Diary week ending 25th February

[mare]

Re the topic of the diary thread, as in 'stay safe' .. Covid is quite active about and we are well aware with various family having had it this year already. Schools went back in NZ end of January/ early February after the long summer break. It was a public holiday here on 6th Feb, Waitangi Day, which was a Tuesday, know of one school in South Island had an extended long weekend closing the Monday as well as not enough teachers as so many had Covid! They suspect contracted with a teacher only day the previous week all together 
Our older daughter had her teacher only day Monday this week but she was only just out of isolation herself having had it and also her two younger girls home sick with covid all the previous week. The kindy her 4 year old attends had a notice up on the board that daughter noticed after she had stayed a while with 21 month old having a little play on the Friday before. Miss 4 wasn't quite her usual self so was tested that evening and a clear positive, By the Sunday daughter tested positive and wee one as well. 9 year old didn't get it, she was the only one who had had it previously just over a year ago, daddy didn't get it but he stayed at his parents place and they had previously had it as well but they were good with dropping off necessities and meals etc. The little ones had high temps and sleepy mostly and daughter quite chesty and loss of smell, couldn't smell Vicks vaporub  but a bonus for nappy changing! While she was visiting us for her her dad's birthday late last month she had a booster jab as didn't want to start the school term without some form of protection. Also avoided going to a camp with some friends as possibly a bit of a risk with school due back, then missed birthday party of one of the friends who went to the camp and came home safe and well because of this isolation herself. So she reckons she's no longer a 'unicorn' but we know quite a few  like her who hadn't had Covid previously and we haven't yet either ... touch wood and up to date with booster vacs, out and about as usual so fingers crossed as well. Younger daughter and her husband also had it at New Year ...

Stay safe and well ...

[Marianthompson47]

It has rained here in Hertfordshire all day. Fields are waterlogged. That won't please farmers when they soon start sowing their stuff.
Looking forward to the arrival of Spring myself as I miss my garden.
 In the meantime, I'm immersing myself in Daphné du Maurier.

[Viktoria]

Which book are you reading Marian ?
A long time since I read any of hers, always a jolly good read.

My daughter lives in Suffolk and so many places are waterlogged,ditches not  maintained so flooding across the country roads.
Wonder what it is like in the fens?

I think the powers that be could sort out how to get unwanted water to where there is no water!

Viktoria.

[Marianthompson47]

Hello

I am currently reading "The Parasites". And I love it.  I own all her books and biographies.
As you say quite rightly, water should be collected to be used in areas where there is none.
Have a wonderful day🤗

[Viktoria]

Thanks Marianne, I have just finished one by Mary Wesley,” Part of the furniture” ,I quite enjoyed it. Light reading.
Also ,but in small doses Engels’ book about the conditions of the working poor in England in the mid 1800’s.
That gets me angry, the unbelievable conditions our forefathers - and mothers! - had to live and work in .
I dip into it especially the parts about my part of England ,ie the North West of England.

A dull rainy morning again here.
Just booked transport for my appointment at Rochdale Infirmary Eye Clinic
next week.
Drugs tarradiddle sorted it seems re my heart condition ,my local GP surgery got in touch with the Nurse Practitioner re the confusion and letter I had taken in but surgery had also phoned saying it was mislaid so they now have the relevant info and I should get the right drugs soon.
Whew!
It does not look good though does it , if I were really forgetful I could have let that go by and not had the right drugs.
Another appointment in April to see how I am after the medication  adjustments.

Must get on, I have great choice, :- my bedroom , lounge, bathroom,—- I usually do one room a day really well, only four as the big front bedroom is my son’s computer room and I can’t move in there ,hopefully he will get broadband in his house next door soon ,he is waiting on a package deal .gas,electricity and broadband from a supplier well recommended on TV .

Hope all are alright,given some testing illnesses etc,and working conditions.

Cheerio, look after yourselves , Viktoria.

[Gillg]

Viktoria
I do enjoy reading about your domestic activities! The way you describe your routine reminds me of my aunt, who had a cleaner who came in two mornings a week.  Each day the cleaner would "bottom" one room in turn, which meant pulling out all the furniture and doing a really thorough deep clean.  The other rooms got a "top clean" while the "bottoming" meant that every room had its turn to be "bottomed".  The place was always immaculate.  Auntie also had a live-in housekeeper, who included light dusting and polishing the silverware in her duties, as well as laundry and cooking.  There was also a chauffeur/gardener/handyman.  After the death of her second husband (both of her previous husbands had kept her in luxury) she married a Yorkshireman who was also an accountant - a fatal combination.  He dismissed the housekeeper, sold the large house and moved them into a smaller bungalow, dismissed the chauffeur/gardener/handyman, saying that he could do most of the domestic work himself and could drive and why did they need such a large house for 2 people. The cleaner was retained, however.

Curiously she was happier with husband 3 than she had been with the other two!   

[Viktoria]

Got an email today, from AgeUK , re digital exclusion ,the elderly and old who are not able to use a computer ,iPad etc and are therefore excluded from very much.
We had no idea how computers would take over ,the first ones were very big and expensive ,beyond the means of many folk.
Age UK are urging people to write to their MP to explain how this situation excludes them from so much .
I am not very able ,just the basics on my iPad,so can understand others who really can not cope.
 
Just wondered if anyone else has been invited to take part,ironically the quickest way to contact yourMP ,who will be voting on this subject next week is via email!
So many will be excluded, the very ones who need to use what we have known for many many years,Posting ,BUT time is short, voting next week.
Viktoria.

[Gillg]

Yes, I received an email from Age Concern with the same message and am thinking out what to say.

[Gibel]

I’m only in my early 70s but struggle with a lot of things on the iPad and more so my laptop. I’ve got worse over the last 5 years due, I feel, to my cancer treatment and all the problems I’ve had since and the isolation of Covid as “extremely vulnerable”. I’m quite good at Family history researching but not much else. At times I find I’m actually frightened of doing some things on the iPad and even more so on the laptop. I’d far rather speak to a human being face to face particularly as I’ve got deafer and despite my good hearing aids.

Having eventually this afternoon worked out the best way to get to a hospital appointment 220 miles away by train in a month’s time, I rang the train company to book the tickets and the assistance as I do going to London but no I have to buy the train tickets and then ring about the assistance! I gave up for now and will pop into the station and buy the tickets from a human tomorrow. I know I could buy them online but that is a step to far for me at the moment.