December 2021: We shall have Christmas

Wednesday 1 December 2021 I said my ‘White Rabbits’ got up and went for a swim although I could have cheerfully stayed in bed. We are being told not to panic and that Christmas will not be cancelled again this year, but those in power are such a shower that I have no confidence in them. Still, Phil has organised everything for a family Christmas in Berwick-on-Tweed so it’s time to cross our fingers, permanently. I don’t know why I washed; it was a raw, damp day but some things dried on the line. In a fit of madness we enjoyed fish and chips for lunch. China and Russia are sabre rattling. I hate it. I’m so sick of war-mongers and the misery and destruction they cause in the name of power and it's always the ordinary person in the street who suffers in the end. Thursday 2 December Snow! The forecast was for cold and sunny, but the snow had gone by the time Paul drove me to the station. Sheffield was bright, clear and the wind was bitterly cold as I made my way to Paüla’s right on the very top. We had a long and intense conversation over a funeral plan for her mum, and sad as it was, it was important. We managed to contact Jake from Social Services to keep him in the loop and deal with some queries. I was glad to be home and my lovely husband made tea and fussed over me. Nothing on TV, so I got my puzzle book out. I'm still reeling from the story of little Arthur who was killed by his father and partner after months of starvation, torture and neglect. He was six years old. It’s just too shocking to write any more.

Friday 3 December Another cold December day. It was nice to see Daphne at the pool, she should know more today about her treatment. Good luck sweetheart. Kerry was back too. What a lovely lady. It is a year to the day since I got my diagnosis and treatment for RA. It made a huge difference at the time, but Covid made a mockery of aftercare for me and an army of others across the nation. I made an appointment with a funeral director who will fortunately be in York next week. We can work out a funeral plan for Paüla’s approval. Barbados has cut loose from the UK and their closest ally now is China. Good luck with that one. When they say kow-tow you kow-tow double quick. Omicron may not be as big a threat as Covid, but it’s scary all the same. It's good to know that Ellie is better and out of isolation tomorrow.

Saturday 4 December Jennifer and Lee were married today in beautiful Bishop Wilton. I wish them a lifetime of happiness. I hope Jen has a coat though as it’s bright, but the wind is very cold. A week after Storm Arwen and some people in the North Yorkshire, County Durham, Northumbria and Scotland still have no power. Being in the remote countryside is lovely, but sadly inhospitable conditions is one of the drawbacks. 100 more desperate refugees have been pulled out of the Channel. There was a Christmas Market in Malton, and we were greeted by the wonderful strains of a brass band playing near St Michael’s church. It was all very happy and jolly and crowded despite the cold weather. Glad we were not in York with the anti-vaccs protest march going on. The government is clearly damned if it does and damned if it doesn’t. We stopped at Deans Garden Centre on the way home for lunch, another very busy spot. The meal was so hearty that we could only stagger back to the car and in fact, that was it for the day. Come teatime we had drink, and nothing more passed our lips. I weighed the fruit for the final Christmas cakes before ringing Fred. Then it was the important job of watching Strictly. Sunday 5 December Happy birthday Penny, I hope you have a lovely day. I watched from the bedroom window as all the sheep suddenly came tripping down the field. They are so funny. Downstairs in the kitchen I spotted the reason for their migration as a deer came into view. So they are still there, and that’s what happens; the sheep clear the area. I got the cakes made and in the oven before lunch; another good job done. We’ve been surprised at the lack of activity on the bird feeders so far, but I saw the reason why today. Rattus norvegicus is still there. One little blighter was climbing the spindly pole with no bother, so Paul painted it in engine gunk and put a box of rat poison down. I love getting an e-mail from Glynis, she was my first school friend. She and Doug will be moving to Masham in the New Year to be close to their youngest son and his family.It will be nice to meet up with her in Harrogate some time. I hope they get their planned family Christmas. Dan was voted off Strictly. Monday 6 December It was so dark when I left for my swim, but I wanted to be back for my GP appointment. I felt reassured after speaking to a lovely doctor, who is going to contact Dr Green and see if he can resolve my problems as my inflammation levels are up. It’s another damp, gloomy December day with the threat of more bad weather to come. What with cats and rats, the birds have been afraid to come to the feeders, but the signs are that they are in the hedge just awaiting an opportunity. Lots of Starling flocks coming over and I keep looking for a murmuration. Two hours of Art, Moira, Denise and Mark is a lovely way to start the week. Tuesday 7 December Happy birthday Sasha, I hope your knee is much better bringing you a wonderful pain free year. There was a frost overnight and the day promised to be very cold. I went back to EE to finally set up Paul’s phone and was once again very grateful to Phil's excellent customer service. It was not easy as iD mobile are very poor to deal with, but Phil saved me hours of stress and he sorted out the Voicemail on my phone too. I managed to get a couple more Christmas presents and then headed home fast before the weather turned. Paul arrived shortly after, so we were both safe and warm when Storm Barra really got going. I cancelled Tuesday evening at Dean’s the weather was far too fowl to go out. I said a prayer for the people of Indonesia who have been devastated by a volcanic eruption on Mount Semeru. At least 34 people have died, and thousands have been left homeless. Wednesday 8 December I went straight to the Post Office in Heworth after my swim to beat the crowds and was home by nine with everything sorted. The post box has been 'yarn bombed' for Christmas! I did my e-mails after breakfast and was pleased to see one from a Social Worker assigned to Joan from the Court of Protection. It was sad discussing Joan when she is still very much alive, but I need their guidance if I am to oversee any funeral arrangements. The meeting with Kevin Moxon went very well and I am happy that the arrangements will be kept simple in accordance with Joan’s wishes when the time comes. He even attends the church where Joan’s husband is buried, and the ashes are to be taken. After 16 years at the helm, Angela Merkel has stepped down and Germany has a new leader; Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

