Month: January 2022

To cheer ourselves up we took a day trip today. Where could we go that was safe enough? What could we do? What would we enjoy together?

In the end, I plumped on a visit to the Silverstone Interactive Museum. A big, airy place; unlikely to be too busy; and, according to the website, pretty hot on keeping the venue COVID-safe.

I woke John at eight o’clock to give him a two-hour window to prepare himself for going out and to get himself ready. There’s a lot to do…… so many pills to take, so many inhalers, so much stuff to do…….. and in the meantime, I prepped a flask of hot tea and a picnic lunch to take with us.

Our slot was 11.30, so we had plenty of time to get there and we had a leisurely drive down the M40. The sun was shining brilliantly in an attempt to remind us that winter doesn’t stay for ever, but it would insist on shining right into our eyes and I was obliged to put on my sunglasses.

We had been in the museum for about fifteen minutes, and we were watching a TV display about something or other and I thought that the visuals were particularly poor. Not very bright at all. Oh…… would you believe it? I still had my sunglasses on. Silly me.

We thoroughly enjoyed the displays and took our time looking at everything. John was grateful for bench seating every so often to take the weight off. He even found a chair in the ‘cinema’ area where everyone else had to stand. Lucky boy.

On the way out, we spied a motorcycle at an angle to show just what it’s like when cornering at Silverstone. As it was an interactive museum of course, it meant that you could get on it – so I did. Barry Sheen, eat your heart out. (Yes, yes, I know, if you are under 50 you have no idea who Barry Sheen is…..)

Dismounting the bike was another matter, of course…….but it made me (and John) laugh….

We sat in the car after our visit and ate our picnic. It was lovely – the sun was still shining and we had delicious food to eat. Really enjoyed ourselves. Hoping the uplift in mood lasts.

Numbers: 70,924 positive cases of COVID today; 88 reported deaths and 2,423 people admitted to hospital.

In other news, Mum is better. The member of staff I spoke to seemed to suggest that she was trotting about the care home quite happily again, accessing all areas and back in her own room. No visiting yet. The home has to be ten days clear of a COVID case before that’s allowed. Next week, maybe.

My friend Tim, however, is back in hospital – so prayers or positive thoughts would be most appreciated for him and his family. Tough times, as I know all too well, and any support is welcomed.

Take care everyone. God bless.

We said farewell to Harriet’s father yesterday. As funerals go, it was a very good service, with the celebrant embracing everyone with her words, and Harriet and Jess, Harriet’s sister, paying tribute to their father with beautiful poetry and eulogies.

John hadn’t felt great in the morning, so opted to stay at home, while I went to the service but came home afterwards. Twenty-five people were gathering at Paul and Harriet’s and, although there was no indication of any virus anywhere, we decided not to risk it. According to the reports, the wake was good, too, with Harriet’s Dad being sent off in style with a champagne toast.

John had had a notification that a fourth jab of the vaccination would be helpful, and yesterday morning the surgery phoned to make an appointment for him. I was pleased about that – saved us having to check with the hospital – and so, in the afternoon, he went off down the road to see the nurse. No ill-effects so far.

Meanwhile, I popped round to Pete and Dawn’s to have a look at some colourways for Dawn’s ‘mother of the bride’ outfit. The colours that she has chosen are lovely and suit her very well and we were able to put together a little portfolio of her preference to share with her dressmaker. I can’t wait to see her in the final outfit – she is going to look gorgeous.

Last night, John and I sat up watching TV and didn’t go to bed until well past midnight. On retiring, I said to John, “I’m having a lie-in, in the morning!” And that’s what I did. It was lush.

However, once up, I busied myself in tidying and cleaning the kitchen. I was still, it seemed, digging it out after Christmas…….pottery was still out and waiting to tucked away ready for next year; toys were still adorning the work surfaces; the sweetie tin was still ready and waiting for young hands to delve into; and, of course, the Christmas cake is still inviting us to eat it up – which John is doing very ably indeed.

