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A Skinny Fairtrade Latte in the Food Court of Life - Page 110

  • Keep Calm - and Wash Your Hands (UPDATED)

    INFORMATION AND ADVICE KEEPS CHANGING SO I HAVE UPDATED THIS POST 12 March 2020


    If you don't want to read my ramblings (and even if you do) please check out the latest information such as BUGB advice here which includes practical and pastoral/theological matters and has a link to official government advice.

    WHAT FOLLOWS ARE MY VIEWS NOT THOSE OF ANY ORGANISATION

    I've been fighting the urge to post something about Corona Virus for some time now.

    It is, for vulnerable people, very serious.  There is, as yet, no vaccine for Covid19, so no way of protecting oneself against it, and that is a significant difference from, say, seasonal flu; vulnerable people cannot protect themselves by any means other than distance/isolation, and therefore the rest of us need to be sensible to keep them safe.

    I say this as a person who is eligible for flu vaccination because I am 'at risk', who has a background in risk assessment but no medical training, and as someone who is advocating a 'keep calm and use common sense' approach.

    The data to date show that, if we 'do nothing' the number of cases of corona virus increases by 15-20% per day, or, to put it another way, it doubles about every 4-5 days.  This means, inevitably, that each day the number of new cases goes up - this is just simple maths!  Even so, at the moment there are (according to data I checked 11th March) 456 cases in the UK, which out of a population of roughly 68 million is 'vanishingly small'.  Also, in the UK 27,476 people have been tested (11March) - and, so far, the vast majority of these don't have the virus. 

    In real terms, these numbers - so far - are tiny.  That isn't cause for complacency, it's cause to take a measured, sensible approach to stopping the increase and in time bring it down.  I now understand that the NHS is seriously concerned about managing this and putting in place plans to try to ‘flatten the curve’.

    The best way to reduce the rate of increase - and in time turn it round to a decrease - is to reduce the spread.  And the best way to do this is hand hygiene - something I was taught in infant school!

    Stockpiling toilet rolls (why? this doesn't cause diarrhorea and the two week self-isolation isn't going to need that many trips to the loo) pasta or hand gel (which doesn't kill viruses anyway) isn't going to help.  Indeed, all that stock-piling does, is mean that those with the time and money to do so fill their homes with ludicrous quantities of things that they won't use, leaving the poorest and most vulnerbale unable to obtain them. Also, notionally at least, trekking round supermarkets to stockpile actually increases the risk by bringing them into contact with even more people.

    It's really not rocket science...

    • wash your hands.  Soap and water, buble bath and water, shower gel and water, washing up liquid and water, if all else fails, even just salt and water...
    • if you feel unwell stay at home - you should anyway, but somewhere we forgot this bit of common sense
    • catch your coughs and sneezes and bin your tissues... and wash your hands again
    • if you have an underlying health condition or are immuno-compromised, get advice from your own medical professionals
    • avoid unecessary travel especially by air or trains with air-con.  If you can't walk or cycle, then a car (but not a taxi) is the least bad...
    • at the moment, no-one is telling us to avoid small gatherings (which include most church services) but be sensible here too, stay away if you are unwell, keep hand to hand contact to a minimum.
    • If you need to self-isolate either order groceries on line, or ask a friend to shop for you, and get them to leave the bags on your doorstop (think Eyam, plague village, in the 1600s, that's how not rocket science this is)
    • Don't forget foodbanks still need donations
    • If someone you know is stuck at home give them a phone call, send a text or email
    • Keep calm - oh, and did I say it: wash your hands.

     

  • A Grand Day Off...

    This photo pretty much encapsulates how I spent yesterday, my 'day off' or 'rest day', the day in the week when I do not have to be available to anyone, but can spend it in idleness, industry or anything in between!

    Yesterday was mostly devoted to a sewing project that will find its way to an event in May.  As you can see, I had plenty of feline assistance from both Sophie (picutred) and Sasha.

    I am trying to be more intentional about my free time - it's something that I might eventually get to grips with if I live to be 100!

    It was a grand day off - and I feel the benefit today as I catch up on a gazillion emails!!

  • Book Project

    For around a year now, I've been part of a group of women ministers working on an anthology of worship material.  As of yesterday, it's gone off to the printer, and will go on sale in May.  To say we are excited is an understatement - a 300 page book of original material is a wonderful gift to the churches (well I reckon it is anyway!) and I'm proud and privileged to have been part of it.

    Until it's published, some of the details are being kept under wraps, but I can tell you that with more than thirty contributors, all women in Baptist ministry in the UK, it's going to be something very special indeed.

  • Back - and Busy!

    In the words of my favourite podcast, 'well hello, faithful listener...' (Ok, so it's the only podcast I listen to regularly, and you are a reader, but hey...)

    It has been pretty full on since I returned from my holiday, all of it in a good way, and beginning with three services (including a funeral) over the course of the weekend.  It was great to be back at 'my' church after three Sundays away.

    Since then it's all manner of meetings (three each day, Tuesday and Wednesday) with all sorts of people, and all of them good stuff, mostly energising, and largely exciting.  But tiring! yesterday I woke up convinced it was Friday, thought, no it's Thursday - and only when I checked my diary realised it was Wednesday!  Must be getting old.

    Two things in the diary today and two tomorrow, so it's slowing down a bit!

    Looking forward to a bit of normality - and also excited to see how the Lent Craft Group which starts this evening will work out!

  • Manse moggies...

    Just because Sasha's pose and expression make me smile!

    They don't sit together on my lap for long, but when they do, it's very special.