Today I did some real cleaning, it got to the point where the dust bunnies’ were turning into baby elephants thus making me realize I should get out the vacuum!!!
Still raining, what a difference the sun makes.
Spoke to a couple of friends and Christina is back on line so saw the grandkids.
I do not know where the days slip away too, I guess we get up later but still the days fly.
The WHO has completely ignored the great progress Taiwan has made in fighting this virus, lumping it in with mainland China. Taiwan actually did a wonderful job of stopping the spread which could have engulfed this small island. Taiwan has been a country in its own right since Chiang Kai- Shek escaped with the Kuomintang to the island in 1949. he ruled there until his death in 1975.
I think it would be a good idea to test as many people as possible to see who has Covid 19 but are not displaying symptoms. i am talking about Canada here.
Easter will soon be here. It has rained all day today, but it also stayed above freezing so we can see green appearing everywhere underneath the brown.
Didnt’ get much done today despite my intentions, put a few pics. up. Painted a frame for the Easter cards i have had waiting to go up for years. I will only put them up at Easter time but they are cute and spring like so it feels good to see them.
I have avoided the news again today it is very easy to start on the downward path again and i want to avoid that. i can feel myself on the verge of despare. Must be vigilant.
Musicians are playing music on their own and putting it all together for our enjoyment. That makes me feel good.
i see Harry and Meghan have moved to LA. I am not surprised. a Young mother probably wants her mum near her. Anyway they are just a young couple getting on with their lives good luck to them.
I have hung a couple of prints of LS Lowry’s work one is “Level Crossing”1946 and the other is “The Funeral Party” 1953, I love that one. They always cheer me up.
At last something clicked today and I finally made a start on cleaning up the office in the basement. All be it rather late in the day.
We had a lovely fry up for breakfast, we have been told to eat well!!! Did some shopping for friends as well as us and got the papers. Getting really good at the crosswords now. Also did a lot of sorting out in the office and now have piles of pending work to get on with. This is how i work, i do a little of this and a little of that and eventually get it all done.
Started on picture framing again and got 3 finished and ready to hang, now I have to decide where.
it is strange to feel so energized after a week of ennui. Now I want to get on and do things.
Today was a better day, the sun shone and we walked around the back lot, still nothing growing but it was nice to breath in fresh air. The ice on the pond is still thick but melting around the edges.
I put some decent clothes on instead of my usual house cleaning scruff. I am not doing any house cleaning anyway. I did sort some paperwork out and then sat on the front deck in the sunshine for coffee, it is still cool but was nice with a coat on.
I see Boris Johnson has tested positive for Covid 19 as well as Prince Charles. I wonder if Justin Trudeau is out of quarantine yet?
A friend has told us they have just lost their job. Probably due to this virus.
I found a virtual church on line which I might explore.
An old friend of mine has taken to Facebook for the first time. i am thrilled with this, they live in England so it will be a good way to communicate. Otherwise we have just got a Thai take out from our local restaurant. Friday night here we come.
I had grand ideas for today. But they just didn’t happen, perhaps tomorrow.
Awake in the night, I chatted to ‘Tip on Messenger she is feeling mad and sad just like me. Ooytip lives in Bangkok and their Songkran (New Year’s Celebration) in April has been cancelled just like our Easter.
I wonder if those in charge realise how unsettling these cancellations are? Yes, I know we need to be carful but aren’t we going a little too far? I see CBC are reinstating our local news broadcasts, why they stopped them I do not know. We need to feel like we are being listened to. Not everything happens in Toronto which is where all the news was coming from. I mean use common sense and lets have some light relief from all this heavy stuff. It is all very well being physically safe but if our mental health is ignored problems will soon surface.
This shut down is predicted to go on indefinitely, for those of us who are mentally fragile and not able to see the glass is half full this is a devastating state of affairs. My mind understands that I am very privileged and lucky to be so safe and secure but somehow this doesn’t make me feel any better. It makes me feel worse because I know i should feel better.
On a lighter note Mexico has demanded a crack down on its boarder with the US. Mexico is afraid undiagnosed Americans will entre Mexico, right now they have very few cases while the US has thousands and does not appear to be organised in its approach to stopping the spread.
It becomes even weirder when, on one of your few forays outside in the car, you find yourself social distancing from other cars. Making sure their are no cars even remotely near you when you park in a car park or turn onto a side road.
We didn’t get Katya today, her mother and I decided it wouldn’t be a good idea. But it is sad.
After trying and failing to spring clean, I found a bag full of leaflets picked up/bought on trips to places of interest.
There are an outstanding number of booklets on Places of worship: St. Mary’s, Lower Slaughter, I should remember where this is but do not. It was first erected in 13thC.
Glastonbury abbey, ruins of course, as it was closed and sold off in 1539 and most of its stones went into local house building or the causeway to wales.
