Our country is now on lockdown, everything is shut apart from hospitals, food shops and essential services. People have been told to stay at home, and only go out once a day for excercise. We have to stay 2 meters away from anyone we come across, and no more group gatherings, you can gather in two’s so long as you live together anyway! Police will have powers to disperse any groups and fine people who are out and about for no reason. We are allowed to go out for food and medicines if needed, but that’s about it. These new rules were announced last night and about time too, as this country is full of knobs who at the weekend ignored all the advice to stay away from people, went out to public parks, beaches etc in their droves thereby increasing the risk of spreading the infection. So now it’s not advice anymore, it’s do it or else.
There’s been a lot of bad things going on, corner shops inflating prices of necessities to a ridiculous level, teenagers coughing deliberatly into old peoples faces, and social media is full of all the bad, but there are some good things happening, and some light relief so that’s where I’ll be looking and will share anything fun.
In my work I do earwax removal, which means I deal with patients not at a distance of 2 meters, but about 0 inches, so after a lot of flip flopping our governing body, the British Society of Hearing Aid Audiologists finally told everyone to cease doing face to face appontments as of Sunday night, but we carried on as my boss was on holiday until today and she wanted me to honour the appointments already booked in. Wasn’t ecstatic about that, but I did it, and did everything I could to minimise the risks to the patients, (my clinic has never been so cleaned!) and to home, with me getting through the door, stripping off clothes into a black bag and hot footing it straight into the shower. The last of my patients was at midday today and that’s that, I’m now self isolating, not because I’ve got symptoms, but in case I do within the next 10 days, plus I’m following instructions!
Phil of course is a front line worker, and is going to be having ITU training this week at work, as are all the theatre (O.R) staff in his hospital, as the theatres (O.R’s) will be used for patients on ventilators if the ITU can’t cope. That isn’t happening yet, the worst of Corvid is in London and the South, but it is spreading Northwards and I don’t suppose it will be long until we are in the same boat up here. In the mean time he’s going in this week to do trauma and emergency operating lists.
So what am I going to do with myself under house arrest? I obviously can’t go out on photography outings with Sophie, but I have a few left to post on Sundays over on the Universe blog, and I have books to read, movies to watch, mosaics I can faff on with and photography can be done anywhere. I’m going to concentrate on a photography course I’ve been doing haphazardly, and will continue to blog. We are going to be face timing with our kids and grandkids, and connecting with friends through social media and blogging, (always assuming the people who maintain the WWW don’t go under) and Phil will finish his tank (at last) and has some other projects on the go. We will be just fine with our hobbies. I’ll be attacking the garden too when it warms up a bit more.
I have 2 projects going on over on the universe blog too, one is called 52 Frames, and it’s a web run weekly photo prompt, I’m posting my weekly shots not as a blog post but in the ‘project’ area of wordpress, and you can see that HERE. My other project is an anthology to do with photography and it’s history, covering the different specialties such as abstract, street, landscape etc, and including trivia, whimsy, great photographers past and present to check out and much else to do with photography, and you can check it out HERE.
Now and then I’ll post on here about the goings on in the Wardley universe and the North East and hope you’ll all still be visiting and saying hi. 🙂
Worst thing to happen this week:- My hairdressesr/manicurist Kendall has had to give up work for the interim. I will go grey and have short nails by the end of my confinement, 🙀 and it won’t matter as no-one will see me, but I do love my pal Kendall and will miss her.
Best thing to happen this week:- having a positive mental attitude and looking forward to enforced creativity!
Stay frosty my friends!
Fraggle's Otherverse 
These times we live in…! Hope you stay healthy and safe, and I’m glad to hear you have a lot to keep you busy!
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Thanks M.B!
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They are now limiting patients to one inside at any time, but Julie still has to go to work at the GP surgery. Good old NHS, and well done to Phil too. The dog-groomer can’t wash Ollie, but that is not even on the scale where all this is concerned. Besides, he has been in the river twice today. Julie went grey a couple of years ago, when she was off sick with stress when still at the bank. She has never looked back, and other women still ask her where she gets the lovely colour done. 🙂
Take care, both of you, and hopefully we will all come out on the other side of this.
Best wishes as always, Pete.
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Good for Julie I’m a little bit jealous, but going grey would be well weird on me as I have quite long hair, I’d have to bite the bullet and get it cut shorter to go grey gracefully. I am not know for grace 🤣🤣 I bet you can groom Ollie as well as any professional. I am thinking we will still be here having a chat when all of this is over, just be careful, remember your asceptic training!
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All of you health care professionals are heroes! I’m glad you’re going to be able to keep busy during your self isolation and I’m looking forward to your posts. We’re up to over 200 cases here in Alabama with 3 popping up in my city over the last 48 hours. I’ve been doing lots of walking, blogging, reading, and tv binging to keep occupied. Virtually hugs to you and Phil!🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗
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You are doing exactly the right thing Kim, keep abreast of what’s going on, but live your life accordingly and well. Hugs right back! 😘
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Your project is quite interesting : ) In Peru we are in the tenth day of isolation, in the same condition as yours. Although government has forbidden increase of prices and the productive industry is working (sadly banks are collecting debts still :S)
It is not bad, nor sad, actually is tranquil. Wishing you a tranquil time as well, fragglerocking : )
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Cheers Francis!
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Stay safe Frag. We’re at day 10 of our lock down and it feels normal already. Amazing how you can get used to the abnormal. The self employed are the ones who are going to suffer. Those who are technically unemployed get a subsidy. Those creative types like me who just try to keep going whatever get zilch. Still, we’ll probably, hopefully, be three times busier when this is all over. Who knows? Mental health and physical well-being are all that matter now. And I can still blog. Best wishes to you both. Sounds tough for Phil still out there in the trenches.
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Our govt are putting together a financial scheme for the self employed now, hope yours does the same. I think I’ll be mad busy when it’s over, as I was anyway before this kicked off, I’ll drown in earwax! 🤣 Stay safe Denzil!
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Now that’s not a thought I want to dwell on too much!
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Good to hear you are staying positive and have plenty to do, I was worried that you may be called in with your past experience as a nurse. I hope Phil can stay out of harms way. Gosias sister is a nurse and its terrible to think that she is probably the biggest threat to here parents now. Mind you she loves cleaning and new clothes so I reckon even she will find something good out of this 🙂
Of course the lock down just means I have more work to do as Gosia is here to oversee my work and having the kids in the house is incentive enough to find even more work outside:)
Take care both of you, xx
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Haha go Gosia, crack the whip! Stay safe all!
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Stay safe, fraggles! 😷☮
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You too Graham!
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People are still not getting the distancing thing and I don’t understand why. I’m glad you’re going to continue blogging. I can recommend going grey, or even white. It’s much less bother.
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No cure for stupid is there? I know going grey would be easier and to be honest I wouldn’t mind at all, I just can’t bear to have it cut off, wuss that I am. 🤣
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Glad you and yours are doing well; working in the medical field sometimes is no fun when you get sick. What is “ITU”? Meanwhile, as far as going grey – I did and don’t regret it. And my hair is getting longer and wilder as time goes by – it sticks out like crazy! We are continuing our lockdown – husband working from home as he has for years – but on vacation this week, and we can’t go anywhere! Stay well!
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ITU – Intensive Treatment unit, also ICU (Intensive care) CCU (Critical care), where they bang people who are really really sick, most need ventilating. DOn’t you have these there??
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Thanks for the info. I figured as much – or something similar. I am familiar with ICU, CCU, ICU, and NICU, having rolled my portable machine into all.
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