Meanwhile John was eying up his TV viewing with Wasps versus Toulouse in the Rugby Champions League. We watched the first half together, but weren’t hopeful of a win for the Wasps as one of their number saw a red card. I left John watching the second half and went over to Kenilworth to drop the washing off to the original Kenilworth Sleaths, fully expecting to come back and find John disappointed in the rugby result. But no, they had held on and won, much to our delight.

I hadn’t intended to stay long over at Paul and Harriet’s but Paul was in on his own – the others having gone out for a walk – so I stopped and had a cup of tea. It was lovely just to sit and chat together for a while. Harriet and Jess and the children soon came back from their walk, however, so I had another cup of tea before I said my goodbyes. Nice.

This evening we decided to watch The Hobbit. However, half way through, we remembered that it was a long film. “I think I’ll stop watching in about half an hour, John, and go and do my blog. It’s not due to finish until 10.30.” “OK, let’s stop watching now, then.” he said. Something to look forward to tomorrow.

And that was us: John feeling a bit fed up and me feeling a little bit better but not best. John is hankering after a break away – and I don’t blame him – it’s tough going at times. “Shall we go out somewhere tomorrow?” I wondered. “Good idea,” says John. But where shall we go and what shall we do? Not a clue yet………

99,652 tested positive for the Coronavirus yesterday, Friday 14 January 2022; 270 died; and 2,423 were hospitalised as of 10 January. Today, Saturday 15 January 2022, 81,713 tested positive – which seems to be better news. However, 287 people died and no new data regarding how many have been hospitalised this week.

Take care everyone. There may be sunshine on the horizon – hoping so anyway. God bless.

Today came roaring in with more sunshine all day again. What a bonus! It was rather frosty but beautiful with a fabulous sunrise. I love to open the curtains just before the sun comes up and watch the glow gradually filling the sky. Makes you grateful to be alive.

Another reason to be grateful to be alive is looking after the grandchildren, and we had another dose of them today before they start at nursery/pre-school on Monday. The childcare/work juggling has been ongoing this week and we have been the beneficiaries.

It is so delightful to see their smiling faces as they come to the door and for them to be pleased to see Grandma and Grandpa. We are making the most of it because, let’s face it, this phase doesn’t last all that long and soon they won’t want to spend any time with the grandparents at all.

So we play, play, played all day long – up and down the stairs; in and out of the garden; in and out of the cupboards; on and off high stools, low stools, chairs and sofas; and in and out of the biscuit jar.

I tell you, that biscuit jar is the main attraction – although, to be fair, William is pretty constrained. He selected three biscuits to put into a little bag for a future picnic – one for himself, one for Thomas and one for Grandma. He didn’t eat a single one. And, when it was time to go home, he left the one for me and then selected two more – one for Mummy and one for Daddy. Still untouched. Thomas, however, cannot resist. He would keep on ploughing through as many as you’d let him……

We made a den in the garden this afternoon in Freddie’s ‘tree house’ area, by dragging the bench behind the tree. We sat on it for quite a while, listening to the birds, hiding behind the foliage, looking out for ‘the enemy’ and generally exulting in it being ‘just us’. William sighed blissfully and said, “It’s just us. Just us.” Some time later, William went off to explore and I made to follow, but Thomas had other ideas. He, too, was enjoying the ‘just us’ moments under the tree and insisted on staying there. He waved his arms at the span of the tree and suggested that we stay exactly where we were. So we did for a bit longer. I didn’t mind – meditating among the trees? Just my cup of tea.

The sandpit was next on the agenda and, instead of busying myself with dead-heading anything today, I was either absorbed in the children’s play or watching them while sunning myself on the bench in the full sunshine. More bliss.

After we’d said goodbye to the boys, I thought we might collapse in a heap, but to my surprise, I got my second wind and was able to get on with the ironing of the washing for the original Kenilworth Sleaths. Quite a productive day one way and another – full throttle all day.

I have to say, though, that despite John doing a marvellous job with the children, he has struggled with his energy levels for the last few days (except when he was doing the walking/lung function test at the hospital of course) and he has been getting quite out of breath. But one thing about John is that he never gives up and he was game all day to keep entertaining the children.

