My exile – I am in bed with Covid and keeping away from my elderly father and beloved daughter. It weirdly feels like a holiday now that the skin crawl and aches have gone. I have been so impressed with the way that they have coped. I get fed and left alone… I expect my Dad to be fine, but H is 12. They don’t talk or communicate much with each other. H has been so busy the whole time, all day, no TV!

She has been embroidering on one of the islands we made to go on her quilt…. the one we started years ago. There are only so many things one can nag to get finished, and this was one that I felt was a askfj activity. She is still following the plan – this is birthday cake island.

She remembers them all – she has been keeping a list in her head for years… who knew it was so very important. I don’t, and that’s not due to Covid. Her sewing has gotten so tidy and purposeful.

she has even been doing her own mending.

I am impressed with her ability to not need me – she has listened to over 25 hours of talking books, the Rondo series again. I wonder if it will inspire her to start embroidering Book Island.

It feels a bit like a two edged sword this not needing me, I don’t mind not being needed to help or any of those kind of aspects of non-mutral project work but I do like companiable parallel play – in my little Covid cell. My Dad doesn’t need me as such either and is happy to play in his room by himself all day. I was the kid who worked in doorways or the lounge (sorry for all the mess old flatmates..).