Today I really feel that I have made some good progress in getting myself in order on my much needed admin day. As part of my management refresher training I was reminded of the files that you can use in Outlook email. I had about 50 folders and laughed when I realised I had nothing in half of them. So I have been ruthless, deleted all the rubbish and tidied them all up. At least now when I am looking for my template emails or want to file something I will be able to do so without getting frustrated. As well as that I finally got around to clearing out a shed load of emails that were out of date so my inbox is looking slightly healthier. When I work through the management modules there is a section on email rules that I am hoping will help me. A new revelation is the programme OneNote – I like the fact you can add notes to it on tabs for different streams of work, upload file links and find everything in one place, which I seem to need. I’m not sure if my brain is overloaded with information or if I am just getting older and there is cotton wool up there, but I seem to spend half my life trying to find things – keys, emails, contacts, that one thing you need at that exact moment and only saw yesterday but where on earth is it now?!

I have had a lot of positive feedback on the crocheted face mask adaptors too – the ones that the healthcare workers will use at the back of their face mask to save their ears from getting sore. Mum is also making some, and my sister in law is also recruiting some older ladies she shops for so my troops are growing. I advertised on a local Facebook group and have a few orders in my book for free supplies of the finished items. These will be going to community staff, midwives, neonatal intensive care nurses in my locality, as well as school nurses who are awaiting relocation to Nightingale hospitals or community. I have ordered extra cotton yarn, plastic buttons and the appropriate sized crochet hook, because you have guessed it, I have one somewhere but have no idea where it is. I also contacted a SW charity hospice to see if they were interested and the nurses and Drs are, this has made me really happy as they supported us so much when we nursed Dad at home in his last few weeks and it will be great to try and help them back in return.

One thing in the office that makes me smile are my Bristol Children’s Hospital charity model Gromits, who are also getting themselves in order today but seem to need reminding about social distancing, so I thought they might make you smile too, I simply cannot think why?!….