This evening, we took an unexpected phone call from Gail who is having trouble being in a foreign land trying to access her British bank account. All correspondence will now be directed to our address and we hope to help her unravel the unholy mess the bank seems to have made. Nice to have a chat though – even if it was primarily for business purposes.

109,133 people tested positive for the virus today; 335 people died in the community today and 112 died in hospitals in the last 48 hours; 2,184 people were admitted to hospital.

The Prime Minister is lying low after his apology in the House of Commons about breaking the rules and having party in his garden on 20 May 2020. Prince Andrew is now a ‘private citizen’ having lost his royal patronages. Susie Dent’s Word of the Day is: constult (17th century) – to collectively play the fool/behave stupidly together.

Hope the sun shone in your neck of the woods. I am reduced to giggling at silly jokes at the expense of the government now to cheer me up……………

Take care everyone. God bless.

Gosh, what a glorious day it’s been today, weather-wise!! I was expecting the fog to roll over us all today at some point, but it never did and the sun stayed shining the whole day, which lifted my mood no end.

We were out in the sunshine relatively early this morning, trundling over to Heartlands Hospital for John’s routine haematology check-up and he was again given ‘a clean bill of health’, with the advice to get his fourth vaccination as soon as he could. Having been part of a trial recently, John is keen to get in touch with the staff carrying out the trial to see what’s what before going ahead, so it’ll be another phone call to see if a trip to the hospital is necessary. Fingers crossed John can simply just go down to the surgery – that would be a bonus.

This afternoon we were on grandparenting duties for the recently-moved-in Kenilworth Sleath grandchildren. They are not yet at nursery/pre-school so this week is a juggling act in child-care.

The children were absolutely delightful, with William entertaining us to a running commentary on his play most of the afternoon. It was lovely. Thomas toddled about and pointed at stuff with a nod of the head and enquiring eyes, which absolutely told us what we needed to know. This toy, that book, that biscuit, his drink, ‘let’s go upstairs’, let’s go downstairs’, ‘let’s put some music on’ or ‘let’s dance’. Who needs words, eh?

We spent a while outside in the garden and had a really enjoyable hour. Although after two minutes William declared the grass was too wet to play on and promptly took himself onto the patio where, naturally, Thomas followed. After half an hour, Thomas had had enough and insisted on peering in through the patio windows at Grandpa resting in his armchair. Simply attracting Grandpa’s attention wasn’t enough and he then insisted on going back in to be with Grandpa and play indoors. William and I stayed outside, happy in each other’s company, very companionable as he played in the sand pit and I sat next to him dead-heading the lavender plant. Bliss.

Thomas meanwhile, had managed to persuade Grandpa that water play was required, so he stood up at the sink ‘washing up’ and having such a grand time that Grandpa opened the window to let us listen to the deep-throated chuckle that Thomas let out every few minutes as he enjoyed pouring the water from one container to another. It was rather lovely to hear Grandpa chuckling, too.

This evening we had a cracking time with the Quizzers, who were all on top form both in knowledge and in humour. We spent a great deal of the evening giggling at this joke or another and, for once, we kept on chatting until gone 11 o’clock because we were so enjoying each others’ conversation and company. I was the first one to crack and say goodnight however, pleading the blog to write and a bed to get to, as we plan to have the grandchildren for company again tomorrow.

Not a bad day all in all – and the sun shone for all of it so the world was brighter.

129,587 people tested positive for the virus today; 398 people died with it in the community today and 96 people died in hospitals in the last 48 hours; 2,049 people were admitted to hospital.

Take care everyone – I hope the sun shone for you wherever you were today.

Another day of not a lot. Another day of viewing its prospects and thinking ‘harrumph!’ Another day when those in power thumb their noses at us.

Susie Dent suggests the following as her word of the day: ‘pish-monger’ (17th century): one who frequently says ‘pish’ to others and treats them with contempt. Ha!

