shhDRink me

 Locked down, locked out, locked in a mindset which turns your mind round and around and around. It is winter, the fire is warming the house, invitingly.  That's being positive, isn't it? There's a birthday on Friday and he has decided to cancel it. Hmmm. I do try, honest I do but it's not always easy, pushing the boulder up hill.

 A comment on a serious programme made by the BBC (who should know better) -     "A piece of work painted by the artist before his death." Well, thank goodness for that! I have heard of ghost writings, but can you imagine a renowned art gallery patiently cataloguing a (dead) artist's studio with a view to exhibit, feeling a cool chill and a seeing a new work taking place in front of them? I feel the word 'shortly' could so easily have been inserted between 'artist' and 'before'.

 Quiet, soft, slowly the snowflakes fall like whispers on marshmallows, wishes on meringues. Pondering the idea that snow is like Life. Both need special conditions before they can form. Both float seemingly randomly, until they fade. Timescale is different, but then Time is ephemeral. Just an idea we try vainly to measure. It is cold but the fire is on in the front room and pineapple chutney is simmering on the Aga. Is there honey still for tea?

 Flash! Bang! (rumble). And the world turns white. I thought it was snow, but turned out to be hailstones. Still very pretty, slippy underfoot but hey! children could still make a snowman (albeit a tad small) and throw a few snowballs. The clouds tried to gather, sprinkling odd bits of frozen water but by lunchtime it was melting. Is there anything more pitiful than a small child forlornly pulling a sledge through muddy grass? Collected Sevilles from J in Parkgate, cautiously watching for lurking officiousness.  Chopped the ice from the fast-freeze and discovered hidden protein. Will make pineapple+ginger chutney tomorrow, thus making more room in the freezer. There is several cakes, so might take one with some marmalade to J+R.  We are threatened with minus temperatures overnight so the world might be dangerously white again tomorrow.

 Nothing is new, the lament of the more mature! The advert for coffee bags is particularly irritating. Coffee was in bags in the sixties/seventies (Lyons made them, I think). I found them a bit weak, but then good coffee was rare in those days. Television programmes for school children is a good thing, for lots of reasons. Now they call it 'Bitesize' but I remember school programmes on during the day, when we were off because of illness. Tucked up in a blanket, resting on cushions piled on the couch (or sofa, depending how posh you were) and if you were really lucky, a glass of Lucazade to hand. The wind has blown the sky blue and the room smells of cooked oranges. Having done the shopping, now it is time to wash the dishes and do some ironing. Oh, and print some labels for the marmalade.

 We try to be positive. We know we are lucky. Count our blessings, be aware of how others struggle and despite how life has been reduced, we manage very well.  R. emailed to tell us of N's death from covid. The first person I know personally who was unfortunate enough to catch the virus so terminally. It has been raining all day, storm Christoff crying across the country, flooding and worrying householders north of Watford Gap.  Apparently, mental health can be an issue during lockdown. Is Mother Nature having a go at Humanity?  Is this thought an expression of paranoia? J collected jars to put with the order for the deli, now to see if customers will buy. Tomorrow is shopping, let's hope it is dryer.

 Cold wind, trying to rain. Frozen hands inside gloves. Skeins of geese flying overhead. Did I mention P. has had his first jab? Wondered what (if anything) is the difference between inoculation and vaccination? Had a single, explosive attack of d+v yesterday morning - might have been a dodgy pastry from supermarket. No one else affected. Okay today. P met me at A's and we walked up to West Kirby, got a few bits from Aldi then train home.  Marmalade on the go, first batch with oranges from Jackie. Lunt's oranges are quite expensive, even if I get a box. Might ask J if she can get me some from her greengrocer. Viet coffee came today, carpet cleaner came Saturday and P and J had fun unpacking and working out where everything went! Bergamots coming in A's Riverford box tomorrow. All go!

 Today, I was going to make chutney in the morning (emptying the freezer) and start sorting the study in the afternoon. Instead I was on the phone until lunchtime, discussing the how's of operating indirect sales from the Market. Then explaining how we had got it wrong to a colleague. Who also wanted to chat. Which included jars and availability. And a call from another colleague. It was 2o'clock before the chutney was on and then I had to search online for budget jars. Honestly, you could loose the will to live, trying to find a best buy when vat is sometimes included, delivery might be included and do you also want lids? I probably paid more, but having ordered from a known supplier at least I know they will come. On the plus side, chutney is now in jars, cooling.  And Peter is going for his first vaccination tomorrow. Yeah!

 ROSEMARY. Rough, Old, Sinuous spikes of green.   Emotive Moments Ameliorating, Remembering Yesterdays. Might need some work! (could do better?)

 We have had three mornings of hard frost. Yesterday the doors on the car stuck - and it tried to snow. Today is still cold, but by the time we got up any frost had gone, leaving a leaden (or perhaps laden) sky. As it is lockdown, we know it is Sunday because it it posh perfume day - also pastries, of course. Will try the new hazelnut spread from Hotel Choc's inventing room today. Last weeks smoked salmon were not a hit! (sigh). Today's selection didn't hit the mark either. Never mind, it means I have something for breakfast for the next few days. When buying some book presents, I treated myself to a lovely book - The Lost Words, written/illustrated by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris. Beautiful illustrations and each poem uses the letters of the item. For example -:                               IVY         I am ivy, a real high flyer,        Via bark and stone I scale tree and spire.        You call me ground-cover;I say sky-wire. A calming book.

 Welcome to Lockdown number 2 or 3, depending on how you look at it.  So we went shopping on Tuesday and still people don't wear a mask, don't keep a distance in the shopping aisles (even pushing past) and standing close to others in the exit because it has started to rain. Numbers are going up, but vaccinations are also going up.  J's mum has had her second jab. We try to be positive.  A friends' husband has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, but so was P this time last year and he is through treatment and only needs to be monitored now. We need to be positive. We have booked a family holiday in Wales during April. We have to be positive. It might be cold, but the sun is shining. Positive.

 I thought today could be a normal day. You know the kind? Get washed, dressed, check emails, breakfast, wash the dishes, brush the floor...... Then the downstairs loo wasn't filling properly. Investigations with spanners and clothes and half a kitchen roll, then water....... Is anywhere open that remotely resembles a plumbers merchants?   

 There was a plan to go for Chinese breakfast, possible today, more likely on Sunday. Tier2 so fine, right? Well, no, because tiers are now all changed - there is a 4, into which 75% of the country has been placed from midnight WednesdayThursday. Tiers and tears. Not Merseyside though, we are now 3 and to be honest, I'm not that sure what it means as in what we can and can not do. So glad we went to see the chickens on Wednesday as Cheshire is one of those now in Tier 4. So we nipped over to the Chinese supermarket and yesterday and bought dim sum. Plan is still for Chinese lunch, but a do-it-yourself. A and J are coming - it's okay, we are a bubble. 'Bout the only rule I understand! So let's hope the year grows with hope and life becomes wide and deep and full again. Fingers crossed.