March 2022 – Where Are The Doves of Peace

Tuesday 1 March Shrove Tuesday, St David’s day and a gloriously sunny one at that. Gentle breeze and a deer outside my window. I woke late after a poor night’s sleep and Paul didn’t fare well either. Anger is growing all round the world at Putin’s audacious invasion of Ukraine, we want this war to end now. Even China is asking to be involved in peace talks. The Russian money market is being squeezed on all sides and I understand that their tanks are running out of fuel because the soldiers are too far ahead of the supply chain. Good. I hope they get completely stuck. The London Underground is at a standstill today with the workers all on strike. I popped over to see Geoff and Alice after lunch, it’s been such a long time and they only live across the road. I was sorry to hear that Geoff’s sister has recently died after a long illness. RIP. TV is just rubbish now, all repeats and the best stuff coming from before the turn of the century. As for so called ‘reality shows’ I can’t think of anything worse. Whinny kids going on dates, people getting married that don’t know each other and naked attraction! It’s enough to make you heave. Pancakes were on the menu at Deans Garden Centre and there will have been skipping on Foreshore Road in Scarborough along with a Pancake race. I used to love it when I was a child living in the town.

Wednesday 2 March Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent. My patch of Celandines look lovely but it's one day beautiful, the next wet and miserable. Paul had another bad night, so I whizzed off to the Chemist and had a chat to the Pharmacist and got some jollop and good advice. Daphne is in Hull again seeing the specialist who seems to have changed his mind about her diagnosis. Anne is being well looked after by John and Rob. She had a painful procedure at the hospital yesterday, but I hope she feels a bit better for it today. The President of Belarus is siding with Putin, I hope he lives to regret it. A mother of a toddler has been threatened with social services because of her huge eyebrows. You shouldn’t laugh, but I can’t help it, she looks ridiculous. Hundreds of York school pupils formed a chain round York today in support of Ukraine, I should love to have been there. It reminded me of when Ian and his school friends demonstrated against the Iraq war. I was very proud of them.

Thursday 3 March

At last the rain has stopped, but it’s chilly out. The media just love to ramp up fear and misery, now they are trotting out the predictions of Nostradamus and Baba Vanga. Can’t we just enjoy our lives without being depressed at where the next threat is coming from? Paul is much better today, thankfully I think the jollop is working. Maria Prymachenko is a Ukrainian folk artist; I love her Peace Dove. I am pleased to see that Russian athletes have been banned from the Paralympic Games, but that is not all. It seems that many major companies have withdrawn trade and investment from the country. Our ride through to Selby was uneventful, but then so is the town. We had lunch at Wetherells and vowed to never do it again. It was not good. Anne had her meeting with the oncologist today; I didn’t like the idea that she had to go into the appointment on her own, it doesn’t seem right. Anita had her second cataract appointment, and all went well, she’s probably got better eyesight now than she has had for years. The Queen has made a generous donation in support of aid to Ukraine.

Friday 4 March

Happy birthday Peter, 91 today! Another wet start and there were only four hardy souls who had cycled to the pool, the rest of us were in cars. Rick said that 6 of the staff had Covid and Helen had just tested positive. She was wearing a mask and was definitely not her normal bouncy self as she got ready to go home. Russian soldiers who have been captured by the Ukrainians tell of how they thought they were just going on military maneuvers; nobody told them they were about to fight a war. They are not being held hostage and the Ukrainians are treating them well. If the families of the Russian soldiers can collect their sons, they can return home. Putin will hate that. I haven’t seen a Pheasant on the field since before Christmas, but there were two out there this morning croaking away. That’s more like it. One of the Blackbirds has learnt a new trick. He swoops from the house rooftop and lands on the bird feeder, just managing to peck a few seeds before he falls off. No bird brain this one. The Paralympics began today. These are the real heroes to me, the people who overcome physical disabilities and win through. Saturday 5 March We’ve already won a Bronze medal in the Paralympics. Millie Knight who is visually impaired, along with her guide Brett Wild came third in the Women’s Visually-impaired Downhill. On skis downhill is one thing, but when your sight is limited must be extremely challenging. The washing is out! There’s a lot of activity as the birds investigate the nesting box. Who will win this year, Sparrows or Bluetits? Putin says that the West is behaving like bandits by trying to impose sanctions on Russia. He has to be slightly deranged to come up with that one, doesn’t he understand (or care) how much loathing his actions has caused all around the world. Northallerton was busy despite the cold wind. We had an excellent lunch in the little café up the side passage, and after a stroll through the town we stopped for a very hot, hot chocolate at South Side. All in all it was a nice trip out. Visa and Mastercard have withdrawn their services from Russia, good for them. The sparrows are back in the hedge, lovely. Shackleton’s lost ship, The Endurance has been found off Antarctica over 100years since it was trapped in the ice and then sank.

