Wednesday March 3rd, 2021
Not a very interesting day for diary reports but we had great fun (not) trying to sort out our dropping worktop which involved taking off the kickboard. We had to purchase a special tool to do this which worked ok. Much googling & video watching on You tube we manged to get the damn thing off. However, in the process as the kickboard was so tight to the top it damaged the strip lights, so now we have to have new lights. The worktop is back in position so that’s the good news. Is it just us or does everybody else create another job when they are fixing something else? Feeling quite stressed after spending half the day with our heads and arms underneath the kitchen units.
The chancellor delivered his budget today.
Furlough has been extended to September.
Texas & other states in the US have ended mask wearing rules despite Joe Bidens view on the matter.
Isle of Man goes into a 21-day lockdown as 52 covid cases are reported, they appear to have come from a ferry crew member.
As if things aren’t bad enough Dolly Parton was singing “vaccine, vaccine’ to the tune of Jolene as she was given her jab.
Haddock Basque style. (peppers, tomatoes, onions and spices) tonight’s dinner.
Thursday March 4th.
Jon has got his jab booked and Jeremy had the AZ vaccine today.
Weather turned for the worse cold and miserable. Both went out for a run 1st thing I can’t say that I enjoyed it and it was only 4 degrees. I was very tired something to do with having very broken sleep for the past 2 nights. Willow decided at 2am to announce that he had just come home with very loud yowling and the demands for Dreamies (which he did not get) he is an old man now do you think senility is setting in or he is just spoilt? Took us ages to get back to sleep and still woke up at 7.30 so a bit weary today.
We tried to fix the broken lights but had to get Andrew the builder on the job, don’t like messing with electrics even if it is a low voltage.
Coronavirus infections are falling in all age’s groups in the UK but there is slowing down of the decline.
There is a resurgence of infections across Europe.
Germany is changing its stance on the AZ vaccine and allowing it for the over 65’s.
Italy has blocked a supply of the AZ vaccine to Australia under EU rules to protect its own supply.
Prince Philip has had a heart procedure which is reported to have been successful he has been in hospital for 16 days and will remain there for a while longer.
Cottage pie and Spring greens for dinner.
Friday 5th March.
Awake early, 6am as went to bed early. Glorious sunrise and a clear blue sky. It did not last long as a layer of cloud from the north is sweeping across the sky. We were hoping for a long sunny spring walk, but it might just be a short dull one. It’s going to be cold today too.
Lots of blossom out on the trees in the gardens along Hillside road make a pretty picture
Not deterred by the cold wind we venture out to Hambleden, not been here for almost a year I think and not done this particular walk for years. We park in the Stag & Huntsman carpark which you now have to pay for. How ridiculous and money grabbing is that. It has also had the effect of people not wanting to pay and therefore blocking the village with badly parked cars. Having dutifully paid our fee we set off down the track behind the pub. Just a short way down I am thinking we may have made a mistake as it is quite flooded. We persevere and soon are out of the large puddles and up the track between the fields. Again, it is a treat to be somewhere different and as we are suitably clad the cold is not bothering us. New-born lambs are bleating away in the fields around us and Partridges run around in the lower valley. Hambleden valley is so pretty at any time of year but especially when there are little lambs around. A buzzard calls out as it flies over the hilltop and Red Kites swoop overhead on the lookout for a tasty morsel. The wind blows our cares and thoughts of anything else out of our minds as we just enjoy the scenery. Taking a track over the other side of Rotten Row we continue through some more sheep fields but have to back track as it looks like we will end up on the main road. Walking back down Rotten Row we take the footpath on the right through the fields back towards Hambleden. In the gateway 2 men are laying metal trackways overseen by a security guard. Being Mrs Nosey I ask them what they are doing, and they tell me they are laying a base for a film set.
A stream runs through these fields and as there has been quite a lot of rain recently it has split into 2. One of which runs through the middle of the field and makes the ground quite marshy. The stream itself is really pretty, the water is crystal clear and the chalk stone at the bottom shines bright and white as the water runs over them.
