Another New Year

             The sun is shining on my Christmas tree, making the decorations sparkle, but I must admit that that is about the only thing that's sparkling about my life at the moment. I know I'm not alone in feeling this, but isn't it hard to force yourself to be more positive and cheerful just now?  On New Year's Eve we should all be  looking forward to something - maybe a new job, a new baby, a new relationship? But this year all of those possibilities are overshadowed in no small measure by the continued presence of the COVID virus. It has affected all of our futures and shows no sign of disappearing. 

And as of  this afternoon I'm sadly more involved than before! Big Grandson and Little Granddaughter, having spent Christmas Eve and Christmas morning with their Father and his  family, are now at home with Daughter and have had the news that their Father has just tested positive for COVID. (Although he feels fine and his only symptom seems to be that he couldn't taste his Brandy:) Anyway they haven't seen him since Christmas Day, so should be OK, and they are both feeling fine. However, Daughter's Fiance woke up this morning with chest pains -  not feeling at all well, and has gone for a test this afternoon. I was so looking forward to seeing them all, and to having Big Grandson here for New Year's Eve but it just wasn't to be it seems. 

I'm trying not to think too much about the other disaster, that of Brexit, which is about to hit us all. I will not be celebrating at 11pm, and have my fastest finger ready to turn off the television the minute there is any mention of it. Johnson's pathetic statements about leaving the EU behind (and Remainers) and all uniting to face a future without all the benefits and  advantages that union has brought us just make me very cross. I am, and will always remain, a European. And the sooner we get our senses back and rejoin the EU, the better.

Happy Christmas, with bells on!

            Well here it is, or nearly.  I'm sitting beside my overloaded table with a selection of presents, wrapped or not yet wrapped, cards to write and send, bills to pay, wrapping paper, candles, colouring pens,  gift tags, you name it, it has found a space on my (thankfully large), dining table. When my lovely cleaning ladies came yesterday  I simply asked them to ignore the table and not to touch anything on it. It truly is the elephant in the room.  And to cap it all,  I have a wonky Christmas tree which I rescued from B & Q yesterday - it is almost completely flat at the back so it had been left in its cubby hole and was looking rather sad.  It is very nice and bushy everywhere else, so I have put it in the bay, with its flat bit to the wall. This is all fine, but despite my best efforts I didn't manage to put it straight in the holder and so it leans rather drunkenly to one side. I've tried, but I can't straighten it without help - if I get down on the floor to fiddle with it, I might never get up again :)) I just have to wait for Big Grandson to come to the rescue.

             I must say that getting out all the Christmas decorations brings back many memories, mostly good ones, though it's hard to feel the same about Christmas this year. I have had to give Spain a miss, and so will be sending love to Son and family on Christmas Day by Facetime. which is I suppose the modern way to do it. I'll be going to Daughter and family (my support bubble) for Christmas Day Lunch, which will be lovely I'm sure. At least Big Grandson and Granddaughter will be there too. so it will seem  semi-normal. I'll be making Cranberry Sauce and Brandy Butter as usual, and Daughter has requested Stuffing for the Turkey-Lurkey (I'm going for a Jamie Oliver recipe) and maybe a Christmas Pudding. Normally I would make a couple of puddings and save one for next year, but I have to admit that I'm not really up for it this year. It may just have to be a Waitrose pudding.

               My usual Christmas Eve would be spent getting last minute shopping and feverishly wrapping presents and filling stockings behind the sofa, while watching "It's a Wonderful Life" and eating sausage rolls and mince pies - and actually I can't imagine a more perfect way to spend the day before Christmas. The year Daughter was born (1981) there was thick snow for six weeks and we had a very traditional, picture postcard Christmas, though it was somewhat marred by the fact that her Father left us on New Year's Eve, when she was only two weeks old and Son was two years old! In spite of that I somehow only remember the good bits and anyway we obviously survived and went on to have many happy Christmases after that. 

                After that short stroll down Memory Lane it only remains for me to wish you all as good a Christmas as you can muster. It won't be like any other I'm sure, but hopefully we can all find something to celebrate with our nearest and dearest. Goodbye and Happy Christmas - with Bells on!

Time Flies...

           I can hardly believe it, but we are at the end of  November already. And what a cold dreary day it is to wave goodbye to the month. I have been sitting here trawling through old photographs, more or less by accident, and I have to say that the combination of cold foggy weather outside and reflections on family past inside has not been terribly cheerful. I must get out more - but I'm not sure that's going to be allowed any time soon either. 

            As I am elderly (81) and have allergic asthma, I am pretty sure I'm not going to be allowed out at all. Thankfully Daughter and family are my "bubble"  and so I do have one escape route available. And I have Big Grandson staying with me very occasionally - we are all in the same bubble, so I hope and pray that I'm not breaking the law.  Don't mention Christmas though, I was hoping to flit off to Spain and stay a couple of months, but that is looking extremely doubtful - and even if I could muster up the courage to fly to Barcelona I could not be sure what might happen there: let's face it, being locked down in Sitges would be better  than here, certainly weather-wise and of course there would be Son and family  to socialize with, and as I haven't seen them since last Christmas it would be so lovely. I do miss them terribly.

 Oh I just don't know what's best to do. And when I checked on the Gov. website it advised only essential travel, and you have to have a private COVID test, with paperwork, 72 hours before travelling. Oh and that costs anything from £100 - £150 (apparently the free NHS test is not acceptable - why?). The whole business  makes me feel sick, even though I'm perfectly fit!  I can see why a lot of people are deciding to give it all a miss this year, and don't get me wrong,  I love Christmas and everything that goes with it:  Christmas trees, tinsel, sparkly lights, Christmas carols, presents, stockings, beloved family all together and all the lovely food, but this year just won't be the same for so many people. 

Ah well, let's all look forward to next year and hope that 2021 is better in every respect. I'm not wishing my life away, let's face it I'm too old to be tempting providence right now. 

This Nana is probably going to opt for the safest Christmas so that we can all enjoy the New Year. It doesn't have quite the same ring to it, but needs must!!

Single Parenting.