Sunday 6 March A gorgeous day and quite mild too. We cycled into town to see the Ice Sculptures. There were 45 of them altogether, but we didn’t see them all. They were struggling to stay cool and each of them had a pool of water round the base as well as crowds of people taking photos. The whole town was buzzing with a lively carnival atmosphere and in the end it was nice to get back on our bikes and head for home. The cycle track was very quiet except for some lovely birdsong. We sat on the bench in the back garden soaking up the sun’s rays before lunch, it was so peaceful. We've got two more medals; a gold and a silver both won for downhill skiing. How brave is that? Neil Simpson with his brother Andrew as the guide won the gold medal and Menna Fitzpatrick with Gary Smith as her guide won the silver. Meena now has five Olympic medals to her name which is pretty amazing for someone who is partially sighted. It shows what you can do if you are determined enough. The Ipcress File looks good, although I can still see Michael Caine as Harry Palmer in the original. Monday 7 March A bright frosty start and I’m very stiff after yesterday’s cycle ride. I must do more of it. But I don’t care, the sun is out, Sparrows are back and there were two deer on the field. The war crashes on and the Russians are ignoring ceasefires. Putin has offered safe corridors for refugees, but where do they lead? Straight to Russia. Over 4,000 Russians have been arrested for protesting about the war. I rang Auntie Ol, and we had a chat about where they were evacuated to during the second world war. She might be 91 but there is nothing wrong with her memory. We had a card from the Post Office to collect a letter that had a £2 surcharge on. To my great annoyance it was from the Jehovah's Witnesses and the whole street had been targeted. Simon Howard of Castle Howard has died. Third son in the family, he took over the estate and did a brilliant job, then it all started to go wrong for him. How sad, we all make mistakes. RIP. The Moto GP season has started again, and Paul is happy watching tv with the motorbikes whizzing round whilst I do crosswords. I’m good for quizzes! Tuesday 8 March It's good to see the longer days, the green appearing in the hedgerows and the sunshine, despite the cold easterly wind. Lynda Baron has died at the age of 82. She was fabulous as Nurse Gladys Emmanuel in Open All Hours although she played other good roles too. RIP Lynda. Daphne went for a scan today, which was an experience she doesn’t want to repeat. It seems there is little they can do for her, and I think she is just happy to be left to live her life in peace. I had to ask a young man to reach something off a shelf in Barnitts for me, it made me feel like a little old lady. Then I called on Sue, she is not in a good place but most of all I think she is very lonely. Ann test drove an automatic yesterday, the point being that the car will take Mick’s wheelchair and he does not have to be stuck in the house. Bryan went shopping with Anita and did very well. Another milestone passed. They had a lightning visit from Andrew and Shaz who drove up from Bristol to arrange their wedding in October. Wednesday 9 March The lockers at the pool have been replaced and your 20p to lock is non-refundable. They won’t get much out of us early birds as hardly anyone locks their lockers anyway. Jane called round on Sue and found her in a very sorry state. She is back in hospital and this time we hope that she is properly diagnosed. The Russian lady on the Today programme was not happy. She is against the war, but daren’t speak out because that could mean 15 years in jail. She was considering her options whether to leave her home and the country she loves or stay, but she feared a return to the old regime. She said most older Russians were being blindfolded about the truth of the war, so believed that Putin was right. The wind is strong again, so I nailed the sheets to the washing line and they dried very quickly. Phil is working on a barn conversion and surrounded by ducks and hens who think he is great entertainment value. A duck kept pecking his ankles, then a hen knocked over his coffee, and they all wanted to share his lunch.