Thursday 9 December Sunshine! A welcome start even though it clouded over quite quickly. Paul and Helen C came for coffee, so I made some scones. It was so lovely to see them and hear all about the wedding. Jennifer made such a beautiful bride, and it was a very happy occasion even if Paul C was day-dreaming when he it was time to give her away. Carrie Johnson has given birth to a girl, so she and Boris now have a son and daughter. I went up to the post box with some Christmas cards whilst Paul went for a bike ride, then I set too and defrosted the fridge/freezer. It’s a job I hate, but I love it when it’s done. I can't believe how organised I am at the moment; better be careful or I'll meet myself coming back! Famous last words as my laptop had other ideas. The screen blanked out and it wouldn't switch off. So it's off to Graham at Byteguys tomorrow and I hope he can fix it.

Friday 10 December

Happy birthday Darryl, don’t let that puppy tire you out! A glorious sunny day. I even managed to get two loads of washing dry, ironed and away. I dropped Audrey home after swimming, had breakfast then it was over to Graham's with the laptop. I reckon it's the battery. The Sparrows are back in the hedge and all over the bird feeders, so the rat prevention is working. It was lovely to see the Starlings all over the place too; gathering and soaring in little murmurations. The new series of Vienna Blood has started. I like it but the main character is so dull and lifeless, it spoils it. Saturday 11 December A fairly dull day. I looked out and the sheep were grazing as normal, but half an hour later they had gone. The field looks bare after a month of the little woolly jumpers dotted all over it, but hopefully now the deer will come back. We went to Selby for a bit of shopping. What a dreary day, neither light nor dark, wet or dry. Real winter blues. I’m fed up with the government and sleaze and lies over Christmas parties, Omicron and the media telling us we’re all going to die. Will Christmas be cancelled again and anyway it’s going to snow heavens high On This Date according to the Mirror newspaper. Have they ever thought of giving us some JOY. The dances on Strictly tonight were wonderful. I could have watched Rose and AJ dancing all night, Reece was terrific, but John’s dances were rubbish.

