Giving the gift of Covid-19 this Christmas

[Gillg]

I was horrified to hear from a friend today  that she had gone to her son's in Wales for a few days over Christmas.  My brother-in-law in south Wales says it's pretty dire there, but she would otherwise have been at home alone and decided to risk it.  I wonder of she will self isolate on her return?

OH and I will be like the Queen and have a quiet Christmas, though we will meet up with children and grandchildren in the fresh air for a present swap and then my son will dash over with our Christmas Dinner later and hand it over on the doorstep.  We are lucky, though, and live only a couple of miles from both children and often meet up with them in the park.  Our son does the grocery shopping for us, so we don't even need to go to the supermarket.  How blessed we are, though I do miss the hugs and kisses!

Wishing all a safe and happy, though probably not very merry Christmas.

[guest189040]

I have the dates for my vaccination, T he first  Dec29th , not at my local health centre but a bus ride away in Bury!
It seems stupid to me ,I don’t use public transport now ,rely on son or do without .
People who have already had theirs say it was a forty minute wait in the cold rain, well for the age group being vaccinated , that is a problem in itself.
 We have been pretty much indoors for a good while ,especially those without gardens .
People are doing their best,well some are !
Other- whining about a spoilt Christmas, well December 25 th has not gone away , if it means limited or no contact with family ,so what?
 Stick  to the rules and you have a better chance of seeing them next
Christmas  ,ignore the rules and you
may never see them again!
We have so many ways of contacting people nowadays, where previously a letter or perhaps a phone call,and that often at a public phone kiosk - were all we had.
People never saw each other for four or more years ,upset,sad,lonely, yes all of those and more ,but they got through those years, even though worried because some of them would be in great danger in war zones , the others in great danger from air raids at home.
In many ways this insidious virus is worse I admit , but I can tell you from personal experience to go through a bombing raid is no laughing matter .
Londoners experienced night after night with no let up of intense bombing .
Picked themselves up after the All Clear and  went about their daily lives as well as they could ,many having lost everything .
We are at least in our own homes, our own beds ,in some contact with loved ones even those on the other side of the world .
There is no rationing , no shortage of fuel .
 We have entertainment in our own homes ,in many forms ,not just a crackly  radio .
Who does not have a phone nowadays?
If people would only grow up and stick to rules!
Seee the greater picture ,and look outside themselves and be unselfish .
Because unless they do ——!
Christmas next year will be an awful lot worse,for those few still alive.

Viktoria

.

Wise words indeed Viktoria.

My Wife and I came to the conclusion 10 years ago that a whole raft of society was becoming dumbed down, self centred just about their own circle, uncaring and interested only in appearance and perceived status.

I blame the yuppie culture nurtured by Thatcher and her cronies in the eighties.

[heywood]

Two good things today from television.

A review of the kindness and efforts by people throughout these months to raise money for charities; to feed people; to cheer people plus of course those who have worked throughout to provide for our various needs. People of all ages, young and old have proved that we do have a caring society.

Secondly, I just saw a US news report which was praising the UK for the sequencing tests which have revealed the new variant. (I must confess, I do not have any good knowledge of this other than what is reported to us).The speaker thought that ‘hundreds in the US’ could already have it but they were far too slow in these tests.

[Mike in Cumbria]

A review of the kindness and efforts by people throughout these months to raise money for charities; to feed people; to cheer people plus of course those who have worked throughout to provide for our various needs. People of all ages, young and old have proved that we do have a caring society.

Hear hear!
It's much too easy to moan and gripe about young people, old people, different people. There's plenty of good in all generations or groups.

[Viktoria]

Well,this afternoon , TV ,more areas in tier 4 .including Suffolk,so I am glad I chose not to go but to celebrate alone.

I get very sad at the obvious selfishness we can see all about us ,but because I did not mention the wonderful work still going on please don’t assume I do not appreciate that there are people working tirelessly for the common good.

It is always the way, the bad spoken about and the good often is taken for granted ,which is a pity.
I hold my hands up , I do get annoyed by selfishness and to
my shame a young neighbour has just called with an afternoon tea for one :-
French onion soup
Turkey and stuffing Sandwich.
Smoked salmon and cream cheese , sandwich
Cheddar and chutney sandwich
Relish,
Stollen
Mince pie
Brandy snap, Fruit cake ,macaroon ,Dundee cake ,
Gosh, there is tomorrow sorted out!