             I haven't really written about this for a while - mostly because when your children are grown up with children of their own, it seems rather pointless. However, having  had BG here for the weekend, I was reminded of some of the experiences I had as a single parent. BG reminded  me, somewhat obliquely, because when I asked him what he had bought with his fiver last week he said he had actually given it to a friend at College because she didn't have the necessary money to get the bus home. Now BG doesn't have a lot of money, neither does Daughter. There are six of them, and the dog, living on a limited income which is enough for food, clothes and the rent, but not a lot more. I know that means that they are very fortunate, in these troubled times but nevertheless they are not exactly rolling in it. I was moved by BG's generous and kind gesture; when he could  have easily spent his fiver on some cheesy chips, or something similar, he gave it to a friend. He has a generous heart and without being sloppy about it, I was very proud of him -  He  has been brought up by a Single Mother (and a single grandmother :) and is a credit to us both. 

            This thread led me to remember a time when we lived in Cambridge and Son, aged 8 or thereabouts, came home in tears from Primary School and asked me if we were a real family? His Teacher had said that a family consisted only of two parents with children. Son was really upset, and I was really angry. I reassured him that we three (me, Son & Daughter) were absolutely a family, and a happy one, and then I stormed off to the (Church!) School to remonstrate with the Head Teacher. He was fairly apologetic, and promised it wouldn't happen again. At that time Son was the only one in his class who was living with a Single Parent, and Daughter had only one friend in her class who was similarly afflicted. By the time they left Primary School and moved on to Secondary I think there were only a couple of children still living with two parents.  But I clearly recall that I was considered an outsider: there were plenty of what Bridget Jones would call "Smug Marrieds". Looking back, it was an interesting piece of Social History, and it didn't bother me too much because I had an interesting life of my own and some very good friends. 

And as a Post Script, my two turned out pretty well. 

More Happy Days...

           Even better news from Daughter at the weekend - she and her Bloke are now officially engaged. I knew it was in the offing because Paul (he now has a name!) came to see me a couple of weeks ago, in the traditional way, to ask if I had any objection to him proposing. I thought this was both touching and charming, and of course I had no objection at all. I can't imagine that it would have made any difference either way, but it was very good of him to think of it, and to make me feel very much a part of the whole thing. He is a very solid and dependable chap, just what Daughter needs, and more importantly they make each other happy. It has not been easy for them over the three and a half years they have been together: they have five children between them, four of whom are living under their roof, and with such disparate ages and stages (children from three through to seventeen at the start) they have certainly had their ups and downs. I guess this sort of "blended" family is pretty typical nowadays and it certainly works well for them.  Anyway, all's well at the mo. We are all delighted and Daughter has a lovely diamond engagement ring to display on her lovely hands. The manicure looks pretty good too. 

            The next thing will be to organise the Wedding, which they would like to have out of doors in a lovely garden with a marquee in Summer - and hopefully when all this nasty virus stuff has gone away. In any case, they have worked out that just keeping it to family and friends will mean roughly 150 people!! Goodness gracious me! Daughter is loving the whole "Planning a Wedding" thing, and I'm sure it will be perfect.

            Politics rears its ugly head continually just now doesn't it? This morning I hear that  Gollum is leaving Downing Street (at last) and will be leaving BoJo to his own devices - can it get any worse I wonder? And the orange POTUS is still refusing to concede in America... two-year old having a tantrum comes to mind and it's a ghastly image. We all  know what to do with two-year old tantrums don't we? Just walk away....

Ouch!

             I should know better by now when it comes to having  my nails done. No sooner had I had a day or two to admire them, than I managed to break not one but two of those beautiful long, bright red nails! And of course it was one on each  hand, both down to the quick!! Not entirely sure what 'down to the quick' means, but I think it's the point where it tears a bit of your finger along with the nail. And it blooming-well hurts. Suffice it to say that since then I have been saying Ouch! loudly when pulling up leggings and knickers and everything else one has to pull up. Only now, after a couple of weeks, can I manage it without pain. And I won't be growing those nails again either. I'm going to file them all down to a sensible length and leave it at that.  Daughter has the lovely long nails (false of course) and she has them done regularly with gel polish and all the palaver, so I'll let her get on with it and I'll just retire hurt.

            While we are on the subject of Daughter, I seem to be on a winning streak at the mo! It is going to be Granddaughter's Birthday next Tuesday (she will be six) and I have managed to get everything Daughter suggested for the little Princess: I tracked down the dressing gown (pink and fleecy, complete with hood and unicorn horn). a set of sparkly make-up with sparkly nail varnish (no comment) and a little 'Frozen' shoulder bag to carry all the make-up in (also sparkly). She will be with her Father on the actual day so we will be  having a celebration on Wednesday: I usually make jellies and madeleines for the party, but as we are in lockdown again, there won't be a party, just the family + me in my bubble, and the dog of course :)

            My efforts to get in touch with the Hearing Aid people finally paid off, and a replacement for my lost hearing aid plopped through the letterbox yesterday. I managed to put them both in before I went out this morning, though it's no joke with shaky hands I can tell you. Anyway, when I called in to see Daughter and family after my Aldi shopping, she said it was a relief not to have to shout at me! I did notice the difference, though the right-ear one has a tendency to whistle at me if I try to touch it.

            Finally, before I go, just heard the great news that Joe Biden has been confirmed as the new President of the United States. Thank the Lord, a President who isn't orange!

Autumn Leaves...

          As I sit here the sun is shining and the leaves are all turning to red and gold. If only it was a normal Autumn though. It looks pretty much the same, but Oh Dear it's so far from normal. We are still stuck in the middle of  this bloody Virus which apparently keeps changing so that there are so many rules and regs to conform to. Thank God I don't live up North! That would be even more confusing.  And there's the debacle over children and School Meals. How those fat bastards in the so-called Government can vote against feeding hungry, deprived children through the Winter I don't know.  It's disgraceful and I back young Marcus Rashford all the way in his campaign. They (the Fat Bastards) don't think twice about splashing our cash on their chums and their unchecked 'services' - most of which have been proven not to deliver anyway! And the system of "Whipping" in Parliament should be completely  outlawed in my view. Let our so-called  MPs or representatives, actually represent us, their constituents. I don't want my MP sucking up to Boris Johnson or any of his cronies, or reinforcing the fact that the Tories want to screw us over. He (or she) is only there to represent me and has been elected on that basis. Of course we are all entitled to our opinions and we supposedly live in a Democracy. But is it too much to expect a smidge of decency and integrity in our MPs?

            OK, I'll change the subject, but only with reluctance, because I fear we live in very uncertain times. Better news from BG who is still loving his new course at Lewes College. I don't see him much any more, as I may have said before, but that is fine by me if he is happy, and he patently is. It seems my job is done in that area, and I'm happy to have been that Nana.

