It’s still winter

The sun has been shining all day again today – beautiful – but it’s still winter and the blues are still here despite the encouragement of the weather. Poor John – he’s having to try and cheer me up! “What shall we do today, then?” he asked this morning after we’d both lain in bed until about 10.30. I shrugged. Nothing appealed particularly, even though I could see the happy weather outside.

I am doing that thing that Susie Dent suggests in her Word of the Day: I am ‘perendinating’ (17th century) i.e. marking time by continually putting something off until the day after tomorrow.

In the end, we got up and breakfasted and then planned to go to the garden centre. I was after some plant food for the indoor plants – including the ones I’ve got ‘in hospital’ – a couple of Peace Lilies that have seen better days and need feeding up.

Before setting off, I faffed about a bit and then sat and watched a bit of the tennis. John fell asleep in the chair. When he woke up, he said, “Are you ready, then? I’ve been waiting for you to finish watching the tennis!” Cheeky monkey. And of course I was ready.

We meandered round the garden centre but I was disappointed in the selection of pots they had for the poorly Peace Lilies. They had lots of lovely Christmas stuff in a half price sale however, and I would have loved to have bought some things, but I already have a loft overflowing with pretty things, so it really wasn’t right to buy more.

We had a cuppa and a piece of cake in the café before we came home again – which was a high treat – and then I watched more tennis while John fiddled on the computer researching the best buy in solar panels – our latest project. Saving the planet, eh?

This evening was Quiz night, which was great fun – and even better, I knew some of the answers! Always exciting when I know a few answers.

And there we are. More of the same.

The political landscape is still whitewash, but with goings-on in the Houses of Parliament as one Conservative MP ‘crossed the floor’, and David Davies – a former senior politician and cabinet minister – quoting Leopold Amery’s comment to Neville Chamberlain at the Prime Minister: “You have sat too long here for any good you have been doing. In the name of God, go.’ He won’t, of course.

108,069 people tested positive for the virus today. The scientists are suggesting this is no longer a true figure, but to be honest, I haven’t been believing the figures for a while with PCR tests no longer being mandatory. 359 people died with the virus – and the debate about whether people ‘die with’ or ‘die of’ the virus has reared its ugly head again…… make your minds up, please!! 1,752 people were admitted to hospital with the virus today, too.

The mitigations currently in place to protect the population from the pandemic are to be lifted on January 26th and masks will no longer be mandatory. Fingers crossed that there’s light at the end of the tunnel for everyone. We just have to find out if John’s recent vaccinations have worked now, don’t we?

Take care everyone. God bless.