Diary > Saturday 16th May

[Viktoria]

I think when in one way we have less to think about than usual  our minds fill themselves with what is going on that is not usual, and things do get on top of us.
One way of dealing with difficult people like roobarb’s neighbour is to rise above  it all  , but honestly I know I could not do  that.
Being the end house I do get some bother ,
The side lane is the place where people roll their bins to for collection, lovely wild flowers grow there which I encourage but some people slam their bins into my fence!-  and crush the flowers .
Often the emptied bins are not moved for days and at Easter all I could see were bins.
My Grandson  moved them once- to the next   side street  where there are
no houses .
 You wonder where they are putting the rubbish ,paper ,bottles and tins and food and garden waste.
It is my bugbear and one neighbour cold shoulders me ,but I speak to them and pass the time of day and quite honestly they are more embarrassed than I am! I persist until I get a reply.
But they  otherwise  do not damaged my property, one (since moved )did, by bringing a thundering great van down the lane , hitting the CH balanced flu and then blamed my grandson for vandalising his wing mirror .
Luckily the wing mirror had been damaged earlier than when my grandson came ,a passing dog walker picked it up off the floor and put it in the van man’s gateway the day before my grandson arrived .
The dog walker was good enough to tell vanman when it had happened .
I ought to have reported him for driving with only one wing mirror!
The absolute cheek is  beyond belief ,they should be made to live in a commune and drive each other mad!Leaving we reasonable  people alone.
I am doing less and less ,Scarlett O’ Hara had nothing on me!
( Wasn’t Ashley Wilkes a wet dish cloth—- whatever did she see in him?,Rhett Butler  was at least - well, interesting!)
Tomorrow is another day ,well it is getting like next week is another week!
Heatwave next week so nowt done inside most probably!
I think I would take a tape player or portable CD player or something outside and at least you won’t hear your neighbour .
Or headphones and let her see you wearing them , she will know you can’t hear her that way too.It will do her no harm but she can’t upset you verbally
The trouble is we do not have minds like such people, and do you know Roobarb I am very glad I do not and I feel sure you don’t really want to be the same as your neighbour either.
I can’t think like they do, only tame things come to mind, no serious nastiness but I am glad I can’t think nasty things up,
Cheer up , it all seems worse when there are few distractions .
Goodnight and I hope you all get a good night’s sleep,
Viktoria.

[River Tyne Lass]

Roobarb, I think that is good advice you have been given about ignoring the neighbour.   I realise this is easier said that done.  However, you wouldn't want her to do you two injuries instead of one - what happened to the Clematis and robbing you of your peace of mind as well.  You can't do anything about the first but you can have some control over the second.  Try to distract yourself as much as you can from thinking about the neighbour and think of any nice things .. give yourself treats, anything to give yourself a boost during this time.  I hope you are feeling better today, I think we all feel for you about the situation and want you to have peace of mind again as you deserve. 

Andra tutto benne  as our Italian friends say  (Everything will be alright) .. eventually ... 🌈🌈🌈🌈

Just catching up ..

Diary

The sun was shining brightly in the morning so I decided to go out for some walking exercise.  I took a route through Preston Cemetery, in North Shields.  There were a few other people out taking their walking exercise there but everyone was social distancing.  I haven't been through there since before lockdown.   This is a huge old cemetery, very beautiful and peaceful and a haven for wildlife. 

Today I see that there are bluebells out in abundance; there are so many they are quite a breath taking sight.  However, some parts of the cemetery ground is now looking like a jungle.  There are areas thick with May flowers, some over five feet tall.  Although other areas do appear to have been tended and things still look as normal.  I suppose the number of gardeners may have been reduced since lockdown so they may not have as much time to get everything done as before.  Sometimes, you don't realise how much work is being done until it isn't done.

Before lockdown I took a photo of a grave for someone.  Looking over at that particular section now, I would not be able to locate that grave again as it is so over run with weeds. When at this cemetery I sometimes see squirrels.  I don't see any today but think perhaps they might just be too well hidden in the undergrowth.

On the way home, I see my Great Niece out with her children.  Keeping a good  social distance she tells me they have been for a walk too.  It makes me feel as old as Methuselah to think that I am a Great x 2 Aunt!  (I am the 'baby' of our family and there was an age gap of 22 two years between me and my eldest sibling so I was quite close in age to some of my nephews and nieces.)  Sometimes from a genealogical stand point I think they should feel lucky to know me    (although this has probably not occurred to any of them) - for me to meet one of my own Great x 2 Aunts I think I would have to time travel back to the 1800s!

Back at home I see I am pleased to see that I have had a response from a new DNA match I sent a message to and this person has sent their email.  From the little bit of information they have provided I suspect this person might be another descendant of my paternal Great Grandfather's brother who went to America with his family and was horrifically killed in an accident at a mine over there.   This ancestor had ten children and I have had several matches so far to various descendants.  I send an email to this person with some information from this side.  I will now have to wait and see if things turn out to be as I think or whether I am jumping the gun with my guesswork.

Added: Now as I write this it is Monday and I will shortly be going to bed ..just finished nightshift.  Caroline you are right one day does seem to blend another .. and sometimes it is hard to keep up with where we are.  My first bus was definitely busier this morning and second bus just the same .. but at least I got on.😊

[Mowsehowse]

Glad you had some relaxing down time RTL.
Very exciting about the DNA link.... I shall keep my fingers crossed it is fruitful.
Hope you had a good sleep.
Stay safe on those buses.

I found a cousin in the USA, accidentally, earlier this year. Via siblings of my great grandfather that I hadn't known about. We keep in touch now, every month or so, which is nice.

[Roobarb]

Viktoria, what awful neighbours you have, leaving their bins outside your property for days, it beggars belief. My garden vandal neighbour, she's also the queen of clean, is outside taking in her bin only minutes after it's been emptied. Must admit that since she vandalised my garden I've been leaving mine out on the street a bit longer just to annoy her, I have to get one back somehow! It's never there longer than an hour though. She can't actually see me in the back garden unless she peers through the gaps in the fence where she's killed the plants, she wouldn't want to let me spot her doing that, just wants to make her presence felt.

RTL, you're so right in what you say, I appreciate your kind and wise words. I've had a word with myself, see Sunday's diary!  You seem such a positive person, it's good to read about your DNA match and your walk around the cemetery, it sounds a lovely place. Hope you've had a good Monday sleep.