Sunday 12 December I was in pain when I got up but felt much better after my exercises. I just got some scones out of the oven before Rod and Joyce arrived, it was so lovely to see them, and Joyce brought homemade fruit loaf. Yum yum. The sun made a welcome appearance too. I went with Paul on his daily bike ride. It was such a lovely day and so mild, but as much as I enjoyed myself it was obvious that I haven’t ridden my bike for a while. I’m getting anxious that Christmas will be cancelled. The spread of the Omicron variant has hiked our level up to 4 and we must all wear our face masks. Boris has ordered booster jabs for all and brought the army in to assist. As I predicted it will be Rose, AJ and John in the Strictly final. Monday 13 December It was quiet in the pool, but I was earlier than usual. Helen was back poolside from Gran Canaria, lovely as ever. She enjoyed herself but the airport at Las Palmas was chaotic. Jeff Bezos has pledged 1 million dollars in aid following the collapse of an Amazon warehouse in the devastating tornados that have swept through Mid-West America. Nice try Jeff, but hey if you stopped pratting around in space and put just one of your Billions to work, you could clear up the whole of Kentucky and really make a name for yourself. Daphne sent a text; she has an appointment in Hull tomorrow and as Sue is unfortunately away, I am only too happy to go with her. I finally got an e-mail off to Karen at the Court of Protection outlining Joan’s funeral arrangements when the time comes. Not a nice thing to do, but we give Joan dignity by being prepared. The GP rang with news that I am to go back on to steroids for a limited period to try and bring the inflammation down. Thank goodness, it's all getting very painful now. Tuesday 14 December It's a foggy start so I’m glad we’re going to Hull on the train and thankfully Paul took Daphne and I to the station. Sue and Stuart were on the station to wish Daphne good luck, and we had a very pleasant journey. The meeting with the Neuro-surgeon was very positive and once Daphne knew the alternatives she settled for an operation, and I think she settled her mind too. We were home by 3pm and waiting for the Coastliner, but when it came the driver was a rude woman I don’t like. She allowed four people on, said the bus was full and drove off! I caught the Number 11 and made it back at more or less the same time even though I had to walk further. My Bone Density results are back and it is as I always thought - I'm very dense! It was nice to have all four of us at Deans for our last get together before Christmas. Dad is just plain fed up of living poor love. Wednesday 15 December It was great to see Daphne back in the pool, and she will need to keep herself fit in the coming months. Straight to the Post Office after swimming to get in before the queues start. It was a beautiful morning. We popped up to John and Anne’s after I had put the washing out; her Christmas decorations are always beautiful and very artistic. Marilyn rang from Shipley to say that Graham died suddenly on 24 November, and she has been trying to find my number to let me know. I’m really sad, he was a lovely man and I've known him for most of my life. RIP Graham. The volcano on Mount Etna has had a little eruption, whilst Cumbra Vieja on Las Palma seems to be slowing down at last. Boris faced a revolt in the Commons last night and quite frankly, is not in a good place. He needs to get his act together before he loses his job. Jethro the Cornish comedian has died from Covid. How sad, he could really make me laugh. RIP Jethro. I can’t understand the choice of winner for Landscape Artist of the Year; one painting was fantasy and lollipop trees, whilst the other was just, well quite frankly, boring.

