2021 Is Just Getting Started......

 
What is next, we shall have to wait and see. 

For many many years my year starts with celebrating Daughter's birthday on the 2nd with a mother/daughter day, checking out the sales and lunch out, followed by everyone at home for birthday cake and a roast dinner, which of course this time we couldn't do as we are in very restricted tier 4. So a gift of money into her account, a WhatsApp message, a post on Facebook and a Moonpig card in the post, later followed by a video call. After lunch she needed to collect things from my freezer so a brief chat outside which was cold but lovely.

As all festivities are now over the decorations came down and packed away hoping they come out again in a safer December 2021.

I had a brilliant plan for putting away the icicle lights without them getting so tangled, they are a nightmare I so wanted to avoid. 

As they came down I fed the lights into a finger bandage tube. This seemed to work well but it was time consuming and the bandage got stuck quite often and it was really cold outside taking down just one hook at a time. 

So we brought the lights in slowly and draped them over the backs of the dining room chairs. I kept doing some and taking short breaks to do something else then coming back to do more. Meanwhile Hubby had taken down all the other trees, lights, baubles, ornaments and cards on ribbons and packed them all away, leaving one space in one box for the icicle lights. I was still only about half way with back ache and sore fingers. So with the help of Google and tweeking a couple of other ideas together I came up with another plan. Old sheets torn into long strips wider than the length of the longest icicle. Lay the lights along the sheet keeping everything untangled, then roll. So much quicker, boxed and put into the loft and so pleased with myself.... until I realised I hadn't taken a photo hahaha. 

And now 300 days after the first day of the first lockdown, we are in LOCKDOWN #3. Two vaccines now being used, Pfizer from the US and AstraZeneca from Oxford UK. Care home elderly and most vulnerable first, carers and NHS staff next and down a sensible priority list. Biggest problem seems to be enough people to administer the jabs without depleting the manpower in other vital areas. Keeping everything crossed this is the solution. 

Been a bit of a stressful week with various family issues, some that would have happened anyway and others definitely as a result of the virus and lockdown. Not sure my WhatsApp support helps very much but that is all I can do. 

Had my last treatment yesterday and so relieved that's over, and also so so grateful for the continued Urology care they've given while the whole hospital is overwhelmed with pandemic pressure. Thank you Ipswich Hospital. 

Please stay home and stay safe.

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I Happily Waved 2020 Goodbye.........

 
Our Christmas day.

After our Christmas Dinner for two Daughter, M, R, O, D and the dog arrived for our "in the garden, covid safe" gathering. 

It took a small patio heater, a fire pit, a gazebo, coats, hats, gloves, pillows to sit on, constant hot drinks, six hot water bottles and a large pile of blankets but we survived and had a great evening 🤣

So many lovely gifts today but I have to make special mention of this wonderful lino cut print Daughter did of our home! 

Boxing day as like most of the UK we are now in tier 4, so with only the two of us here to feed for the near future I processed all the leftovers for the freezer, although there's still plenty in the fridge. Some turkey and the ham was sliced and can be cold meat with salad or sandwich filings. However my favourite method is to chop all the Christmas dinner leftovers, mix and box, later this is thawed add gravy, top with mash and oven bake yummy!

Sunday 27th

We keep getting power cuts and Hubby thinks it's related to the cooker reaching temperature and tripping the box, so he's called our electrician friend to come next week (not urgent or dangerous) and today Hubby's on a mission to clean the whole thing inside, behind and under before anyone has to look at it!

27th was my dad's birthday so that has traditionally been our family get together day. I would normally have about 30-35ish of us here all bringing food and drink for the feast sharing table, filling the drive with cars and filling the house with loud happy noise. Today we tried it on zoom! 🤣 and with everyone talking at the same time, children coming and going and seven dogs making appearances it was just like the normal chaos that is our family. Don't be fooled by this sedate screenshot 🤣

Monday and the sun was out and so were we for the last neighbours' coffee morning of the year. Very cold and surrounded by wheelie bins as delayed from our normal Friday collection. 

Thursday and New Year's Eve, was a treatment day, so hospital in the morning and an uncomfortable afternoon but thankfully eased by the evening. Hubby and I decided to do the online quiz as we have every Thursday since March, even though our zoom team all had other plans. We managed a score of 39 out of 50 which certainly isn't our worst and not embarrassing hahaha. 

Hubby didn't last till midnight but I'm normally up long after that anyway and I always like to welcome in the new year, this year of course I wanted to wave goodbye to the old one! 

