Author: anniesleath@hotmail.co.uk

After the fun and games of the last two days, both John and I were exhausted today. Neither of us was keen to do anything much. As soon as I started beating myself up about all the things there are to do, I stopped myself and decided today would be a quiet day. A day of rest. Heaven knows we need it.

John got up just before nine to attend to a collection of the old washing machine drum, brought me a cup of tea and then went back to bed. I got up just after eleven, having had a nice, long lie-in. Another one of those days when getting out of bed didn’t appeal.

John had slept well and looked a little bit more refreshed than he has for a long while, so I am hopeful that the continued good night’s sleeps will be very beneficial.

Once we were both out of bed we had a couple of pains aux raisins to cheer us up before we sat down to spend the day goggle-eyed, watching the TV – and nothing else.

We chose programmes that were not at all challenging (well, I chose) such as the Winter Olympics; the programme about the Beatles; the Great British Menu and Breaking Dad. Lovely stuff, designed to send your brain to mush.

I managed to forget that I’d promised to Zoom with the college girls this evening after our aborted plans last week, and everyone was waiting for the invitation to join in…… regrettably, I was too busy concentrating on John to get going on that tonight. Next week – definitely next week. Maybe.

We did take a bit of a walk up to the shops at tea-time however, as a breath of fresh air was needed and the fish ‘n chip shop was calling. I left John to go into the fish and chip shop while I collected a prescription from the pharmacy. That took ages and John was home before I saw where he was, and then I had to sprint to let him in the house.

John decided he ought to start training now for his planned walk of a mile a day in March to raise money for the Anthony Nolan Trust, without which he may not have lived to this ripe old age, of course. Hehe – that’s going to be fun. Watch this space, folks – I’ll keep you updated. If you have access to Facebook this is the link for donations: https://www.facebook.com/donate/308679097951059/?fundraiser_source=external_url

This evening, I was very excited for Paul, who’d been offered tickets to Anfield to watch the Liverpool v Leicester match. I think it’s the first time he’s been to the stadium even though he’s been a lifelong fan. He’s a happy bunny because his team won. Lovely – nice to see a happy face.

Meanwhile, the news is full of exciting things like the Met Commissioner, Cressida Dick resigning; Liz Truss inciting war; Prince Charles contracting Covid-19 again; and such like. However, what the news is not full of is scientists, who might explain how the decision to withdraw mitigations for the protection of the population from the coronavirus, was arrived at. In fact, they are very conspicuous by their absence. Anyone? Oh…. it’s old news now and the pandemic is over, isn’t it? Silly me.

Take care everyone. Despite what they are telling you, it’s not over – well, not for us, anyway. God bless.

66,638 people tested positive for the virus today; 206 people died; 1,308 people were admitted to hospital.

So the ‘ol man put his feet up for the day in hospital but is now back home. They have patched him up, sorted out his waterworks difficulty and sent him back home with a ‘bag for life’. I am sure you can imagine that he is thrilled about that.

On the one hand, of course, it is thrilling, because it will mean he can actually get a full night’s sleep. That may help his life on a daily basis – perhaps he won’t be so wobbly; maybe he won’t be so breathless; possibly he will be a bit more cheerful. Well, we can but hope.

The doctors have suggested that there’s no intervention available to help on the prostate cancer – an operation and radiology being out of the question – but they have a little pill that they may offer him in little while. When he sees the oncologist. Could be as soon as in six months….. gee, that soon, eh?

Meanwhile, I was back at the ranch beavering away with jobs before John got home. There was the washing to be done; the disability scooter to be put away after our jaunt in a country park on Monday; the old washing machine drum to be dragged into the porch ready for collection; the bedsheets to be changed; the pots to be washed, and so on. I didn’t quite manage to mend the drawer in our bedroom that had collapsed on me. Maybe tomorrow.

However, I did enjoy myself this morning when Pete and Dawn came round and we had a coffee. Lovely to see them and it lifted my spirits.

All for now. Take care everyone. God bless. Hope you all stay COVID-free – unlike Sue, whom we saw on Monday and we now hear has tested positive for the virus. Fortunately, she is symptom-free at the moment. Being entirely selfish, however, we are hoping we don’t succumb.

68,214 people tested positive for the virus today; 276 people died with it today; 1,196 people were admitted to hospital with it. And Boris has just announced it’s all over and no more mitigations are to be in place from February 21st. Well, if he says so, it must be true, mustn’t it?