She did it for my Birthday in the Summer.From the local Tea Shop.
An ex pupil as is her husband .
But how kind .
I do remember her little two little girls’ Birthdays and Christmas presents.

So to any working in the public sector or keeping things going in any way ,
a sincere Thank You!

The news is not good, a new strain more infectious even if not more serious ,yet the very fact it is more easily passed on is bad news anyway.
So to you all, I hope you are at least warm and dry, with food and hopefully some company, for Christmas, and I wish the homeless some shelter and a meal at least ,to the lonely a phone call , and peace for those whose lives are ending .
Cheerio, look after yourselves and those dear to you, and sad though it is that could be by not meeting them .
Viktoria.
 







a
 

[guest189040]

Well,this afternoon , TV ,more areas in tier 4 .including Suffolk,so I am glad I chose not to go but to celebrate alone.

I get very sad at the obvious selfishness we can see all about us ,but because I did not mention the wonderful work still going on please don’t assume I do not appreciate that there are people working tirelessly for the common good.

It is always the way, the bad spoken about and the good often is taken for granted ,which is a pity.
I hold my hands up , I do get annoyed by selfishness and to
my shame a young neighbour has just called with an afternoon tea for one :-
French onion soup
Turkey and stuffing Sandwich.
Smoked salmon and cream cheese , sandwich
Cheddar and chutney sandwich
Relish,
Stollen
Mince pie
Brandy snap, Fruit cake ,macaroon ,Dundee cake ,
Gosh, there is tomorrow sorted out!

She did it for my Birthday in the Summer.From the local Tea Shop.
An ex pupil as is her husband .
But how kind .
I do remember her little two little girls’ Birthdays and Christmas presents.

So to any working in the public sector or keeping things going in any way ,
a sincere Thank You!

The news is not good, a new strain more infectious even if not more serious ,yet the very fact it is more easily passed on is bad news anyway.
So to you all, I hope you are at least warm and dry, with food and hopefully some company, for Christmas, and I wish the homeless some shelter and a meal at least ,to the lonely a phone call , and peace for those whose lives are ending .
Cheerio, look after yourselves and those dear to you, and sad though it is that could be by not meeting them .
Viktoria.
 







a

What a wonderful, thoughtful pair they are.

Stay safe Viktoria.

All the best

[Viktoria]

Yes, I am blessed, when I bought this house I had reservations ,it being an end one but it means my garden length runs alongside their garden width, across a narrow Lane .Both are ex pupils.
We can chat at a distance without leaving our gardens ,which is a very nice to have in these times, also next to them is another young couple ,the young man is also an ex pupil and it is funny to hear them call me by my first name .
My choice , and they have each two little girls .
Such fun in the summer, as the older girls of the two pairs were in their own gardens but on their verandas which meant I heard all their over the fence exchanges ,one being where babies come from! In a very simple way they had it right!

I have given them cuttings and seeds and they over ordered on plants and so shared lavender with me.
It is very nice. And now although there must be fifty  years between  us it is of no matter.
But yes very kind and thoughtful .
Viktoria,

[trystan]

Viktoria,

That was wonderfully thoughtful of them. The acts of kindness do so often go unnoticed.

Hopefully too, as an act of kindness and love pople won't visit other people in their homes over Christmas.

Trystan

[pharmaT]

Yes, I am blessed, when I bought this house I had reservations ,it being an end one but it means my garden length runs alongside their garden width, across a narrow Lane .Both are ex pupils.
We can chat at a distance without leaving our gardens ,which is a very nice to have in these times, also next to them is another young couple ,the young man is also an ex pupil and it is funny to hear them call me by my first name .
My choice , and they have each two little girls .
Such fun in the summer, as the older girls of the two pairs were in their own gardens but on their verandas which meant I heard all their over the fence exchanges ,one being where babies come from! In a very simple way they had it right!

I have given them cuttings and seeds and they over ordered on plants and so shared lavender with me.
It is very nice. And now although there must be fifty  years between  us it is of no matter.
But yes very kind and thoughtful .
Viktoria,

I had a relative of a former teacher admitted and my colleagues were laughing at me because I couldn't bring myself to call her by her first names.