            This morning have been trying to get through to the Premium Bonds people to bring my details up to date. Forty minutes later I got through, and everyone was very pleasant and helpful. I do feel like an old dodderer at times. and I suppose that will only get worse. I know they don't recommend it,  but I have to write down all my passwords and numbers - otherwise I wouldn't remember them :) 

Ah well, Happy Days, as my dear old friend Lynne used to say ... time to  move on.

Don't speak too soon!

            Of course I was tempting Providence with  my last post. Big Grandson came home from College last Thursday with a nasty cough and on Friday had a temperature, so Daughter booked him a Virus test and they all had to self isolate. They had to wait until Sunday for him to get a test, and in the meantime had to just stay put. I guess the dog could have gone out, but they couldn't!

            Anyway, forty-eight hours after the test (at about 11 o'clock this morning) BG was given the all-clear with a negative test result. What a sigh of relief - though Daughter and I had been pretty sure of the result. So they can all go back to work, school and college tomorrow, and I was allowed into the house to give them all a hug.

            Today is another day - much better as everyone is back to normal. I went out early, after greeting my loverly cleaning ladies, to meet an old friend for a cup of coffee. That passed a couple of hours which were needed in order to exchange all the news on our respective families. And then I went on to a luxurious manicure and pedicure, made all the more wonderful by the fact that I hadn't had either since  before the beginning of the year. Ah well, now I have bright red finger and toenails which are amazing, and very relaxed feet after the massage. 

             No more news for now, so I'm off to do something about my supper. See you later....

             

The Slough of Despond.

                I am not casting aspersions on Slough which is, I'm sure, a perfectly nice place to live. No, I'm actually referring to the state of mind which most of us endure at some time or other: that of feeling so low that life doesn't seem worth living in its current condition. We are in the throes of a dire situation, given the dreaded Pandemic and of course the looming "no deal Brexit" - both of which are giving us a really hard time. What to do? Well if you happen to be a University  student, your options are even more limited than those of  the rest of us. You have to stay put in your accomodation (which by the way is costing you a fortune, whether you are using it or not) you can't go out to the pub or a restaurant, and now there's the prospect of not being allowed to go home for Christmas. What bloody rubbish - and I don't care if they set the Stasi on me - we have to speak out when life becomes so absurd. As far as the rest of us are concerned, we are all being urged to upload this App or that App, follow the guidance issued by the (ridiculously inept) Government and, in other words, DO AS WE ARE TOLD. Well sorry, I'm not doing the bidding of this fat, white, entitled and corrupt  so-called Government. .Nothing will convince me that they have my best interests at heart. So eat that Bojo.

                On a brighter personal note, Big Grandson, who is 16, has started at his 6th Form College in Lewes, where he is taking Art & Design and Photography, plus re-taking Maths, and he is happy as a clam. He likes his Tutors and has met some new mates, which is all wonderful news. He is already very much into the Art subject and is doing some great drawing and really enjoying working on the projects he's been set. This is all great and although the nett result is that he doesn't come to stay with  me, I'm delighted that he is becoming more independent and confident with every day. He is obviously meeting young people with the same interests and talents and is running with it. Long  may it last!

So far the Pandemic has not touched either us as a family, Daughter's workplace or Grandson's College. It does seem strange that there is apparently so much infection around us and yet we remain free of it. So far that is! I hope that you have all been similarly fortunate.

 

11

Bank Holiday Again...

      Well here we are at the last Bank Holiday of this extraordinary Summer.  And I really don't know where the time has gone. Big Grandson has been staying with me for the long weekend because everyone else is away! His Mum is on a weekend break with her Bloke and a couple of friends, and Granddaughter is away with her Dad and his parents for the Bank Hols too. Weirdly though, it turns out that they are all staying at the same Caravan and Camping park near Chichester! I don't imagine that they are actually socializing though - although  I gather from Grandson that they are close enough to see each other. Oh the joy! I can just imagine it and feel quite glad to be here.

      Big Grandson and I went out to the local Car Boot sale this morning, while it was still sunny, and he found two real bargains: one was a tripod for his new camera, for only £1! and the other was a large  canvas of the Avengers, which is just up his street, for only £2. Bargains all round, and then we went on to my favourite Garden Centre (Rushfields on the way to Henfield) where we enjoyed coffee (me) ginger beer (him) and a light lunch. What was so lovely about it was that we mostly felt quite normal, and only had to put on our masks  when we went in to browse the Farm Shop. Home again now and it's grey and  cloudy so we had the best of the day really.

      I'm in a quandary again because my possible house sale has reappeared. I have been thinking about it of course, so I shouldn't be surprised - but the local agent phoned out of the blue to say that he had a possible cash buyer for my house if I was interested. It seems my house has increased in value since last year and that would help hugely. What do I do?  Son says I need a plan (and he is right) but he doesn't really help by sending me details of lovely houses near them in Sitges, which I can't afford unless I win the Lottery, or unless we join forces and live together in something with enough space to live separately (if you  see what I mean). Oh it's all a conundrum. And Daughter doesn't want me to  move abroad, understandably. But finding somewhere here that I can  afford isn't so easy either. Here we go again! Son's other suggestion was that I could sell up and then put everything in store and go out there for a couple of months. This is a good idea, because I would then have a bit of time and space to decide what I really want. And the money would be ready and waiting. That's if we have the luxury of choosing where we want to live after bloody Brexit. Oh dear, I feel stuck in indecision and that's a fact. Help!

Sitting Pretty...

      I'm still sitting  here. but not sure for how long. I have actually been to look at an apartment that's for sale in Hove, well West Hove actually, and on the border of Portslade. Despite the dodgy address (at least as far as Hove purists will think)  it's rather nice and I am tempted. It is smaller than this, but  has some character and possibilities. Anyway I'm going for a second viewing this afternoon (with my trusty tape measure and notebook) and with Daughter, who can be relied on to take a practical view.

      Well, the practical view was that it's too small and also on the corner of a pretty busy road, so the garden made it a bit vulnerable. Also, it had a burglar alarm, which is always a stumbling block for me. (The only time I have ever felt insecure was when Son was a baby and we lived in the middle of nowhere, in a beautiful farmhouse. It had a burglar alarm which would go off regularly in the middle of the night and made us totally paranoid. Usually it was set off by an owl swooping past or something similar, but it was horrible.) Of course, being on the ground floor anywhere makes one vulnerable, sadly, in this day and age. And I could see the point that it wouldn't be a good idea to "lock up and leave" on my trips to Spain. So there it was.