Like a Siren calling, the hospital has been beckoning John for the last few days. We have tried to ignore her insistence, but today she gathered him up for an overnight stay.

He’s been struggling with having to get up at night-time to go to the loo – and then struggling with the day-time call of nature, too. So much so that last night the poor boy didn’t get any sleep at all. Convinced that maybe a UTI may be at the bottom of it, he phoned the doctor himself and toddled down to the surgery with a sample this morning. The doctor phoned back. No, no infection but, given the situation described, John would be best to present himself at A&E accompanied by a referral letter.

Oh, bither, bother…. we’re on the hospital trail again…..

I did a silly thing when we got to the hospital and swung into the car park. Normally, I’d deliver John straight to the Emergency Entrance but I clearly didn’t think it necessary. By the time the ‘ol man got into the waiting room though, he had to catch his breath. He was leaning against the counter recovering, when a very nice lady came along with a wheelchair. Not only that, but she took charge of us. “Stand there,” she said to me, “so that you don’t loose your place in the queue. And what are you here for?” We explained. I showed her the text message from the GP in which there was the referral letter.

My goodness, but she was good. She whisked the phone from me and disappeared into the depths of A & E before coming back with an instruction for us to go to Ward 5, instead of hanging about where we were.

The walk up to Ward 5 was hilarious. We weren’t allowed to go through the A&E department to get there, but had to go round the outside of the hospital and back in through the front door. Well, you know what hospital wheelchairs are like…… Poor John thought he was on the Waltzers – spinning first this way, then that. And, at a difficult kerb, I made him get out of the wheelchair and walk a few paces, much to the amusement of a few nurses having a fag in the smoking shelter nearby. Hehehehe.

Naturally, I wasn’t allowed to stay. “Any idea how long he’ll be?” I asked the nurse, She shook her head. “Do you think I’ve got time to go into Birmingham?” Oh yes. Plenty of time for that.

I nipped into Birmingham then, to have another look for some material for Dawn’s wedding outfit. Nothing doing at the Rag Market, apart from buying a larger sample of one of the pieces of material we’d thought we liked….(although Dawn’s not so sure, now) and then I drove across to a couple of large fabric outlets to see what they’d got. Nothing much really, but it took me until 3.30 to find that out. By which time, of course, I’d had enough of Birmingham by then.

There was no indication that John would be released just yet, so I decided to go home and have a cuppa. He was hopeful, however, that they’d sort him out and be discharged by tea-time. When he posted pictures of his dinner of Facebook, I suspected that the Siren had wrapped her arms around him for the night. “No,” John said, “I think I’ll be out soon.” By a quarter past eight, I realised that I’d have to nip back and take his overnight bag.

So the unexpected today. I had planned to recount the fabulous day we’d had yesterday, out with Dave and Chris, and George and Sue, and the shenanigans and great fun we’d had with the disability scooter we are borrowing form Pete and Dawn – but that’ll have to wait until tomorrow. G’night, folks. I’m tired and off to bed!

Take care everyone, God bless. Hug your loved ones close. And, if you can, say a little prayer for John. Thank you.

66,183 people tested positive for the virus today but the science pudnits are suggesting from the ONS surveys that the figure is actually double that…..; 314 people died with the virus today; 1,421 people were admitted to hospital.

In the olden days, Sundays were days for lying in bed; lazy days with activities designed for recuperation after a heavy week. A day to look forward to and feel refreshed from for the week ahead. Such nostalgic memories of spreading the broadsheet newspapers out on the floor and poring over them before we ate our Sunday Roast en famille, and then a meet-up with friends in the pub.

Nowadays, of course, we lie in bed whatever day of the week it is; we no longer pore over the newspapers, being cynical about their veracity; and COVID has more or less put paid to meeting mates in the pub. However, today was a day for recuperation and ‘new beginnings’ – but differently.

We did our usual thing of ‘hurkle-durkling’ before we finally got out of bed and faced the day. “What are your plans for the day?” John wanted to know. “I’m visiting Mum this afternoon,” I reminded him, “and I’m going to tackle the ironing and also, I think I’ll go for a walk.”

It was a good job I’d told John my plans because, without him, I might not have made it out of the house for a walk. I did lots of procrastination – fiddling with this and fiddling with that before he finally pushed me out of the door.