Thursday 10 March We had a nice ride through to Leeds on the bus. The sun was out, as was the blossom, daffodils and crocuses, it was lovely. Our pub lunch at The Palace was tasty and good value too. Then we walked over to the Armouries and had a mooch round before catching the bus home. The return journey was a bit more eventful however as the driver missed the turning for Tadcaster bus station and had to turn round in the car park. Then as we got into York one of the passengers had a meltdown. She sobbed and sobbed, and the driver stopped the bus to see what could be done. It sounded like domestic abuse, and she didn’t want to go home. He was very good and sent for the Police for Safeguarding. Meanwhile we waited and finally got off the bus half an hour later and caught the next one home. I would hate to ever be in that position and applaud the driver for his actions. We caught up with the final of The Great Pottery Throwdown which, in a wonderful episode was won by AJ Simpson. Any of the three finalists were worthy to win, but AJ had won the most challenges over the course of the series. The skill and imagination of all 12 of the potters has my admiration.

Friday 11 March I can’t believe it’s the weekend again, time is just flying. The garden was full of birds and the air was full of birdsong when I went to the pool, I could even hear a Skylark in the distance. It must have rained overnight but the sun and the wind was drying everything up nicely. Ollie Hill has won a Bronze medal in the Paralympics Snowboarding category. Well done Ollie. It took me ages to find any information because all the newsfeeds were full of bloody football. I’m afraid footballers are not half the sports people that Paralympians are. We tried to renew Paul’s driving licence on-line; I double checked the information but the system claimed it didn’t know who he was, so that was a fat lot of good. I finally went through all my Christmas cards again, reading the lovely messages and thinking of each of the senders. Lovely.

Saturday 12 March The wind is strong again, but fortunately not cold. Sue messaged to say that she hated being in hospital and was going to ask if she could be discharged. However, I managed to persuade her that it was in her best interests to stay put and get better, then she could enjoy being back at home again. The route to Castleford was lined with glorious blossom and hateful rubbish in equal measures. It's sickening the way people lob trash out of their car windows. We had a wander and some lunch before heading home. We couldn’t help but notice that the roads were fairly quiet and speculated that it could have something to do with the price of petrol. It was too nice to stay in, so I hopped on my bike and had a pedal round about taking photos of the lovely blossom trees in peoples’ gardens. Checked in with Fred, he enjoyed a couple of days down at Southsea which was a nice break. China has had a massive increase in Covid cases and Shanghai is in total lockdown. Meanwhile, here in the UK cases are ramping up again following the easing of restrictions, but hopefully it will find its level and slowly fade. All the while the misdeeds of Boris get pushed into the background. Phil and Ellie have landed in Sofia for the start of their skiing holiday.

Sunday 13 March

Happy birthday Sue D, hope you have a lovely time in Achnamara. It’s another windy day here and slightly cooler. Daphne’s alterations are slowly coming to an end and the house is looking good. Another lazy day for me; I read mostly although I did break off to give the bathroom a thorough clean. I thought about Gill and John off on another of their Coastal walking tours. This time it’s the North East which should be very interesting, and the weather is looking good too. The Russians are shelling bases closer to the Ukrainian border with Poland, which must give cause for concern in quite a few places. Russian soldiers who desert or are captured daren’t go back home as they know they will be shot. Phil and Ellie have certainly found the snow and seem to be having a great time in Borovets. Ellie hasn’t forgotten how to ski after all, quite the pro! We watched Extraordinary Portraits on BBC1. Dale Grimshaw did the most amazing portrait of Patrick Hutchinson who rescued a man from being trampled to death in a demonstration that turned into a riot.

Monday 14 March

It's on mornings like these that my heart sings with the glory of god’s work. Sunshine, light winds and birdsong. My kitchen window includes a view of Daffodils, some of my neighbour’s garden, a Cherry tree with Bluetits flitting in and out, the field beyond and then way out into the distance. I am very lucky, and I know it. If Putin had this view, maybe he wouldn’t be such a ********. It’s sad to hear that the Queen is very frail these days, but then she is 95. Even my dad at 93 and Auntie Olive at 92 are both frail, but like the Queen their brains are still very good. Moira came and we went off to do Art with Denise. Poor Mark was not well, and Denise had managed to persuade him to lie down. We are so used to his gentle presence, and we missed his company. He was admitted to hospital later on in the day, I hope he gets better quickly. Maria has tested positive for Covid.

