Father's Day

Wishing all the dad out there a very happy Father's Day. And I cannot believe we have already reached the summer solstice (yesterday) and now face the days shortening, what a depressing thought.

This weekend was meant to be such a busy and fun weekend. On Friday we should have been at Ascot, we were invited by friends and it would have been our first visit to the Royal Enclosure. Just as I was planning my outfit and hat, we went into lockdown. Then today, for Father's Day, I had booked tickets last December to attend Glyndebourne Opera for the whole family and partners - it would have been a day of dressing up, a delicious picnic lunch in the beautiful grounds followed by exquisite music. But it was not to be.

Instead today I made lunch for Gavin at home - a side of salmon baked in the oven with an Asian style topping with various salads followed by Eton Mess. Here is Gavin enjoying his Eton Mess in the garden while reading the newspaper. The Eton Mess was made with coconut yogurt instead of cream as we all find the cream too heavy.

Every day we phone the hospital to find out how Gavin's mum is faring. She is in a private hospital in Johannesburg and it seems the staff are not very good at speaking English - every day it takes about 10 minutes of painstakingly spelling her name repeatedly before they can understand who we are referring to before we can ascertain any news about her - she is in ICU and besides us phoning every day, Gavin's brother also phones from Canada every day and my sister also has phoned so it is not as if they don't know who she is. I am beginning to think the Coronavirus numbers in South Africa are not being accurately reported. The first hospital she was taken to was full, and my sister tells me that this hospital that she is in has had some sections closed down due to staff having Coronavirus. I cannot believe the doctor attending her then found out he has the Coronavirus and therefore it was no surprise when the matron from the frail care clinic where she lives sent us a message today to say quite a few of their patients have tested positive for the Coronavirus - whether from this doctor who attends to them in the clinic or maybe he got it from the patients who got it from the staff bringing the virus in. It is not a good situation. The news on his mum is no change and we are waiting for test results from her swab test. I am now wondering if she ever had a UTI or not? 

Some positive news is that Cambridge university has informed its students that they are reopening fully in October so that is good news for Thomas. I read a report today saying how we cannot sacrifice children's education indefinitely to benefit the elderly.