Diary summary week ending 3rd April

[candleflame]

Roobarb I'm a bit like you in respect of not wishing to look round shops much yet. Part of my reason is I don't think I need much that's new. When we needed new bedroom curtains ( it was a definite need as they were beginning to hole and the mend wasn't holding either ) , we went to specific shops that sold ready made curtains and that was all. In the past we'd have gone out looking for curtains, maybe had some food while out then a mooch round other shops.

Having had all my clothes out as part of the redecorating process, I've realised how few clothes I wear regularly and how some haven't been worn for ages but still fit. I know that's partly because we haven't been out anywhere much, but I'm going to keep everything that fits and wear it and only buy new when I run out of something.
 I did find I have quite a lot of tights in assorted deniers , but I gave up wearing skirts regularly a long time ago , so tights only get worn on occasions - be it eg work or funerals or weddings. I'm loathe to throw the tights out as they're still fine and if I needed some, it would cost money to buy new ones, but I've relegated  them to a small basket on a top shelf in my wardrobe, near the wedding hat and fascinator left over from two weddings.

[Viktoria]

Yes !tights, I too seldom wear skirts now ,I have an A4 box crammed full.beiges,greys blacks,various deniers .
I have open shelves in my bedroom so got the boxes from IKEA ,painted them in emulsion and made pretty labels from some Laura Ashley fabric left over from curtains and fitted bedspread .
Scarves hats and gloves,(warm)tights, socks,pretty lightweight scarves,hot water bottles my back support when disc  trouble flares up. etc. etc.
Gives me drawer space for things I like to lie flat .

The boxes have hinged lids and  :-[are sturdy ,well these have been in use for 5+ years.
Clothes ,oh heck,far too many but I am not often fond, of the latest fashions.
Could never understand why anyone would buy a cardigan that was all droopy as if it had been pegged on a clothes line very badly !
I hang mine up to avoid that!

Coats,well you never know ,many are classic straight up and down ones by good brands like Eastex.Never go really out of fashion.
But the four (  wardrobes are bulging .

A bright morning but rain clouds to the East .
I feel better for a good night’s sleep.
Still sneezey ,sniffley, and my injection arm is truly painful.
Defrosted a chicken casserole so that with new potatoes carrots and a nice dark green sweetheart cabbage
Forgot to get Yoghurt yesterday, but can do a rice pudding in either slow cooker or pressure cooker ,might end up on the ceiling !
I can leave out the sugar and use a sweetener .
Enough chicken to make a pasty for tomorrow .
Well I need a cup of tea folks.
Hope those not well are improving , and boiler problems very soon sorted.

Cheerio.Viktoria.

[mare]

High St cafe with friend and seafront walk sounds lovely, would suit me and I'm not particularly interested in browsing shops either just for the sake of it but I'm sure many retailers are really feeling the lack of patronage and hoping shoppers and even the prospective ones will return.

Mention of various concerns regarding health matters and wishing each all well, including family members and pets, also with the various hiccups with functions of household running. We had a call on Tuesday from Watercare about exceptionally high usage on latest reading, luckily I was within earshot of husband who answered it on the landline as he was very suspicious thinking it was a scam call and that not helped by his hearing limits and understanding of accent. Wasn't aware of any leaks at all, have used the hose a little bit over the dry spells but not enough to make much difference, turned out it was in their meter at the road end of our long driveway when we lifted the lid to check but otherwise not noticeable. Don't think they can do remote reading and thought they'd have seen the water squirting for themselves perhaps but when we called them back to let them know they dealt with it promptly and we didn't have to call in a plumber.

Milestone 70/80 birthdays for a couple of friends this week and also a family member, 2 living further afield now so just distance contact and no get-together this time, saw one of the 80 year olds last Saturday to give her a wee gift in advance and caught up with her again last night.
#1 sis called around after an appointment on Monday but I didn't know she had come until I saw her note on the door, I was only in the back yard a short while but anyway we made up for it with an hour and a half chat in the evening! Surprised by another visit Wednesday by lady along the road I haven't seen since before lockdown so we had a bit of catching up to do too, same sis is friends with her and also the birthday girl mentioned.

Quite a bit happening in neighbourhood generally, lots of cars over the road paying respects to a couple in bereavement of adult son, don't really know them but we've briefly met at home of another neighbour in past and have sent my condolences. New neighbours behind them came looking for their courier package having mistakenly used our street number and said another couple of orders might turn up! I had no idea about the first one left last week, just a small package I returned to sender but courier looked puzzled when he handed me the second one because of ethnicity of the name but I explained and left my details with him.

Rest of week disappeared with winding up company, end of financial year, appointments, car arrangements etc and last 2 open homes this weekend before the auction. Not particularly optimistic for a sale in current climate, valuation has taken a big leap taking into account land size and developers have been interested but they and market cooling off overall. We went down to the beach yesterday and today a drive around a nearby development of newer luxury homes just to fill in the time we needed to be away.

Also 2 years a week or so back since NZ first locked down, certainly numbers of infections were minimal until this year and Omicron making the difference lately, getting daily reports but not with the intensity it had been and mainly notifications regarding changes to restrictions, mandates etc once vaccination rate was high enough. The 7 day rolling average for cases seems to be dropping gradually but the same average for deaths over the past couple of weeks is highest it's been. Recording of deceased does cover all the of /with covid in cause which it seems most nations do.