Tuesday 15 March

Beware the Ides of March! Another beautiful day, if a little chilly. The Sparrows are definitely back and one was on top of the nesting box telling the whole world that it was his. I just stopped myself from putting the milk in the recycling box, then went back and took the empty can out of the fridge. Three cheers for the bravery of Marina Ovsyannikova, an editor on Russian TV who held up an anti-war sign behind a news reader. She is now in custody and will probably disappear into somewhere like Lubyanka or worse. It’s wonderful to see people volunteering to take in Ukrainian refugees, but I hope they get to return to their homeland one day soon. It looks like John Bercow’s card has been marked and the inquiry into his behaviour whilst Speaker of the Commons has branded him a serial bully. Elon Musk has challenged Putin to a fight?Surely that’s fake news and if it’s not then what a spectacle. Ego vs Ego and the worst one wins. I sat on the bench to have my lunch, it was lovely in the sunshine watching the butterflies and a flotilla of Long Tailed Tits chasing each other. The hairdresser made me cross by keeping me waiting for twenty minutes. A little less gabbing would have done the trick. Anita has challenged me to lose some weight for the wedding.

Wednesday 16 March

What a rotten night’s sleep. I was tired but my knees and shoulder ached, I couldn’t get comfortable, I was hot, cold, hungry and then the alarm went off. Urgh. I could feel and smell the rain in the air as I struggled off to the pool, and for two pins I could have turned round and got back into bed. Nick Robinson was reporting from Berlin, and I suddenly found myself crying as I listened to the Ukrainians talking about their escape and their personal losses. It’s just overwhelming and all because of one man. The garden is full of birds all chasing round despite the rain and the sight of them is lifting my mood. Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe is on her way home at last after spending six years in an Iranian prison accused of spying. A Hacktivist group who call themselves Anonymous claim to have hacked into some of Russia’s government websites, including the national security agency. They say they have disabled the networks. A shame they can’t hack into some Billionaire’s bank accounts and redistribute some wealth to the really poor and needy. Oh no. A little face at the window. A Long Tailed Tit managed to get into the summerhouse and got trapped. It eventually realised that Paul had opened the door and it kind of flopped out and flew away. Goodness knows how long it had been there. Three deer on the field, right next to our garden.

Thursday 17 March St Patrick’s day, top o’ the morning and what a beautiful morning too, but Phil says they have fog in Borovets. It would have been nice to have gone for a run, but Paul took the car for its MOT; it failed on a couple of points. In the meantime, I shampooed the hall carpet, it wasn’t too bad but it’s nice to freshen things up. The photo of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe at home at last with her husband and daughter was joyous. Marina Ovsyannikova has got off with a fine of 30,000 roubles, thank god that is all, well that’s all we’ve been told. It was such a lovely afternoon that I cycled down to Janet’s with a book and then on to the surgery with my prescription, the air was really mild. I can’t listen to the news, it’s too heartbreaking. Anita challenged me for us both to loose weight for each of our son’s weddings, and then she posted pictures on Facebook of her and Bryan having afternoon tea at the Grand! Anne posted photos on Facebook of all the flowers she has received from well-wishers, it must be like a florist in their house, but now you know how much we all care Anne. I’ve just seen a Bumble Bee, lovely. Ian came across a tree that had been Yarn Bombed, I hope it appreciated being protected during the cold weather. My god, P&O have just sacked 800 workers at a moment’s notice and will replace them with agency staff. This is the thanks that they get after staying loyal following two years of misery and very few sailings. I don’t understand why the Government can’t step in, after all the tax payers now have to support 800 redundant staff, plus 800 other low paid workers who will take their jobs. Peter Bowles has died, he was 85.What a fabulous actor, and he always had such a twinkle in his eyes. RIP Peter. Friday 18 March Hindus celebrate the Festival of Holi today. It’s such a colourful time and looks like great fun. It was quite a misty start, but with the sun being up early, the mist soon burnt off to give a glorious spring day. The pool was busy this morning and more people had arrived on bikes than in cars; the good weather gets us all going. My new swimming costume arrived but it will have to back as it was too big, that’s what I dislike about on-line shopping. But then the Pansy cake cutters arrived for the flowers for the wedding cake, and they were brilliant. Oh dear, now Ian has Covid, but thankfully Maria is better. The roads were quiet when we went to the supermarket, is that the price of petrol biting? We had lunch out in the garden, it was so peaceful and warm. The birds were singing and the butterflies fluttering. Even the deer were laid out on the field relaxing in the sunshine. Two Archbishops have queried the inhumane and unethical action in sacking the P&O workers and at last the Government is looking into the legalities of the situation. Ann and Mick get their new wheelchair adapted car today. I love driving an automatic, I hope she likes this one.