We pass some people out walking but there are very few about, although there are a lot of cars in the village (not so many in the car park).
Back home we notice that next door is lugging great big decking planks up through their back garden. After a quick lunch we go out and help them, wow that was quite a task. The decking is at the bottom of the drive and as you know our drives are very steep, the back garden is steep too and they have very high steep steps up to the lawn. Ian does a sterling job and I manage a few planks, luckily there were not that many left to move.
After all this it is only 1.30 see what happens when you get up early. No what shall we do??
I plant a Camelia and put a bit more mulch down, can’t manage too much as have done enough lugging about today so tidy up the herb pots and sweep around a bit.
Andrew comes around to fix the lights but is unable to fix them, so we need new ones. Part of me is glad that he can’t fix them as it means that we weren’t so pathetic that we couldn’t manage it ourselves.
Parents are very happy as home schooling ends today. The missing positive Brazilian variant person has been located in Croydon.
All things Covid are still declining and Matt Hancock announces that 2 5ths of the adult population has been vaccinated.
Cyprus has announced that from May 1st it will accept visitors from the UK I they have had both vaccinations. However, it is illegal to travel abroad on holiday until at least the 17th May.
A couple of episodes of the West Wing and then it’s time for dinner. Left over cottage pie and cabbage and carrots.
Saturday 6th March
Another bad night of sleep. I am really fed up with this. I thought that with all the hard work and exercise yesterday a good solid night’s sleep would be my reward but alas no. I am not worried or fretting about anything just wake up and can’t go back to sleep, wide awake for hours and then when I do go to sleep still wake up early it was 6.30 this morning.
I am going to wrap up and go in the garden now and plant some sweet peas ready for the Age Concern garden. I don’t know what is going to happen there this year but hopefully there will be some people able to come and enjoy the garden & pick the flowers.
Tandoori Hake and salad for dinner.
Sunday 7th March.
Had a better night’s sleep but feeling tired and a bit out of sorts today.
After hours spent trying to pair up the TP links for the bird box yesterday with no joy I managed to do it in about 1 minute this morning. These things appear to have a mind of their own. Today I shall work, tomorrow I won’t. If she tries to fix me like she did before I won’t respond to that, but I might the following day. Today’s modern life little trials and tribulations.
Drinks were partaken at he Staying Inn last night it was a bit later than normal as Sarah & Jon had been our on the “Tour de Somerset” both enjoying life on a bicycle. Good weather was around everywhere but it is rather on the chilly side.
We had a little stroll out in the sunshine this morning just down into the town. The sunshine had drawn people out from their houses like Dracula from the tomb and they were queuing up and down the high street for the life-giving draught from the coffee plant.
We sat in the summer house and had our homemade coffee once we had returned, enjoyed the sunshine and read the papers.
Hopefully I will be able to update you on any nest building activity if the TP link continues to behave, not been able to view anything for a while as they had lost the link. Grrrr Both birds were around this morning in and out of the box. Oh and Red Kites were fornicating in our Walnut tree too. It must be spring. Mind you the female makes such a racket when they are at it, talk about drawing attention to yourself!
A year ago, Cheltenham races were held and 60,000 people a day attended the event. It was only afterwards that they realised what a bad decision it had been to hold it. Patrick Valance also said that the chances of the infection spreading in such an environment were slim. OOOPs.
Schools back tomorrow, mass testing is underway and over 21 million people have been vaccinated.
Have a good week everyone and remember to look after each other.
Lamb steak, veggies and pots for dinner.
I am very pleased with my dieting this week, laid off the booze and biscuits and the results were good.
I had to copy the front page of the Star Newspaper today, it has become my go to newspaper for a good headline and front-page story. It’s actually more like Viz than a newspaper. (only viewing the front pages on the BBC News)
Also, I copied this cartoon from the Waitrose newspaper as I thought it amusing but very true to current life
1 comment:
Shame to hear about about Meghan's car crash next month!!
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