Thursday 16 December Paul was off to a Christmas lunch with the Badminton club, so I toddled off to Scarborough. It was a foggy start, and it didn’t get any better until we reached Seamer Road then suddenly it was all crystal blue sky. I went to the home with Joan’s Christmas present, but they have tightened rules for Covid again, so I left it at reception, then off to see my lovely friend Judy. It was distressing to see how limited her mobility is these days; I hope she gets some good news from her hospital appointment tomorrow. I walked up to the station and caught the early bus back through the fog, which only lifted as we approached York. Boris says we will not have another lockdown before Christmas, phew. His new daughter will be called Romy Iris Charlotte; what a mouthful. There has been a 2000% rise in enrolment for Sign Language courses since Rose began Strictly. Wow. Calum Stephenson was a very worthy winner of the Portrait Artist of the year. Friday 17 December Another foggy start and there is a lot of black ice on the road. We won £30 on the Lottery, woohoo! The Tories lost to the Lib Dems in the North Shropshire by-election, and they will go on losing with Boris at the helm. I think the media are adding fuel to the fire with their negative reporting as the cases of depression and suicide rise. The sun broke through about 10 o’clock and you could feel the heat, and although it was sad to see the clouds roll in, at least we had lovely four hours. I hope Judy’s visit to Malton Hospital brings some answers. I renewed my Library ticket after lunch, even though I don’t use it much anymore; there’s a healthy circulation of paperbacks from friend to friend. AJ has a torn ligament which means that she is unable to take part in the Strictly final. I’m gutted for her, but nothing can top her Quick Step last week, it was brilliant. At least she goes out on a high.

Saturday 18 December Another misty, drab day. But I didn’t have time for that! I was up and out, at the Post Office before a queue got going, next door to Love’s for greens and then off to the Royal Mail depot to collect a parcel. Next stop the Chemist for my prescription, then off for a quick call on Daphne and her ‘building site’. Now she has toothache, she must be pretty fed up. At least she’s got an appointment in Ophthalmology on Monday so it’s nice to know that she’s being looked after. Back home just after 10am to give the house a going over. It was a nice surprise to find Barry on the doorstep. He looks well and was looking forward to being with the grandchildren over Christmas. The deer have reclaimed the field, hooray! Ian is having a pre-birthday Birthday, and why not. Rose won Strictly. Both Anton and I were in tears with her dancing, she is such a worthy winner. Sunday 19 December 2021 Still blanket fog and miserable news about Covid and Omicron. Some people are urging an immediate lockdown, whilst others are saying it’s not as bad as it seems. Oh, I wish they would all shut up. We collected Ian, Maria and Gracie from the station, and Phil and Ellie arrived soon after. Well, if we get instant lockdown tonight we don’t care because we are all here. David Frost has resigned as Brexit Minister; oh dear Boris, more trouble for you. It was lovely to have everybody together, and Grace quickly bagged her chair, she’s no fool! We’re all off to Berwick-on-Tweed tomorrow as long as Boris allows us to, and the food is being delivered here tonight to take with us. I’ve done an enormous stew, to which I shall add some dumplings and fingers crossed it will feed us all. Might have to get out one of the Christmas cakes afterwards. Monday 20 December I can’t say we were up all that early, but it was nice to have a gentle start. Emma Raducanu won the Sports person of the year award; it’s nice to see a youngster winning for a change. I love to watch the Starlings swirling up and down the field in mini-murmurations and there are little excited flurries of Long tailed Tits rushing past. We set off just before 12 and once we got away from York the roads were dry. After a stop for Ian to join a work zoom meeting we went up the road and past the Angel of the North. It was good to get to arrive in Berwick at last. The house is very big, old and cold, but once Phil got the heating going it was great. He is such an organiser. Fish and chips for tea were very welcome. Tuesday 21 December Happy birthday Ian, may your year be full of joy and happiness. It is the Winter Solstice and the shortest day; a day when the year turns round and welcomes the return of the sun and hope for the future. We soon got our bearings and enjoyed a stroll over towards the estuary and onto part of the Lowry walk. It was cold, but clear and very little wind and once you got high up on the Ramparts you could see the stunning coastline with Lindisfarne and Bamburgh on the distant horizon. Lunch was lovely with soup and Phil's home made gravadlax, soda bread and cream cheese. Paul and I had a restful afternoon whilst Ian, Phil, Maria and Ellie went for another explore. It's lovely to forget about the world for a while. We had a super meal at Limoncello and all the customers joined in singing happy birthday to Ian much to his great embarrassment.

