shhDRink me

 Met Jill for a take away coffee and chat. Sat in the warm sunshine, near the bowling green and caught up. Terrific!  When P comes back I will repair to the garden and have a go, as I haven't been to the plot today (Tuesday being the usual day for such things). I noticed some butterfly eggs have already been deposited on newly-emerging nettle leaves and some large bumble bees are about. What with the supermoon shining brightly last night, the seasons are on the turn. Perhaps spirits are too.

 It is raining, it is a s-i-l Sunday and I am fed up with baking things that, for reasons to do with colleagues, come home and have now re-filled the freezer we had managed to empty over the winter. P. has cut his hair and I have decided to do different things for next Saturday. Different large cake (with no reference to J), different savouries (cheese+pickled walnut scones, not b.o.+g.c.tarts) and some cherry rock cakes (even though M does scones - as i do s/rolls!). Sounds like I'm a bit grumpy. Good job no visitors today.

 Did we discuss disasters yesterday? Today Myanmar is fatally shooting children. A super (as in 'too large for safety') tanker ran aground and completely blocked the Suez canal. And it isn't 2pm yet. Oh, and apparently the Grand National meeting isn't Easter week-end, but the following one. So although I still wont be able to bake that week, it isn't the problem it was going to be to miss a big Market. At least the shopping has been done and the sun is not only shining but has some warmth in it.

 So, a year today the first lockdown (cliché) was announced and we all had to stay at home. A rollercoaster (cliché) of a year and we are again at home, albeit with more flexibility. Now, though, we have treatments and vaccines (well, if EU don't ban exports to UK). Our light at the end of the tunnel(cliché). A £5000 fine will be issued to anyone going abroad for frivolity. Our holiday in Wales is in doubt as apparently the doom man says he doesn't want any English travelling in to Wales for Easter. It was bigbruv's 3rd anniversary yesterday. What would he have thought of all this? There are floods around Sydney, not so long since the wild fires. There are shootings in America with no support for a change in the gun laws. The plates are moving in Iceland and lava is flowing. Riots in Myanmar and missing BBC employees. Protesters marching through Bristol objecting to a change in the law which makes protest marches more difficult (then hijacked by rent-a-lout who injured poli...

 And so the year turns. We were in Shrewsbury this time last year, planning a meal at Loch Fynne (and delicious it was), today it will be dim sum at home. Cards (decent ones difficult to find), presents (chocolate and promises) and phone calls ("Happy Birthday to.......). Later our bubble will come for cake and un-birthday gifts.  The news is that EU have taken against our vaccine for what ever, but it feels like cutting their nose off to spite their face (as we used to say). Magnolia buds are breaking, daffodils are open everywhere, along with the occasional primrose and the (totally confused) cherry trees down the road. Cool, but not as cold. Grey but not wet. Increasing hours of daylight. It's good to be positive. 

 Children are back at school and we are being warned there will be an upsurge in virus cases in late summer/early autumn.  Carrot and stick. Europe seems to be having another surge and the implication is that UK haven't given them enough vaccine. Holiday in France come October seems to be receding. Wales in April is still in doubt. It is raining and the isobars are narrowing. Wind (as well as rain) is due tonight and will stay awhile. Coal down to 2 bags, logs dwindling fast. A. is self-isolating as she is having a colonoscopy tomorrow. Where is Life's smile?