Re: Hi Dita and all

[dita]

Hi everyone, we had quite a frost overnight, but at least its dry-------not quite dry enough for football just now Dolly------Ooops sorry One of the main things I thought about as regards my could have been journey to get the vaccine, was-----I haven't had a Covi test so if I had made that journey and was positive at carrying the virus , how many folk could I have passed it on to ????? Love and Hugs Vannin and Trixie from Dolly and me xxxxxx

[vannin]

But Dita, if you are on your journey, wearing a mask and socially distancing, after this long period of isolating, you should have nothing to pass on. I know that some people sometimes may be carriers but only if they are going without masks. I was dismayed when my order came last Monday, to see the driver without a mask, in spite of the email Ocado sent out saying 'All our drivers wear masks' and I could see he needed to ask me if the one substitute food was acceptable. So I rammed mine on my face as I went to open the door (always keep it in a packet on the hallstand) and, as always when receiving mail or carrier bags, I put my rubber gloves on. He looked quite taken aback as though realising he was remiss!
I think today is dark and miserable and have hopes for a better tomorrow. Now the decorations are down, I miss the twinkly lights.
Take care everyone. Love and hugs Dita and Dolly from Trixie and me xxxx

[vannin]

So sorry Dita, I was nearly forgetting those who are excused from wearing masks, owing to lung condition.
Edited to add, my county has just been declared the second English county with a major incident.'

[dita]

Good afternoon everyone, It is no sooner light then dark again, hope all are well and doing your best Vannin, I must say it is rare to see delivery vans arriving into the village minus their face masks, maybe that helps us remain one of the least places with infections. Dont know about everyone else but all these changes are hard to keep up with because of such a complicated situation we are all sadly in. I do hope your county soon becomes a safer place to be, love and hugs to yourself and little Trixie from Dolly and me xxx

[vannin]

I think there are many counties where infection rate may be more rampant than this one, but the situation shows up the appalling fact that there has been a desperate shortage of our hospitals since two were closed down in the past ten years. Now that our remaining hospitals, unsurprisingly, are overflowing, Bucks gets the label 'major incident'. There has been a campaign during the ten years for our nearest hospital to be reinstated. In the meantime one of the private BMI hosps has converted its wards for Covid patients, leaving the potential private patients to go to another (of which there are many)

My day was brightened by another long chat in the porch - well-distanced because the porch is along most of the house frontage - with the plumber-neighbour's son who is using this drive to park his nice new car. He loves chatting and is so different from the nearest neighbours from whom I have not heard any syllable addressed to me since the first lockdown started.
Ah well, we can only wait optimistically and follow the guidelines. Take care all and stay safe. Love and hugs to Dita and Dolly from Trixie and me.xxx

[dita]

Hi everyone, it was a tossup between coming on here, or taking Dolly out for a run, she won. It is still soaking in the garden but living out here with one street and the rest fields of sorts there isn't much choice. Have had to spend ages rubbing her ladyship down, she is tiny and her long coat trails on the ground. Vannin I understood all you were saying about our hospitals, in this area we are not doing too bad mainly because we have had a lower amount of folk suffering from the virus, through the years we have had closures though.
I had a chat on my small porch doorstep yesterday Vannin, I collared our postie as he was delivering post and asked him if he would put a couple of letters in the post box for me------ and he did bless him, we had a good chat as well about this and that, and I was so grateful for that, it was the first time I have spoken to anyone apart from Dolly for a few days .
Take care everyone and Love and Hugs to you Vannin and Trixie xxxxx

[vannin]

Yes Dita, it is especially cheering in times of lockdown, to have long chats. Today I phoned my friend with whom I used to attend Movers and Shakers, and it was a while since we were in touch. So that lasted about 40 minutes. Then, in the evening I was phoned by a young friend Hanna, a newly-qualified teacher.
She is very devoted to her little group who are the 4 and 5 year-old children of key workers and she described how the recent chopping and changing of school plans leaves the little ones completely bewildered. The main thing that has kept her upbeat is the preparation for moving home, which is imminent. I found we had chatted for three quarters of an hour.
I find the days pass quickly, thank goodness! Hope everyone is coping, and do take care. Love and hugs to
you both from Vannin and Trixie. xxxx

[dita]