I was glad he had – the wind was strong, but it felt good to be blowing the cobwebs away. The temperature wasn’t too bad and, among the trees in Katharine’s Wood it was positively balmy. I think the trees were pleased to see me, so I hugged one or two.

John’s plans involved garage work today. “I’m thinking I need more shelves,” he said. Well, probably. Most of the racking he had was transported to the Man Shed at the bottom of the garden for building things, while the tools for mending the project car remained alongside the house, very often strewn across the floor for want of a proper home.

I was delighted to hear that John was in the mood to be mooching in the garage. It is a Sunday, after all and that’s what Sundays are for – tinkering with projects.

Meanwhile, I managed to get the ironing done which was wonderful as it had been louring at me for over a week from the corner of the room. And then I toddled off to see Mum.

The Care Home opened its doors this week for the first time since the beginning of January, and I hadn’t been to visit since Christmas Day. She was on top form and very well. She had no memory of having been poorly, nor any concept that it had been so long since she last saw me. But she did recognise me and was delighted to see me.

We did the usual chat, including the excitement of a new box of chocolates and a bunch of flowers, before I fished out the photo album that I’d given her for Christmas. I had to hunt for it a bit and finally found it at the bottom of her wardrobe.

Mum loved looking through the photos and also did the usual of “Who’s that?” Erm… John/Paul/Michael/Andrew…… “Well!! I wouldn’t have recognise him!” on repeat. She didn’t always recognise herself either and looked wide-eyed at me before saying, “Is it me?”

But we had a laugh and enjoyed a rendition or two of ‘Que sera, sera’ and I felt cheered up by her company. Who’d have thought it, eh?

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, John was planning a strategy for a reducing diet. Carrying a bit of weight isn’t great for joints, and we’d still like to do a little walk together if we can without the threat of a hip or a knee giving way. Calorie-counting is what’s on the menu and a main meal at lunchtime – and I’m going to join in. Belly? What belly? It’ll soon be gone and there’ll be a new ‘us’. Fingers crossed anyway!

When I arrived home, John was still tinkering in the garage, so I unpacked the bag of veg that I’d just bought on the way home from Mum’s. John came into the kitchen: “Did Michael get hold of you?” “I’m afraid he didn’t. I was driving and then when I phoned back he didn’t answer.” Ah…. well, the upshot was that Danielle was cooking a Sunday Roast and did we want to join them for our evening meal?

I can never refuse such an invitation. So I stashed the veg away and we set off. We had a lovely, relaxed meal together and a gentle play with the children before bath and bedtime. They even let me read them a bedtime story which always goes down well with me. John was on hand to offer advice on one or two DIY projects the Kenilworth newbies have in mind so, all in all, we had a good time.

Recuperation complete today. Not like it was in the olden days, no. But paced to us as we are now, so I am hoping the January blues will soon slip away. February: a time for new beginnings. Bring it on.

Take care everyone. God bless

54,095 people tested positive for COVID-19 today, according to the government website; 75 people died; and 1,596 people were admitted to hospital.

The rugby season is in full flow and John has been following various matches on telly for several weeks now, but it was the start of the Six Nations today and hopes were running high this morning. We were looking forward to watching the matches this afternoon and some more tomorrow. The icing on the cake would have been if England had won but, by a hair’s breadth, the Scots overcame England at the end. Oh, bother…… still, it was a good game on the whole, and a good game is always enjoyable to watch. But that’s it now for a week or two – wall to wall rugby.

We had had a slow start to the day – which has now become a habit, neither of us wanting to ease ourselves out of bed very early – and nothing much was done before ten o’clock, apart from a lovely video-chat with Michael and Thomas. Soon after, I grabbed a shower and did a lateral flow test before heading over to Dawn’s to show her the spoils of yesterday’s trip into Birmingham. John caught up on his sleep after yet another night of interruptions and journeys to the bathroom. It’s beyond a joke now – and certainly beyond what’s tolerable.

Had a lovely hour at Dawn’s looking through the samples I’d brought back. We were after pink to complement her suit. “What about this one? With a swirly pattern? Or this one – with the flowers?” We set aside several as being unsuitable and kept back a couple that might do. Then I said, “Or how about this one? I know it’s not pink but…..” Ha! Ha! It’s always the thing you least expect, isn’t it? Like the mystery house on ‘Escape to the Country’. “Now that’s nice…..”

I think I’ll toddle off to the Rag Market again next week and get a larger sample. Fingers crossed I’ll be able to remember which stall I picked it up from and that they’ll have some left.