I have to mention Eastenders, not everyone's choice of entertainment but it is mine and yes the Christmas and New year stories are always very dark, but when they focus on just one actor for a whole programme that's when they are amazing. Tonight Danny Dyer as Mick Carter faced his darkest night ever and sought the help of the Samaritans and it was a great tribute to them along with great acting. I hope like me many people are moved to make a donation. 

Midnight and so many fireworks going off around me, so many families needing to celebrate and look forward. I spent quite some time moving from window to window with a smile on my face. 

I'm positive as always, we will get through this, but for a while yet we must stay safe, keep to all the rules and more than ever be kind to everyone especially ourselves. 

The Strongest Connections......

 
This week started with a fabulous connection

We are all first cousins, eight in the UK and two in Australia, unfortunately the one in the USA couldn't make it this time. In typical family fashion everyone talking at the same time, which doesn't actually work on zoom, however it was great fun, especially as I haven't had contact with the Australian cousins since childhood. It took an hour and a half before we could all say goodbye, promising to do it again. 

A very quick pop over to see Son&fiancé, just long enough to present swap and a garden cuppa.

Hubby agreed to theatre with me, online of course but still a big deal for Hubby. We always try to support Red Rose Chain for all the great community work they do. Alice was pure nonsense and fun, which is exactly what they were aiming for. 

We were both so impressed. Knowing how their huge cast off 20 filmed all their action totally alone at home in front of a green screen, for the small group of backroom people to use tech wizardry to pull it into this amazing production where often three or four characters are all interacting together, sometimes even a song and dance number, and the end where all the performers are on stage together for the finale. WOW!

Of course my strongest connections are with our two children and it definitely works both ways. As I said we had a quick garden cuppa with Son and when we sat down fiancé had waiting for me a hot water bottle and blanket and it was so cosy. Knowing we'd be outside Christmas evening I quickly ordered some hot water bottles as soon as we got home. When they arrived there was two boxes as Son had ordered some for us too! 

Flowers in a box arrived with the postman, the photo card inside was from Daughter, R, E & O. When I messaged Daughter with my thanks she told me it's a monthly subscription Christmas present 😍

Hubby loves being busy and like an excited elf he's getting ready for our different Christmas day. We won't see Son except on a video call but Daughter and family are coming over but not into the house. The plan is to have our dinners in our own homes then they will all come for a garden gathering evening. So far Hubby has twinkly lights up, gazebo up and well strapped to the ground and building to keep the worst of the weather off us but still very ventilated especially when we unzip the back as the fire pit will be just outside. I have pillows to go on all the seats and a mountain of blankets plus those hot water bottles and my small patio heater. So different to our usual but should be fun. 

I know it's only Thursday but it's Christmas Eve so I'll post this week's now and wish you all a Very Merry Christmas And let's hope 2021 becomes a covid free year. Until it is stay safe, protect others and find ways of caring and being kind to each other. 

The Wrapping Week.......

 Turned really chilly at the weekend and wet but still managed a cuppa outside on Saturday with Daughter and R so the dog could have a garden run. 

Sunday Hubby had requested Italian style meatballs on pasta, so I made a very simple tomato bolognaise sauce. As I was leaving the room with Hubby's in hand I heard something drop to the floor hitting a few things on its way. Sure enough when I returned I discovered it was the large serving spoon that had been perched on top of the tomato sauce. So I cleaned the cooker and the floor then turned to throw the kitchen paper in the bin and realised most of my kitchen now looked like a chicken pox breakout. I cleaned up then finally sat down with mine. Monday and I'm still finding splashes on the front of the freezer and up various walls!             

Back in the summer when Daughter had a bit of a sort out of the pottery stuff lurking in our shed she decided these pots were not worth glazing so I rescued them. 

Covered with hessian or wool and painted with acrylics and ready to use as gifts. (Don't think the recipients read this blog) 

Really sunny and mild on Monday and very pleasant for our on-your-own-drive coffee morning.

Hugh Grant was a Graham Norton guest and spoke about this so we watched. Six episodes and it kept us guessing and doubting our guesses right to the end. 

In total contrast Hubby loves all the corny Christmas films. This one I watched with him. 

Wednesday evening had been advertised as the Doorstep Carol Concert supported by all the local radio stations. 

Obviously no group photo as we are all so far apart, but thought you'd want proof we froze for the cause (lazy me sitting) 

And every day I've been wrapping!

Hope........

 Lovely friendsM&S brought this round as a get well soon gift. M makes them up herself. We are all hoping to share tea and biscuits with them in the garden very soon. 