However, despite waking up and wanting to turn over to go back to sleep, I did actually get up at a reasonable hour – John having kindly brought me a cup of tea in bed – and I popped over to Kenilworth, to grab a bag of washing from the original Kenilworth Sleaths. I had been thinking about them and thought what a lot they’ve got on their plates, so I asked if there was anything I could do.

Harriet had said ‘Yes’ as she had all the bedding from Christmas still to wash and iron and, with her family coming to stop over in preparation for her Dad’s funeral on Friday, she was keen to get it sorted.

In the end, I brought clothes washing home and left Harriet to face the mountain of sheets and duvet covers instead. I think I got the better deal.

Once I was home, I did a spot of admin to try and tie up a few loose ends. But, you know, time doesn’t half gallop on fast and half of the things I was hoping to get done are still waiting. Not least phoning the care home to find out how Mum is today.

Each time I thought I’d phone, I realised it was breakfast, or the drug round, or lunch, or the afternoon drug round and then it was tea-time…… so it’ll have to wait until tomorrow. But I’m of the frame of mind that no news is good news so fingers crossed that she is still getting better.

This afternoon I had a lovely chat to Linda and Hazel on Zoom – we held a mini-book club meeting to chat about a book that Malcolm has written and we had a really great time together. I thought we might not be long, but two hours later I thought I ought say my goodbyes and keep John company as he was mulling over solar panels with a chap who knows about such stuff.

The solar panel discussion was very interesting – but should we do it? We are just debating what to do now we have some more information……. another quote maybe and then we’ll see.

After our evening meal it was slump on the sofa and watch TV – we both feel weary…..

120,821 people tested positive for COVID today – a slight drop in numbers, but the scientists are warning us to watch the numbers of deaths which are likely to rise for a while yet. 379 people died in the community and 87 in hospitals in the previous 48 hours. 2,286 people admitted to hospital.

Hope your week is turning out well so far – take care everyone. God bless. Here’s a prayer written by Rev Katy Stenta who puts it how I feel…..

God,
You know,
that we cannot pivot anymore
because we are too dizzy.

In fact,
we are so dizzy that walking has become problematic
So we make our way like toddlers
knowing our best right now
looks nothing like two years ago

Please hold my hand God
as I toddle along,
steady my step
and murmur comforting words
into my ear, as I toddle along,

Please,
I pray.

Amen.

It’s Monday 10 January 2022 and the treadmill has started up in earnest. We were up early for a 9 o’clock appointment at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham. Neither of us particularly wanted to get up and get going on the hospital run again, but needs must. This time it was for a lung function test to see what the ol’ man can actually get up to without keeling over.

As it turned out, the test wasn’t too difficult and John managed to get through it all without any keeling over or any need for additional oxygen. So they sent him home with a ‘clean bill of health’. I think he felt a bit cheated, but I was delighted – there’s life in the old dog yet! I have to say, I dread the thought that he might need oxygen one day….

The morning had more or less come and gone and then we acted on a phone call from Michael requesting for more nuts from John’s very comprehensive store (keep the jokes clean, please….) so that he could fit the stair gate. Everyone did Lateral Flows to be sure, to be sure…. and then we were on to nip over to the new house.

William was spending a ‘getting to know you’ hour this afternoon at pre-school, which he starts next week, so he and Michael shot off to do that. Thomas had a nap and Danielle ‘went to work’ in their new office space, which left me to faff about and tidy up a bit. Washing up was the order of the day – the new dishwasher arrives tomorrow and I think they will greet that piece of equipment with great relief once it’s installed.

Home again and I decided I really must buck up. “What are you going to do this afternoon?” John asked. “I thought I might colour my hair,” I replied. “But let’s have a cup of tea first – and can we turn the radiator up in our bedroom so it’s warm when I’m up there?” Yep, no problem.

So we sat down with a cuppa and I scrolled through the things we’d recorded on TV for a ‘twenty minute’ viewing while the radiator warmed the room. Ah-ha! ‘The Polar Express’ – we’ve never watched that. Let’s do it while it’s still sort of Christmassy. Erm…..one hundred minutes later…… John fell asleep, but I thoroughly enjoyed the film. Great entertainment and glad I caught up with it after all these years.