This afternoon I went over to Kenilworth to drop a pasta maker off to the original Kenilworth Sleaths. As luck would have it, they were planning a walk with the Kenilworth newbies, so I was able to take some bits and pieces for them, too.

“Are you coming in?” Paul asked. Yes, thank you – don’t mind if I do. A cup of tea, a nice chat and a play with Freddie while we waited for the others to arrive. We had to wait a while – the kids were having a nap. But that worked out well, because Harriet brought a McDonalds meal in with her, on her way back from playing hockey. Shhhh….. don’t tell John.

In the end, the Kenilworth newbies didn’t make it until mid-afternoon, by which time I decided that I would head back home and watch the rugby with John, instead of going for a walk. It was windy and the wind-chill factor wasn’t awfully attractive – well, not to me at any rate.

In relation to the rugby today – and many other things besides – Susie Dent published a good Word of the Day recently, which I think may be rather apt: ‘forwaked’ (14th century): weary from watching and waiting for something that never seems to materialise. That seems to be my life in recent times.

Anyway, we’ve got one or two things to look forward to this week, so fingers crossed that they’ll add to the pile of happy thoughts and overwhelm the unhappy ones. ‘Something to look forward to’ – that’s the trick, isn’t it?

In other news, my friend, Tim, is home after his surgery. Thank you to all those of you who sent positive vibes and prayers.

Take care everyone. God bless.

60,578 people tested positive for the virus today. 259 people died. 1,596 people were admitted to hospital with it.

Yesterday was a ‘meh’ day. We had a funeral to go to, but I wasn’t keen, so John went on his own. And then it was a trip to the hospital to have his eyes checked for an adjustment to his glasses. Prisms, don’t you know….. so that when he looks squinty-eyed at something it still looks straight to him, Amazing, technology, isn’t it?

I had been planning and looking forward to a ‘girls’ chat in the evening with the college crew but, what with one thing and another, not everyone was available so we decided to postpone our Zoom session until next week.

All in all, it was one of those days that felt like there wasn’t much to report.

Today, I did some more ‘hurkle-durkling’ (19th-century Scots), i.e. lingering in bed long after it’s time to get up (Susie Dent’s Word of the Day, of course). We had planned to take a trip into Birmingham to take a tour of the Rag Market. But, when it came to it, John wasn’t keen. With his hip and knee playing up, it wasn’t the ideal activity, so I went on my own.

I didn’t get off until lunchtime, but I had a good run into the town centre. However, they aren’t half pulling the centre of Birmingham about, so the roads you used be able to go up, you can’t, and detours are in place. I didn’t park where I thought I might, so had a few minutes walk to the market, in the end.

Had a lovely mooch around the fabric stalls though, looking for suitable material for a blouse for Dawn’s wedding outfit. I picked up a few samples, but I’m not sure how well they’ll look and whether they’ll suit. We’ll see. Fingers crossed there might be something – otherwise, I shall be making another trip out. Well, I don’t mind – it gives me something interesting to do!

Of course, on the way back, I wasn’t so lucky with the traffic and found myself sitting in the M6 Car Park for about an hour……. not far in front of me there had been an accident, so all traffic came to a standstill and we waited patiently as they cleared the road. It didn’t look too serious when I eventually drove past, so I hope no-one was hurt.

Once I was home, I had no energy to do anything very much, so we have just sat and watched the box this evening. Mind you, I do like a bit of Winter Olympics, so I feasted my eyes on ice skating and drank lots of Prosecco. It was lush.

John, meanwhile, not content with getting up every half an hour during the night to go to the loo, is now finding that the daytime and evening are following suit. It’s not great, so I phoned the consultant’s secretary this morning to see if we could get an appointment to discuss the situation. “Hmmm,” she said, leafing through the diary, “I’ll put him on the list for a March appointment. That’s the earliest I can do.” And I had to be satisfied with that. John wasn’t so satisfied, so I said I’d phone again next week and chivvy them along a bit – see if we can get something sooner. Poor John, he’s exhausted.

Take care everyone. Time’s short, isn’t it?

The government’s official website reports 83,053 infections of COVID today; 254 deaths and 1,596 hospital admissions.

Mid-week, and we always look forward to Quiz Night. No exception today with an interesting mix of rounds put together by everyone. No particular Quiz Master this evening – we all threw our hats into the ring. It was good fun as always, even though one or two of our number were missing, each out on missions to support sons and daughters overnight. John was on top form and knew lots of stuff, which complemented me, ‘cos I didn’t. Dates? Not a chance!!

