On Monday I woke up with my skin feeling very irritated still. The pharmacist had said that I should bathe the skin regularly, but I think that was referring to washing off the chemicals and it certainly made the skin so sore. I decided I would prefer a 2nd opinion on how best to help cure this as after showering my skin was burning to the point of having me in tears.
I had an opportunity to go out and pick up the prescription. When I came back I noticed how the bulbs in the containers by the door seemed to have sprouted and grown so high almost overnight.
I did think what would I start planning though?...(Dates are earliest opportunities)
- Coffees in the park with a friend - I haven't seen Claire in ages!. From 8th March. Everyone is already doing this it seems 😒 in the guise of "exercising", but I like to try and stick to the rules.
- A catch up with Karen over coffee - 8th March
- Getting Ben back over for Thursday evening sessions in the garden - could this be from 29th March?
- A Dickson BBQ or picnic? Also from 29th March?
- A park meet up with the Mummies - 29th March
- Hannah and Claire over for an evening takeaway and prosecco in the back garden - 29th March
- A day surfing at Rest Bay... is Easter too early for this?
- A pub garden meet up with the Mummies - 12th April
- Charity shopping with Hannah - 12th April
- A visit to Dorset to see Tim and Deirdre and a visit to Chepstow to see the Lillingtons....17th May, but could it be earlier if we are outdoors? Depends on the definition of local.
- A visit to see Stella - 17th May
- A visit to see my Mum - 17th May?
It was nice to plan. I am OK with it not being those exact dates, but feeling like these things should happen this year is enough.
Finding clothes to wear for work was becoming a bit tough. I had two nice knitted vests (one in red, one white) that had no seams and had a low V front and back, the fabric was soft too. But to sit on a business conference call, it is preferable to have covered shoulders. I know things have got much more informal over lockdown, but I still felt uncomfortable showing too much skin...at the same time there was no way I could over the skin on my chest and neck - it was far too irritated and burn-y for that.
Tbh, by the end of the day I was so bloody fed up. Just done with the world. Done with trying to carry on and work hard while feeling my skin burning and not being able to do anything, not being able to touch it without making it worse.
Mark decided to go for the hell, why not?! approach to the snacks for the evening and brought me a glass of wine and a big bag of crisps...that I all but finished myself.
It was a difficult night's sleep too. It gives me massive sympathy with those who have chronic skin conditions. Doesn't matter if it isn't a painful sensation - just having that constant mental focus of wanting to itch, but not being able to - it would drive anyone crackers.
On Tuesday I had received a few things that I had ordered from the Warehouse sales. So on Wednesday I tried some of them on. There was a crop top that avoided my chest. A very comfy pair of joggers and a v-neck cardigan that was out of the way of my chest too. With the buttons done up (and all labels snipped off) it did very well for sitting on a conference call.
Wednesday night was games night. We had a go at charades, some sevens and Jenga.
By Thursday my skin was starting to look a lot better. It still felt very sensitive, and I was still applying all my various potions, but I was starting to appreciate how much better it could feel.
One of the things that had come from Warehouse was a Bardot jumper, which did rather well for when I was working. Though I still felt the need to drape a soft scarf around my neck when it came time for a client call.
Mark was in the office, so it was just the girls and I for lunch. It was another beautiful day. We went out for a walk at lunch and Bunnykins was taking photos for her school art project.
On Saturday I had set an alarm. Not too early at 8am, but unusual for me for a weekend. It is Benjamin's birthday weekend, so I had arranged to walk out to meet him for a walk and to give him my present. It was looking like a beautiful day. Mark made pancakes and I got dressed and ready.
I set off at 9am. The air was really misty and fresh, but delicious.
I was delighted to see the signs of spring all around.
Despite how my photos look, it was already pretty busy in the park and on the cycle track.
I kept stopping to take pictures of the trees in the mist.
Warmley cafe wasn't open unfortunately; I think too many people congregate there. We walked to the Tesco garage to get a coffee and then back to have a walk around Warmley Forest Park.
