Diary > Monday 15th March

[DianaCanada]

Back again, not much to report, but sounds like you are all accomplishing something, I feel like I am in a time warp of nothingness 😁.  Sounds like you had a nice walk, Roobarb, and good for you, Ruskie, making marmalade.  The only thing I’ve made like that is lemon curd, once. Do like it though, but as I now avoid most bread, I’d have to eat obit off a spoon.  Hmm...perhaps not a bad idea!
First the weather report - after a couple of record breaking warm days last week, got close to 20c, the temps have gone back to normal, between 0 and 8 or so most days.  Except for the odd patch or dirty piles in parking lots, the snow has melted, but last night we had an inch or so, but it has now melted away.  Our lawns are an awful mess, though, it will take a while for them to bounce back.
Was just reading up in the priority for vaccinations here in Ontario, many people in the health sector are getting them now, but surprisingly not physiotherapists, much to my dismay, as I want some sessions.  There is a new breakout here of mainly university students, partying of course.  Tomorrow is St. Patrick’s Day which is popularly celebrated here, but mostly as an excuse for drunken revelry.  They have been warning the students to behave...we’ll see.
The powers that be say they are not going to ask for age I.d. for the vaccine, either this is Canadian politeness or government slackery.  I can’t see how we can get it without showing our health card anyway.
There has been no talk of cutting off your Oxford vaccine here, so might be EU playing politics.  They are saying at any given time people will get blood clots anyway.
Watched the Canadian bake off last night, weird stuff they were doing, botanical week.  I didn’t like who they let go either, he just had a bad night.  We started the Downton Abbey movie, not very plot driven (in other words you don’t have to pay 100% attention), but enjoy the clothing and furnishings, etc. and Maggie Smith is wonderful.
I am on meal duty tonight.  Last week I ordered some mushrooms, well, we got a container that would feed a dozen people.  I made a sauce to go with chicken, tonight I will add to it and serve wth meatballs.  Then they might be beyond help, they don’t last long!  OH put in an order for peanut butter, and we got a tiny one, which we never buy.
No Mother’s Day here on Sunday, we do that in May, but we did have Daylight Savings Time, and lost an hour. I had a bad night’s sleep as well, but Sunday night I slept 9 hours.
Not much else to report.  Have a phone call with a friend lined up tomorrow, and I really should call my brother. 

[Roobarb]

Hope the parcel turns up Viktoria, the people at the other house sound pretty mean.

Diana, what massive fluctuations in temperature, it must be hard to know what to wear from one day to the next. Hope it's not too long before you and your physio get your vaccinations. The more I hear about the kerfuffle with the Astra Zeneca vaccine the more it convinces me that it is indeed the EU playing politics. Disgraceful behaviour, it's like playing Russian roulette with people's lives. What worries me is that these things inevitably go whizzing around social media and there are always people who will believe anything they read there. Let's hope commonsense soon prevails.

[DianaCanada]

If people don’t get vaccinated, we will never achieve herd immunity, and this awful thing will be with us forever .
I think Canadians are in the whole sensible, and most will get their shot.  Especially if there are travel restrictions if we don’t!  It will be a bit ironic if the US demands visitors be vaccinated, after they have been pretty casual in many ways.  The land border has now been closed for a year.
Temps only went up for a couple of days, we are back into winter coats, etc.  Many people are wearing sneakers outside, as the roads and sidewalks are dry.

[Viktoria]

Yes, many thanks, was in the woodshed( there is a book in there somewhere!) but no notification through the letterbox.
They found it yesterday sometime .
Not sure how long they will isolate it ,but looking forward to see what Flash Harry has to say.

Well notification this time re meter reading ,Morrison’s do it for  EDF ,so  I can do it myself and send it in ,they have a service.
So I am getting there - kicking and screaming all the way!
I don’t think I have ever kicked and screamed ,well not counting other half tickling !

Need some netting,Henry the over the lane cat will be in my little herb bed .
I am going to swap the herb and pond around,it will be easier to take electricity for a filter and pump to where the herbs are and the herbs will like the sunnier position where the pond now is.
The gardener thought I would like the herbs  near the kitchen.
A little brochure from” Pondlife “ came today,but a few days before  I will open it, there will be pumps etc in there.
I wish the pond was ground level but FH came every weekend when it was installed so it had to be raised.

