Diary > Summary - Week ending 4th July 2021

[ThrelfallYorky]

Like many others there seems to be so little difference day to day that it's not worth me saying or writing anything, but it's good some of you have news, even if some is so very sad. I read the entries but have little useful to add myself.
It will stay a difficult time for many of us for a long time, I suspect.
Thank you for "keeping going"

[DianaCanada]

Great to read everyone's news, I know it's not all good, but enjoy the feeling of our being interconnected across the continents, and knowing we are supportive of each other.
Touched that a couple of you were thinking of me - it has been a horrific time in western Canada, the highest temp ever recorded in our country occurred last week in BC.  I am in Ontario, a very long way from BC, but the high temperatures have actually moved east into northern Ontario.  We are having our usual unpleasant high temps anyway - supposed to feel like 41 today.  OH and I went to a hardware store today before it heats up too much to buy an outdoor chair (portable, the director style), OH, who is not heavy, sat on our last one and it tore.  They are canvas or something like that, and my theory is it had just been rained on too much over the years and it split. 
Our hardest day last week was when our power went out for 12 hours, almost exactly, from 9:15 in the morning.  On Tuesday afternoon there was a serious storm and many trees came down, including one a 3 minute walk from here.  It was in a backyard and when it fell it knocked down a utility pole which in turned knocked down two more, a chain reaction.  OH talked to the Hydro guys fixing it and it seems that the tree fell during the storm but when they had a look the next morning they realized they had to turn the power off and put up three new poles.  Not very accessible backyards too, and hotter than you know what, so misery all around, not the least for the people living in those houses.  Somehow we muddled through the day and tried not to open the fridge more than a couple of times.  We actually got take out for lunch as the power outage only affected 70 houses in our area, outside of that, things were okay.  The house got uncomfortably warm though, and there wasn't much we could do, ending up going outside to read, better light. 
Not too much else to report, oh yes, my daughters got their covid 2nd shot on Friday and they have been fine, no ill effects.  My son and his OH will get theirs tomorrow, if memory serves!  I texted him "Happy Canada Day" on Thursday but no response yet (sons!).
Canada Day was basically non-existent this year, some fireworks over the course of a few nights, someone right behind us must have been setting them off on Thursday, woke me up, was just a bit angry!  Didn't bother to get up and look out the window.  Old grump!

[louisa maud]

Not  had  a  great impute to this subject  to  be  honest, just  dipped  in  and  out but  it  has  been  interesting  hearing what  others  get  up to, would  be  interesting to carry it on after we  are  supposed  to be  FREE

Louisa  Maud

[Maiden Stone]

A pleasant week, weather-wise. Did gardening, my own (brown bin week) + community gardening with another person. Drawback of settled weather - I was bitten by "whit-things", mostly on my face.
While cutting plants back I disturbed an animal sleeping beneath my deutzia bush and a rampant honeysuckle in the back garden. Noticing it had ginger fur, I assumed it was the elderly, overweight cat from next door who rests in the shade of my garden on hot days. I apologised for waking her, told her to stay where she was and that I would move elsewhere. Another younger cat regards my garden as her own. She gave me a startled look when she saw me working in the front garden in the evening.
Opened curtains next morning on brown bin day and saw that I'd missed a tall flowering weed in front of the window. How could I not have seen it the previous evening? Bin-lorry had already been so no point in rushing out to pull up the offending plant. It was a sow-thistle, possibly a descendant of a magnificent specimen which took centre-stage in my garden a few years ago when I couldn't do any gardening for weeks in summer after hurting my ribs. That one was in an inaccessible spot, surrounded by other plants. It was in full view of the window of my sitting-room and it mocked me whenever I looked out the window. Eventually I was able to lean over just enough to squirt weedkiller on it. I've removed this year's sow-thistle by pulling it up.
I thought I'd visited a branch of a hardware/garden centre chain but it was the previous week. I walked there & back, taking a detour through fields on the outward journey to see if orchids were flowering. 

[River Tyne Lass]

Thank you all for the kind condolences.
I agree that memories are things that can't be taken away and I have loads of happy memories all down the years.
You were very close Mowsehowse, this brother was sixteen years older than me and I remember that he doted on me all through my childhood.
He actually died on his birthday.  The nurses decorated his cubicle and played music for him.  Two of them wrote a lovely long poem about his life.  I thought it had been written by a family member as it was so spot on and brought a lot of memories back - but no, they had just written it based on just what they had been told.  The nurses also read his birthday cards out.  I was going to do it but I broke down after only about four words and they had to take over.
I have read somewhere that in the Jewish faith it is considered by some to be quite special to die on your birthday.  It is believed that we each are given a mission at the start of our lives and that if you die on your birthday it is a sign of being a righteous person who has achieved whatever mission you have been given.  I think this is a lovely, comforting thought.
Louisa Maud, I believe the same as you that our loved ones go to the ones who have gone before, and I find this thought very comforting too. 
Well, I had better finish off here as I have to be up again tomorrow at five for another early start shift.
Goodnight everyone.

