Saturday 18th April 2020

Saturday, the 40th March 2020.

Or something.

Life has been on hold for five weeks now. But now there is time to get things done, watch the grass grow and flowers open. And who wouldn't want time to do stuff like that?

It was a glorious sunny, if chilly, weekend, but we had nothing planned. I did have many orchid trips planned, but we stayed home.

We stayed home and kinda did stuff, took all day to do it too.

I did lay in bed until half six, by which time the sun was also up, and bright. Scully had woken my up jumping onto my legs in the hope I would stay in bed with her all day. I mean I could.

But I get up, Jools hears my feet touch the floor and so she puts the coffee pot on.

We both do a session on the cross trainer. Though it seems my i pod has given up the ghost. Another morning where the box of delights skipped and then refused to work. So I had to work out listening to the radio, which just my luck was stuck in a fifteen minute chat about record store day. Which it was. And then wasn't.

Anyway, I do my session too, we both shower and are all ready for our fun packed day.

Excitement was in the air as the BBC had forecast thunder storms, so I went to a storm radar website and looked: a few flashed around Canterbury, then nothing.

We did did get a few showers at lunchtime, but not the storms we hoped.

So the morning morphed into afternoon. We had lunch, I made courgette fritters, and added some leftover chorizo which made them ping. Another triumph even if I say so myself.

We watched the first episode of a new drama, Bosch, or something. Not about a power tool, but a crime noir set in LA. Might be good, there are four series to watch, so that should keep us quiet.

Jools spent the day sewing our new blackout blinds. For this she had to get the material and a sewing machine. She worked with great concentration for at least six hours, and at the end had one of the blinds cut t size, backed and neatly sewed all round the edge. They look very good indeed.

We will need to put up the fittings on window frames, which will be interesting to say the least. But stay tuned for more home improvements.

Our elderly neighbour, Walter, who lost his wfe 18 months back, asked us if we could go shopping for him, so Jools got the list and went to Tesco, while I stayed at home to cook dinner.

I had seen a Jamie Oliver show this week, so cooked quick chicken and mushroom pie with French style peas to go with it. All should be done in half an hour.

The chicken is cooked with butter, flour and creme fresche and mustard, then put in a tin, has a puff pastry lid put on and baked for 20 minutes.

Yummy.

And then the peas: cooked in butter, flour and chicken stock and onions. Add the peas and cook for 5 minutes.

Also, yummy.

Jools returns home with all of Walters items bought.

And then we ate.

And as if by magic, it was evening. So, the usual rock and roll evening, going to bed at half eight to read until Scully made it clear I should stop so she could sleep.