Hair colour done, food prepared and eaten for our evening meal, and I felt a bit better. Then this evening I had a chat on Zoom to the girls from college who go to Ragdale. They always cheer me up. The purpose of the call was, of course, what to do…… Should we stay or should we go? Our Ragdale booking is for February but with Omicron currently floating especially well in the air, we were all thinking it would be sensible to postpone our trip. The plan is to go in September now, all being well. Fingers crossed, folks, fingers crossed.

But, oh dear, I am so fed up of this existence whereby we are not sure what we can do and when. Even seeing the family is difficult with infections flying around and the constant awareness of how near to someone have we been who might have the dreaded lurgy? I mean, we seemed to manage quite cheerfully for a while but this is going on too long, isn’t it?

And now I am managing it grumpily…… ah, well, when the sun starts to shine and the days noticeably draw out, I shall be better. And I am thankful for all our blessings, of which there are many, and am reminding myself that staying in, in a nice warm cosy home with food on the table and clothes on our backs, is the height of luxury.

142,224 people tested positive for the virus today; 77 people died in the community and 2,332 people were admitted to hospital.

Take care everyone. The fat lady isn’t due to sing just yet….. God bless.

Half a Sunday. This morning was another lie-in – although to be fair, John was up and about at a reasonable time. I think he was watching TV – anxiously watching the state of the Ashes, which are now lost, of course, but the match was drawn this time, so a little bit of relief. There’ll be some soul-searching among the team though, about how they can improve for the last Test. I suspect we might all be hoping for rain…… and for Ben Stokes to recover from his injury.

When I finally emerged from the bedroom, I bustled about a bit – tidying here, tidying there and planning to go for a brisk walk. “I’ve done a Co-op shopping order, John,” I said, “and it’ll arrive about 2 o’clock. Before it comes, I thought I might go for a walk.” Lovely idea….”I’ll come with you,” John replied. Ah…. that’ll be nice, but maybe we ought to wait in for the shopping to arrive first?

We had a fabulous walk – the sun was shining, and we took it steady, with pit stops along the way. An unexpected pit-stop was just outside the shops where we encountered a friend of Gail’s – Maureen. It is such a long time since we had seen her and, for a moment, I am not sure she knew who I was, she was concentrating so hard on her walk. We stayed and chatted for a little while before we went on our way – but it had been good to see her.

However, my favourite pit-stop was at the bird-feeder in Katharine’s Wood, where we stood a while watching the birds flitting to and fro. I was very excited to see a pair of nuthatches as well as long-tailed tits, a great tit, sparrows and dunnocks – plus the predictably fat pigeons waddling about underneath, waiting for the scraps to drop. I have never seen a nuthatch before, so I was delighted. Should have got the camera out, but I didn’t. I didn’t want to scare them off.

When we got back, I thought we deserved a hot chocolate and a bun. We weren’t cold, but we were after a treat. Must be the winter blues that need chasing away.

Not long after we’d got back the front doorbell rang and we were delighted to see Margaret and Chris standing on the doorstep. “We’re not coming in,” said Margaret, “but we thought we’d call and see how you are. You sounded a bit fed up in your blog.” Well, thank the Lord for perceptive friends. We stood on the doorstep for quite a while, chatting and laughing and teasing and planning and hoping and just being us. It was lovely – and we felt wonderfully better for it. They are such good company.

The rest of the day was another rest day. More TV for me – I watched the latest version of The Secret Garden and thought it very well done. John, meanwhile, was faffing about on the computer. I had no idea what he was doing until later this evening when he wafted a newspaper page in front of me. He’d printed it off from the Coventry Evening Telegraph from February 1967 – and the day that he thought we’d been on our first date. Fascinating. 55 years ago this February……… I think we deserve a medal.

I had a nice chat to Michael this evening – I had been wondering how they were settling into their new home and so it was nice to hear that things were going OK. They are temporarily without a dishwasher and fridge/freezer however, and that is making for a different life. Ha! That used to be us, didn’t it, many years ago? How times have changed.