Saturday 19 March

Anne has her prognosis and will start treatment in April; but first a short holiday for her and John. What a great idea. We all wish her well. In the meantime, I wonder how Sue A is doing in hospital? Phil and Ellie are due to fly home today, I hope they have a good flight. At least the ski slopes in Borovets were not covered in Saharan sand as happened in Spain which got a coating from a huge sand storm in the desert. It even reached London where Maria found sand on their seats on the balcony of their flat. The sun was out and the sky was blue again, but the wind had a sharp bite to it. We set off for Harrogate and at first I thought it was quiet, but then we joined traffic and it was heavy after all. Both Knaresbrough and Harrogate were very busy with people out enjoying the spring sunshine. The Stray looked very pretty with carpets of white and purple Crocuses, and lots of Daffodils this year too. In fact, Daffodils shone out all along the roadsides that we travelled. It’s enough to gladden any heart. Putin appalls me. He attended a mass rally in Moscow in support of the war and gave a speech praising the invasion of Ukraine. Peace and democracy at all costs and he will kill anybody who opposes him. Covid is on the upsurge, but deaths are down which is very important. But when will this thing ever end, we just seem to be in a trough of bad news and sour grapes. Maria has been trying on wedding dresses and she looks stunning in all of them.

Sunday 20 March

Another bright day, with a sharp edge to the wind. Sue A is still in hospital and desperate to go home; and then I learnt that Denise is also in hospital having been admitted yesterday! I had a slow start and sat up in bed reading a Rebus novel. My eyes and nose are streaming with Hay Fever as soon as I smell anything like fresh air. Washing done and out, so I shampooed most of the living room carpet, there’s too much furniture to shift to do it all in one go. Then I finished off my book. Out in the wider world, Putin and his Russian army continue their killing spree. He wants to be like his hero Peter the Great, but he will never be anything but a murdering thug. Petrol prices are still going up, but I read somewhere that the price of oil per barrel is going down? Oh dear, Gill has fallen badly which is going to curtail her walking for a few days. Whatever happened to the Winter Paralympics, they just sort of fizzled out. I think those amazing athletes deserve just as much limelight as the able bodied ones, if not more.

Monday 21 March

Freezing fog, ugh. Daphne picked me up early for swimming as Paul had to take the car for the MOT work to be done. I really appreciated it as she had to come out of her way for me. The other swimmers were amazed to see me, even though I was only 20 minutes early, but what a difference it made. I like the earlier time. I was in town before 10am, got my bits and pieces and was home for 11.30. By that time the sun was out and the air was warming up nicely. No Art today. Denise is still in hospital but hoping to go home soon. I do hope she is ok. I keep seeing reports about the price of petrol escalating, whilst the cost of oil per barrel is down. Is this a bid to keep us off the roads, buy electric cars, save petrol? Who knows, but whatever is going on the prices just go up anyway. Even the ink for the printer was suddenly much more expensive. Photos from Ukraine are just awful. The Russians have just gone in and bombarded every city that they can leaving devastation in their wake. I wonder how they would feel if it was happening to them. It’s just mindless insanity. Sue A is back home after Kerrie made a fuss at the hospital; that girl is a real treasure.

