Day 80, Sunday 31st May 2020

The weather is absolutely smashing at the moment. The sun shines all day, there is great heat there, (25 degrees I think), there is no rain and the wind (yes of course there is wind, this is Ireland!) is not chilly.
This means that I have to retire indoors during the hottest part of the day, I usually end up having a siesta (the nearest I am going to get to Spain this year and next) and then I stay up late as I can actually do something when the evening comes and the temperatures cool down. Rinse and repeat the next day.
I am going to go for my walk now shortly. I did some shopping this morning, early, in Lidl and i Argos. where I bought a flat pack black desk for our son. Of course that meant I had to help him to put it together in the afternoon. His room looks very stylish now.
I have 3 weeks left of work(ing from home). The 2 middle daughters have finished college, the son finished First Year in secondary school 2 days ago, and the eldest daughter who is almost quarter of a century is working from home reading for her Ph.D.
Husband is also working from home. Bless him, he is stuck in front of 2 computers all day in his little office.
I don't even have an office table, it is the kitchen table for me.
The best thing though is the country road, and the walks.
Have a good week everybody.

Day 78, Friday 29th May 2020

Good morning!!
11 weeks and 1 day since schools closed.
Today is a lovely morning, a bit breezy but sunny and bright and no cold in the breeze. Two days ago we had the men in to widen and re-stone our driveway and put down kerbing at the side where we had no kerbing. It looks wonderful now, if a bit too clean, but time and rain will dull it a bit.
They put in some top soil in a strip on the other side of the kerbing and as that is south facing, I am thinking: perfect gardening spot. never look a gift horse in the mouth! So I am aiming to get my new raised beds out and set up on the new topsoil. and sow some seeds!
Also I plan to make a flower bed! I have bought lots of small flowers the past few weeks, It seems the petrol stations purchased the plants that would have normally gone to the Garden centres, so every time one goes to buy milk and bread, one has to resist buying just one more little plant too!
I have ordered the anti-weed fabric and also this edging material to keep the weeds from spreading sideways into the flower bed. So as soon as I get that stuff I will get going on planting and sowing.

My children are 'attacking' the patio: weeding between the slabs and power-washing the slabs to bring them back to shiny newness! And yesterday finally I managed to buy a new electric grass trimmer, our old one has given up the ghost, it turns on but it only chugs, it doesn't go fast enough to actually cut the grass, sadly.
Speaking of which, today I am about to buy a new washing machine as the one we have is about to also give up the ghost, it makes a sound like a helicopter taking off. Thankfully I have found out that the local family electric business can do disconnection and installation for us, if we buy from them.
Off to review some work sent in by my pupils and also to buy a washing machine!

Day 73, Sunday 24th May 2020

Thankfully the sun cam back out again today. We have had 2 and a half days of fierce wind and some rain. I didn't really want to do much the past few days, but thankfully I woke up motivated and determined. So after a quick trip to the shop for the Sunday papers, I got a lovely walk to the end of the road and back. over 7600 steps before 12midday. I am pleased with that!
I had a trip to Lidl for veg and fruit. Then home again to brunch and a nap in the afternoon, ( it was a late night last night).
After dinner, I had to do some of the paperwork for school for the week. It was a lovely evening and I had another walk, watching the sunset.
All good here.

Day 70, Thursday 21st May 2020.

Thursday, and there is wind, and rain, gales even, coming tonight. We had some lovely sunny days yesterday and the day before. 
I have been taking it easy for a day or two, I think I need to push myself back out walking again, tomorrow, I guess. Still, it was good to get some small jobs done inside the house too. Plenty of small jobs remaining, though....
I got 4 beautiful baby plants on Tuesday, from Online Baby Plants in Holland. The plants are very cute and taking pride of place in the middle of my kitchen table for now. Here they are, from front left and clockwise: a Ctenanthe Burle Marxii (belonging to the Calathea family), Alocasia Black Velvet, Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma  and Fittonia Verschaffeltii.

Everyone here is well, thankfully. I have been baking bread, both yeasted bread in the bread maker and brown soda bread in the oven. The bread went really well with homemade leek and potato soup.  It also went well with my homemade Red and Green Lentil dahl. 


One daughter is painting a geometric pattern on one wall of the upstairs bathroom. The hardware shops opened again on Monday.  Our son has just finished mowing the lawn. I need to get out and move some of the pot plants off the deck, before the wind and gales arrive. 

Day 66, Sunday 17th May 2020, where do the days go

Wednesday May 13th: combination of computer work, washing clothes at the laundromat in the nearest village, and going for walks.
Thursday: Birthday of my husband, and see Wednesday above for other details!
Friday: my sister's birthday, rest of the day, see above.
Saturday: well, no birthday, but pretty much the same as above?
Sunday: a grey day, but dry, and thankfully the wind was milder than all week.
The restrictions are going to lift in phase 1 tomorrow, the 18th.
Meantime, life continues peacefully here at home. Nobody going anywhere much as yet.

Day 61, Tuesday 12th May 2020, better day.

After yesterday which was mostly spent in front of the computer, I had a much better day today. Up early, showered dressed and out for a walk. Got 5000 steps.
Home for a bit of work and then to the shop for the parents.
Nice fresh day, bright and sunny. but windy and definitely cool in the shade. North East wind.
Another walk in the evening at sunset. I love that time.
Finished with 10,000 + steps.
Early to bed, before 11pm.
Phew

Day 60, Monday 11th May 2020

A bright breezy cool day, and apart from hanging out the clothes from yesterday and taking the paper to my parents, very little outside work done today. Hmm, I need to work on that tomorrow, not good to be in front of this computer all day.
Plenty work done for school, but some of the uploading took ages or didn't upload even after waiting ages so I am going to leave that and try an easier way tomorrow. Darn Seesaw and Youtube and Videos and PDFs!
Time to write a list so I hit the ground running tomorrow morning and get more stuff done!