shhDRink me

 There was an interesting programme on the beeb last night, presented by Lucy W. Called 'The Blitz Spirit' it looked at said spirit from the point of view of ordinary people via their diaries. Their lives were hard, grim but stoical. The frank expression of their thoughts, the disappointment that the News wasn't  new or accurate made it all the more valid.  Not everyone made it. I wondered what people would write in their diaries about the current situation.  (Do people still write that kind of diary? (It's a shame Mum's diaries were thrown out - well, she was encouraged(!) to throw them out). This pandemic isn't a war as such, although there are parallels, particularly in the way it has been managed by Government.   Whose diary would be considered representative of ordinary people and their experiences? We hear about the care workers. Doctors, nurses, paramedics and everyone who works in and around the NHS, including the cleaners, kitchen workers and all the ot

 So we have a 'road map', which works on a five week breather.  It's a plan. We may be able to go on holiday at the end of April. We may be able to get a hair cut before we go. Or we may not. Depends on how high the numbers go i.e. how many catch the virus, how many are hospitalised and how many die. Let's just hope vaccination and testing keep as many people as possible, safe. Keep positive and enjoy the increasing amount of sunshine we have each day between now and the solstice, which is when all restriction are lifted (supposedly!).

 First jab yesterday, Oxford A-Z. Phone appointment today - go on statins. Is now the time to officially become a grump?

 Quite by accident, I saw a very peaceful hour of television (BBC4, I think) on Tuesday evening. Found out later it was one of three, from Pluscarden Abbey, near Elgin.  Simply a day in the life of Benedictine monks. One was weaving a stole for use in the confessional, another attending the bees, separating honey from wax, bottling the honey.  The only words spoken was the reading from the Rule in the Refectory, chanting at Prayers. I had a very peaceful night's sleep.

 It started snowing. No, it isn't. There is white stuff on the floor and scratching at the windows. I can't see anything. They said wind, possibly rain. Okay, it's not snowing. Someone is pulling a sledge along. Oh, right, so it could be snowing then? Mmm.

 A chap (Andy Cope!) talks about wellness and mental health. His advice at this time, is to stop searching for the light at the end of the tunnel. Instead, find a torch and live in the moment. Breakfast time, for example. It might be the same cereal/pastry/bacon and eggs but each day is a different day. It might be the same coffee, but it is a different cup of coffee. So focus on the now. Stay safe, stay well, stay in the moment and don't worry about the future.

 Every day was Sunday, for a while. But now my ginger perfume has come, so we are back to just one a week. Vaccinations are going apace, but variants ooze across the country. The South African is a concern because there are some cases with no obvious contacts with the continent. Tonight they announced another variant in Liverpool. Is this just what a virus does? The more it replicates, the more likely a change will be? Or could it be the virus trying to survive, perhaps if one has the virus (asymptomatically) when vaccinated, it has a chance to fight back. News from Willaston - the clergy seem to be moving on after Easter. Mrs. Vicar was a promising baker, we will miss her. Also discussions on when to re-open the Market. 6th March seems to be favourite. By then most producers will have had their jab and will feel happier about meeting the public. Tomorrow the phone may be working again, an engineer is supposed to be coming to fix it. Then I will be able to have my practice appointment