Ladies wot Lunch

Having been in the doldrums just recently it was nice to have something else to look forward to. A catch-up with me mates….

We regularly get together on Zoom, us college girls, but there’s nothing like seeing your friends face-to-face, is there? Some of our number are far-flung, but one or two are within a few miles of each other with Sue D and Linda being at the heart of it all. So I left John at home this time and met up with Anita, Sue D and Linda at The Dog Inn in Whittington again – all COVID-safe. I think it’s getting to be a habit, having had a lovely Christmas lunch there in December and now a January jaunt!

I had spent the morning faffing about on the computer, downloading some photos of Michael’s graduation – and successfully, as it turned out, before it was time to set off up the motorway. Anita was going to arrive later on, just in time for lunch, as she was taking her car into the garage, but the rest of us had a very pleasant walk along the canal to work up an appetite for our lunch.

The weather wasn’t great, being overcast and rather dull and grey – which reminded me of Susie Dent’s Word of the Day: ‘thwankin’ (19th century), describing clouds that are gathering in thick and gloomy succession – but the brisk walk did us all good. I think we were all feeling a bit low with the post-Christmas blues.

Sue had recognised that a bit of cheering up was needed, so she arrived bearing bunches of flowers for us all – beautiful, yellow roses and white carnations which make your heart sing.

Lunch was very nice and we lingered over it, chatting away to our hearts content, until we realised how late it had got and we’d soon be hitting the rush-hour traffic.

But, boy, we didn’t half enjoy being ‘ladies wot lunch’. Must do it again sometime.

On my way home, I called at Mum’s care home to drop some cash in to pay for her chiropody, but there is still no visiting. Unless there is a further outbreak of COVID in the home, they are scheduled to re-open next week. Fingers crossed I’ll be able to visit then. Meantime, they report that Mum is very well so not to worry.

And that’s all the report for the day – except to say that John was busy comparing the solar panel quotes for most of his waking hours, having had a lovely long lie-in this morning and a bit of telly this afternoon.

In COVID news, we are advised to check out the ONS figures rather than the daily positive test reporting on the government site now. This is because PCR tests are not being done so much and not everyone is reporting lateral flow test results. The ONS data indicates that 1 in 20 people are positive for the virus in England.

Scientists and reporters on the telly are suggesting we still do those sensible things like wear masks, keep our distance, wash hands, stay away from crowded indoor spaces etc……and generally be on the alert. So we will. But what about the schoolchildren? How can they stay away from an indoor crowded space, eh? And without masks…..

Anyway, we are ‘learning to live’ with the virus. I mean, we have been able to have a walk and a lunch today which wouldn’t have been possible at the beginning of the pandemic, so things are definitely looking up.

Take care everyone. God bless.