Coronavirus – Northern Ireland #11

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The forecast for the weekend remains good but the furthest we are going is our back garden. We are digging in for the long haul. Adam and I are power hosing the yard today, Rebecca is on weeding duties and tomorrow we are fence and furniture painting. The pandemic does give you the time to tackle all the odd jobs around the house that have been neglected by the busy hustle of normal life.

I ran five miles yesterday but think I will take today off, before tackling a 10K tomorrow morning. I’m sticking to country roads so there are few folk about. Unfortunately the hills remain but I found yesterday slightly easier than my last effort. I’m looking forward to progressing my fitness during this protracted period of leave. Adam is continuing to lift big weights in our garage gym. I can only look on in awe.

There were 12 deaths in Northern Ireland yesterday bringing the total to 48, with over 900 people testing positive for coronavirus. The figures are misleading though, as currently only those admitted to hospital are being tested for the virus. There are probably many thousands more within the community with milder symptoms. Our government are currently under a lot of pressure to increase daily testing from its current level of 10,000 to 100,000 by the end of the month.

Fionnuala has been putting her crafting talents to great use and I’ve included some photos of the Easter baskets and displays she created yesterday. They have really brightened up the house and I’m fortunate to have such a talented and resourceful wife. She loves the outdoors so this is a particularly tough time for her. Please spare a thought for her as she struggles to survive with three crazy kids and a highly annoying husband at home 24/7.

I hope you are all keeping safe and adhering to your government guidelines on social distancing so we can beat this virus. It’s a global effort and we must all remain strong as a blogging community and do our bit for wider society. Keep writing and sharing your own experiences. They could be a lifeline to someone out there. Never underestimate the power of the written word, especially kind words. They cost nothing but are priceless at the same time. Enjoy your Saturday wherever you are.

Published by Fractured Faith Blog

We are Stephen and Fionnuala and this is our story. We live in Northern Ireland, have been married for 17 years and have three kids - Adam, Hannah and Rebecca. We hope that our story will inspire and encourage others. We have walked a rocky road yet here we are today, together and stronger than ever. We are far from perfect and our faith has been battered and bruised. But an untested faith is a pointless faith. Just as a fractured faith is better than none at all. We hope you enjoy the blog.

41 thoughts on “Coronavirus – Northern Ireland #11”

  1. Gosh she’s quite a talent!! And yes, I have total sympathy for her! 😂. I have noticed that you have some rather lovely flowers … I loooove tulips and this has reminded me to mention it to the colonel. He will no doubt huff and puff a little but I can live with that. Stay safe my friend.

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  2. I’m licking my lips at the sight of all those Cadbury’s Cream Eggs. 😋 By chance, I did manage pick up a small pack the last time I was over in the UK, so I shall be looking forward to Easter. Here in Switzerland, the number of active cases is starting to fall, with now only half the number of cases as the UK. (It was about the same a few weeks ago). And the death toll is about a 1/6th of the UK – at 604 when I last looked. Measures, like Social distancing and closed shops etc, have been in effect here for a little longer than the UK, so maybe that is why the numbers are receding (albeit slightly). Like you, my wife and I are catching up on jobs around the house, like digging over the garden at the side of the house, which is normally overrun with weeds in the summer. And my wife is learning to bake bread. We normally buy this from the shop every other day (as it doesn’t keep in the dry atmosphere), so that’s a way of staying safe, at home. Enjoy you run and take care of everyone!

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  5. Good morning, Stephen, I thank God for yours and your family’s health. Thank you for brightening my morning with the colorful decorations made by the hands of your love. It is a time when we need to heed the wisdom of God and our government. I pray more and more hearts to recognize Jesus as Lord and Savior during this pandemic. May God bless you in ways you have not yet seen. In Christ, Julie

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  6. Thank you for the Irish ☘️ update! I smiled reading all you and yours are doing! Easter is coming …. here in my part of USA 🇺🇸, Missouri, we have 2,000 cases and 19 deaths. I suspect we haven’t seen its peak. Cars buzz the highways trying to create the illusion of normalcy ~maybe hoping, since gas is so cheap, the drive alone inspires them. For me, I walk around the empty campground and admire Nature’s beauty. Mother continues her job through the Crisis. Be safe and stay well! Prayers for all of you! 💚🙏🏻

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  8. Thanks for sharing your weekend with us. Fionnuala has quite a talent, plus great restraint. It’s not always easy for an intruder and nest-builder to coexist in confined space. Enjoy your run!

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  9. I could connect, me and my parents and Siblings too we have been working around our compund, repairing and renovating so many small things that needed to be fixed. Everyday dad comes up with new work for the day and it’s tiring sometimes but I love how I am getting time to spend with my whole family which happens rarely in other days.
    Here in India the cases are increasing each day, rapidly I am scared and insecure, yet trying to be positive. It’s so good to hear from you the updates about northern Ireland. 💕 It’s is also wonderful to know we are all fighting it together, I love how it is connecting us all.
    Stay safe😊

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  14. Aww. 💞They are so lovely.🌸Just checking in on you guys and hoping you’re well amidst all the chaos. So much love to you all. Keep writing. Writing makes everything that little bit better. 🙂xx

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  15. Love the hearts in the window. Are you guys in the Happy Heart hunt group in Facebook? We are and it is so encouraging to see all the hearts up. People are just so talented in the things that they are making out of a lot of hearts. I wrote about it in my post Open the Door to Love. Here is the link if you are interested in reading it! We need to encourage one another. God bless. https://thefathersfeet.wordpress.com/2020/04/01/open-the-door-to-love/

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