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.

Nearly all over...

      Well, my absence this time was not really my fault. I have tried several times to start a new post and the blooming computer wouldn't let me! I have no idea why, but I was barred from my own Blog and as I'm not the sharpest on tech stuff, I just didn't know what to do. Anyway, I'm back now and just hope it will be ok.
      I have had a pretty horrible time, healthwise, to be honest, with an abcess or two (one on my chest and one on a tooth) a chest infection and a continuing snuffly cold, so it's no wonder I'm a bit fed up with it. I have also decided to deal with my dodgy ears, eyes and teeth before I disappear off to Spain, and while I'm at it, I'm going to ask for an MOT at my GP so that I can feel better about everything. It all sounds a bit depressing, all part of growing older I know, but a good plan to deal with it I think.
      On a more cheerful note, things are going pretty well in Barcelona, as they have finally found an apartment in Sitges, which looks really lovely: it's in a modern development, with amazing views to the sea, three bedrooms, and a communal pool. It's also very near the school for Jasper. Let's hope it works out for them - and they have invited me over for Christmas, what larks!
      I don't think I told you about my visit to Sitges in October: it was lovely weather and I stayed the first 6 days in a hotel on the seafront, the Platjador. I had an ensuite room on the third floor, with a balcony overlooking the pool at the back. I can't praise the hotel enough; I had the biggest bed I have ever seen, very comfortable, a super shower room and it was immaculate. The staff were lovely too, and couldn't have been more helpful. A fabulous breakfast was included in the price, as was tea with pastries, served at 5 o'clock in the roof terrace bar. Altogether it was perfect and I also looked at four rental flats while I was there. I met some lovely people too; the owner of one of the flats, and her Mother, and a really nice young woman Estate Agent (I know that's normally a contradiction in terms, but she was extremely nice). Anyway, it was altogether a really good experience and a chance to see what might be available in Sitges for a long-term rental.
      The family turned up to collect me in Sitges on Saturday, and combined this with looking at flats that might suit them. We had delayed this for a day as the Catalan demonstrations were in full swing in Barcelona that week - In fact I had been very lucky not to be affected by them. I had watched the news avidly in my room as it had been full on all week - though not in Sitges! I must say that it did help my understanding of Spanish, though not my ability to speak it. And I can sympathize with the Catalan cause, though not the violence involved - I hated seeing cars on fire in the streets.
      Amazingly there was no sign of protesters,  marches or demonstrations when we drove back to Barcelona.They had all melted away and Barcelona was back to its elegant self. Rather strange.
Anyway, I then had five days with my lovely Son and his family before coming back, and though they hadn't then found an apartment, I'm happy to say that they have now, so it's all change again.
      More updates to follow - it really feels much colder now, so I guess it's "Winter drawers on"!!
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