      Never mind, none of us  knows what is going to happen lockdownwise and viruswise, not to mention Brexit, which I dread more with every passing day. It's all such a a mess, and the mess is actually worldwide it seems to me. 

       Part of the family have decamped from Sitges to Poland for a couple of weeks, mostly to escape from the extreme heat there, though Son has stayed in Sitges and is working from home. Warsaw is  apparently a bit cooler, but not much. (And in fact it's about as hot here!)

       Daughter and family are fine, in and out of the paddling pool in the garden, and Granddaughter is dividing her time between Daughter and  her Dad. Big Grandson is spending part of each week with me, just to relieve the monotony really (for him not me) and continues to eat me out of house and home. It has become the new 'normal' which is actually far from normal if I'm honest. 

      The big news is that we won the Virtual Pub Quiz last week (among our teams that is). My theory is that our team of two had the oldest (me) and the youngest (Big Grandson), so were able to cover a wider range of questions. BG knows all the pop culture answers and I know most of the 'historical' ones. It's a system that works, and I think we'll do it next week too. We scored 41 out of 50 questions. 

      Time to go,  I've been wittering on for long enough.

Rainy Sunday.

      Hello again, and apologies for my prolonged absence. Once again 'Groundhog Day' syndrome has had me in its grasp and time drips by without any particular feature to distinguish day from day. I would like to say that I have been busy and productive, but nothing could be further from the truth. The one thing I have done is to look out my poetry which has been languishing in a folder for years.
Actually it is a good exercise, because it has forced me to look back at my life in terms of when I wrote the odd verse to express how I was feeling. The first was about leaving Primary School and I have progressed now to when I moved to London and started working in Advertising. There is still plenty to come, and it is surprising to me how much just reading it brings back those moments and experiences. They are vivid again and so are the feelings that were brought to the surface. I think it was Wordsworth who said that poetry was 'emotion recollected in tranquility'. Well maybe it was for him, but I can vouch for the fact that mine (whether it's very bad or not) still feels raw at times. It has me totally removed to where I was and what  I was doing. There is still plenty to go, and it may not amount to anything in the end, but I feel it is necessary to go on and finish what I have started.
      I have been virtually meeting up with various friends and we have been setting  challenges for  each other. The best one has been a cookie baking challenge which I have taken up with gusto. My version is not with Crunchy Peanut Butter (simply because I'm not fond of peanuts) but with Crunchy Almond or Cashew Nut Butter which you can find in any Health Food Shop. It has been so successful that I make a batch most weeks: it takes about ten minutes to put together and another ten minutes to bake. I use a jar of nut butter to two tablespoons of brown sugar and one egg, simply mixed together in a bowl until it's doughy (if it's still too sticky you can sift in a tablespoon of flour and mix in well). Then put tablespoons of the mix spaced out on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Bake in the oven, on gas mark 4, for about ten minutes.
And I can promise you that they're divine - a Lockdown Treat. I have to ration myself to two a day:))

Where there's a Will...

      I just thought  I could squeak in another post before the end of the month, and here it is! Today has been cold, windy, rainy -  and very trying for me. I had arranged for a Legal man to come and help me write a Will, something I have been successfully avoiding  for a good few years. I looked in my document box last night and discovered the last one I wrote which was in 1988. It was the year after we moved to Cambridge, when my children were still young (9 and 7) and there was a lot of complicated stuff going on in our lives. I had recovered from the brain tumour and we were happily settled in our new house, but it had been traumatic to say the least. Anyway, what I discovered when I found the Will was that I had signed it but not had it witnessed! As it turned out it hadn't mattered because here I still am - and also it was a registered copy,  not the original which I assume is still sitting tight in the old Solicitor's office! What a  palaver, but we sat  here for an hour and a half at the end of which  I had a draft Will and a possible Power of Attorney too. Enough said - and I spent the rest of the day feeling rather overwhelmed by it all. It's expensive too, but I guess it removes any anxiety for my Children when the inevitable happens.
      What a day, and something I don't want to repeat really. And just to cheer me up further, I had a letter from the Eye Hospital confirming that I need  three more eye injections, and casually mentioning that my eyes have deteriorated a bit since they were last examined. Oh bugger, it seems I am gradually falling apart.
      I'll just say goodbye to June, and to you, for now...Let's hope for a better July.

Another Heat Wave...

      This week has been another very hot one, overall. We had a couple of days when it was hotter here in England than in Majorca and Ibiza, which  is all very well but we are not all on holiday and heading for the beach,  Oh wait though, that's exactly what did happen - the mindless majority did apparently do precisely that. I do wonder that anyone can consider this to be ok behaviour when a couple of weeks ago we were all obeying the instruction to stay safely at home!! I'm afraid I put the blame firmly on Boris Johnson for allowing the ghastly Dominic Cummings to flout all the rules, do precisely as he pleased and get away with it. The fact that many people are having unbounded beach parties,dancing in the streets and being encouraged to drink in pubs again is directly attributable to Cummings' behaviour. Have we already forgotten the fact that during lockdown he was spotted (and filmed) dancing to Abba in the garden at his parents' house, and that next day he celebrated his wife's birthday with a visit to Barnard Castle? And then drove all the way back home to London after he had finished his family celebrations. Just multiply this behaviour - firmly supported by the Prime Minister - by hundreds of thousands (they can all read after all - or mostly) and you can see where the current attitudes have come from. You'd better duck Johnson, because the mud slinging will eventually come your way. At least I fervently hope it will.
      I did go to the beach on one of our hot days, as I was longing for a swim. I left it until about 5pm but there were still quite a few people on Shoreham Beach. No problem social distancing though, and I had a lovely cold splash in the sea before I came back to cook supper. Big Grandson was here again and we had a very companionable time. It is all a bit like Groundhog Day though: the weeks are  much the same and here we are nearly at the end of June.
      Today we have some very welcome rain, and I have purple flowers on my climbing bean plant and white flowers on my strawberry plant. Still no flowers on the nasturtiums though, and I'm just about keeping the blackfly at bay. Another day in Paradise...
       

Eyes Right!

