Diary summary week ending 9th JANUARY 2022

[DianaCanada]

Hi Diana
Your epidemiologists are differing from a Danish one reported in our uk papers saying after another couple of months, it should be much better but it won’t go away. Then you read another article saying there’s another variant that hasn’t been officially recognised yet that originated in Cameroon but there’s 12 cases in Marseille in France . You just don’t know what to think…….

I am not distrustful of people in authority or of scientists, but I am beginning to have that helpless feeling of realizing that no one out there really knows where the dust will settle with Covid 19.  Like many of us here, I will continue to take precautions and try to take each day as it comes, and not to worry too much.  I feel for younger people dealing with this, many finding it so disruptive to their careers and families, and to those whose health is affected.

[Viktoria]

Spoke with my daughter this evening ,for some clarification re my grandson’s little family all positive .
They visited my ex son in law who ‘d had his booster shortly before.
Hefelt unwell but presumed it was from the booster ,so had not tested !
His new wife tested the next day as she has to do each day for her job and was positive so let them know immediately as they were coming to see me.
That is when they phoned me to say they were not coming and instead
tested ,they were still negative , but went home anyway without stopping and a few days later tested positive!
They had stayed at a hotel ,so told  them of course that they had been in contact with someone who a day later was positive ,showed  their negative test results and left .
I suppose my ex son in law was foolish in thinking the symptoms were from the booster ,but with visitors going he really ought to have tested.
I am not sure if people who have symptoms post booster ought to consider they would be positive anyway .
It is all so fuzzy,my mind boggles!
Phoned my daughter and she said the little family were not too bad ,with the help of  paracetamol  for the adults and Calpol for Flash Harry  if needed, but baby seems  not too bad,no high temperature but a bit snuffley .
What a mess.

At least they are all close in the length of time to isolate , so it will be over for them in about ten more days.
Sadly the “ Baby blues “ started to rear their ugly head for FH and baby’s mummy , oh how I feel for her ,as will anyone who has had those.
Years ago they were not understood and there was little or no sympathy for young Mums . Now we know they are hormonal and beyond the control of the women.
That is a little help at least.
My grandson is marvellous ,can cook, wash, clean and iron.
Is so good with FH and baby .
I could give him a good smacking for not being vaccinated  but at least he is
now doing all he can .
Nice to read your news folks ,so different in other parts of the world .

Will try for next day delivery of part of FH’s present ,some story books and
activity books which will keep him busy .
A parcel posted on Dec 20th are according to tracking numbers still at Hermes Depot!
So P.O .tomorrow.
 Cheerio and I hope all keep well and those ill  make good recoveries.
Viktoria.





.

[candleflame]

Morning all
Does anyone else on here clear out their food cupboards at the start of a New Year? It's something I do , partly as a result of years and years ago visiting my aunts house and finding tins and packets years out of date.
So far I've only found two tins of Heinz tomato soup which expired in 2021, so I think we'll be having those for lunch today or tomorrow. The tins haven't blown ( I did the push test) so they should be fine. We clearly didn't fancy tomato soup in 2021!
Self Raising Flour - expired date but no weevils in it. What do others do - still use it or bin it?

[louisa maud]

Not  so  long ago  I  opened  a small tin of tomatoes, just  about out of date,  wasn't blown, well it exploded and I  had to wash the kitchen tiles, as surprised  how  far  travelled , I  am  very strict  on use  by or  best  by  dates, my husband  not so, I  tell  him if he wants to eat it he can, I won't , so  yes  I  do  check dates  but not necessarily   new  year, very  strict on fridge  stuff as  well
When  you think  back there  wasn't a sell by or  use  by, think our parents  went  by what it  looked  or smelt  like.
Pouring  with  rain, all my plans have  gone  astray now
Not sure what  I  would  do with the  flour, knowing me I would  bin  it.

LM

[pharmaT]

MH, if only everyone was so sensible.  Hope your husband is feeling better soon.  How many days is that now?  I'd recommend a pulse oximiter to keep an eye on his oxygen saturations.  I  have seen lots of instances of the cough lingering, hope he tests negative soon.