I'm now on the BCG treatment which will hopefully stop the recurring and persistent bladder cancer for good. Two down four to go then maintenance top-ups.

This week the UK started rolling out the first Ffizer Covid Vaccine outside trial conditions. The biggest hope to combat this pandemic. Not sure how soon we will be offered it, or if I can have it while on the BCG so I may have to stay isolated a bit longer. 

Actually popped to Felixstowe for pleasure not medical. Had a lovely long walk along the prom down to friendsK&J who run a tea, coffee and cake beach hut takeaway purely for charity. I haven't seen friendK for at least 18 months. Then down to the pier for another cuppa with friendM  who I haven't seen for 10 months, then we walked back together to where we had parked. Stayed dry and walking kept us warm enough. So lovely to chat in person and not just via the internet. 

Still hope to find my missing earring, a casualty of the mask on mask off outing 

R has a friend in the US, a teenager with amazing and diverse general knowledge and we are all pleased when she joins us on quiz night even sometimes from a hospital bed as sadly she has poor health. Her name is Hope.

E has had interviews for a new job, fingers crossed for her. 

We all need hope! 

Stay safe x

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Planning, Plotting, Paying, Posting......

Watching the Ps with no Qs!

Probably not relevant just smiled at a catchy title. 

Pen action getting the Christmas cards written. They will all have to go into the regular post as the Scouts local post service isn't happening this year, which must be a huge loss of income for them. 

Pulling all our Christmas out of the loft. 

Paying our respects remotely. 

We couldn't attend my cousin's funeral due to the Covid restrictions so we attended via the webcast. So glad that we could but sad that we needed to. I attend funerals to support the living and unfortunately this way doesn't let them know I was there. 

Perfectly pretty, big tree in the lounge (thank you R).

Petite and pretty tree on the dining room window sill (thank you O). 

Planning Christmas day with Daughter and wanting not to relax carelessly, so we won't have them inside for dinner but hoping we can make the day special some other way. 

Palaver with this week's sainsbury click and collect. Hubby arrived at 8am as always but the guy had given our full order to the wrong customer. Hubby hung around for about 45 mins while they tried to sort it out. The wrong customer hadn't unpacked it so said she'd bring it all back and collect her order, however she couldn't do that immediately and agreed to get back for 10:30am. She will put our frozen stuff in her freezer till then. So Hubby came home and went back. Our breakfast crumpets became nearly lunch. OK mistakes happen but sainsbury made an apology refund of £3 which I thought disgusting but Hubby just shrugged. 

Puff pastry mince pies are my favourite but the sainsbury ones are not, so this click and collect shop included ready rolled puff pastry and a jar of mince. For ease I made pin wheels....... then forgot about them so quite a bit overcooked. Still edible! 

PayPal is my preferred way to pay for online purchases. 

Plus the hospital procedure I'm having does make me pee a lot! Or is that too much information? 

Perhaps you can enjoy your bit of post lockdown flexibility but stay safe please.

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Looking For Projects........

 

I think Hubby is getting a bit bored now with lockdown! He's done all he can in the garden for now and he's washed the cars and motorbike and even connected up another outside camera, plus the weather isn't always suitable for being out there. Saturday he got up and stated that in his head he'd rearranged the lounge as the TV makes him slightly twist to the right as it is now. 

He moved everything except the TV unit (needed to all stay plugged in) but put the large coffee table with the TV on top in situ, moving sofas on his own without moving the carpet and this furniture is soo heavy. I didn't get involved but took photos of course and told him they were for evidence as to why he had a heart attack! 

We ended up sitting either side of the chimney breast, if we had visitors (like the olden days) then I wouldn't be able to see those on the other end of the 3-seater, I had no space for a table/ my tea/ knitting etc within reach and he sadly confessed the window was still reflecting off the TV screen! I made him lunch and I sat in another room with mine. 

When he'd put everything back nothing more was said 🤣

Well at least it got dusted and vacuumed behind everything. 

Sunday he's working out how to change all the plumbing in the downstairs loo! After lots of discussion and forcing me to come up with the design changes (so it's my fault if it looks horrid) he has ended up with a list of plumbing changes, lots of carpentry, floor laying and decorating. You'll definitely get to see before and after photos when it's done........ which I'm guessing won't be till possibly next summer.

I'm also trying to finish a few projects that may be Christmas presents (photos when/if anything gets finished and after it's gifted), plus reluctantly spending time surfing the online retailers, like wading through treacle!

