I've just got time for a quick 'hello!' before the madness starts!

Today might be my busiest day, but it makes it go so quickly.

Yesterday ended up being a lovely sunny day and we spent all afternoon in the garden. I'm hoping it goes the same way today. It's overcast at the moment so fingers crossed the sun comes out soon. It's amazing how tidy the house stays when we're not in it

So today is the National Day of Reflection when we think about everything that's happened over the last year and about all the people who have died. I suppose it's not only the people who have died from Covid, but those who have died through other treatments being delayed and those who felt it was all just too much for them. But I would also think of all those people who have come forward to help others, of the scientists working hard to develop a vaccine and of all those people who have had to keep working to keep the country running.
As a family we've come through the last year relatively unscathed. One son lost his job, but took the opportunity to enrol at uni, which is something he'd wanted to do for a long time. DH and another son were furloughed, something else we had to be grateful for. The hardest part for the family was with DH's mum being in a care home and no one being able to see her for a long time. She was in hospital a few times and it was very difficult for DH and her grandchildren not being able to visit. Sadly she died last year (not through covid) and, although DH was able to be at the hospital at the end, it was incredibly hard for him knowing she was in hospital, needing him and not really understanding what was going on. For the last 3 months of her life he hardly saw her in person and he still finds that hard.

On a happier note, it's been lovely having everyone on here to share the journey over the last year. I certainly had more confidence opening up again in June, knowing that some of you had worked all the way through the first lockdown with no real issues. Now we need to aim towards a meet up when we can all see each other in real life

Enjoy your days everyone and thank you all for being here over the last year