TeamChallis: Week 84 - TeamChallis Isolation part 2

Monday wasn't quite Boxing day. We had a bit of a lie-in as is usual, well Mark has been getting up early still, but I have been sleeping in until 9am ish and the girls until later.

It was a nice morning, Mark decided it would be worth picking the grapes. It hasn't been a great year, but there were still some.

The Downend Voice was on the doormat, I sat at the table and leafed through it; there was a small article about a Halloween window trail. I had missed out on being on the trail for the Winter Windowland, so jumped at the idea that we could use some of this week making a Halloween window display. I recruited Bunnykins and we brainstormed ideas. We were thinking about a Harry Potter themed window, I suggested spells and Bunnykins suggested Lumos so she and I got to work.

Woo went out to pick grapes, while Mark started some baking.

Bunnykins and I started by making Penelope - a giant pumpkin on a big sheet of bubble wrap.

Mark began the long task of processing the grapes.

Bunnykins suggested that we put floating candles in the window, so we found all the loo roll centers that we could and wrapped them in white paper. We do have a lot of craft resources around the house, I do enjoy the brainstorming process with the kids and then hunting around for things that we can use.

For lunch, we had soup. I was cheffing it up while Mark was still busy with the grapes. He said that the soup smelt nice, and I just thought he was being odd. As I was serving up, he said something again about how it smelt good. I had a moment of pause and then went to the spices, starting to sniff things like the cinnamon, but getting nothing. Then trying items in the fridge, then Mark's coffee and the girls' fruit tea, then marmite... nothing! Everyone else sat at the table watching me like, "it's a symptom, get over it...", and I can see how on their side of it, I would be the same, but I found it uncanny.

But I couldn't believe how disconcerting it was not to be able to smell!!! I am breathing normally, not bunged up, but I can't smell anything.

I had been bringing my pelargoniums inside to the porch. The smell of them is something that reminds me of my Grandma and just takes me right back to her house...the thought of not being able to smell them was upsetting to say the least.

I never really knew or cared what a pelargonium was when I was a kid. But I took in the smell. And then all these years later, I understand it and through that, I can see the detail of the pots sitting on the window ledge and the shape and texture of the leaves and not only that...I can experience the same fascination my grandma had and understand how those flowers transported her to Spain where she used to holiday and go visit her daughter and grandchildren. I find it fascinating how I retained the olfactory memory far more vividly than any visual memory.

Tuesday was another slow start for me, I did a bit more gardening, then Mark and I put up the netball hoop for Bunnykins.

Speaking of which, I have collected two more Bunnykins-isms this week. While we were discussing our window display options, I suggested some alternatives to one of her ideas, to which she replied: "Everyone is a cricket".

Then later this week, we were talking about scary rides, and she said that she hadn't been to an assortment park in a while.

Anyway, I digress. We got the hoop in place.

We moved around the front room as I had decided that I would like to take the opportunity to sort out the porch, and also to prepare for the window display. We moved the chair away from the bay and the bookcases to the window to provide some structure for the backdrop to our display.

Then we cleared out the porch. Mark got on with sorting out the skirting board.

On Wednesday morning, I got up and got into some scruffs. Woo joined me and we painted the porch together.

It is starting to look quite autumnal in the garden, the cherry tree is starting to turn.

We did a bit more work on the display, Bunnykins came up with a good idea for a cauldron with a headtorch in it and some toy stuffing across the top.

Bunnykins got on with some homework while I cut out the spell letters and pasted them onto some tracing paper.

Woo wasn't feeling great but she wanted to do some of her art project. I sat at the table to help her with finding interesting colours from magazines for her collage.

I was really keen to try and start assembling the window. We all gave a hand, It was good to see it going up so we could then figure out additions and go find extra little bits like various light up gubbins that we have around the place.

Earlier on in the day, Mark, Bunnykins and I had played some netball together, sort of 2 on 1. It kind of worked and was fun enough. Before tea, she went out for a bit more shooting practice.

Mark had made fun-du for us.

It was lovely to sit out and chat.

We did go in eventually and go watch a film. I had previously ordered the box set of X-Men DVDs via ebay and we have been slowly working through them, one each night. It is quite nice way to end the day, not having to think about what we will do. The films are entertaining enough, but are something that we can all be into and chat about and laugh at. In particular the blumming inconsistent timelines and continuity was a great source of chuntering for me.