All in all, it’s been a better day and I, for one, am feeling grateful for the luxuries in life – hot chocolate and a bun, now that’s what I call ‘a state of great comfort’.

141,472 people have tested positive for the virus today; 97 people died with the virus and 2,434 people were admitted to hospital with it. It’s not over – and whatever anyone is saying just now, the scientists are agreeing that Omicron is not mild. It still causes nasty illness and death.

Take care everyone. Hope you have a hot chocolate and bun moment this week. You’re worth it……God bless.

Well, it’s been a dull old day today, hasn’t it? Darkened skies, pelting with rain on and off throughout the day and a feeling of, ‘Can we stop the world, please, I’d like to get off for a while….’

Last night, my goodnight comment to John as I went to bed, was: “I am going to stay in bed tomorrow until I wake up!!” None of this, ‘I must get up at 7’, or ‘I’ll just check on x, y, or z….’ or, ‘I’ll pop the washing on and then go back to bed…’ Nope, no early rising for me today.

John agreed. He didn’t fancy early rising either, although he got up hours before I did.

I finally emerged just after mid-day and managed to sloth down the stairs onto the sofa, where I stayed pretty much all day, goggling at the box, or at my phone, on which I was reading a book. I now have very square eyes.

John, too, sat goggling the box – or at least, I thought he was, until I heard snoring from the other sofa and I realised that the game of rugby rampaging across the screen wasn’t actually holding his attention. “Are you watching this, John?” I asked, thinking I might put something else on. “No…. but I am listening to it,” he declared. Ahh… right…… “but you can put something else on if you like.”

And that has been the sum total of our day. Of course, we have eaten food – and scoffed chocolates again – and made cups of tea, but really nothing to write home about, so I won’t.

I’d still like the world to pause for a while though while I catch my breath.

But COVID waits for no (wo)man and there have been 146,390 positives cases of the dratted virus today; 313 people have died and 2,434 people have been admitted to hospital.

Take care everyone. God bless.

P.S. Prayers for John’s friend, Alan of Meriden, who passed away yesterday, please, if you could spare a moment.

“What time do you want to leave to go back to Cambridge, Andrew?” we asked yesterday. “Erm… around 10 o’clock?” he suggested, tentatively. We grinned and snorted a bit. “Ten o’clock?” “Erm…. well, 11 o’clock, then?” That was more like it. Not only would Andrew be awake and perhaps up, but John thought he would also be in the land of those awake, too.

I wondered if Andrew wanted me to do any ironing for him before he left. “If I am up and about, I can do some before you leave,” I said, confidently. Nah….. you’re alright, no ironing needed, thank you. Crumpled clothes’ll do………

At six o’clock this morning, I heard a kerfuffle. Uh-oh……. I hopped out of bed and shot downstairs, to find John calmly watching the cricket on the telly in the kitchen, as he spooned granola into his mouth for breakfast. “Oh,” I said, “I thought I heard you wheezing.” John looked at me scornfully, “I’m just watching the cricket….” I went back to bed and slept some more.

The alarm went off at 8 o’clock. Hmmm…. no ironing to do; we’re not setting off until 11…… I’ll get up in a bit….. I’ll just switch the alarm off….

At eleven o’clock, John roused me. “Anne! You know it’s eleven o’clock, don’t you?” Whaaaaat? I was just in the middle of the most interesting dream….how dare you wake me up? Oh! Did you say it was eleven o’clock? Crikey!!

As it turned out, John had only just got up and Andrew was still emerging from his bed, too. And in the end, we had a full English brunch before we thought about journeying over to Cambridge.

Andrew and I flitted about, getting stuff ready to pack into the car while John had a rest on the sofa. Well, I say a rest….by the time we were ready to go, he was in a deep sleep. I shook him awake and asked if he’d rather stay at home. He nodded and, bleary-eyed, said, “Yes, do you mind? Can you manage on your own?” I could manage, no worries.

We had a good journey over to Cambridge, if not as swift as I’d have liked – there were so many slow lorries and cars in front of me…… and we arrived just before three. We had a quick cuppa before I turned round and came home again. Another excellent journey home, and I was home before five.

