This last weekend had some of the hallmarks or normality returning and how much better it felt for it.
After a week of DIY it started with a relaxing Friday evening for me and Mrs Jones culminating in an hour long hot tub session downing some half-decent homemade mojitos while we chatted as the sunny Spring evening turned to dusk.
The following morning began with a 5k run from our house as sadly the parkrun remains banned. Feeling virtuous we then returned to bed for bacon sandwiches, a shared bar of chocolate and a read of the paper.
Suitably recovered from our exertions – running that is! – we then went shopping together for the first time in two months.
We picked up some curtains and lamps from Dunelm for our newly redecorated bedrooms. Thankfully the shop is currently only operating a click and collect service.
This suited me fine as it meant I didn’t have to wait ages while Mrs Jones dithered over what to buy. Truth be told on this occasion I’d have been more than happy to spend a little time browsing there myself, it was just good to get out.
On the way home we joined the surprisingly small queue of cars at our newly reopened local KFC. I’m not a great fan of Colonel Sanders’ fast food but we did it just because we could!
Until lockdown the kids used to come round for dinner on most Sunday afternoons and yesterday they did just that but with a difference.
Even though lockdown restrictions have been loosened only the smallest of family gatherings are allowed so the kids visited in their two separate households in two hour slots one after the other. Rather than cook a full dinner we just served drinks and dips and kept socially distanced in the garden.
It was strange not to hug them on arrival and departure but that’s only a couple of fleeting moments so I didn’t miss it too much.
It was great to see them and just sit and talk without the hassle of cooking and clearing away some big meal. It felt like we had an even more relaxed time than usual and those two months of enforced separation melted away within a few moments.
Now we’ve overcome that hurdle there’s going to be a bit more family-based social activity with both sets of aged parents in line for a garden visit this week.
There’s also talk in the media of hotels and campsites reopening in July so I’ll be keeping an eye on the various websites and make a few bookings as soon as I can.
It feels like if not the beginning of the end of the coronavirus lockdown, this is maybe the end of the beginning and not before time.