Wednesday 22 December Phil was out very early to collect our Christmas meat order from Skellys butchers, he also moved his car and had a walk and all whilst the rest of us were still abed. Phil and Ellie caught the 9.30 to Edinburgh; Ian and Maria worked until just after lunch and Paul and I went for a walk and revived a few happy memories of previous visits. When we got back Ian and Maria had also gone to Edinburgh so after another short walk this time with Gracie, we settled down to read in comfort. Pie and mash for tea. Lovely. At last the steroids are working and I can feel the inflammation abating. Walking is not so painful. Thursday 23 December

A wet December day. Ian was up early to walk Gracie and both he and Maria were hard at work by the time I surfaced. The rest of us had a fairly leisurely day. Luckily the rain had eased so Paul and I walked round by the Ramparts to visit the beautiful church of Holy Trinity and St Mary's. We got talking to one of the ladies arranging flowers and she added a bit more history for us. The beautiful Pink Sandstone that we saw everywhere was all recycled from Berwick Castle a long time ago. Oh how lovely to look out over the estuary and the sea and forget Covid for a change. Not listening to the news is good for the soul. Ian brought Oysters back from the fishmongers along with his fish. I had my first ever and I love them. The Snow White pantomime at The Maltings Arts Centre was great fun and the Chinese meal at the Royal Garden was splendid. We rounded off the night by watching Best In Show; what a hoot. Friday 24 December

Christmas Eve. One last meeting for Ian and a bit more work for Maria, then we were off to Lindisfarne. It's only down the coast so we couldn't miss it out. It was damp when we set off, but the rain eased and finally stopped. There was a cool breeze out of shelter, and it was very quiet. We had already checked the tide times, so we knew we were safe. It was so peaceful and very beautiful on the island. We walked over to the Priory, and looked in the church, then wandered down to see the upturned 'boat sheds'. It would have been nice to visit the castle, but it was a bit far in the time; something for another day. Lunch in the bar of a hotel was nice and there was a warming fire. We've all noticed how very friendly everybody is in this area. Phil started prepping for tomorrow's lunch whilst Ian made a delicious tea of Hake and lentils. Poor Ellie had a migraine.

Saturday 25 December Not just Christmas Day, but Chris’s birthday. Happy birthday sweetheart. The breeze got up and rattled the windows during the night, and I was sure I could hear something else too, which turned out to be Maria not being very well. So Christmas day started with Ellie recovering from a migraine exacerbated by toothache, and poor Maria washed out by a bad night with tummy ache. Was it an Oyster she ate? Phil and Ian set too making lunch whilst the rest of us sort of didn't do much, Paul walked Gracie, I read and then went for a walk myself. It was dry and colder in the fresh breeze. A little boy I passed showed me his new Dinosaur watch; he was so excited. We gathered together for present opening, and oh there were some lovely gifts. Lunch was a tour de force. Beautiful turkey and ham, plenty of veg, bread sauce and stuffing. The only sadness was that neither of the girls felt like eating. I felt so disappointed for them because they both love their food. I'm not sure how long it took Paul and I to wash up, but rest assured, no pan or dish had been left unused! But I'm not complaining, Phil and Ian did us proud. I've not seen any news again, and ignorance is bliss. We played Carcassonne, that was a first and quite challenging. Sunday 26 December I got up and took Gracie for a good walk before breakfast. It was great to see that Maria was definitely better, but poor Ellie had another bad night with her tooth. I rang NHS 111 who were really helpful, and Ellie was able to get some tablets from Boots. Paul and I had another walk before catching up with everyone for lunch. I love Berwick. The people are so friendly and it is such an interesting place to visit. Wonderful architecture. Maria made us Devils on Horseback for lunch and Crimble Crumble for tea. Delish. Gosh, Archbishop Desmond Tutu has died at the age of 90; what a loss to the world. RIP. Ellie, Maria and I walked up to Holy Trinity for Evensong, but to our disappointment the church was locked! After another game of Carcassonne we watched a Christmas episode of Friday Night Dinner. Brilliant. I hope Julia and Colin managed to get away to Madeira. Monday 27 December We were up early for the return home. I shall miss taking Gracie for an early walk along Berwick's ramparts with that wonderful view of the sea. Peaceful and stunning. It was a foggy start this morning however, and I couldn't see further than the breakwater. Berwick on Tweed is a beautiful place to visit, and so interesting with its multi-layers of history. Despite the clutter of the owners, I have fallen in love with the house too. It is full of charm and character and so peaceful. It must be at least 200 years old, and the derelict stables look even older. We were away in good time and drew up to The Angel of the North by midday. What an impressive sight. We were home by two and suddenly our holiday was over. What have we done to deserve such a gorgeous family; I'm going to miss them. Tuesday 28 December I was so cosy in bed that it took a great effort to get up, but I caught up with The Archers whilst I was dressing. The world is damp and grey, but I put on my jacket that Ian and Maria bought me, it is so warm round the house, like wearing a duvet. The wash basket is too full, but it can wait. We opened the rest of the presents that wouldn't fit in the car and got some more lovely surprises. I caught up on my e-mails and messages, then hopped on my bike to post Jane’s birthday card, stopping off at Janet’s with a book. She’s got Snowdrops in the garden. Wonderful, little white Snowdrops. We’re all waiting to hear what Boris has to say and if we are going into another lockdown. Covid numbers have spiralled, but it is the Omicron variant and not so lethal. Also, there is a significant rise in the numbers of people with booster jabs.