[Maiden Stone]

So, as yesterday was still last week and not this week, I'll continue.
I thought I'd have to go into town for the first time in 7 months to buy a watch battery. However watch is working again but has lost an hour. So not only am I still in last week I'm also on Greenwich Mean Time. As if time mattered! Computer tells me the important dates - bin-days.
Yesterday began sunny. Went to little shop in next street, wearing sandals, light summer jacket & hat to shade eyes. Of course it was raining 10 minutes later when I exited the shop.
Weather warning for heavy rain + thunderstorms. Didn't happen during day.
Sunny evening. Opened back door to empty teapot in garden. As I stepped outside, I heard, and saw out of the corner of my eye, what I took to be a cat leap noisily off a storage bench next to the house and run to hide behind a bush. The younger female cat who treats my garden as her own is nervous, especially when she sees me holding a receptacle which might contain liquid since I once accidently emptied a teapot on her. I called her name and spoke to her reassuringly. Then I doubted it was her. She's a tortie; the one which jumped from the bench had a ginger tail and was heavier. I decided it might be the ginger male from across the street who is tortie's friend or his lookalike, both of whom visit. While I was standing on the doorstep, the visitor re-appeared from behind the bush. It was neither of the ginger cats. It was a fox. It then lay down on paving to take advantage of the heat and evening sun. I took a pace forward to empty the teapot. The movement prompted the fox to run off down the garden. I thought it had gone, but it circled back and went to hide behind & under the honeysuckle. That's when I realised it wasn't the cat from next door I'd disturbed and then considerately left in peace the previous Tuesday afternoon but a fox. 
I've been putting small amounts of hedgehog food out each evening. I suspected tortie cat may have been eating it. I checked on 2 evenings that it was still there after she went to examine the  the pellets as soon as I left them. I've accused her unjustly; a more likely culprit is foxy. Decided not to put hedgehog food out last night. Am not risking feeding fox. Forecasted rain should mean plenty of molluscs and worms out for hedgehog to find. 
Torrents of rain during night.     

[Roobarb]

Good to read about trips out for Annette and Lizzie. I must say I share your concerns Lizzie about how things will be after the rules are changed.
Feeling sad for RTL and LM in your bereavements but it's good to know that comfort is found in your religious beliefs.
Sorry too that your OH has been so ill Caroline, I hope his health soon improves.
Diana, I'm relieved to hear that you haven't suffered the worst of the temperatures although it still sounds pretty exhausting.
Maiden Stone, I suspected when you mentioned the ginger fur that it could be a fox, they're so cheeky these days! Had a laugh at the poor little cat and the contents of the teapot, I trust the tea was cold!

[tazzie]

Haven't been on for a little while. I writing this still shell shocked as my father died in Friday.
 He had a fall Whitsun week and broke his hip. With Vivid we were unable to visit for a couple of days but as Dad was suffering from Dementia visits then went ahead. I was shocked when I was him even though he was 84 he'd aged so much. His speech had gone along with the ability to feed himself or use his hand. He did grab my hand and hold on and he recognised me.
 No other patients had visitors and tested every visit the place was so quiet no stimulation from even a TV so I asked for some music for him.
 He was moved to a care home and we were not allowed to visit for 10 days while isolation again to place. However he went downhill and we lost him within 24 hours. Cause listed as sepsis and pneumonia old age and dementia.

Trying to hold it together for Mum who's not too good herself. Posting this as a cathartic release of sorts. Lots to sort and arrange .

 RTL. Sharing my thoughts with you at this time.

  Tazzie

 

[louisa maud]

Oh  dear  Tassie, I feel  so  sorry  for  you and  your mother but as I have said  he is at peace  now and  no  more  suffering

My  brother  had  to establish he  was  next  of  kin to see his  son but was  only  allowed  a  certain time even  though he  was  on life  support

Covid  has  brought  such  sad times  for  so  many  people, hopefully  things will get  better ,  remember what  Sir Tom said

Be  strong Tassie

LM