With one day much the same as another, it is hard to remember what happened when, or even if it happened at all. The weather is still sunny, but there is a distinct chill in the air. We have hardly been out of the house in the last few days.

This morning, though I went to the doctor’s – not because I’m ill, but because I had a blood test, which happens about once a year, partly to check on the medicine I’m taking, I think. I checked that this was going ahead, after receiving a text reminding me of it and then another one asking if I wanted to cancel. On the phone they said I could come, but it was up to me. So I went.

The streets were quiet. There was a queue of 12-15 people outside Aldi on Plumstead Road, purely because of the distancing, which meant a limit on the numbers who could be inside at once, I guess. At the doctor’s surgery I had to wait outside for a receptionist, who appeared in heavily protractive clothing and took my temperature, which was normal. Actually, taking it was not normal, but it was at a normal level. After asking what I wanted she directed me to the usual waiting area for blood tests. I was the only one there, though I was ten minutes early.

After less than five minutes the familiar blood tester came out and invited me in. She had a mask on, but I knew it was her. The procedure was normal, and I left by the same door. The distance between me and someone who happened to be coming in was possibly not two metres, but he looked healthy, and we didn’t touch. I drove home by a slightly circuitous route, which is probably illegal, but I saw that Budgens was open and had no queue.

On arriving home I saw Chris opposite, which reminded me to send a text saying we had their bag, and I was going to drop it off to them. As I did so Des came to the door and offered to do another shop for us towards the end of the week. I accepted gratefully. We still have plenty of food, but it’s the everyday stuff like bread that gets a bit tricky. Still, we can’t grumble. We have it easy compared to very many people.

Which brings me to my cousin Eddie, who died a couple of days ago, almost certainly from coronavirus. HIs daughter Joanne said the day before that he had gone into hospital with breathing difficulties. She also has the virus, but seems to be getting better. Eddie lived in Essex/north London (Hainault) and was a nice guy. We didn’t meet often, but always got on well. Tragically neither his wife nor his daughter was allowed to visit him during his dying hours. For obvious reasons.

Meanwhile the bathroom and shower room have been completely spring-cleaned, and yesterday, while Dot went through her jewellery and various other stuff I had a real go at the study, finding various things I’d lost and others that I’d forgotten I ever had. So much stuff you don’t want to throw away, but have no real reason to keep. I have one more corner of the room to finish today or tomorrow, but the bit I’ve done looks neat. The recycling bin is getting alarmingly full.

Dot is in the garage at the moment, but while we can find lots of stuff we want to take to the tip or to charity shops, we can’t do either, because everything is shut. So the garage is full of stuff we don’t want to be there. Still…

Our family is keeping an eye on us from afar. David Facetimes us frequently from Canada, where he is more or less stranded, though he is better there than alone in his apartment, though this is not a point of view that Amy necessarily shares, because she misses him. We speak to her and Oliver quite often on FaceTime.

Nothing has happened with Zoom yet. To be honest I’m slightly nervous of it. Have written quite a few Holy Land poems and a couple of others too.