We stopped at a bench by the lake so I could hand over my present. I had found a really good walking raincoat in the sales. I was super chuffed with it and hopefully so was Ben.
It was such a beautiful spot. As we sat there, the sun was burning through the mist. It was so peaceful and that wonderful combination of warm but fresh air.
Ben had very cleverly brought two bottles with Martinis that he had mixed.
It was such a perfect place to sit. I didn't want to move. However, we were conscious that we were only supposed to be meeting for exercise - not sitting on a bench drinking Martinis....
For some reason she had to put a plastic bag over her phone - I guess to get some effect. Anyway, we wandered around and she spotted some good subjects to shoot:
Friday was a really difficult day work wise. It is fair to say I had some low points. I don't suppose it is worth going into the detail.
It was also my mum's 74th birthday. I hadn't done anything to send her a card or gift. I had made a donation to the Alzheimer's society, but she is comatose in bed up in a care home in Chester. I thought about it so many times in the run up to the day, but I just didn't do anything. There was nothing I felt able to do.
In the evening, Facebook showed me the memory of having made this video for mum for her 70th birthday. That did make me a little emotional.
So we got walking again.
I said goodbye about 12 and walked home for lunch. Turned out I was a bit late for lunch, the others had already eaten.
Mark took the girls out for a walk, while I enjoyed a shower with my skin feeling almost back to normal. Then I tried on some of the other Warehouse sale items that I had bought but not been able to bear to try on.
At 3pm we had a session planned with the Dicksons...cheese tasting. Mark had been out in the week and bought a bunch of cheeses, then carefully cut and boxed them up and taken some down to the Dicksons along with crackers. Also, shockingly...turned out we had no prosecco!!! 😲 So I ended up having to make do with some Moet & Chandon Champagne we happened to have in the cupboard. I made the best of it, but my life is hard sometimes.
At 8pm I joined Ben's birthday quiz with his closest friends. There was Karen and Mark, and also Helen (who only was able to join for a short while and I didn't get a picture then).
We had a good time chatting, then Ben compared a quiz for us. I did very well. I am not sure Ben had pitched the quiz that fairly, but Karen and Mark took it all very graciously.
We even had a little Happy Birthday sing-a-long.
I didn't stay too late as Mark needed to get up early and I knew he would wait up for me. So about 10:30pm I left them to it and said my goodbyes. I only ever see Karen and Mark at Ben's birthday, but they are fun people who I have enjoyed getting to know.
On Sunday, Mark was up about 5am. Last week he and Jason had attempted a 42km run - but had navigation issues. This week they were determined to do the whole course.
Meanwhile, I had got up fairly late, had a bit of breakfast, hung out the washing (!!! first of the year!!! 🌞), and got dressed. I went to see the girls - who had already had breakfast and were in Bunnykin's room hanging out. I said I was going to do a bit of cooking for lunch and then some gardening and was really pleased to get a couple of volunteers.
Mark came back to find us all in the kitchen. Woo was making a white sauce for cauliflower cheese, and Bunnykins was peeling some carrots, making breadcrumbs for the cauliflower cheese topping and helping with the laundry.
Bunnykins then helped me with a bit more clearing of dead vegetation, while Woo got on with cleaning a broken garden ornament ahead of gluing it back together.
Eventually the girls got tired of helping, but I was very grateful for the time spent already. I did a bit of pruning and a bit more weeding and tidying. Then I packed away the tools and took a couple of cushions, a mug of hot water, and my book and went to sit on the bench in the sun.
I sat and read my book for a good couple of hours. Mark wandered out occasionally to refill my cup.
At about 4:30pm the sun was just about to go behind the houses. It was starting to feel chilly. I took in the washing and went back in for tea. Mark had made pizzas for us.
At 8pm we had a Mummies' call. It was lovely to catch up with them all. We talked about booking a weekend away - Centre Parcs or Chedar Woods. There is a bit of caution from Sally, but I would love to have something to look forward to with these guys.
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