      This week has been almost normal so far -  and it's only Wednesday. On Monday I was  summoned to the Brighton Eye Hospital for a check on my right eye which is afflicted with AMD (Age-related Macular Degeneration). I had been due for a check up in February just as we were beginning to be really aware of the Corona Virus, so my appointment had been postponed. Anyway I had not been back and it was long overdue. I have to admit to being very nervous, not only because the eyes have been a bit blurry, but also because I worried about the condition getting worse. Luckily
though the opinion was that there had been some improvement after the last course of treatment, and they recommended three more injections in the eye over a three month period. All the eye tests, scans and examinations were done without fuss and I have to say that the doctors and nurses were all wonderful: very efficient, kind, thoughtful and, without exception, from the BAME community. It was a sobering experience which made we realise just how much we owe to these people who work for our NHS, which is (at the moment) free and without equal. I made sure to thank each  and every one who treated me and left feeling rather blessed. I  just hope our Government will reward them properly in the future - it's all very well clapping them, but a decent pay rise is long overdue.
      My little garden is crying out for some rain. The roses are all in bloom and looking lovely, but everything is desperately dry. I keep on watering, but they need some proper rain. I'm trying to grow a few edibles, Climbing beans and nasturtiums are climbing well, but the spinach seeds just disappeared  and my strawberry plants are all leaf  and no flower. So far it's a B minus I'm afraid.
      Big Grandson is staying with me for a few days and we are looking forward to watching a bit of football this evening. We are having spaghetti Bolognese and strawberries and ice cream for supper, and will no doubt be glued to the TV. Manchester United are playing and I guess young Marcus Rashford will get a special cheer because of his successful venture into politics in getting the dreadful Boris to agree to feed hungry schoolchildren in the Summer Holidays. Good for him! He grew up with a single-parent Mum and was one of five children, so he knows what he is talking about.
      What a lovely young man!

June is bustin' out all over...

      Those of you who are my vintage, or thereabouts, will recognise the reference and will  realise that I have been indulging in old Hollywood films in my spare time. I did watch Guys and Dolls (see above) and also Carousel, which reduced me to a sobbing wreck!! I know - how could that happen, but I was obviously at a low point and the pathos of the story just got to me. It took me a whole hour to get through the sobbing, after which I felt better. I suspect we are all behaving a bit irrationally at the moment, and letting it all out is probably the best thing. Of course I am  mostly on my own, so there is no-one else to see my collapses - probably for the best.
      The general mismanagement of the Corona Virus Pandemic seems to be going on without pause - I really despair of this Government and the bunch of misfits who seem to be runnning the show. What are we supposed to do - just watch? The latest dreadful drama is the killing of a black man by a policeman in America -  which has enraged the whole world just about. That this kind of thing can and does still happen anywhere in the world is a matter for our collective shame. How can we ever justify this kind of behaviour? It makes the cheerful, musical America of the Fifties look like a complete farce - technicolour it may be, but examine it closely and you see that everyone (yes everyone) is white, young-ish and living a carefree Yankee-doodle life. It really should make us sick.
      I think I'll just stop now and get on with  my supper,  the state of the world is not a joyful one, and makes me feel ashamed. I'm certainly ashamed to be British and would never condone the dreadful attitudes of  "people" like Farage and Gove, Cummings and Rees Mogg. Please god let them all go away!! 

Birthday Boy

      Well today is Big Grandson's 16th Birthday, and we had a glorious day for it. I sang Happy Birthday to him on the phone  this morning, and then later Daughter had a barbeque in her garden. After the bbq we had Prosecco and cake as well, and sweltered in the sun. Lovely! And Granddaughter had a really lovely time in the paddling pool, changing her swimming cosie several times and ending up quite happily in the nude under the hose (she is nearly six, so nothing inappropriate there). Grandson's presents were brilliant: he had a fabulous camera (Canon) with all the bells and whistles from his Mum and her Bloke, which he really loved (he will hopefully be doing Photography for one of his A Levels). And  he had a pair of cool red Vans (trainers), T Shirt, various bits and pieces and some money from  his Grandfather (my ex in New Zealand), my Sister (Nana Rosie), and me. I've also got him some cool (his description) headphones which are coming from America, They are on the way, shipping is confirmed, but as they hadn't arrived I gave  him a bit of money in his card. On the whole it has been a very nice day. I was reminded of his actual birth day, back in 2004, when Son and I drove up from  London to Pontefract Hospital in Yorkshire, where Grandson was about to be born. It was Bank Holiday Sunday, a lovely day, and we arrived at the Hospital in good time for the birth. He actually made his appearance at 10.44 pm, and he was quite blue, with the chord around his neck. Nobody panicked and he was fine. His father Simon was there and my ex Husband with his new wife (they had come over from NZ for the occasion) plus Simon's Mother and her partner. A bit of a motley crew, but I was so pleased we made it in time.
       Ah well, memories. And now he is 16 and 6 feet tall. And a lovely boy too.
We are at the  end of May, and after two months of Lockdown nothing much seems to have changed.  I have to say that I am not impressed with the way Bojo and his Clowns have managed things. I don't believe all their propaganda, and our record of infections, tests and deaths is dreadful. I think we are second only to America in numbers of casualties. And as for the dreadful Dominic Cummings and his comings and goings, I am totally disgusted with the double standards that have been applied, not to mention outraged at his arrogance and total dismissal of what any of us, the real people who have lost loved ones, might feel. Of course feelings are probably not on his radar. He is no doubt very clever; so was Machiavelli, and Robespierre, and Svengali and Cromwell... and look what happened to them.
       I  could go on, but you get the picture.

It ain't half hot Mum!

      Well it's steaming hot here, just like Summer, only I'm trying not take it for granted, as I'm sure we'll revert to chilly days again. It's weird, but the heat is making the lockdown even quieter. When I step outside my door there's a sort of stillness, a desert feeling - I can't explain it any better than that - and I half expect to  see weary, thirsty travellers making their way to my door. In fact, I already have a visitor in the shape of Big Grandson, who is staying for a few days just for a change. And it's true to say that he is always thirsty, and hungry, though not exactly weary as he doesn't do much except "chill" and chat away on his phone with his mates. He has been an exceptionally good guest, very grateful for every meal and drink, and as Daughter supplied me with a bag of food for his visit, I haven't had to do any big shopping. He is actually very good company, which is not bad for a teenage boy (due to be 16 on 30th of this month). We have taken a bit of gentle exercise and played a few games of Poker (he was given a Poker set for an early Birthday present) and tonight he is going to be my partner in the Virtual Pub Quiz. This will be very exciting for me as I have been playing on my own (with 180,000 other people, virtually) for the last three weeks. Daughter and her Partner also play, and the Spanish contingent of Son, Partner and Little Grandson with any luck. It doesn't start until 8.15, so is a bit late for Son and Co as they're an hour ahead. Anyway, we shall see if they join us. I'm expecting great things.
      It's odd, but I'm feeling rather tired and achy generally. This is extremely annoying as I don't normally  give in to this kind of feeling. Maybe it's just the Virus getting to me - I don't mean literally, but it's the  Lockdown and the general doom and gloom. Ah well, I'm off to put a pizza in the oven and sip a glass of Rose Spritzer before the Quiz. Let's hope Grandson brings me luck : )

Staying at Home...

