I'm lucky to have my folks in reach easily normally, but it makes it hard to talk about with El Husbandio because he always trumps me by pulling the foreign card.

But, as someone else said to me today, at least we're  all safe and healthy. Best not to dwell on might happen and how, just keep on keeping on. 

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Today's productivity: Did a trip to Costco for dog food and toilet paper, mainly, and dyed some boring white baby PJs blue and yellow.
 
Today's smile for someone else: I made soft, fluffy cheese and onion rolls for tea tonight, which El Husbandio loves. 

Today's thing for me: I took the dog out for a longer-than-normal walk in some fields we've not seen for a while. Rox was in the baby backpack, enjoying pulling my plaited hair and looking at the goats we found. A lovely afternoon. 

Lou x

Apologies for the terrible picture formatting. I added one and then couldn't get rid of it or shrink it or anything. I miss my laptop!!!!

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Today I did something for me in the shape of dying a shirt which was ruined with bleach at the weekend. Don't ask. I'm still in mourning. Hoping the dye works, even if it's a new colour...

Today I made someone smile by having afternoon snack on Zoom with my baby and my parents. They are really missing Rox so it was lovely to chill with them, albeit online, for 30 mins or so. 

Today I was productive in that I made (another!) cake and Aztec Soup for the first time for lunch. It's one of our favourites but El Husbandio normally makes it, so I thought it was time I stepped up. His is better, which isn't a surprise, but mine was good enough. Even if he did eat all the tortilla chips himself. 

See you tomorrow, 

Lou x

Well, I won by default as she decided to make bread pudding (weirdly with no milk - anyone else do that??). Here's my cake and here's the recipe if you fancy trying it yourself. It's dead easy. 

Today's 'make someone smile' activity will be to deliver a few slices to my neighbour. I've been productive in doing a load of washing and going through my sock draw, binning the holey and never used underwear. As for making time for myself, I'm now going to paint my toenails as the baby naps. Boom!

Lou x