Hey Ho!
Thursday tomorrow and the weeks flying by ,I am really looking forward to getting a haircut.
I suppose I ought to see if the hairdressers are taking bookings yet

Mild morning ,not sunny but bright enough.
Hyacinths opening now ,but a bit disappointed with hyacinths, blooms rather sparse, not lots of dense little florettes.
 
Well must get on - why I ask myself?
Morse on this afternoon ,so I can relax if I have done a reasonable amount
without feeling guilty.

Still no news from Pharma ,a bit worrying as she was in a vulnerable occupation I think.

Cheerio,look after yourselves.
Viktoria.

[Roobarb]

Pleased to hear the parcel turned up Viktoria. Let us know how you get on with digging out the new pond. 

[Viktoria]

Oh,I did not explain properly ,the pond I have now and the herb garden are both raised.
The pond with a butyl liner and a nice top edge, the herb garden just those sleepers you can use .
So no digging involved

Well I said I painted my house number and road on my bins, it must have rained before the paint was dry ,it sort of bubbled ,so all scrubbed off and so I cut the numbers and road name from sticky backed plastic ,so hopefully they will do for a while.
When I was doing it the horrible neighbour passed to collect his bin from the assembly point ,I can’t ignore people .really can’t ,so said “  .did you see my artistic efforts , the numbers etc,they all bubbled up in the rain, so sticky backed plastic this time .”
“ Oh, did you paint them? “ he said .
“Yes - but did not think it would rain .”
At least I won’t feel awkward now, I hate that sort of stuff .

Gosh Thursday already, how time flies.

I do need a haircut ,I look like an old witch.
Grandson organised FaceTime or something—— you must be joking - I would frighten Flash Harry,?
 Hope he likes his dog.

Fed the fish,the first time all winter, but they are still lethargic .
Will change the water soon , then hopefully can  get organised with power to the new place for the pond ,
Son keeps saying he will do it ,and he knows what he is doing , but I think an
electrician would be better.
We can’t do it yet anyway until families can mix .

Chionodoxia coming through now, polyanthus too, fat buds on the fig tree -well bush - and everlasting sweet peas coming again with a vengeance.
Need a trellis for that.
No news really, so Goodnight everyone,hope you all sleep well .
Viktoria .

[Roobarb]

You did explain properly Viktoria, I was just being facetious.  Thought it might give you a laugh. 
What a shame about your painting going to waste, well done on being so nice to the horrible neighbour, not sure I could have done that.

[Viktoria]

Sorry Roobarb ,the thought of digging a pond!

Well, he was only about four feet from me on a narrow lane and I would have been more embarrassed than he I think to ignore him.
I spoke to him some time ago to say about the rat, which I ought to have done anyway,told them when people were rooting through his very tidily packed skip and who then went to behind his garden  where  he sometimes has building supplies ,
so he needed to know as valuable materials could have been stolen.
He was civil yesterday, I think I caught him  by surprise ,he would expect me to ignite him —— oh this predictive text! I wanted to say ignore him.
It probably discomfubulated him ,so that’s alright.
So I am not all sweetness and light .
Been having a go at the front gate which has swollen in all the rain ,can’t find the big rasp files I used to have, the ones my grandfather did the horses‘hooves with.
Probably gave them to number two son who collects stuff like that.
 So job for number one son probably .
Post just arrived ,will be picked up with my bad back picky up stick ,sprayed and left in the vestibule for a few days.

Lovely sunny morning so more garden work.
Hyacinths of a size to go into two pots in the front garden.a green/grey, like the Cumberland slate chippings that cover part of the garden and the slabs that make the paths.
The blooms are mixed pink ,blue and white .
Just having a cuppa then back to work so I can have a bath,hair washed and watch Morse this afternoon.
Cheerio.hope everyone is well, oh Morrison’s have emailed me re meter reading ,I can do it online if I want ,or have someone come.
Last time someone with no ID ,not in uniform.So I refused them entry .

Cheerio again. Viktoria.