      Actually I'm going to ignore the so-called advice from our incompetent PM and stay at home as much as possible. I annoyed my Daughter last night when she asked me if I had watched Boris on TV and I admitted that I hadn't. Her angry response was that I'm lucky I don't have to go out to work or worry about sending children to school - and of course she is right and I am (once again) in the wrong. It's ok for me, was the implication, because I'm a pensioner and don't have to find the money to pay rent!! There was really no answer, except I'm pretty sure that I am one of the expendables (in the malevolent eyes of  Dominic Cummings, advisor-in-chief to our PM, who patently doesn't give a shit about getting rid of us oldies). I couldn't say that of course without inflaming the situation further so I just avoided any further comment. I do worry about her though,  because she is anxious to get back to her normal routine which means sending Granddaughter back to school too. How you keep children of 5 and 6 at a safe distance from each other I don't know - it's a minefield and could be really dangerous. How will we know who has been in touch with whom, and whether they have the bloody virus. A silent enemy is always dangerous, but one which is also invisible is impossible to deal with. I have no answers, I only wish I did, but in the meantime I'm staying home.
      Blowing hot and cold is the weather at the mo! I'm still occupied with sorting out my bit of front garden and waiting for the seeds to germinate and show themselves. I also, quite accidentally, inspired my neighbour to get to grips with her front garden, which was terribly overgrown with ancient shrubs. She has cleared them all and we were actually sewing grass seed together. Very companionable. I also went down to the beach and collected some large-ish stones to edge my border and am very pleased with the result. There was practically no-one about on Shoreham Beach, so it wasn't difficult to be socially distant - I combined my daily walk with collecting a few stones and felt that I had actually accomplished something And I don't think the beach will miss my stones - though I acknowledge that we wouldn't want everyone to do the same. That's about the extent of my misdemeanors for the time being. I'll try not to upset Daughter again, and I'll keep away from those tempting stones.
      I know my place.
       

Another day, another dinner...

      In this time of Corona Virus, meals are becoming all-important aren't they? When  I speak to friends, which I do every day to save my sanity, we always discuss what we might be having for supper and compare notes. The lucky ones are those who are growing their own vegetables, like my Aristocratic BF who has an enormous garden (and two chaps to help) and who grows just about every vegetable: potatoes, beans, tomatoes, kale, broad beans, lettuce, radishes and even asparagus! She is also growing strawberries (wild and cultivated) and raspberries. So her cup, or plate, is overflowing. I must admit I'm pretty envious, especially about the asparagus and the raspberries. However, I am re-doing my little front garden and putting some edible treats in pots, where I hope they will thrive in the sun:  I am sewing spinach seeds (the everlasting variety) and nasturtiums because you can eat the leaves, flowers and the seeds (and they are lovely to look at too). I also have a couple of green bean seedlings which I hope will flourish in pots and I  have two wild strawberry plants which simply appeared in the garden. I'm also taking cuttings of Sage and Rosemary to go with my self-seeded Chives and the aforementioned Aristocratic BF has promised to send me a root of mint too. As I am inexplicably off vegetables in general, those should keep me going. I can still manage Spinach and Carrots but the thought of Broccoli or Cabbage or Kale makes me feel physically sick! Weird I know, but there it is.
      My most successful meals so far have been chicken breast wrapped in bacon (cooked in the oven with a sprinkling of garlic, herbs and wine) and dear little lamb chops treated in much the same way, both with the addition of Aunt Bessie's Roast Potatoes! These last were a gift from my nextdoor neighbour, courtesy of the Co-op who were giving them away one day last week. I had never tried them before, but I have to tell you that they are amazing. When I think of all the years I have spent peeling, par-boiling, shaking them in flour to fluff them up and then popping them in with the roast,
I do wonder. Aunt Bessie's are just popped into a hot oven for half an hour and come out perfectly cooked. Sorry if this is beginning to sound like an advertisement,  but they are truly sublime
       Heigh-ho! I'm obviously another victim of lock-down deprivation, but I think I'm staying sane. Only time will tell :))

Virtual Life...

      It's funny, but as life becomes more strange, the more we try and make it seem like normal. This last week, for example, I took part in a virtual Pub Quiz with Daughter, her Partner and some of their friends, We all had our individual glasses of wine and were sat on our individual sofas, and we wrote our answers on our individual pieces of paper. It gave us the illusion of being part of a team, though of course we were all in competition with each other. See what I mean by strange? We could see each other and talk to each  other, but no touching allowed. And actually there was no team spirit either, we all, individually, wanted to win! Weird. Of course I didn't win - there was only one of me, while  the others all had partners and so got two bites of the cherry, metaphorically speaking. I did enjoy the experience though, and will probably do it again this week.
      Another thing I've agreed to is a video/phone chat with some old friends on Tuesday morning.  We have agreed to virtually meet at 11.30 (coffee time) and will no doubt exchange Corona Virus experiences and points of view.  They are very old friends, so we can be absolutely honest with each other and I guess it will be a virtual success.
      Before I go, I just have to comment on the dreadful orange POTUS's latest foray into Corona Virus "cures". What is he thinking of when he recommends that disinfectant, or even bleach, taken internally, could be a cure?? My first thought was that he was trying to kill off half of America, but surely not? If it wasn't so dreadful, it would be the best joke of the year. The man is seriously deranged if not completely mad. I pity America, with such a clown in control what chance do they have? And that is not a rhetorical question.

Solitude in the time of Corona Virus...

