Diary > Wednesday 16th December

[Roobarb]

Only Caroline and I in Tuesday's diary, will see if anyone else joins in with today's:

Have been feeling rubbish all day today. Went to sleep early last night but at about 4am I was half awake with thoughts going through my mind, couldn't shake it off so I put the light on and read for an hour or so. When I woke up again later I had a slight headache and my stomach felt a bit unsettled too. It was pouring down and despite the Met Office saying it would be dry by lunchtime it just carried on raining nearly all day.

The varnish I'd been waiting for arrived this morning but I couldn't be bothered to do anything with it. The Royal Mail tracking information said that my cards from the printers would be delivered today. I thought that if they came early enough I could write some out and have a short walk to the postbox. My foot that I'd hurt was a lot better than last night but I was treating it gently. I didn't do much at all, really didn't feel like it. It was 5.30 when my cards arrived in the parcel post. I'm not happy about it at all, there's only one day left before the last posting date for second class mail. Wrote a few, it seems necessary to write a longer message in some of them this year. The rest can wait till tomorrow.

Watched the final of Portrait Artist........ No spoilers ..... Didn't watch the final commission, will keep that for another night

Hope others have had a better day,

[carol80]

Another hot day here. Thursday going to be hotter.
I remember reading about all your lovely weather when we were in lockdown eagerly waiting for spring over here.
Annette; hope the twins are doing much better.
Roobarb; hoping your foot returns to normal soon.
All I do for Christmas now is an e-mail to all family members letting them know how the year has gone for me and mine. They do the same so even though we can not be together for Xmas we are in each other's thoughts.
We are all having a normal Xmas here. New T.V. ads telling us how lucky we are and not to drop the ball over the Xmas holiday season. Slip Slop Slap and scan. They have also told us of plans should there be an outbreak over the holidays. There are quite a few big music events around the country where the crowds could get up to 20,000. A very nervous time for our Heath Officials. We still have cases caught at the border. We have 43 cases all now in quarantine and still  25 deaths. 25 family's with a missing loved one taken by covid and a lot more family who were unable to say goodbye to those who passed away this year. A very hard year for everyone.
To all who will read this, I wish you a very Merry Xmas and a much better 2021.
We roll out our vaccine about mid-2021, so still, a way to go.
Stay Strong Stay Safe
Carol

[Caw1]

Roobarb- sorry you’ve not been feeling great today and hope you’re able to get a good nights sleep tonight and feel more rested tomorrow....
What a shame about your cards coming so late in the day... but at least you have them and hope you’re pleased with the finished result...

My day
Woke up feeling much better this morning with no disturbances from foxes or Son messaging me! I’d remembered to set the washing machine on so could get it out on the line early .... it wasn’t what I’d call sunny.. it was windy though so good blow for the washing! Blow me down ( ops sorry for the pun) if it didn’t start to rain just after I’d come in... fortunately short lived... for now!
After breakfast... OH got geared up to make bread, starting a little later than usual meaning lunch was going to be mid a/noon...
Thinking about a late lunch I thought I’d do some cooking so the smell of that would fill my appetite! Made up several lots of fish pie... some for tonight rest for the freezer... chopped up last of cooking apples added star anise, cinnamon stick, nutmeg and water just bring to boil and leave...
Amended my shopping order...
Made face coverings for daughter and my friend who works at Gatwick in 🌈 fabric one side and Christmas themed other side making them reversible... made a new Christmasy one for myself too...
Finally bread ready... usual cheese, celery, apple and pickles to go with it...
Brought washing in just in time as it threw it down again... lights on early again..
Decided we’d wrap presents for boys, daughter and SiL... now all ready
Wrapped up box for my friend with hand made chocs, lovely soap, face covering and I popped in a scandi felt heart decoration I’d made....
I then did something I’ve not done before... I arranged via Royal Mail web site to have the parcel picked up from home tomorrow by our postman... it’s so easy to do, fill in details weight, size, select method of sending, pay + .72p for being picked up... choose pick up date, they send an email you then print off label( couldn't get printer to print it off so asked OH if he could see if I was doing something wrong... he tried nothing... then he said
“ well it’ll probably print it if you plug the lead from the computer into the printer” 🤣🤣) and bobs your uncle... will certainly do that again... keeping 🤞 it all goes smoothly...
By the time we had dinner it was quite late .....finished just in time to watch Portrait Artist..... no comment on the winner is all I’ve got to say!
Caught up with briefing.... not much to comment on that either...more muddled information!
Well it’s certainly been a busy day... but I’m thankful for that!

Hope others have had a better day too..

Caroline

Added :
Carol - how lovely to have warm weather although it’s now your turn!
NZ has certainly handled covid in a better way than other countries but you are along way from anywhere and more easy to monitor people coming in pot the country... your PM has made all the right decisions too.
The thought of having even 200 at a gathering over here would be eye watering let alone 20,000!
It has definitely been a hard year for everyone and we’re not out of the woods yet by any means... so far only about 147,000 people had been vaccinated last week here... at that rate to get the whole country done is going to take forever!...
Hope you’re able to have a decent Christmas and that your son P is able to get his much needed transplant soon...
Take care too and best wishes for Christmas and 2021.

[Annette7]

Up very late - not tired - so might as well post now.

Lovely sunny morning again until lunchtime - mid afternoon I drove to a post office to post cards (2nd class) and a parcel for Dorset (1st class).   (Used to have a small post office just round the corner but they closed that down years ago).   Then drove to garage to fill up the car with petrol as down to last quarter. 

This evening on the family Whatsapp we sorted out delivery of presents for next week and my niece suggested we have a belated family Christmas meal once this is all over (whenever that may be) and lots of BBQ's in the summer.  Message from niece yesterday saying that both babies had spent some time breast feeding which is good to hear.

So, between now and Sunday I must get my presents wrapped for my niece, my nephew, their respective other halves, plus the 9 great nieces/nephews. Finished decorating my tree a day or so ago - losing track of time and what I did when!

Minced beef hotpot with vegetables tonight and very tasty it was too.  Finished of the peach schnapps I bought some weeks ago now - after we've visited my cousin at Mendlesham on Saturday I'm hoping we can stop off at the B & M on outskirts of town so I can replenish.

Feels a lot colder tonight.

Annette   

[Roobarb]

Thanks Carol, my foot is much better. Good to hear that you'll be having a normal Christmas but I must admit the thought of all those people at events would make me nervous. I very much hope it doesn't prove to be a mistake. I hope you have a lovely Christmas in the sunshine. 

Caroline, I am pleased with my cards, the print quality is excellent so maybe I'll forgive the printers for them arriving late!
What a good idea to make reversible face coverings and I'm very impressed by your arranging a parcel collection, I didn't know the Royal Mail did that. Hope it goes well.

Annette, good to hear that the babies are doing well. You'll certainly have your work cut out wrapping all those presents. A belated Christmas meal will give you something to look forward to.