Saw the Urology Consultant yesterday and we will be starting the preventative treatment next week. I'm so grateful that Ipswich Hospital are still providing all this so quickly when so many hospitals are struggling with covid overload.

Next project will be getting all the Christmas decorations out of the loft. 

Stay safe. 

.

 

Moving into Happy Season Early......

 

All I'm hearing at the moment is Christmas and actually although it's still mid November that's fine. Normally I find this far too soon but with this year not being normal at all everyone needs the sparkle back in their lives. 

This has been a "nothing exciting to report" week. Covid swab last Saturday, into hospital Tuesday 7:30am, surgery eventually about 3pm (I was so hungry), home for lunch on Wednesday. Consultant said all went to plan and they now need to wait for lab reports and the big team meeting to decide on best preventative treatment. 

I'm fine apart from an irritating cough which is probably from the anaesthetic tube. Totally spoilt by Hubby and cheered by flowers, cards and lots of love and kind wishes.

The Waiting Game.........

 

As this week starts....
We are all waiting to hear the US election final count and waiting for Trump's next tantrum. 

Waiting for a vaccine. 

Waiting for Brexit to be finalised. 

Waiting for deliveries. 

Waiting for something exciting to happen to brighten the very limited days we now have. 

And I'm waiting for my surgery date, pre-op assessment later this week. 

Son had bought two retractable wind breaks to make their outside space last longer for outside visits, but decided only to fit one and very kindly offered us the other. After much deliberation Hubby managed to fit the main case to the pillar and create a mobile anchor post using our garden sunshade stand. So we can block the wind from one side or the other of our undercover space. 

Unfortunately this lockdown2 has outlawed any garden meetings from different households. 

Wednesday 11th our usual neighbours group gathered outside, all wearing poppies, and observed the two minute silence at 11am. Just before we could hear in a nearby street the local piper and he ended the silence with his bugle. NeighbourA had passed on a message a few days ago letting him know we will be outside, so shortly after his duties he walked into our close to specially play for us. 

Very sad this week when we heard a younger cousin had lost her battle with life, a battle she had fought so bravely for so many years. As far as I know this had no connection with covid 19. We are waiting to hear if there are any funeral arrangements, while they are waiting for their eldest who lives overseas to urgently fly home.

As always I was suspicious when answering my mobile from an unknown number. The young girl introduced herself as from the Suffolk Home But Not Alone Scheme. I knew the scheme existed as contact details are all online. They are calling through the list of registered clinically vulnerable and checking people are OK and if there is anything they need help with. We are very fortunate not to need them but so lovely they are making the first move when so many may feel they shouldn't contact them. 

As this week ends......

Biden is President elect - although Trump is still waiting for his legal action to correct that (he's got a long wait) and I've now read Milania is just waiting to leave the White House to divorce him. 

Still waiting for the vaccine, and seems some major progress reported this week. 

Still waiting for Brexit to be finalised. 

We've no expected deliveries at the moment. 

I've given up waiting for something exciting so I'm not disappointed just thrilled when it does happen.

And surgery date is 17th November, so not much waiting!  

I hope you are happy with all you are waiting for. 

Stay safe.

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Is This Back to the Future?...........

Saturday and Boris announced the whole country is to lockdown again from Thursday for a month, that's the whole month of November! I'm not sure I've ever emerged from the lockdown that started in March! 

Today is also Halloween. We've had our own traditional family Halloween since our children came along and carried it through for the grandchildren too.... but not this year. However, just in case other local children did trick or treat I didn't want to disappoint them. So I had a big bucket of sweets ready and the plan was to put a small amount into the small bucket and pass it out on the long pole to maintain distance. Nobody knocked. 

 I've finished my lacy infinity scarf which can be worn in many ways. Wide enough to be pulled down as a shawl or pulled up as a hood, left long or wrapped twice. 

These are dreadful photos but you get the idea. 

(I've since cleaned the bathroom mirror) 

This has been a medical week with a blood test Tuesday a CT Scan on Wednesday and a Cystoscopy on Friday. Oh well it got me out of the house! Unfortunately they did show the bladder cancer is back and I'll need more surgery. 

I wonder if all this year's Halloween sweets will keep till next year? While packing them away I decided to empty all the popping candy into a little jar (to sprinkle on ice-cream perhaps) as these little packets looked so much like fancy condoms. I know I've got a strange mind. 

And that's about it for another week. So while the sun is shining and Hubby is busy washing his bike and both cars (that have barely gone anywhere) I think I'll find a couple of outside jobs too. 

Stay safe.

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