On Thursday, I got out into the garden again. I wanted to pot up more of my pelargoniums so that I can bring more of them into the porch over winter.

I had ordered new storage for our shoes, there is also a set of shelves for the wall that will give me extra space for flower pots, but that will be a while before I get that one.

For the lack of anything else to do, I had a go at tidying up my bedside table.

In the evening, we had a switch on to test the window.

I felt like it needed something on top of the shelves, but otherwise was looking good.

Friday - the final day of isolation! Though for Bunnykins we had decided that she could be released having done all her days. She was really keen to get to the library, and by the rules she had finished her days of isolation on Wednesday.

She took a test, it was good to see it coming up clear...

Then she got herself ready. She was also going to pick up some books for me, so it was quite a momentous event...

I had done a bit of filling in the porch on Thursday, so I touched it up with a bit of paint, but it is all finished.

I asked Woo if she wanted to help me add some arch detail to the display. Given that it involved using tools - she was well up for it.

Ben popped around with another Mocha for me.

The rain started coming down, but it wasn't too bad by the house. We chatted about gardening and darts 😜 and then he had to catch a bus to take him on to Yate.

Bunnykins helped with the archways using the cut out shapes.

I was really pleased with how it was looking.

On Saturday morning, I woke up about 8:30am. It was later than I had intended, but equally it didn't seem like we should be on a rushed scheduled to get out. Bunnykins had taken a test the day before, the rest of us all took a lateral flow test before breakfast.

We had discussed going to Rest Bay. I liked the idea in terms of being somewhere outside, away from people and making the most of our freedom. But I don't think any of us was in great shape for chucking ourselves in the sea. Leaf peeping was suggested, so we went to Mallard's Pike in the Forest of Dean. It was a good choice: not too far, parking, loos, a cafe, and pretty walks that weren't too challenging.

We set off around the lake and then meandered around the trails into the forest.

It was a beautiful day, we were all entranced with how pretty it was with the sunlight coming through the trees. The girls were also rather engrossed with mushroom spotting of which there were plenty to be seen.

We had packed some flasks of warm drinks (coffee for Mark, hot chocolate for the girls, and hot water for me) and also some biscuits that Mark had made earlier in the week.

The biscuits were huge chocolate chip shortbread cookies. The were perfect for a snack out in the fresh air.

We checked the route and decided to head down across a stream to another track that would take us back to the lake.

She's doing squats...no idea why!

The little stream was running quite fast.

So crossing it was fun

We walked back to the lake and got lunch in the café before driving home.

After tea we had a walk out to see some of the other windows in the Halloween trail.

Park Road in particular have developed a reputation for good displays and they didn't disappoint.

The clocks had gone back in the night, so waking up at 7:30am on Sunday felt a bit odd but welcome. I went down for breakfast and sat and read for a few hours.

Mark emptied out the pumpkins we had bought previously and set to making some soup and cheesy bread rolls.

Bunnykins carved her pumpkin

...called Chompy:

We left him in the porch while Mark, Bunnykins and I walked to the shops to get some eggs and butter so that Mark could make some cakes with the insides of pumpkin 2.

When we got back, Woo carved her pumpkin and called it "Tomato".

I sat reading my book. Bunnykins had picked up some reserved books for me from the library - the next 3 books from the Elena Ferrante Neapolitan Series. I was engrossed in the book, so much so that each time I looked up it took time for my eyes to adjust. The view outside the window was chaotic with leaves and the rambling, leggy begonias on their last flourish, but I loved how full of colour and detail it is.

For the evening we switched on our window lights but also put up a sign saying no thanks to trick or treaters. We had discussed trick or treating as a family and decided that we were out on both counts this year. The South West has the highest incidence of covid-19 at the moment and it is highest in the 10-19 age group. It seemed that the scariest of costumes would be for them to put on their school uniforms, holding a lateral flow test result and go around knocking doors!

Also given that we had definitely had covid and that it was likely still on surfaces in our house, I didn't feel comfortable handing out sweets. Bunnykins was in agreement and was very keen that we should put up a sign.

We still had plenty of rings on the door, but I guess that if you are a 4foot kid dressed in a big witches hat in the dark you might not notice the sign.