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, we had got up in a leisurely fashion this morning and got ourselves ready to enjoy a morning coffee with friends. I went round to Dawn’s, to meet up with her and Alison and Sally; while Peter walked round to our house to enjoy a coffee with John. It worked well and we both had a very pleasant morning.

This afternoon, I decided to consult my list again and found more household things to do, so gritted my teeth to get on with them. As it happened, I enjoyed what I was doing – finalising the tidy-up of the main guest bedroom and re-potting my orchids, which were looking very sorry for themselves.

A little motivation is all that’s needed and I found this quote on Facebook which reminded me (once again……) to take things one step at a time.

John spent the afternoon on the computer doing his accounts and checking over leases on properties. Phew, rather him than me!

All in all, a pleasant day, which has handed me a little boost. Not feeling quite so low now – for which I am grateful. I wonder if it’s the cold showers in the morning that are doing the trick?

In reality, it’s not quite a cold shower every morning, but it’s an exciting experience because I never know whether the shower is going to stream hot or cold. Invariably it’s chilly, so I tell myself that the research shows that it’s good for me, so I’m not changing it just yet.

I hadn’t realised, until today, that the first of February used to be the start of Spring in the pagan calendar, and it is known as Imbolc. Apparently, Imbolc is a time for personal growth and renewed energy, with spring cleaning and handicrafts customary around this time. Maybe that’s it? Maybe I am enjoying a bit of Imbolc……whatever it is, I hope the mood improvement continues.

In other news, I forgot to share Susie Dent’s ‘Word of the Day’ yesterday. They always make me smile, and it was a follows: ‘psittacism’ (19th century): the meaningless or mechanical repetition of words. From the Latin ‘psittacus’, ‘parrot’. Anyone watch PMQs today?

Take care everyone. May the Lord hold you in his massive arms, protect you and shield you from harm – check out Psalm 91 vs 4, but find a modern version, that works best.

The government reports 88,085 COVID cases today; 534 deaths and 1,474 admissions to hospital.

Well, not quite mid-winter, but we are six weeks into it and wondering when it will actually arrive here in the Midlands. So far, we have been very lucky and the weather has been pretty mild for winter. Not only that, but January was the sunniest on record, so the weather forecaster told me this evening.

And today was no exception – the sun shone beautifully for most of the day and it was particularly pleasant to be outside. Not that we did much of being outside really, but we did dip our toes in a tiny bit.

It was a hospital morning for John, with the monthly infusion of immunoglobulin. “I’ll drive myself today,” he said, “Can you wait in for Western Power to come and fit a gubbins to the fuse box, ready for the Smart Meter?” Of course I could.

So John set off at about 8.30 to go over to Heartlands and left me with a morning to myself. What was I going to do with it? I looked at my list…..it was all household jobs, but I decided I needed to tackle something. I didn’t have to do it all, I could just do a bit at a time.

It may not sound like much, but I cleared and tidied the main guest bedroom, which was still in a high state of disarray after Freddie and William had made one of their dens in there. I also had the satisfaction of hanging Andrew’s suits and shirts in the wardrobe (they’d been on the back of the door since we’d had them cleaned), all neatly cached in protective covers and ready to be returned to their owner when he has any wardrobe space of his own. Wrapping paper and Christmas bags and ribbons all found their way into boxes ready for next year as well, and the pile of Christmas cards was checked and re-cycled. I was rather pleased that I’d got that room all sorted.

At lunchtime, Michael and Danielle called in on their way from Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield to University Hospital in Coventry. Having moved house, Danielle has been transferred across to Coventry to have the baby. ‘Would it be possible to call in on the way back to pick up the planer?’ Michael wanted to know. John wasn’t in, but no matter, we just needed to rummage in the Man Shed to see what treasure it might reveal.

‘It’ll just be a drive-by thing…’ Michael warned, so as not get my hopes up of an exciting playtime with William and Thomas. In the end they all came in, bar Thomas who was still asleep in the car, and William immediately said, “Come on, Grandma, let’s play.” So we played for about half an hour in the sandpit under the blazing sun while Michael searched in the Aladdin’s cave at the bottom of the garden for the planer. Hehehehe. It was lush.

