Lock down is not over

in the state my brother lives in. His children and their families are under even more restrictions. My SIL has not seen her mother (98) for some weeks now. She tries to talk to her on the phone but her mother gets agitated and upset. 

My brother is trying to get things done around the house and is working on a commission for a cupboard. (Like the Senior Cat he loves working with wood and has taken it up quite seriously of late because a neighbour saw something he had made and asked him if he could make something else. Now he has had several requests. It is keeping him occupied. My SIL has plenty to do too. I am expecting a new DVD from her at any time. Her work is nothing like the usual home made DVDs. These are highly professional and she too has been asked to make more for other people.

But all of this only helps so far. Their lock down has been extended by another four weeks. Here, if we can contain the virus to those already in quarantine then we might, just might, be setting up for the annual Show in four weeks. I have work to do before then but it will be good to go and see the other stewards and judges and get a display ready. 

It will be smaller this time. People seem to have lost the momentum because of last year's failure to hold the Show. That could not be helped. Nobody was vaccinated. Some of us will still only be partially vaccinated - but even that is better than nothing. I'll make sure I am wearing a mask and that I take the hand sanitiser and the cotton gloves. I know other measures will be in place to prevent infection. A lot of thought has gone into this.

And I am getting more than a little tired of people criticising the way all this has been handled. Have they any idea of how difficult it all is? Do they really believe the government tells us to go into lock down if the health officials are just saying, "Well, maybe we should?" No. We go into lock down because it is seen as absolutely essential. They know what the economic and social consequences are far better than we do. They do not do it simply because it is "easy". It isn't easy. 

I haven't minded lock down too much because I have plenty to do but this morning I am going over to see the Senior Cat because he has eye surgery this afternoon. We are hoping it will mean he can see well enough to read again. This was considered urgent enough for his mental health that it was high on the "elective" surgery list. He was prepared to have it put off because of the lock down and the needs of other people but yesterday they confirmed the arrangements - and then brought the time forward so that other arrangements had to be made.

I think people do care. If the government snaps us back into lock down tomorrow then I will simply have to put up with it....but I would love the Show to go ahead. If we wrap the Senior Cat up warmly and put a double layer of mask on him then perhaps we can take him there for an hour. He'd love to go.