I’ve been plugged into my home for what seems to be like a second lifetime.

Susan Clarke, Healthwatch Central Bedfordshire volunteer, writes about her experience.

Today is Tues 27 April, and I’ve been plugged into my home for what seems to be like a second lifetime.  Not only am I in isolation, I think today so is the sun, as it was raining from the early hours of today.

A great deal of my time at home has been spent in the garden as there has been such super weather for an April.  I could have done with some bedding plants and rose fertilizer etc., but alas I haven’t had the opportunity to get that stuff.  My friend bought me some seeds in Tescos and another neighbour kindly gave me four packets of flower seeds as she knew it would please me.  The sunflowers are growing well and sweet peas showing, the rest I’m being impatient on.

I finally finished painting my fence, thankfully before rain.

Plan B had to come into force today – stay inside the home. I occasionally see manufactured masks walking by my home supported by a person underneath each, but some are made of fabric.  So my task today was to try and create a prototype using only what I have in the home.

My first prototype in picture could have had ponytail elastics to go round the ears, if I had any, but I only had shiring elastic, so I crocheted four strands together to form a substitute for 75mm wide elastic.

My prototype fits quite snugly over nose, without a metal shaped wire, prototype mark two will be modified for a more snug fit.  I shall try and use plastic coated garden ties or freezer bag ties if the two ladies who have been shopping for me can get any.  This prototype mark one is formed of 2 layers of 100% pre washed to shrink fabric; has a slit in the back to insert another layer as a filter, on investigation, the best filter is a Hepa filter (do not use ones for vacuum) I need to do more investigation on the filter, but provision needs to be made for a filter). N.b I think old jeans could be used for outer cover and maybe soft old cotton sheeting for near face, just a thought as I’m an ecowarrier.

Another day when I’m condemned to “playing at home” I will try another style, one with the pleats at the sides possibly.  I also realize, if making at home, they need to be custom made to fit one’s face, and I hadn’t really thought about the fact that from teenage upwards we actually have different shaped faces.

Staying at home this long and not having any close face to face contact for what soon will be months leaves its scar.  Of late I have face timed my friend up the road but its still not the same as a face to face good “old chinwag”.