Diary > Monday 21st December

[Roobarb]

A gloomy wet day today, hardly seemed to get light but as it's the winter solstice the days will gradually get longer.

Hadn't been up long when I got a phone call from a friend in London, in tier 4 now of course with the changes that brings, many things very familiar to those of us who have been in tier 3 for a while. I read in the news later that the police in the city of York which is in tier 2, have handed out 61 fines over the weekend to large numbers of people coming into the city from tier 3 areas and there are over 100 more in the pipeline. Nice one York, keep up the good work.

After that I thought I'd better get on and do something so sorted out the drawer where I keep my scarves and tights. Haven't worn tights since about February, I live in jeans and casual wear these days, don't go anywhere to get dressed up. Made some soup with the sweet potatoes and carrots that I roasted yesterday, I made sure I used plenty of stock this time so it wasn't too thick. A couple of portions to freeze.

After lunch I went for a walk as it wasn't raining at that point, just wet. Usual muddy route. When I got home I signed on to the Superdrug site to get onto their online help chat. I waited a few minutes then was told I was connected to Amey. I'd already typed the details of my query into a Word document so I could just copy and paste it and add the attachments so that I didn't have to wait ages for a reply. After ten minutes I asked what was happening, the system showed I was still connected but no reply. While I was waiting I stripped the bed, washed the hall floor, did some ironing and put the clean bedding on. Also answered messages from a couple of friends and answered a call from another friend. Eventually their system timed me out after two hours and forty minutes with novreply.    They obviously connect initially so they are meeting a target but what use is that when they just keep an increasingly furious customer hanging on for hours. They haven't heard the last of this.

After the long phone conversation with a friend I made something to eat that was easy, I was all cuisined out by the soup. More rubbish on TV in the evening, they seem to think that if they add the words Christmas special or At Christmas or Celebrity, it makes it better when in reality it's just the same shows that have been on all year.

I think I'm sounding a bit narky today, hope others have had a good day.

[Caw1]

Oh dear Roobarb that’s a real pain to be kept hanging on for that long with no end result! At least you were able to get on with things and not just sitting around waiting which is even more infuriating....I’m glad it won’t be me by the time you do manage to get hold of them 😤😤 😬😬...
Gobsmacked to hear number of fines in York... good for them pity more aren’t doled out in other places too..

I’m not sure why I even bothered to get up this morning..... I could hear the rain on the window and it was dark!.... I heard OH downstairs ... the bin men had woken him up at 6.30 and he’d not been able to get back to sleep...
After breakfast I got my trusty vacuum out and had a wiz round the house...very depressing having to put the light on in every room I went into as it was so dull!
Daughter sent me a picture of the boys with the cards I’d made them, and a message to say they were ‘awesome grandma’... daughter said I’d surpassed myself... of no what the heck am I going to do for them next year 🤣🤣.
We then got a picture of her beautifully decorated Christmas cake that the boys had done most of... she said there was so much icing on it she wasn’t sure it would be set by Christmas Day!
Youngest one had not only eaten some of the chocolate money from his card but a lot of icing too... hope he’s not sick... apparently didn’t eat his lunch not surprisingly! Ah well he’ll learn... not like her to let them eat so much...
We had a game is scrabble and I thrashed OH by over 100 points... very satisfying  but I’m still three games down!
After lunch I had a read and then watched the final programme of Portrait Artist where the winner did a portrait of Carlos Acosta the cuban ballet dancer... it turned out much better than I’d expected and by far the best picture the artist had done....
oH went off to collect prescriptions from the surgery.... as he got back our postman appeared with some post and I told him who the flowers were from that he’d delivered on Saturday... gave him a bottle of wine too and noticed he’d got another one tucked under his arm! Bet he could open his on wine shop as the village folk are very generous...when our last postie retired we raised about £1,000 for him...
Did some more reading... had message from my friend who works at Gatwick to say the parcel had arrived from me.... she’s phoning tomorrow as just about to go on night shift... not sure she’ll be seeing many passengers as virtually no flights going anywhere! I’ll find out all details tomorrow!
Switched tv on just in time to hear Boris talking.... wonder if they’re over egging the pudding with regard to this new strain/ mutant what ever it is....certainly put the wind up other countries ... then you discover it’s in some of them too but they’ve not had massive increases as we’ve had apparently...
Been a dull dark day lights on whole time and switched on Christmas tree ones too to brighten life up a bit!
Turkey bake for dinner with broccoli....
Watched some tv on Netflix as nothing much on normal tv... as Roobarb says more Christmas special this..... celebrity that... don’t care for either and just rehash of programmes we don’t watch anyway...
Another scintillating day... wonder what tomorrow will hold.... better weather... probably not... more misery on the news ...probably yes.... just let’s get to the New Year and some hope... is that being fanciful... probably yes!