A booklet on Westminster Cathedral (The catholic one) This is an odd looking cathedral for England in that it is built in the Byzantine style so as not to compete with the original Gothic architecture of Westminster Abbey. The Cathedral was not opened for worship untill 1903. Catholics, in Britain, were only allowed full rights as citizens in 1829 after loosing them during the reformation.
Westminster abbey famous for its weddings funerals and coronations.
Reading Minster: Thomas Beckett as Archbishop of Canterbury consecrated Reading Abbey in 1164 the Minster was part of this abbey although it has been added to since then.
The Chapel Royal at Hampton Court Palace, is funded by the Queen for all who wish to worship here. It was built in about 1514 for Cardinal Wolsey whose Palace Hampton Court was.
Salisbury cathedral was completed on its present site in 1258 with the tower added in the early 14thC. It is unique among medieval English cathedrals in that it is all in one style known as Early English Gothic. This is also home to one of the four remaining original copies of the Magna Carta.
St. Peter’s Church Winchcombe, Gloucs. Completed about 1468. Winchcombe is the Ancient Saxon capital of Mercia
Ripon Cathederal. It dosen’t say when the present building was erected but part of it at least dates back to 672.
Furness Abbey ruins. began life in 1127 as a home to Savigniac Monks from Normandy. Later absorbed by the Cistercian order.
Rochester Cathedral the present building was compleated about 1343.
Poulton Le Fylde Parish Church, St Chad’s. This area was known as Amounderness before the Norman’s came. The church dates back to at least1293. Its graveyard stands high above the Streets and most of the gravestones were laid flat and the area levelled in 1973. Today in spring the whole yard is covered in snowdrops, crocuses and daffodils.
I have enjoyed checking these facts, perhaps i have a goal for other days.
Here we have (Left to right) Heidi, Chubby Chequer and miss Myopia. All decked out in their finery. This was a tradition whereby you were taken off to a professional photographer to have a photograph for prosperity taken. We are lucky in that all 3 of us still tread this earth.
Nowadays, of course, we are all professional photographers and take pictures of our offspring at the drop of a hat as well as displaying them on social media sites for all to see.
We awoke to a smattering of snow this morning which i loved, it soon melted and was replaced by sunshine which did lift the spirits. Still shining now.
It is being reported, in Britain, that older people in the USA would rather die than have the country harmed by sever economic measures!!! I will end with one of my favourite singers of all time.
Giving advice to people about not listening/watching the news, what do i do? Go and upset myself by reading some news!
I wonder if reporters will become irrelevant? These mostly bright young things seem to take great glee in reporting the latest dire consequences of Covid 19 on the world stage. yes, I am aware it is bad I know lots of people are getting sick and some are dying. I still feel we are being fed some information but not all of it. Like how bad is it really? How many people get really sick in comparison to a bit sick? This info is kept from us.
I know they are worried about the hospitals not being able to cope (perhaps we need to rethink how our hospitals are run?) if we all get sick at once. I know the news out of China was bad as was Italy. Has anyone considered the way these people live their lives compared to us? I think Britain will be in for a bad time as they have so many people squashed together in a very small space.
I have no answers just a lot of, I guess upset, because i do not really know what to do. I wonder if our rulers feel like this?
On a lighter note I did Trump’s Jigsaw Puzzle. It is at the top of the page. Put it away now. Trying to focus on something useful of which i have a ton to finish. Maybe I will start tomorrow!
Oh yes it snowed most of the day but hasn’t really stuck, it is icing sugar snow, English.
Sunshine today, lovely. Spoke to a friend on the phone.
Got on really well with Globe and Mail crossword.
Another friend mentioned she was doing puzzles so i went hunting and found a very old puzzle in the basement. I haven’t done it in years but when I opened it up, I found it is called “Trump’s general Store”!!!!
Started to spring clean earlier in the week, amazing how the cobwebs manage to festoon themselves around the ceilings and all without anyone noticing until you stop to look.
Binge watching every British Drama we can get our hands on, does this say something about us or US Drama?
“Travel” said Pooh, “oh what is that?” asked Eeyore. “I am not sure” said Pooh, “but I heard Christopher talking about it once when we were very young”. “I know an new word, said Piglet, “Suitcase” “Hmm it is all very well knowing new words but what does it mean” Said Pooh. “Perhaps a case to keep your suit in” suggested Tiger.
Friends just called and said Ottawa is a mad place to shop in, small minded Nazi’s seem to have taken over the stores with Rules to Follow being instigated without the use of common sense. The same thing happened when they first brought in all the security business at the airports. Employees taxed with controlling the masses, became small dictators. I expect this is something we will have top cope with from now on. Shops seem to be becoming even more useless. We will soon be doing everything via the internet. Perhaps we will be able to eat Virtually, cannot wait, i might loose weight. But will I be able to taste the chocolate?