Michael came back, triumphant, from his foray into the treasure chest of tools just in time to greet John who’d just arrived back from the hospital. So they stayed a few more minutes to chat outside in the warm sunshine before setting off to the second hospital visit of the day. A scan of the baby to check on its growth was in order, plus a general chat to the medics who will be looking after Danielle when she has the baby. All good.

This afternoon we drove over to the garage where I’d left the VW yesterday for repair. The CV joint on the passenger side had bitten the dust, so we’re a few quid lighter than we were at the beginning of the day. With the weather being so delightful, John was motivated to go and get the other car washed and brushed up, so we waved goodbye to each other at the garage. “See you later!” we called, spirits buoyed up by the warm day and seeing things in brighter colour. Winter? It feels like Spring to me……

This evening I went to my Bible Study/Prayer Group meeting, which was lovely. Although it’s not cold, we were sat in front of a roaring log burner and among a group of lovely people which gave great comfort. Mind you, we were looking at an Old Testament story which foxed everyone, not just me, so we had our brains addled for a while. That is, until our leader, Eileen, put us out of misery and explained it all. 🎶You gotta have faith, faith, faith……..🎶

Take care everyone. God bless.

‘Do what you can with all you have, wherever you are.’ Theodore Roosevelt

Stats: 112,458 people tested positive for COVID-19 today; 219 people died; 1,472 people were admitted to hospital

On Saturday, we planned to shoot over to the Kenilworth Sleath newbies and drop off a pile of stuff that we’d been hoarding on their behalf. So the morning was spent firstly, in bed a-snoozing, then gathering up a variety of things and stashing them in the car.

While we were in bed a-snoozing, Paul phoned. Freddie was keen to see us. He’d not been well with a tummy bug, but was now full of beans and game for a sleepover – of any sort: our house or their house. “How do you feel about coming to us?” Paul wondered. Well, we were game – we’d all do our lateral flows and, subject to them being clear, we’d be on our way.

We called in to the Kenilworth Sleath newbies first and off-loaded all the gear from the back of our car into their garage. Before we were able to tackle the unloading job, of course, we had to play in the garden: “Grandma! Come and see my house!! Come and have a look at the fossils! Freddie and me have found loads and we’re putting them safe.”

Who could resist? Clumps of concrete, aka fossils, were located at various points around the garden and we ‘found’ them to store in the play house. Thomas was there, too, running about and generally joining in – but who knows if he knew what the fossils were? It didn’t matter. We were all having fun.

We stayed for just over an hour with the Kenilworth newbies before setting off to the established Kenilworth Sleaths. Freddie was delighted to see us once we arrived and, after we’d had a bite to eat, more play was required. This time, it needed Grandpa to make – from metal, don’t you know – a portal into Minecraft. Ouch…. for a while, we think Freddie thought Grandpa could make a real portal and really transport Freddie into the world of Minecraft. No such luck, of course, Grandpa may be an absolute genius, but he’s not a magician.

After lunch, Paul and Harriet set off into town in search of sofas, leaving us with darling Freddie for an hour or two. With the Minecraft idea in mind, Freddie and I made a bit of something out of a box but, because we’d had to paint it, we had to let it dry – which meant that Freddie forgot all about the portal at that point, and we moved onto something else.

We played with some of Freddie’s toys for a while and then it was cuppa tea-time…… “Shall we find a TV programme to watch?” Freddie suggested, snuggling down next to Grandpa. And that’s where Paul and Harriet found us all when they got back – all goggle-eyed and glued to a junior programme that had us transfixed.

In the evening, we ordered an Indian Take-Away and drank fizz, Monkey Shoulder and a drop of Brandy. We chatted and chatted, sang to music and then, unable to help ourselves, Harriet and I were up and dancing. Great fun. I think it was two o’clock in the morning before we finally hit the sack and crashed out. Thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, though.

Grandpa was an absolute brick on Sunday, looking after Freddie. We were all lounging in bed when Freddie came through to us. We lay about in bed for a bit before I grizzled that Freddie was kicking me, so Grandpa was up and entertaining the young man before you knew it.

Grandpa did a sterling job all morning while Harriet took the dog a walk – and Paul and I snoozed on. I finally eased myself out of bed at mid-day, just as Paul was preparing brunch. Oooh, it was delicious – a full English, which was lush.

