Lifestyle Changes 3 and Garden Update No 3
Aarghh! I've just reached the stage where I feel ready to leave the safety of my home for walks and the local news has highlighted errors in reporting new Covid 19 cases in this area. Apparently, and they haven't specified how this has happened, the number of cases in Wiltshire has been under-reported and the actual figures of current confirmed cases rises by almost 1,000, doubling the previous number. I won't change my plans but will be even more cautious about the places I choose to visit.
Anyway, carrying on with the lifestyle changes ... the decluttering is nearly finished but the final push to completion has stalled for now. The majority of things left to sell either requires the buyers collecting from my home or me taking things to the Post Office to send, and at the moment I don't feel at ease about doing either. I have considered using the space in the garage to meet the buyers of the items to be collected as there is plenty of space to socially distance and keeps my home free from visitors but, I'm not sure. With the other items, assuming they sell when advertised, I'd be more at ease if I could find a sub Post Office which has room to allow the social distancing, but all the ones here are in small shops and garages and are usually crowded. I still have the things to go to the skip and to a charity shop, which I hope to deal with in the next few weeks. It'll be good to get it all over and done with so I'm hoping to come up with a way to overcome my unease.
I have enjoyed the slower pace of life that lockdown has imposed and I will take that forward with me. The groups I belonged to are unlikely to meet for some time so I have the opportunity to decide what I think is best for me. I'll definitely stick with the choir which is still meeting every week, via Zoom, and which I thoroughly enjoy. The Mahjong group has actually started meeting again, restricted to a group of four only, but I have no plans to join in yet - it's impossible to socially distance and everyone in the game is continuously touching the tiles - but I think I will return to it at some unknown date in the distant future. The U3A photography group I'm not sure about, so for now I'm postponing my decision and will see how I feel when they start to meet regularly.
I've decided I do need something to replace the band. The choir fulfills the actual playing of music part but I have so much more free time without all the other band committments and I'd like to find something to fill that gap. Family and friends have often said that they see me as one of those people who, in retirement, complete numerous A level and GCSE courses, and I know what they mean. Up to now I haven't had enough time to do this and do it well but that has obviously changed so the only thing holding me back is the cost ... it'll be an expensive undertaking and I'm questioning whether, at the moment, it is the best use of my money. That's a maybe!
Although the choir fills a musical 'need', I'd like to eventually find an adult band or orchestra to play with but that's something for the distant future. In the meantime I'm looking for a piano teacher, not as an alternative to joining a band or orchestra, but because I want to improve my piano playing. I've been teaching myself but progress has slowed down and I need to have some proper lessons. None of the local teachers have vacancies, not that I'd necessarily want to be going to someone else's home, so I looked for a teacher who provides online lessons - there's a lot, but I need to investigate more before I decide. There seem to be a lot of people offering piano lessons who don't appear to have any qualifications but who are charging a lot of money. I'll keep looking and I'm sure I will be able to sort something out.
Anyway, carrying on with the lifestyle changes ... the decluttering is nearly finished but the final push to completion has stalled for now. The majority of things left to sell either requires the buyers collecting from my home or me taking things to the Post Office to send, and at the moment I don't feel at ease about doing either. I have considered using the space in the garage to meet the buyers of the items to be collected as there is plenty of space to socially distance and keeps my home free from visitors but, I'm not sure. With the other items, assuming they sell when advertised, I'd be more at ease if I could find a sub Post Office which has room to allow the social distancing, but all the ones here are in small shops and garages and are usually crowded. I still have the things to go to the skip and to a charity shop, which I hope to deal with in the next few weeks. It'll be good to get it all over and done with so I'm hoping to come up with a way to overcome my unease.
I have enjoyed the slower pace of life that lockdown has imposed and I will take that forward with me. The groups I belonged to are unlikely to meet for some time so I have the opportunity to decide what I think is best for me. I'll definitely stick with the choir which is still meeting every week, via Zoom, and which I thoroughly enjoy. The Mahjong group has actually started meeting again, restricted to a group of four only, but I have no plans to join in yet - it's impossible to socially distance and everyone in the game is continuously touching the tiles - but I think I will return to it at some unknown date in the distant future. The U3A photography group I'm not sure about, so for now I'm postponing my decision and will see how I feel when they start to meet regularly.
I've decided I do need something to replace the band. The choir fulfills the actual playing of music part but I have so much more free time without all the other band committments and I'd like to find something to fill that gap. Family and friends have often said that they see me as one of those people who, in retirement, complete numerous A level and GCSE courses, and I know what they mean. Up to now I haven't had enough time to do this and do it well but that has obviously changed so the only thing holding me back is the cost ... it'll be an expensive undertaking and I'm questioning whether, at the moment, it is the best use of my money. That's a maybe!