I keep leaving messages on a friends phone, we have always stayed in touch and remembered each others birthdays and xmas-------until this year, her voice still comes up on her answering machine but she never phones back and I didn't get a card at Christmas either. She has had a couple of operations on her head in the past few years and I am now worried she may have had another bleed on her brain, just waiting. I too find the days go quickly. My son in Kent is working at his school once per week with key worker kids, he also works on line with the school too.
Take care everyone, Love and hugs to yourself and Trixie from Dolly and yours truly xxxxx

[vannin]

I keep leaving messages on a friends phone, we have always stayed in touch and remembered each others birthdays and xmas-------until this year, her voice still comes up on her answering machine but she never phones back and I didn't get a card at Christmas either. She has had a couple of operations on her head in the past few years and I am now worried she may have had another bleed on her brain, just waiting. I too find the days go quickly. My son in Kent is working at his school once per week with key worker kids, he also works on line with the school too.
Take care everyone, Love and hugs to yourself and Trixie from Dolly and yours truly xxxxx

That really is a big worry, about your friend. I hope you might get a message from someone close to her who might play back the messages and answer on her behalf, if she is ill.
After talking at length to my friend yesterday, mostly about the local arrangements of venues and waiting to make appointment, she rang me back today. We are both patients at the same surgery and she is over 80, she told me today she has been given a slot at the Town Hall on Sunday. Very central venue, and when my turn comes, I would hope it is there. Our surgery is very unsuitable for queuing.
Love and hugs to you both from Trixie and me,xxxx

[dita]

Thats the problem Vannin, she does have a couple of folk who live in her village a few miles away from me, but I have no idea how to get in touch with them or who they are, she has a daughter too who lives in the south but I have never met her either. Because her phone is still active I presume sooner or later she may get my messages.
It is a shocking day here , pouring down with rain. The guy who lives next door has just put mail in my letter box, shocked to find it is my bank statements, good job he was honest and didn't decide to open them. Must point out it was not Paul the usual Postie, but I shall be informing him tomorrow what has happened????
Take care everyone, love and hugs to Vannin and Trixie from Dolly and me xxxx

[vannin]

The postal problems are not improving here. The postman has been three times since Christmas. The first time it was two late Christmas cards. The second and third times, it was junk mail. I know they are paid more for delivering junk mail, so while there is a massive backlog of mail which may continue for the length of lockdown, I know that some of the overdue ones I'm waiting for, are important.
This is how the sorting-office distancing was explained to me: The usual method of working involves post being pigeon-holed by workers very close together.
In order to keep the two-metre rule and also comply with cutting the workforce as well as sorters having the virus, the sorting has been handed to the postmen to each do their own before leaving to do their rounds of delivering. Many may not have time to even do their usual walk. I usually look out of the window at lunchtimes when ours used to be delivered, and the only times I saw any postie were when I had my (unimportant) deliveries, once each week since Christmas. I am beginning to feel resigned to it but just hope the mountain of overdue mail will not go missing!
Take care everyone and stay safe. Mr Penny get well soon! Love and hugs from both of us to Dita and Dollie.xxxx

[vannin]

Hello all, Yesterday I completely forgot to post here, purely and simply.
It snowed in the night, but is now thawing fast in light rain. Trixie came up in the night to snuggle on top of me and tell me all about it!

[dita]

Hello everyone, just checking in, would hate to help cause a shutting down process occurring. It is not raining which is a bonus, although we haven't had much snow. Take Care everyone. Love and Hugs to whats your names and keep your powder dry. Bye for now xxx

[vannin]

I'm just checking in too! Sorry I was a bit lengthy yesterday describing Trixie's apparent mourning for Finn. I have spent a lot of the day awaiting the right moment to give her a quite different problem, meaning the anti-flea drops on the back-of-the-neck. But there is never a right moment and treatment was about a fortnight overdue. I finally did the deed just now, which offends her every time. Talk about struggle!

Beforehand I was glad to see a happier pusscat than yesterday - so I may be in the doghouse!! We'll see what tomorrow brings. I'm sure she would join me in sending hugs to Dita and Dolly xxxx

[dita]

This is my third and last time of trying to post. Vannin no need to apologies over Trixies sad loss of her friend Finn, it is understandable, I do hope she is feeling back to her cheeky little self today. Dolly reacts much the same over the dreaded spot on the neck and sulks for the rest of the day, sorry but this much shorter because of things I couldn't do much about. Lots of Love and Hugs to you both from Dolly and her slave xxx