John and I were contemplating what time we should leave, when Paul suggested a dip in the hot tub. Well….. I don’t mind if I do! Paul, Harriet and I were all game, but Freddie didn’t fancy it and Grandpa certainly didn’t so, once again, Grandpa did a grand job with baby-sitting…….oh, and dog-sitting. Mac was constantly barking to go outside, so John was there with the treats in between the child care duties. Gosh, he did work hard.

Just before we emerged from the hot tub, the Kenilworth newbies arrived for an afternoon visit. Freddie and William were delighted to see each other and had a mad moment before charging up to Freddie’s room to make a den.

We decided we’d come home just before tea-time to give them all chance for a get-together and came home very happy that we’d had a lovely weekend.

As an aside and just for fun, but in reference to the goings-on of today, Susie Dent’s Word of the Day is: ‘roundaboutation‘ (19th century): bloviating or evasive talk that focuses on everything but the subject in hand.

Take care everyone. God bless.

Yesterday was another good day with John and I taking a trip into Birmingham – not for a hospital trip, but for a jaunt into the Jewellery Quarter. A little repair to the claw on one of my rings was needed, so we thought we’d make an occasion out of the trip.

As we drew up to park the car, I wondered where the best place for repairs was. I’ve visited this part of Birmingham for many a year – it’s one of my favourite places – but hardly ever taken things in for repair. I’m normally in ‘feast your eyes on those sparkly things’ mode.

However, we were in luck. The shop directly opposite where we’d parked offered ‘Repairs and Restoration’. Now that sounded just right. And sure enough, it was. The young man who served us (‘I’ve been 20 years in the business‘ – and he only looked about twenty as it was) was very knowledgeable and was able to run round to his craftsman for an immediate repair on the ring. So that was good.

“Shall we just have a look at ear-rings while we wait, John?” I wheedled. “I’d like a pair to complement the lovely necklace you bought me last year…..” So we looked and found a pair that were just right. John got his wallet out. Lucky me.

We popped over the road to the café for a cup of coffee and a bite to eat. We sat outside in the sunshine, where it was nearly 18 degrees. It was lovely – we really enjoyed the fresh air and the lovely food. How good it felt to be out together. Roll on the Spring.

Today was another trip out – this time to Solihull – but it was for a hospital appointment. John needed to have a blood test, so I dropped him at the hospital while I shot over to the town centre to buy a gift for baby Arthur’s first birthday. I can’t quite believe it’s a whole year since he was born and created a stir by being several weeks early. What a worrying time it was then. But he’s a bonny, bonny boy now.

We took a detour on the way home via Mum’s Care Home. One of the staff had phoned this morning to say Mum had broken her glasses, so I took her an old pair for the time being while we work out what to do. It looks like the pair she’s been wearing has broken before and we’d glued them together. Neither of us remember that…… oh, look, there’s a great big black hole where the memory should be.

We do a lot of that. Peering into black holes hoping that the memories will emerge, but they never seem to. So far in the last year I have lost vouchers down it – no idea where I’ve put the darn things; new books I am keen to read – now, where did I put it/them once I’d unwrapped the parcel? Clothes – I was sure I had a purple top to go with those jeans, but what did I do with it after I’d ironed it? Keys, gloves, shoes, inhalers, tape measures – down they all go into the murky depths of memory loss. Eeeeeh…… getting old, eh? What fun………..hahahahaha.

We babysat for the Kenilworth newbies this evening. What a quiet night. The boys were in bed and fast asleep when we got there and they stayed that way until we left. We’d like to have seen them of course, but in reality, we’d have excited them far too much and Michael and Danielle would never have got out of the door.

Poor Freddie is still poorly though. He’s picked up the tummy bug that William and Thomas had last weekend but, whereas they were over it in 48 hours, poor Freddie is still feeling very unwell. Fingers crossed he’s feeling better tomorrow. Might have to take him a little ‘get well’ gift, I think, to cheer him up. And maybe a bottle of wine for the parents…… it’s tough looking after a poorly child, isn’t it?

Anyway, it’s the weekend and I am looking forward to the last of the tennis (for now) and Sue Gray’s report…… oh, did I mention Susie Dent’s Word of the Day? Here it is: ‘forwaked’ (14th century): weary from watching and waiting for something that never seems to materialise.

Have a good weekend everyone. God bless.

89,176 people tested positive for the coronavirus today, New cases, that is. 277 people died with the virus and 1,732 people were admitted to hospital. Infection rates in schools is pretty high right now and I am keeping everything crossed that they slow down and stop. I’m really not keen on our grandchildren contracting it……