Diary > Saturday 5th December

[Roobarb]

Spent a restless night, half awake at times and for some reason thinking about how I used to wake up crying at the beginning of the first lockdown. Woke to a sunny morning. Went for a walk late morning, the field was sopping wet, squelched across it to the woods. Didn't want to cross the field again so turned at the end of the woodland path, retraced my steps and came out onto the road. Several people out walking, turned onto the walkway as soon as possible.

Spent much of the afternoon on the laptop, uploading my chosen Christmas card photo to the printer's website, choosing font colour, size, thickness of card etc. They used to send me discount codes regularly but had stopped, probably because I didn't get to produce my own card last year. So I got to the stage where my order was in the basket then came out of the website, hoping to get a discount code. When I returned to it there was an offer of 10% discount, that would do nicely.
After that I spent ages looking at how I could watermark my paintings with a copyright symbol. Eventually found I could download an app to my tablet and do it from there.

Hoovered upstairs, was going to give the lounge a quick go over but the battery went halfway through. Rained in the middle of the afternoon and evening.
Spag bol tonight, some TV as usual. Watched two episodes of a three part adaptation of War of the Worlds, I recorded it some time last year. It was very good, will watch the other part on Sunday.

[Caw1]

Sorry to hear you had a bad night.... sometimes after a very good night I too find I’m tossing and turning...
Great to hear you’ve got your Christmas card sorted.... pity we can’t see it! I’ve found sometimes if you leave things in baskets you either find you get a discount or they disappear from it!
I enjoyed The War of the World Series... the girl from Poldark looks quite different doesn’t she?
Hope you have a better night tonight!

Today was certainly a better day than yesterday in that it wasn’t raining and the sun was out... hooray!!
Washing in then hang out although it was chilly so probably wouldn’t dry well but get some fresh air at least...
I had got my day mapped out but OH put paid to that! .....
It was to be after breakfast get chicken casserole into the slow cooker... clean the bathrooms, have a shower, do some yogalates then start writing Christmas cards...
Instead, yes I did the casserole... put in some clothes and out for a walk... good idea really as it was pleasant out!... we met several people out too so always nice to have a chat...
Walked past the house with the dogs and could hear them barking... coming the other way was a villager and her two dogs... heard the owner of the barking dogs call them away.... stopped to chat to villager... she said she’d found the dogs out on the road before and had told the owner she would report him to the police... we explained our experience and what had happened... she also said another villager who lived down that end was terrified to walk past.... why don’t people do something about it then... beats me... anyway he has put up some fencing but along by the road not nearly secure enough...
lunch time by the time we returned.... so rest of my plans out the window...
We had a game of scrabble .... I won... now only two down!
Had a message from friends who were having bonfire/fireworks saying couldn’t they persuade us to just go for 10 mins to watch.... replied thanks but now got zoom with some friends!
Showered, set up zoom... could see the bonfire from the window over the top of their house which is behind ours up the lane.!! Good job it’s in the field behind them... think he’s a pyromaniac really.... OH usually helps him build it and it’s always massive!
we had nice chat with our friends... one lot at their holiday flat in Bournemouth had a virtual tour round it! Sadly other friend who was going in for second hip op next week now can’t as blood count not good and immune system poor... while all the chat is going on we could hear and see all the fireworks from the kitchen as we’d pulled the blinds up!
Late dinner of chicken casserole with mash and broccoli...
Watched some Netflix... The Queens Gambit... then caught up with the rugby Aus v Argentina... played in Sydney where it was pouring with rain... ended in a draw but a good match...
And so to bed...

Wonder how the twins and Mum are doing and Carols son too...

Caroline

[Viktoria]

I too was awake ,saw four o’clock in the morning !
So sorted out card lists etc,decorated my little tree ,put up ribbons for cards.
Then back to bed and slept until 8-30.

Pottering around ,lots to do but not much motivation ,might be the third lot of antibiotics.No leaflet with them so will Google.

Wonder if the Police have seen  how inadequate the fencing is.?
You think of the dogs causing a traffic accident .

Sunny morning but cold , it has been so dull and dark lately ,lights on before
four so no complaints .

Must get the Christmas crib out .
We bought it in Belgium the first Christmas we were there 1965.
Mary,Joseph,baby, Shepherds ,Kings ,oxen ,asses .sheep  —— and a cat!
Placed in there in the straw ,by my youngest son ,it came from a bottle of Black Cat Reisling ,”  Zwarte Kat.”Hung from a tag on the bottle.
An ox has only three legs, ( a matchstick suffices)  Oxen de horned.Ass similarly legless .Sheep not so bad.
People OK in a sort of lean to, I wouldn’t pay the inn keeper for that!Exploitation!
Well must get on , chicken and mushroom casserole for tea .
Jacket potato, have  fresh broccoli,green beans ,carrots ,and frozen peas .
Yoghurt and a banana for afters.
Will keep the stuff in the hamper to share with family .

Will pop next door’s card in later when her daughter is there and she will        “  quarantine “ it.
Hope everyone has a good day and a restful night.

Cheerio.(  Are there any tablets for Lazyitis?)
 Viktoria..