Went to the opticians yesterday.  I couldn't put it off any longer, nearly 2 years overdue and my glasses no longer cutting it.  So I have now reached the point where I need varifocals.  Feeling rather anxious about the trip though, as the mask was interfering with one of the tests by steaming up the equipment so he asked that I take it off, not something I feel particularly comfortable with but I didn't feel I had much of a choice.

Tried to do some more logging of my sources on my tree but as usual got distracted and started looking for newspaper articles and googling people from my tree. I'm glad I did this time though as I found something really interesting and a bit exciting (to me anyway, probably not to proper people).  According to the article I found (yes I know it may not be true, just because everyone says I'm stupid doesn't mean I actually am) my daughter's 4xgrt uncle had been responsible for the tombstone of William Simpson.  Better known as Winsome Willie of Robert Burns fame.  His Dad (daughter's 4x grt grandfather) was allegedly one of the men who found Holy Willie's body after he drowned.  I already have one ancestor who was responsible for the first publishing of The Jolly Beggars, another who was cited in a biography of Burns as having been with him when he overturned the mouse nest,  another who was alleged locally to have been the inspiration for Tam O'Shanter.

We have a yellow weather warning today forsnow, looks not bad just now but will need to wait and see.

[Viktoria]

It would be the raising agent I think that might let you down.
O.K for pastry if not cakes.

I did a tidy up and chucked some stuff away ,some tasty home made Christmas mincemeat ,I have some left of the latest batch so will decant it into bags or plastic tubs and freeze it .
Hopefully in the not too distant future my husband’s sister and her daughter will come and we can pretend it is Christmas as we open pressies from 2020 and 2021 ,did not get each other any this year as we had so many to open
 already.
A lovely bright sunny morning ,off to the PO with stuff for the quarantined household .
I sent a parcel via Hermes on Dec 20 th.
No sign of it so complained and hey presto, guess what -it will be delivered today,between seven and nine this evening , however,it is to a remote hamlet in the Shropshire Hills .The back of beyond.
No streets ,just random cottages .
Up an unmade track with never a street lamp for miles.
Blackness that we in towns have forgotten could exist ,so that’ll be fun!

Well hope that those who were unwell feel better ,and that we all get through this.
We have tried hard and done our best .
Pharma,just read your post,I only know a very few of Burns poems but that is exciting for you.
I find the dialect difficult ,one or two have been transcribed into language more easily understood and they are lovely but just as I feel about Lancashire poetry written in broad dialect ,ie I feel they should be left alone ,yet appreciate that means they will hardly be read by people  today now the dialect has almost gone ,so with Burns.
Not that all Lancashire poets could compare with Burns .
A few,Edwin Waugh,Samuel Laycock  Ben Brierley we’re really good .
Often about distressing times but some lovely ones about the countryside and family life in the famine years -mid 1800’s .
Cheerio.
Viktoria.
P.S.as Pharma says ,Oxygen levels need watching , take note if lips are blue/ grey skin a bit grey and nail beds blue/ grey .If so Oxygen levels are getting dangerously low so seek help.V

[BumbleB]

"Sell by" or "Use by" dates - my attitude is, if it looks OK and it smells OK then use it.  OH and I did perhaps the ultimate yesterday afternoon related to this subject.  I found a pack of M & S Irish Coffee mugs in the cupboard - bought for Christmas 2020 and a use by date of 17 March 2021.  Nothing ventured, nothing gained, so followed the instructions and micro-waved them.  Absolutely delicious and I think the alcohol must have got stronger with the wait. 

[pharmaT]

"Sell by" or "Use by" dates - my attitude is, if it looks OK and it smells OK then use it.  OH and I did perhaps the ultimate yesterday afternoon related to this subject.  I found a pack of M & S Irish Coffee mugs in the cupboard - bought for Christmas 2020 and a use by date of 17 March 2021.  Nothing ventured, nothing gained, so followed the instructions and micro-waved them.  Absolutely delicious and I think the alcohol must have got stronger with the wait. 

I'm fussy about dates on meat, eggs , and some dairy products otherwise I go by how it looks.  I've had fruit and veg go off well before their dates.

[louisa maud]

I  had  a  pack  of sausages  well within the  date and the package  had  blown, they  quickly  went in the  bin,  journey  not  worth  my  while  to return them LM