Wednesday 29 December Happy Birthday Jane, I hope this year is a good one for you. There’s nothing like a swim first thing and the water felt like silk after ten days away from it. It was lovely to catch up with Daphne and I’m so glad she is ok after that health scare. It was raining good and proper when I set off for home, so the washing will just have to stay in the basket a bit longer. I suddenly felt overwhelmed by it all. Bloody Covid go away, bloody Boris resign or behave, bloody media telling us about bad weather on the way, again; they just love to remove the joy from life. I want the breeze to blow and the sun to shine and to see people smiling without masks…..and wishes can come true. First I saw three deer on the field, then we had bacon butties for lunch and suddenly the breeze was blowing the clouds away and the sun poked through. Washing on the line and I’m happy again. I planted up Ann’s Daffodils, they are sprouting already. Thursday 30 December Well I knew it was mild, but I still got a surprise when a Wasp flew past me and settled on the towel I was pegging out. The rat is back, so it’s back to work on that front. Ghislaine Maxwell has been found guilty of five (USA) federal sex trafficking charges to procure girls for the abuser Jeffrey Epstein. Good. I wonder how Prince Andrew feels this morning, and what it means for one or two other people in positions of power? The fridge was completely bare, and the freezer didn’t have much in it either, so we made a dash to the supermarket and were in and out in next to no time. The traffic on the by-pass was queued right back, I suspect people were taking advantage of the mild weather for a trip to the coast. Second load of washing dry, which means ironing. Good job I like doing it because there is plenty. There’s been a massive earthquake in Indonesia. The dentist agrees that Ellie has an abscess and has given her a course of anti-biotics.

Friday 31 December What a dark morning. The journey to the pool was very quiet, but it was very busy when I got inside. My old red costume was a big mistake. I found it in the bottom of a case and decided to wear it, but it was too big and once wet was hardly decent. There's a lesson in there somewhere, we hang on to things much longer than we really should. I dried it and put it straight in the bin when I got home. Stuart and Sue have taken Daphne back to Hull, this time for an MRI scan. I hope all goes well. The last load of washing is on the line and drying nicely in the sunshine. The A64 was busy towards the coast, so we turned off and drove to Easingwold for a gentle walk and a spot of lunch. Ironing done and time to relax. The one certainty about New Year’s Eve is that TV is rubbish and thank goodness for Jools Holland. We made it to midnight, listened to the fireworks popping (no Minster Bells this year) wished each other Happy New Year and went to bed. I wonder what wonderful things lie in store in 2022.