Happy birthday me! 26/6/20

This is taken from my Facebook page.

Today is my birthday. Thank you all for your good wishes. Looking back on my Facebook memories of this day many of them revolve around either eating out at some nice restaurant or being with family members. Not today.

Today I'm spending a lazy day at home, just with hubby who brought me breakfast in bed and has just cooked my lunch, washed down with some wine. We have cake to eat later.

This will be a lengthy post as I know it will pop up in my feed again next year and will serve as a good reminder that we're still dealing with Covid-19. We've spent months now under restrictions that have driven us all mad at times. Staying at home, keeping safe, protecting the NHS. Not seeing our families, or friends. We've managed to get our shopping delivered and got our daily exercise nearly every day and Nick and I are still talking to each other!

We've watched the horrors of the ICUs when things were at their peak and remain grateful that those we know who were working on the frontline (Sarah & Coralie) have remained safe and well. We clapped especially for them on the Thursday nights.

Now we're moving through the "Staying Alert" phase to what feels like a "Use Your Common Sense" phase. Sadly many people don't seem to have much common sense as recent news reports show crowded beaches, massive gatherings and, in our local area, forest fires due to the stupidity of people holding BBQs on tinder dry open spaces.

We're still a long way off getting a vaccine, or a reliable antibody test and as for track and trace well good luck with tracing anyone from the beach or mass gatherings with no reliable phone app in place. It would be interesting to know how many parents with kids on the beaches would try and justify how being there was safer than sending their kids to school.

Yes I understand that we need to get the economy moving again and restoring some sort of normality to our lives but it feels like we are rushing into this next phase and I wonder how long before we pay the price? How long before the mothballed Nightingale Hospital down in Docklands needs to be reopened or how long before the temporary morgue near us is dismantled and removed because it's no longer needed?

I know that the reality is that, until a vaccine is available or reliable treatments found, we are going to have to live our lives knowing that Covid-19 is still out there and many of us who are either older or more vulnerable need to continue to be cautious and try our best to avoid getting it.

That's why today, I'm glad to be safe and well, have a roof over my head and money to put food on the table and that my nearest & dearest can say the same.

Happy birthday me!