I thought I deserved an evening just sitting on the sofa watching the box, so that’s what John and I did, imbibing wine and scoffing chocolates as we relaxed. Nice.

And that was it. Our day’s journey. Not quite sure where it has got us, but I do know that I enjoyed seeing sparrow hawks on the A14 as a bit of a treat….

All of that took my mind off any emerging news today, and I worried about nothing.

But just for the record: 178,250 people tested positive for COVID today; 229 people died with the virus; 2,434 people were admitted to hospital; and 82 people died in hospitals in the last 48 hours with it.

Susie Dent’s word of the day: ‘bamblusterate’ (19th century): to try to deceive or mislead – a blend of ‘bamboozle’ and ‘bluster’.

Hehe! Good one, eh?

Take care everyone. God bless.

We have had a busy 48 hours, what with one thing and another, but essentially looking after the Sutton Sleath grandchildren for twenty-four of them while the family moved house. We can no longer call them the ‘Sutton Sleaths’ as they now live in Kenilworth, so I have no idea yet how I shall to refer to them but something will evolve, no doubt.

It’s been wonderful that Andrew is still here at home though, because John had a hospital treatment this morning and so I left William and Thomas in his care while we drove to Heartlands. Uncle Andrew is very much in favour, with cries of ‘nclandrooo‘ echoing around the house as the children vie for his attention.

He made us laugh though, as he told the early morning story to Michael and Danielle: “So Mum and Dad left about twenty-five past eight this morning and we went upstairs to play in the ‘den’ (the Harry Potter cupboard). We played for ages and I thought it must be nearly time for Mum to get back. It must be nearly half past nine, surely? I looked at my watch. It was twenty to nine.…… she’d only been gone fifteen minutes…..”

The children were all safe and sound when I got back though, so he’d done a good job. The rest of the day was play, play, play, of course, interspersed with cake-baking as a house-warming gift, the return trip to Heartlands to collect John, and an hour or so of TV while Michael and Danielle waited at our house for the transfer of funds to be effected before they could collect the keys.

All went swimmingly and they are in. We took the children and the dog over at tea-time, along with a fish and chip supper, which I think helped in the ‘thank goodness I haven’t got to cook’ stakes.

But it was full family affair today – Paul and Lily had previously called in at the new house with a house-warming present, and while we were there, Harriet called in too, as she was walking the dog. Lovely. I pray that strong bonds, friendship among family, and harmony all prevail for them all in the years ahead.

In other news, Mum is on the mend and, when I phoned yesterday, she had eaten her breakfast and was getting out of bed. I didn’t get chance to phone up today, but the care home staff had promised to phone me if there was anything to worry about, so I am implying that no news is good news.

I spent a couple of hours at Pete and Dawn’s yesterday lunchtime, to catch up with Liz, whose 30th birthday celebrations I had missed last week. That was a little oasis of calm in an otherwise crazy world, with delightful conversation and company – especially baby Arthur, who gurgled and blinked his very large blue eyes at us the whole time.

The march of Omicron and our ‘busy-ness’ has meant that some of our regular activities have been shelved this week, but we have certainly filled our lives in other ways. Thank the Lord, once again, for dear family and friends who are the constants in our lives that keep us going, when things are a-changing.

In terms of feast days and days for celebration – we have had Christmas and New Year; we have had our friend, Ann’s 70th birthday and my god-daughter, Liz’s 30th birthday; we have had Michael’s house move – and today is Epiphany – the day when the birth of Jesus was celebrated by the Magi arriving with their gifts. I’d love to have been a fly on the wall when they turned up…..

COVID, for the record, is still here, with 179,756 cases today – almost a 30% increase in cases in the last seven days; 231 people died in the community – suggesting a rise of 56% in the last 7 days; 2,078 people admitted to hospital – a rise of 64% in the last 7 days; and 87 deaths in hospitals in the previous 48 hours. And it seems to us that the Prime Minister has simply said, ‘fend for yourselves’……….

Take care everyone. Here’s to better times. God bless.