Although the choir fills a musical 'need', I'd like to eventually find an adult band or orchestra to play with but that's something for the distant future. In the meantime I'm looking for a piano teacher, not as an alternative to joining a band or orchestra, but because I want to improve my piano playing. I've been teaching myself but progress has slowed down and I need to have some proper lessons. None of the local teachers have vacancies, not that I'd necessarily want to be going to someone else's home, so I looked for a teacher who provides online lessons - there's a lot, but I need to investigate more before I decide. There seem to be a lot of people offering piano lessons who don't appear to have any qualifications but who are charging a lot of money. I'll keep looking and I'm sure I will be able to sort something out.
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Danielle was on board with all of my ideas for the garden so I am busy looking for the varieties I'd like for all the specimen shrubs and minarette trees. For the smaller bush roses she suggested considering standard roses instead as she thinks it will fit in well with the style of garden I'm looking for so I'll have a look and see what I think. I've decided that I will buy the varieties I want for this part of the planting rather than choosing from whatever is available at the nursery sale. Once I've decided, I will email the details and she'll check suitability for my soil, etc. The aim is to get those planted this year. In September we'll look at the bulbs and get those in as well. Everything else will wait until next year.
She was only here for an hour yesterday and a good deal of that time was spent discussing my ideas but she also continued with the clearing in the back garden and knocked a few more weeds into submission. Here's the before and after photos of the bed outside the dining room doors ...
We also chatted about whether to keep the gravel but I am undecided, so we'll wait and see what I think as the garden evolves.
She was only here for an hour yesterday and a good deal of that time was spent discussing my ideas but she also continued with the clearing in the back garden and knocked a few more weeds into submission. Here's the before and after photos of the bed outside the dining room doors ...
We also chatted about whether to keep the gravel but I am undecided, so we'll wait and see what I think as the garden evolves.
Well, that's a bit disconcerting about the undercounting of Covid cases, isn't it? But, as you said, just be more cautious about where you decide to visit. My county had a 4,000+ jump in the number of new cases due to a backlog in testing results being reported after the long holiday weekend.
ReplyDeleteThe garden looks a lot different after today's clearing session! I like those daisies; I hope that they are staying in place. :)
Yes the daisies are staying but will be spread out around the garden. At the moment they're all on this side. Most of the big clearing has been done so it's a case of keeping on top of the weeding for now. Next time she comes she will tie the two climbers in properly and possibly start on the pots, but it might be too early for them still.
DeleteIt's difficult to know what's what with the delays and errors in reporting isn't it?
According to the gov.uk website, "This is not a recent surge in cases – the cases now being reported occurred from April onwards" so I don't think you need to be more cautious than you were. From the same source, the whole South West region currently has 46 Covid patients in hospital with 2 on ventilators.
ReplyDeleteThe local figures were corrected for the change in reporting method in April as soon as the revised totals were known. This latest is yet another revision to the number of new cases in the West Wilts area with no reason for the change apart from a vague reference to an error. I know that the hospitalised cases remain low. I think we've been very lucky in this area but I'd feel more at ease if I had confidence in the data reported.
DeleteHow on earth can this be so, with all the channels for reporting, all the updates, etc? Maybe I'm just over suspicious, but something stinks here. Such a shame we can't trust the data (or, to be honest, the 'government', isn't it?
ReplyDeleteI like your ponderings and musings - it's a great way to work out the best ways to go for you.
xx
That's the trouble, I agree. It's so difficult to make decisions when the data available is questionable. It's about time they got the App sorted and with it the ability for people to see a real time figure for what's happening in their own areas.
DeleteI find it useful to do the occasional brain dump like this to work out what I want to do.
I think the under-reporting is a problem everywhere. I think as they learn more about this virus, get better & more testing, the data reports will catchup in a day or two rather than those surges that seem to happen frequently. Stick with your plans, if there's far too many people for your comfort, just turn around. I (maybe blindly) trust our (Canadian) government's reporting, lag or not. We don't have a national tracking app as yet, but more & more regions in Ontario are making masks mandatory. Our region has been mask mandatory since June 12th & the moaning & bitching is slowly stopping.
ReplyDeleteGreat news that Danielle is onboard with your ideas & she did a nice clean up of that garden section. Maybe on your National Trust garden walks you'll get some further ideas!
I won't change my plans but may have to tweak them occasionally depending on the available data.
DeleteDanielle is a gem. She works so hard and is now also employed by one of my neighbours who saw the difference she's made to my garden. I'm busy choosing plants today 😁
Some things just have to wait for now, but it sounds like you have everything ready when the situation improves. The garden is shaping up. She's a fast worker!
ReplyDeleteThere was an announcement to say that scientists are testing the transfer of air particles by singers, actors, instrumentalists etc. so if they get a favourable result there's a possibility that choirs and orchestras may be able to resume. I'm eagerly awaiting the results!
DeleteYes, she is a fast worker - doesn't waste any time at all.