[River Tyne Lass]

Saturday was the last of a block of shifts, for me.  I had to get up at the crack of dawn.   I quite like the peaceful walk through the darkened and silent street to the bus stop.  Often at this time there is only me there but today there is a man waiting and another woman also comes along.  I read my book at the bus stop waiting for the bus to come.
When we got to Newcastle, I had to remind another passenger that we had reached the last stop.  "Does it not go to the bus station?" she asked. I had to quickly explain that the buses only pick up passengers from the bus station these days. 
When I got to the bus station for my next connection I saw two rough sleepers sleeping beside Greggs. One, a regular, it seems, was in his blue sleeping bag and the other was just lying asleep on the concrete.  I wonder if they have been there all night.  It is absolutely freezing and I find it hard to tolerate this cold even all bundled up.  I wonder how it can be humanly possible to sleep out in the cold like this and survive.  Surely, there must be somewhere rough sleepers like this can go to.  These men look young, probably in their twenties.  I wonder what sad situation must have led them to this type of life.
I catch my next bus to work and do my 12 hour shift.  When I return to Newcastle, the two rough sleepers are there again.  Although the second man now also has a sleeping bag.  They also seem to have company as a man and a woman are chatting to the man who has this 'new' sleeping bag. 
I pass on to my stand and wait for my bus.  I can hear a man in the background conducting a very loud argument with someone on his phone.  His tone sounds very imperious, self righteous and hectoring and every now and again I hear him say things like "You tell me the answer to this!" and "what is your answer to this?!". I think if I were the person on the other end I would just say "I don't like arguments so I am going to hang up.  Goodbye!".
Eventually, the bus came.  There was only one other and myself as passengers the whole trip. 
I had a cup of tea with some biscuits when I got in.  I would have liked to read but felt too exhausted.  Switched off my bedroom light and was asleep virtually as soon as my head hit the pillow.

[Annette7]

Hi everyone

Nothing in my own day to day routine worth mentioning here but updates on the twins:

Macy taken off ventilator Friday and on to optiflow so were able to have their first cuddles with her.  Weaning Darcy off ventilator slowly.  Saturday Darcy off ventilator and were able to have first cuddles with her.  Later in day Mum was able to hold both babies together - in her own words 'our midwife let us break the rules. She shut the curtains round us and said we could do some pictures - said 'twins belong together'.  The girls both opened their eyes and looked at each other.

So progressing slowly.

Annette
 

[Mowsehowse]

Great news to learn the twins are making such good progress, what a relief for you all.
I wonder if they will be allowed to sleep together while they remain in the baby unit?

Good to know that Roobarb and Caroline had reasonable days, and I was happy to read that Jeff and his wife had braved Wells to do some shopping last week. What a beautiful place, we used to go there often. Sending good wishes to him and to Carol in NZ..... and anyone else that wants some.

Viktoria the black cat in the Nativity set reminds me that my younger son when very small, decorated our Christmas tree with some fish weed one year, (luckily he didn't manage to catch the fish as well,) he also adorned the tree with the parrot from the dolls house. 

We visited Buckfast Abbey. Even with a Covid one way system, and a notice not to touch St Peter's foot as he is shielding, it is still a majestic and tranquil place to be.

[Roobarb]

Caroline, thanks for solving a mystery for me, the actress in War of the Worlds looked familiar but it didn't come to me why that was. She does look different from Mrs Poldark, I think she has one of those faces that fit with any era. Very attractive too.
Getting out for a walk is a much nicer option than cleaning bathrooms despite the dogs. Considering the profession of the owners they seem rather irresponsible.

Viktoria, well done on getting your jobs done in the middle of the night, the rules say you are allowed some lazyitis after that. 

RTL, good to hear from you, I hope you enjoy your days off after such hard work. I think there are usually places that rough sleepers can go but apparently a lot of them don't want to go there, some are bothered about the risk of having their few possessions stolen and others just don't want to be in that type of environment.

Annette, good to hear that the twins are doing well.

MH, Buckfast Abbey sounds lovely, I've had a look at their website, what a lot goes on there. For anyone interested, they're streaming live services.
I'll have some of your good wishes, thank you! 

[Viktoria]

Great news to learn the twins are making such good progress, what a relief for you all.
I wonder if they will be allowed to sleep together while they remain in the baby unit?

Good to know that Roobarb and Caroline had reasonable days, and I was happy to read that Jeff and his wife had braved Wells to do some shopping last week. What a beautiful place, we used to go there often. Sending good wishes to him and to Carol in NZ..... and anyone else that wants some.

Viktoria the black cat in the Nativity set reminds me that my younger son when very small, decorated our Christmas tree with some fish weed one year, (luckily he didn't manage to catch the fish as well,) he also adorned the tree with the parrot from the dolls house. 

We visited Buckfast Abbey. Even with a Covid one way system, and a notice not to touch St Peter's foot as he is shielding, it is still a majestic and tranquil place to be.

Ha ha haha !
I love it .
I have a dozen red candles ,bought in 1965, to decorate the fireplace in the flat which was our first home there .
For some strange reason I won’t light them 

There were whole floors in department stores with fantastic decorations ,I had never seen so many.

I must say I prefer greenery ,on a high mantelshelf , with candles and pine cones ,big ones from a Redwood tree.

The crib used to be on the very deep window sill,, among ivy etc
Lots of white candles in safety glasses  and  they were lit just before midnight Christmas Eve .
The crib could be seen in the soft flickering light.
There was a Roman Catholic Church a little way down the road, people would attend midnight Mass,and stop to look at the crib.
One or two said it was the start of Christmas,that little tableau after Mass.
When I moved just before Christmas ,people who did not know asked where the crib was that year.Theyhad promised children they would see it.
I would be in the kitchen baking eight dozen ,!!!! mince pies .With help from OH.
He was a  good stirrerupper and washerupper.

I Went to bed once , leaving the last batch in(had flu ,)next morning they were  cinders,.

Viktoria.

[Mowsehowse]

Bless your heart Viktoria.... you do have some splendid stories. 
Hope you enjoy your time off RTL.
Plenty of good wishes available for all, you are most welcome Roobarb, and anyone else.