 Caroline

[Viktoria]

Well it us now obvious Flash Harry and his parents will not be calling, to chat in the garden , but needs must .
They were to visit his other Nanny , his Mummy’s mother.
It is sad but we must stick to rules.
Of course I had to get Desk  Diaries  as little presents ,!!!could be out of date by the time they get them!
Not got the right colour of thread for some hand sewing ,so it will have to wait ,only me here so no matter .
A little alteration to loose covers  for the suite .

I have booked a slot for Tesco delivery in Jan, just a few things as yet to secure the slot.
Son is shopping on Weds, so if I need anything for Christmas (like chocolates! )  he will get them .
Suddenly it has crept up on me! It does this every year, loads of time then here it is!
I feel for those not lucky enough to have inner resources ,I know I shall be looking back ,remembering our first married Christmas ,me with Hyperemesis
,sick morning noon and night with my first baby ,the one who shops for me now .
Also  the  next one when my Mum died ,and the one in 1964 when we were all packed up to go to Belgium in January ,the one when Lesley  Ann Downey was  abducted from the fairground  near our house.
The Police searched all the houses round about,moved the coal from the coalsheds we had to seek permission to emigrate .Boxing Day.
Some very happy ones in Belgium with another English family from  North  of England ,the gatherings with daughters in law and son in law and two grandchildren .Ten of us ,my husband loved it all.
And this year an entirely different one, but I am really interested to see how it goes.
Hope everyone is well and is not too disappointed by the altered plans ,what must be done, must be done.
So Goodnight and take care ,we will get through this ,not unscathed but hopefully with a better appreciation of the simple things in life ,that can only be a good thing .
Viktoria.

[Annette7]

Dark and gloomy when I got up this morning and there had clearly been rain in the night.

This afternoon I drove to the hospice retail centre to drop off my jigsaws and books (of which there are many).   Then found out they were taking no more donations today.   So will now have to go back again tomorrow morning and hope they'll take them this time as car is full.  I then drove over to my nephews to drop off their presents.   We are having a link up over Christmas to see them opening their presents.  Was no way near as cold as it was on my last visit and we had a nice chat on the driveway. 

I've then got another slot booked tomorrow afternoon for the recycling centre to get rid of another 3 bin bags of rubbish.

Tonight I finished wrapping the last of my Christmas presents - glad that's all done and dusted.  Had spicy potato wedges, quiche and coleslaw for dinner followed by blackcurrant cheesecake.

Now off to bed as must get up earlier tomorrow.

Annette

[Mowsehowse]

I read the above posts, and I admire everyone for clinging on with gritted teeth, which is all I am doing really.
I agree Caroline, that as usual No.10 has over egged things with a knee jerk action, and I wonder how long it will take to pull us out of this one!!
According to Highways England, right now there are 900+ lorries stacked waiting for access to the Chunnel. (BBC news puts it at 1,500.)  BTW, son with covid says he was helping a German lorry driver unload his consignment during the days before he got ill, and the chap had no testing in England, and no restrictions. Straight in, go wherever, and set off for home again, rejoicing.

Viktoria, as always some fascinating memories.

Left the flat just as it was getting light to make an early bread raid in town, then risked a quick sprint round Lidl which was busier than I hoped.  I think some people have realised to get their shopping done early is the best way.
Walked back along the Esplanade.  Visibility so poor I could barely make out the cruise ships at anchor.  The tide was high and the rolling waves looked really menacing.
Number one son has made a post on facebook listing the things he has to be thankful for. So proud he recognises the things he can be thankful for, and so thankful that his brush with Corona appears to have been mild enough not to leave a lasting effect, though his breathing is laboured which worries me. He does a physical job, and I have no clue how they will cope if he can't get back to it.
Walked into town again, in heavier rain and high winds, to pay my credit card bill.
I was so excited by the prospect of the planet conjunction, and still hopeful at lunchtime that the cloud cover might clear, but at 3p.m. it is almost dark, so that's another thing I can consign to the black hole of 2020. Was speaking to some friends in Cumbria who also had heavy cloud cover.  I wonder if anyone in UK was able to see it?? Hey ho; no doubt it will be shown on TV.

[Mowsehowse]

Not a great day to join the fun trivia quiz Caroline, but don't give up......

[Caw1]

MH - no it wasn't! I just guessed at all of them and was amazed to get even two correct !
think boredom has set in... although I like quizzes and might have a go at some of the crosswords providing they're not all cryptic ones....

Caroline

[Mowsehowse]

Like most people I just guessed it all today as well.
But I landed in the top 10 with mostly guessing on sport recently, so don't be discouraged.

[Annette7]

I spotted you too, Caroline.   If you carry on playing you'll see that I rarely have fast times.   Only play to keep my brain cells active.   Some people seem obsessed with getting all right in fastest time possible. 

It's not the winning, it's the taking part.

Annette