I realise I should be making meticulous notes about what is happening each day, so that I end up with a historic document. However, this has not been the case, and the days continue to merge into each other, this becoming the new normal. Dot, however, has been taking notes, and I draw on them partly for this blog.

Today it’s raining and quite cool, but apparently this is a minor blip in the mainly warm weather we’ve been having. We did have a couple of much cooler days, but they were simply nearer the seasonal average. We have been able to do our exercise walk in the Rosary most days: it really is a beautiful place, and because dogs are not allowed, peaceful too.

We’ve been watching a few films, but surprisingly are still busy in other areas. We really enjoyed Fisherman’s Friends, but were not particularly enamoured of Hustlers. We are continuing with The Expanse, but got lured into Masterchef finals week and always watch Vera. We have also just started watching the second season of Sunderland ‘Til I Die, which is really well done.

On Monday we had a Zoom get-together with Howard, Anna, Janet and Derek, and that was quite enjoyable. It came with wine. Paul also rang: he is hanging on, but Debbie is about to take a break; so that may cause difficulties with Maryta.

Mark came over and told us he was travelling to Mobile, Alabama, for his company (he is in oil and gas construction, I think). He left us with the key to his hire car, which would be collected the next day. He then left for Norwich Airport. He was flying to Aberdeen, then Schiphol, then Atlanta, from where he would drive to Mobile.

The hire company turned up for the car key, but two days later we noticed Mark’s own car was in front of the house and his windows were open. While we were chatting with Des (and keeping our distance) he emerged and said he had got as far as Aberdeen, where he was told by his company that the Amsterdam flight was cancelled, and he had to go to Heathrow (by train). He was just south of Edinburgh when he heard again from his company, saying the whole trip was off. So he left the train at Peterborough and came home. He said it was very odd being with other people, and he had felt very nervous at the airport and in the train.

On Tuesday we sorted out all the cards that we had accumulated over the years, and Dot did a careful file of all those we wanted to keep. Various items were delivered, including coffee, water filters and bathroom cleaner. David FaceTimed us: he seems well. He keeps in close touch, which is great.

The next day Dot cleaned the windowsills, and wrote to Phyllis. We posted the card on our daily walk. I went on my own on Thursday while Dot painted the cloakroom/downstairs toilet, and I posted a card to Christine, my cousin’s wife, which I should have done ages ago. I also found out that as well as a daughter he had a son, Matthew, who has ME. I sort of knew this, but couldn’t track anything down to confirm it. Earlier Des and Chris brought our shopping – quite a lot of it this time. We and the rest of the street clapped the NHS workers at 8pm (remembered at last minute) and then watched Compline in bed, which in my opinion is the right time for Compline, unless you go to sleep in the middle of it.

Obviously I have been doing various work in the middle of all this, some of it on Paston stuff. For instance I have checked the Personnel mini-biogs on the website and done a few corrections, some of them factual. I am getting to be quite an authority on Captain Robert Paston, who was shipwrecked off Nova Scotia in 1711 – the male line of the Pastons went down with him. I am also editing and captioning the Holy Land pictures, which is a bit of a slog. The photobook that I did arrived this week and looks quite good.

I have also restrung my guitar, only to find that this brought home how soft my fingertips are. I need to get back into practice. I did this yesterday, while Dot was clearing out the shed and painting a stool. I also made a fruit salad, but we fitted in another Rosary walk. I rang up Ray and Chris to see how Chris got on with her radiotherapy over the last couple of weeks. It seemed it went as well as could be expected. Complex but necessary procedure for actually getting into the hospital.

Bob Dylan has released another song – I Contain Multitudes, which is good, though not quite as good as Murder Most Foul. Great that he’s still producing more than worthwhile stuff at his age. I will now progress with picture editing and (possibly) a Holy Land poetry and pictures book. I have got in touch by e-mail with Matt, who apparently I was supposed to ring under the church “buddy” system, but this had not filtered through to me.