Granddaughter's school is asking for as many as possible to do remote learning this coming week with many staff and pupils isolating, end of term just a couple of weeks away now. She had her best friend staying for a sleepover Friday night, trying out the new set of bunks in her room before little sister starts to share her room and arrival of new baby. Probably a good time to transition from a cot to a bed with the end of daylight saving and clocks back now so darker at bedtime for them and hopefully quicker settled.

Still quite warm and summery and has been a nice weekend, temps have been about 5 degrees above average for time of year and no doubt will notice when cooler weather hits and we let up overs have a share! Always nice to see new life in gardens particularly in Springtime, Sasanqua Camellias are flowering here now start of Autumn and green growth of bulbs appearing ...

[Viktoria]

Just watching “ Heartbeat”,put TV on whilst I had a coffee.

All about the Rabies outbreak in 1976.
Gosh I remember it.
We were notified our dog that was due to go into quarantine would be there for nine months not six, as a dog had left quarantine after six months ,and had developed Rabies  a few days later.
We would not be able to vusut it and the precautions for getting it off the ferry from Zeebrugge overtook the fact that all our household goods were in a container and we had three children as well to think of.
The cost was astronomical and we would have to sign the dog away for those nine months ,so if Rabies was suspected at any time the dog would be destroyed without any consultation with us.
The nearest centre to us was North Yorkshire.
Given the dog’s character ,it would be very cruel to incarcerate her for so long
so we decided if there was any chance she would be destroyed it was better it was done  at home and I was nursing her and talking to her so at least there was no fear.So she was put to sleep before we travelled.

The precautions taken and measures to control any outbreaks were extreme,
even to shooting birds in case a rabid bird( ?) should peck someone in the eye!
We lost so much wildlife in the attempts to control any rabies outbreak.
A strange disease, the animals are  only infectious in the very last part of their lives.
Their jaw drops ,then they can’t bite ,the infection is carried in their saliva and a fairly deep puncture like a dog bite sends it in deeply..
They are unable to swallow so froth collects  in their mouths.
So a fairly short window of time when they can transmit the disease.
In the Ardennes  the hunters have a Religious festival St Hubert  where men horses ,dogs ( Bloodhounds  which are called St,Hubert’s) are blessed against Rabies in a big  Mass.
Not sure how efficacious  that is?
If someone does develop rabies the treatment then was twenty injections around the waist ,I was not  pleased to hear  that  after being bitten by a feral cat !,which disappeared !
Whew I lost tons of weight ,in a few weeks ,until the cat re appeared .

Our first car was a Ford Anglia ,in a dreadful shade of  Champaign Beige.
There was one in Heartbeat ,black with lots of chrome in Heartbeat ,it looked really swish.

Well still dull and damp, but not too cold .
Big noises next door ,must be having some work done ,the house is lovely ,I like it better than mine ,not so modern ,more cosy and you can see right down the garden when you wash up .
I face a blank wall!

Hope everyone is alright , all OK here .Cheerio .
Viktoria.

[Annette7]

Met my niece and niece-in-law for lunch at a local hostelry.   It was just after the nice weather we had had ended so weren't able to sit outside.   That morning they'd taken the twins swimming.   Darcy loves it - Macy does at first then gets bored and wants to do something else. 

Macy had the restaurant in stitches.   She's like a little Houdini!   Strap her into any high chair and she can get out.   Recently Mum had to get something from her bedroom.   She'd just given them some snacks in their high chairs - both strapped in - and thought she was okay for a few minutes.   As she came out of the bedroom she met Macy climbing up the stairs in front of her.   That was the day they discovered she could get out of the high chair even when strapped in.   Not just that particular high chair but any one.   As to child proof locks on cupboards - means nothing to Macy as she can get them open.   Being 7 years older than my sister I can remember her as a baby.   She was just the same so we know who Macy gets it from.  The only seat she can't get out of (yet!) is her car seat.   By the time Jo got home that day she'd fallen asleep, sleeping like a little angel.

Darcy her complete opposite in every way.   Just as well for Mum - don't think she'd cope if both were like Macy.

Aside from that outing, not much to report.   Two of extended family have now got COVID - haven't seen them for weeks thank goodness.

It's the twins older sister Esmae's birthday on Thursday so will see the family again then.   Wonder what further exploits Macy has been up to.

Annette
 

[Viktoria]

Gosh, that is quite a worry, a Baby Houdini!
So much more amazing when  we remember their prematurity.

A chap called today with some galvanised ironwork he had made specially for me .
He warned it would be quite a while as it would be cheaper as part of a batch ..He has modified it slightly and it is really good,very pleased as it is more adaptable .
Drizzle all day.
Checked my transport for tomorrow , so up early as you have to be ready so long before but I am grateful for it.

Daughter phones tonight for a long chat ,so sort kitchen out and then early to bed as I shall have to be up for about six O’Clock.

Cheerio.
Viktoria.

[louisa maud]

Will say  night night  now then shall I  Viktoria?

Hope  àll goes  well tomorrow

Take  care

LM