EASEDOWN week two and there are lots of very happy grannies and grampas out there who have been hugging for Scotland after what must seem like an eternity without being close to their grandchildren. As for the kids, to be able to return to these acts of affection and love, once taken for granted, must be a comfort, especially for the younger ones who won’t understand the bigger picture of what this pandemic has visited upon us.

And small mercies for the under-12s, now able to play together as the school holidays stretch before them after a long time away from the classroom and their schoolmates.

Older offspring are happy too, with family allowed very restricted visits at some care homes, where many elderly parents have been feeling isolated without close contact with loved ones.

These are all baby steps, and we should welcome and respect the cautious approach of the Scottish Government, but these are glimmers of a return to normal – whatever the new normal turns out to be.

Another welcome development is the relaxing of travel restrictions beyond the five-mile limit. On the face of it, this sounds great. But I’m not so sure. I seem to have developed a kind of Lockdown Stockholm Syndrome, and start to feel a bit on edge once we get further than Asda up the road.

We ventured forth an extra few miles this weekend so the Quarter Master could stock up on DIY provisions. I must confess it was strange seeing people in the flesh, accustomed as I have become to interacting via Zoom and Microsoft Teams. It felt really quite weird and I almost had a dose of the vapours. Fortunately, the QM had his smelling salts with him.

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The extra freedom is a relief for the QM, though. He’s been going increasingly stir crazy and I was concerned he still had his full complement of marbles. I’m not suggesting he’s losing it … but he did loose the cheese the other day. It eventually turned up in the vegetable rack, so no harm done. From now on, we’ll just have to keep a close eye on the inventory.

Thank goodness for the DIY trip, as the QM has been running out of chores. Last week I found him reorganising the Tin Of Turmoil and the Drawer Of Doom. The former has been home, for many years, to random kitchen implements. It has long been something of a hazard. Woe betide you if you were after the whisk, which would always be right at the bottom tangled up with various sharp objects.

The latter housed an accumulation of detritus which, though probably useless, Might Come In Handy One Day. Of course, that day never comes, and you’re left with a drawer full of electrical fuses, random screws, out-of-date parsley seeds, odd shoelaces and takeaway menus for establishments that have shut up shop.

So Operation Kitchen Chaos was mounted. Many hours later, and after some rather industrial language from the Quarter Master’s Store, we now have order. The contents of the TOT have been swapped with the contents of the DOD. Progress at last.

Yes, the QM really must get out more.