      It is Saturday and the radio keeps me company as usual. Everywhere it is unusually quiet. The loudest sound is birdsong, and even the buzzing of bees is loud when I go outside. There are no aeroplanes overhead.  Nor is there any noise of traffic, even in the distance. It is all slightly unreal, though becoming more normal every day.
      Of course not everyone is alone at this time, and for some it is a time of heightened anxiety and plain fear: those who are at risk of domestic violence are in a fearful position from which there is no escape. I remember the very brief time when I was in a similar situation: I was madly in love with  a very charismatic man who was totally charming , loving and reasonable when he was sober, and a monster when he was drunk. I lived in fear for a while, and finally escaped from the relationship by having a nervous breakdown! Luckily for me he was reasonable enough to let me go - but I can imagine the terror and horror of being trapped in that situation. I feel so strongly that families in similar situations should be protected at all costs. I was very lucky that I was helped out of that affair by an understanding employer and an excellent  therapist,  and by the ability to simply sit in silence, with  tears rolling down my cheeks, until the fear had passed. It took three months of total retreat and complete solitude - my mind was allowed to drift and heal until I could cope with normal life again. And in case you wonder why I have taken  this stroll down memory lane, I'm sure that experience has allowed me to cope with every hit I have taken since: divorce, single parenthood, a brain tumour, all have been water under the bridge. And now Corona Virus, the biggest global disaster to hit humanity for 100 years, is giving millions of people an extended dose of solitude at the very least. For some it has meant awful sickness, mortal danger and even bereavement. Our Doctors and Nurses are struggling to deal with this, but are underprotected and under-equipped, and we have an incompetent Government which refuses to acknowledge any responsibility. And this state of affairs is set to  continue for god knows how long. Perhaps until we have truly learned respect for our planet, and the value of humanity and compassion in our lives.
      I don't hesitate to say that I feel very fortunate at this moment (fingers crossed) that I cope quite cheerfully with this imposed solitude, and that  my beloved family are all safe and sound, and healthy. May we all come through this somehow, living to face another day in a better world.

Nearly Easter...

      It's sunny and warm today, and we are another week into lockdown and one week into April. So far all my family are well and coping with the situation. I cannot stress how lucky I feel just to be able to say that. All over the world families are losing fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, children: all relations of every kind and all ages it seems, are at risk from this ghastly virus. My Daughter, who is a hero to me, is juggling her job (working from home), the family of six (and the dog), doing the shopping for them and for me, and remaining both cheerful and positive while  keeping all the balls in the air! Of course I know that so many people are far  worse off than we are, and I'm eternally grateful that we are keeping healthy. Wherever you are, I wish the same for you.
      In the meantime, I'm doing a bit of work in my garden, which is a small blessing in itself. I may not much like living in Shoreham, but I must say it has come into its own now because my house is tucked away in a quiet spot with just a few neighbours and we have a lovely area of grass and trees where we can sit out and the children can play while still keeping a safe distance from other people.
And I have been regularly Skyping with my Son's family in Spain. They are in even more lockdown than we are, and only one person can go out at a time to do essential shopping. My little Grandson hasn't been out for 4 weeks now, and we have been doing drawing and colouring on Skype just to keep everyone going reasonably. Luckily they have the most wonderful terrace/balcony with amazing views over Sitges from the sea to the mountains. So they have fresh air, and can sit and eat outside in the sun. I think they are managing brilliantly and keeping pretty cheerful.
      Strange isn't it that suddenly there is only one subject we are all concerned with: the daily news and the latest from around the world, numbers of new cases, people in hospitals and deaths. And because we all want to survive, this is all that really interests us.
      And in case you wonder why I'm not including news of our Prime Minister in my blog, it's because I  don't have a great deal to say on the subject. He may, in due course, regret the fact that he and his despicable bunch of Tories cheered as they voted down long-overdue increases in salaries for Doctors and Nurses not so long ago. I wish him well to have the good luck to survive the virus and show his long-overdue appreciation for our NHS. Nuff said!

Still here..

      It's Tuesday and the lockdown is really biting throughout most of the world. How strange that we, who are very social beings, should be shut away in our own spaces for the foreseeable future in case we spread the virus. And here the internet really comes into its own - I know that I would feel totally cut off if I couldn't contact friends and family by Skype or Facetime, and even just by phone. Just think that my Grandmother (who was born in 1875) would not use the telephone because she thought it was a scary invention. In many ways, I guess she was right, but where would we be without it now?

      On Sunday it was little Grandson's sixth Birthday, and as they are in total lockdown in Sitges, he couldn't have the usual jolly party with all his friends. Instead we had a Skype call which included his other Grandmother in Warsaw, and which was pretty jolly anyway. Daughter-in-Law had made a chocolate cake with chocolate icing and sliced strawberries on top, and six candles of course. So we all sang Happy Birthday and he blew out the candles. He was in very good spirits and it was lovely to be able to see them. They are so fortunate because they chose an apartment with a wide, sunny terrace and with views over Sitges to the sea and the mountains.(Being in lockdown in an apartment with no outside space must be a complete nightmare, especially with small children.) And Son has so far been able to work remotely on his computer, which we hope will continue.  

      Daughter is similarly fortunate because although they are all (all six of them) more or less at home together, they have a lovely garden and the weather has been nice enough for the little girls to be outside much of the time. Big Grandson hasn't really changed his routine, he's just chillin' in his room mostly and texting his friends - which is how they contacted each other before the virus anyway. The big difference is that his GCSE exams have been cancelled, and who knows when they might be re-scheduled. The family have a sports field just behind the house, so they can walk the dog on their once a day exercise outing. And Daughter and Partner have also been able to hold on to their jobs too, so far, so I can only keep fingers and everything crossed for them.

      None of this is particularly good news of course, but keeping it in perspective we are all relatively lucky so far. And worldwide the skies are clearing; we can all breathe easier as pollution is magically disappearing. Our man-made climate emergency has been replaced by another, viral, emergency - one equally of our own making which poses a more immediate threat.

      Will the world listen this time, I wonder?

      

In Lockdown...

      Here we are in the second week of lockdown, and while it may be an inconvenience to me as an oldie (and one of the apparently most vulnerable) it has to be so much worse for our children and grandchildren who are maybe not as likely to die from the virus, but are having to deal with losing their jobs and income and maybe their homes too! Their lives will probably never be the same again. It's truly appalling, and I have to say that we who have lived privileged lives for the last forty or so years  have a lot to answer for.
      In general, I would say that we have not deserved this wonderful Planet which we have abused in so many ways. We have built cities that are major polluters of our atmosphere, we have consigned millions of disadvantaged people to poverty starvation and homelessness, we have almost constantly been at war with each other, needlessly killing millions of innocent people, we have glorified greed, profit and selfishness, we have celebrated corruption in our politicians, and nothing, NOTHING, has stopped us until now!
      Perhaps the Planet is now saying ENOUGH. And quite right too. Fear not, our Planet will survive without us, in fact it will probably be in much better shape without us. Let us see how this turns out.
      For myself, I hope beyond anything that my beloved children and grandchildren will survive to make some sense of what they are left with. Please god the corrupt clowns who are currently mishandling every aspect of this tragedy will actually get their just desserts and disappear from this earth just as previous dinosaurs have done. It is a conclusion devoutly to be wished.
      I will be back, I hope.
         

