For the first time since I started writing this blog back in 2006, I have been dreading doing a post this month. It has been yet another month of doing very little, being stuck at home and total boredom 
I am so looking forward to being āfreeā again and getting back to some sort of normality nowā¦and hopefully it is coming now, so long as people don`t mess it up again. I have been saying for so long now that we all have to learn to live with this virus and not hide ourselves away. We all need to be sensible, take care of ourselves and get the vaccineā¦as soon as possible.
Anyway, back to this months activitiesā¦such as they are. I apologise in advance for this post being a bit boringā¦but that seems to be my life at the moment ā¹ Looking at the entries on my calendar I am amused to see nothing there but nurse and doctor phone chats, blood letting sessions and zoom calls. How I long for my happy fun filled days in France! Lets get the medical stuff out of the way first. I am still having a lot of bother with pain in my legs and it got so bad especially at night, that I gave in and rang the doctor. Neither she or the inevitable nurses could offer any ideas as to what is wrong but recommended blood tests to see if I was deficient in anything. I wasnt but do have a higher level than normal of ferratin apparently so might have to have that checked again However my blood sugar levels are now down to āpre diabeticā levels which is good news. Whilst I was talking these results through with the nurse (again!) we got talking about the low carb diet & she suddenly had a thought that I might be lacking in magnesium and salt because of it. By cutting out things like bread and cereals you also cut out the salt they contain and as I tend not to cook a lot with salt this all sounded possible. So I`m now taking a magnesium supplement and have started to add salt to my food againā¦after years of being told not to do this! I give up! However, if it sorts out these leg pains, I am prepared to give it a try as lack of sleep and not being able to walk far is beginning to get me down. I am beginning to rattle though with all these pillsā¦I resemble a French person now, as I exit from the pharmacy clutching my bag of goodies!
We are continuing to go for short walks which have become more pleasant as the weather has improved & we can now venture a little further from home. It is lovely seeing nature coming to life with all the flowers, birds and even butterflies flying around again. We are so lucky to be able to get out into the countryside within 10 minutesā drive from the flat. Our little garden is starting to look quite colourful again too with all the plants I have put in. Geoff has also started to mow the lawns at Hazel`s house which he quite enjoysā¦just as well, because Hazel & Phil do not!
Mothers day came and went without me being able to celebrate much with either of our children. I had hopes when we came back to live here of being taken out for lunch on Mothers Day like we used to take our mothers outā¦but this is two now when I`ve had to cook myself! The children did get me some nice gifts mind you and Hazel even baked me a cake which was lovely so all was not totally lost.
Other than that, I have been continuing to knit little toys for the grandchildren and others as I started to receive requests from friends. At the moment I am knitting little Easter bunnies and giving them away to family and friends. The ones I have left over are going to the charity shop, where I will be working again when lockdown eases, to be given to people as part of the food parcels this week. I also hosted and completed a rather difficult book challenge on Facebook for some of my friends. Although I found some of the categories really daft (your favourite book cover etc), a lot of people enjoyed it and I did get some good recommendations for new authors and books to read, so all was not lost. I am also continuing to read and record a poem every day, and sharing these with friends on Twitter, which I love doing. I am amazed how much I am enjoying finding a poem each day and am also amazed by how many poems there are out there! It is also increasing my knowledge of special āinternationalā days throughout the world as I search for a theme! I think international Tuberculosis Day is my favourite so far. That day prompted a Bronte poem as they all succumbed to TB didn`t they??
So now onto brighter things. I am singing āplease release meā under my breath this morningā¦I am so desperate! The lockdown rules are being relaxed at last. We are now able to meet with 6 people outdoors, so we are off to meet up with our son and the grandchildren on Saturday. I am really looking forward to that. Hazel is cooking lunch for us on Easter Sunday and although we will try to eat it outside, we are allowed to go inside if necessary, as they are in our ābubbleā. I have also just booked my first post lockdown session at the local private pool. I am so looking forward to getting back to swimming again. Geoff and I have even been contemplating buying ourselves wet suits (now that is something I NEVER thought Id ever say!) so that we can do some wild swimming in the Lakes. I have a hairdressing appointment booked tooā¦but not until May which is not such good news. I start back at the charity shop next week too ā¦again something I am looking forward to. We have also begun to plot our escape from Carlisle as soon as we canā¦not to France unfortunately, as there is not much chance of that until after the summer at least. Scotland is in our sights at the moment but that may change as more and more possibilities open up. I cant wait! Bring it on my friends 
A bientot mes amis