Here we go...

      Well, who would have believed this six months ago? The blooming Corona Virus (or as Donald Trump calls it in his unerring style "the Chinese Virus") has landed on our planet and looks like changing the world and our lives for good. I know that I was wishing for an Alien Invasion when we were in the throes of Brexit, in the vain hope that it might bring us all to our senses, but I truly didn't think it might come in the guise of this nasty virus! The moral is, I suppose, be careful what you wish for! Being well over 70,  I'm in the group of people most at risk of catching the damned thing, but I remain resolutely cheerful and positive. Might as well for there's nothing to be gained by being defeatist and I'm pretty healthy anyway.
      My Hove family, Daughter and Co, are fine so far. Of course schools have not yet closed and so there is a certain amount of risk there, but I'm apparently not allowed to see them from this weekend onward. Not having Big Grandson once a week will be the worst bit, and if it goes on for months I shall be miserable not seeing him. And in Spain, Son and family are in complete lockdown since yesterday, as all the schools are closed (and all the bars, restaurants etc). They are allowed to go out only for food shopping or pharmacy shopping or to go to work I think - though Son can work from home on his computer, which is fortunate. At least we can keep in touch via Skype and Face-time, both of which are blessings we didn't have a while ago.
      As this whole event may well be earth-shattering I felt it was worth recording at the beginning. Who knows how things will change, but change is certain. I'll try and keep up, so watch this space.

           

Help!

      It's Sunday and storm Dennis (the Menace) is doing his worst to upset the whole country, though in all honesty, it's not as bad here as last weekend's storm Ciara. However,I am housebound with big Grandson because it's the start of his Half Term and he doesn't want to do anything except "chill"

which means staring at his phone and playing on his X Box..How he does these both at the same time, I'm not entirely sure, but it does get a bit  boring after a while (for me anyway). It is cold, rainy and miserable outside, so it could be worse; I'm taking him home soon.

      My eye injections have been my most pressing concern for the last three months. I think I  mentioned them before:  I have been to the Brighton Eye Hospital for a course of three injections which will hopefully stop the Age-Related Macular Degeneration getting any worse. (And I must say that anything that is called "Age Related" pisses me off). I will find out in a month, when I go back to the clinic for a re-assessment, whether I need any more treatment. It's not much fun having injections into your eye, but the doctors and nurses at the Eye Hospital are wonderful and very efficient.
      Well I have brought you up to date with that, and since then I have managed to lose one of my shiny new hearing aids. I had a hearing check last week at which I was complaining about the right ear aid which was uncomfortable and had a habit of whistling at me. I didn't get much sympathy from the lady doing the check - her advice was to stick with it. Anyway, the same day I was sitting in |MnS with a cup of tea when it started whistling and itching.. so I pulled it out and shoved it into my coat pocket! And that was the last I saw of it.  I went to Daughter's house later on, threw down my coat on the sofa and completely forgot about it. I feel a bit if a fool, but will probably tell the lady that the dog ate my hearing aid! Daughter's dog that is - she eats absolutely anything - and it seems the most plausible explanation for the disappearance. I looked everywhere, even went back to MnS and checked my pockets over and over.
      I took Grandson back to his house - just for an outing really - and drove straight back. The weather wasn't nearly as frightening here as it was last week, though  I know it  has been dreadful for many people. We have no floods, though there are plenty of big puddles on the roads.
      Looking on my Instagram, I saw that Son and family in Sitges were having a wonderful weekend enjoying a local market which sells lots of vintage stuff and also has live music and yummy food: altogether a lovely thing to do on a sunny day in Spain. Oh how I wish I was there too!
      If wishes were horses etc.... it's no good just wishing, it's action that's needed.
         

    

      

2020

I catch my breath when I think of my life. How can I still be here? And yet I am, not as lively it's true, but still going fairly strong. I have just been watching a programme about Clive James, who died last week, and who I remember as such a witty, funny and learned man, an Australian who came to this country and made it his own. And he lived in Cambridge, among the magical and erudite and strange academics, at the same time as we lived there. I remember seeing his house, a lovely typically Cambridge house, overlooking one of the greens, and thinking how lucky he was to have settled there. But of course we were equally lucky, living as we did in a modern house overlooking the Botanical Gardens, and only a bike ride away from the enchanting old colleges and their ancient gardens beside the River Cam. It was a truly magical place and time.15 years of privilege.
      Now I live in a place of little charm, in a small seaside town near Brighton, and in a 70s house of absolutely zero architectural merit. It's quite a come-down, and one I can only blame myself for. Still, my plans to move, though on hold, are still foremost in my mind, but have had to take a back seat for now. There are three reasons: first was the fact that I have AMD (age-related Macular Degeneration)
in my right eye, and that needs treatment, which I have started. Next, the Hearing Aids became an urgent necessity, mainly because my children grew tired of repeating themselves and started saying "Oh for god's sake Mum", and third, my teeth also need urgent attention if I am not to lose any more of them. Taken altogether these are not a happy prospect, but I can't ignore the implications. Getting
older requires quite a lot off maintenance it seems, and I have to grit my (remaining) teeth and bear it.
I was quite upbeat about getting these things sorted until I had a long talk with Son, who can always be relied on to be straight! Apparently it is naive of me to imagine that after sorting these ailments, there won't be more following on "at your age". Ah well, he's probably right but I live in hope.
      I spent Christmas in Sitges with Son and family in their new apartment (and with my new Hearing Aids). It was a lovely break, and gloriously sunny most of the time - tho' getting chilly in the evenings. They have settled in to the new place pretty well, and little Grandson has now started at his
 new school, which is about 5 minutes walk from the apartment.
      Daughter and Co had a nice Christmas (we skyped on Christmas Day) and then, when I was back home, I invited them all over here on New Year's Day for a festive lunch/get together. It was just lovely but already seems such a long time ago - we are already half way through January. 
      Time to go, but wishing you all a belated Happy New Year.