Tuesday 22 March

I sat in the garden to have my breakfast. It was lovely listening to the birdsong from far and wide, with a background of Sparrows having a morning gossip. I was only driven indoors by my streaming eyes and nose. Mick has had another stroke and is back in hospital. Just as he was beginning to improve as well. A child has been killed by a pet dog, just a week after they bought the thing. What a heartbreaking tragedy. Now Mariupol is being shelled out of existence by the Russians and the people have no food or water. It’s like a medieval siege. Paul repaired the door handle to the living room. Something went awry and he had to climb through the serving hatch into the kitchen so that we could get out and go to bed last night! Meanwhile I shampooed the rest of the carpet. Gill and John are back home. Gill’s fall turned out to be far worse than she realised, and she is in a lot of pain, that sounds like a trapped nerve poor lamb. I’m so disappointed for them. I called at our first ever house and asked if I could take a photo for the blog. Paul and Claire, the new owners are gorgeous, and I hope they will be really happy there.

Wednesday 23 March

The anniversary of the first lockdown two years ago and we are still living with Covid and the material effects. It’s also Budget Day which is probably significant. It's a long time since we heard the word inflation, but it has reared its ugly head again and will only get worse before it gets better. 5p a litre off petrol duty. It’s very little but better than nothing. Whitby. Whitby by bus too, over the moors to Goathland, down into Ruswarp and on to Whitby. The sky was blue, and the bus was packed with people wanting to get out in the fresh air and walk. The bus was half and hour late and by the time we arrived we were starving, so it was over the bridge to Mister Chips for a fish and chip lunch. In fact we were so full that it was tea as well. We had a good walk round in the sunshine after dropping our bags in the room; ice creams were the order of the day. Then we called in at the Dolphin for a drink or two before turning in for the night. The Chairman of P&O has acknowledged that the sacking of 800 workers was illegal and there have been calls for him to resign. Not sure how that helps the workers?

Thursday 24 March

After a good night’s sleep, we walked out into the town. It was so strange to be in the quiet streets that are normally full of tourists and visitors, but then they don’t really arrive until later. The harbour looked magical with the water glimmering in the morning sunshine. We had breakfast and after another wander we caught the bus to Scarborough. It’s another lovely ride, and the views from the top deck are great. It’s years since I’ve been into villages such as Hawsker and Robin Hood’s Bay, but we went round them all (narrow, steep and scary at times) and down the road through Cloughton and Burniston on to Scarborough. It was our intention to travel straight home, but it was such a beautiful day that we went and sat in the Crescent gardens to enjoy the sun for a while before jumping on the Coastliner to York. Only it said Malton. There were no drivers for the onward journey. I’m glad we decided to risk it as a relief driver was found and we were soon back on the road again. The one thing we never managed to get was a crab, so I popped out to Morrison’s and got some crab for a salad for tea. Yum yum.

Friday 25 March

Happy birthday my beautiful Maria, I hope that you and your friend Maria have a wonderful time in Margate, especially after the disappointment of the last two years when your birthday was hit by Lockdowns. Phil is in Skipton on a Sausage Making course that was booked for his birthday last year; it being one of the events affected by Covid restrictions.

The sun is out for all of us again, it was so warm that I sat in the garden in t-shirt, shorts and

suntan lotion. A quick supermarket shop and then lunch with some nice crusty bread. I took

a parcel to the Hermes drop off point in Gerard Avenue and it turned out I’d got the wrong labels on. I carried on to the Library to collect a book, but it had been delivered to the wrong Library. So I went home and found calm in looking at the three deer laid out on the field, basking in the sunshine. Gill has had a long, rough day waiting for a scan, but it has finally been confirmed that she has fractured her pelvis. What a bummer. I rang Ann to get more news of Mick, at least he is back home but he has lost the sight of his left eye which is also affecting his spacial awareness. I saw the most beautiful Magnolia in East Parade this morning, it really lifted my spirits, I couldn’t take my eyes off it.

Saturday 26 March

Another beautiful day. We had a lazy start, and then decided to go to Howden and have a picnic in the park. I finally got my parcel sent on the way out. It was a lovely drive with all the daffodils nodding their yellow heads, and beautiful blossom everywhere. The sunshine has brought out the blossom on the Blackthorn and it’s lovely to see the hedgerows dressed in snowy white. There were noticeably fewer cars on the roads, but plenty of cyclists. I love it when somebody gives you their Car Park ticket with a couple of hours still left. Howden was lovely and peaceful even with lots of families taking a stroll in the sunshine. We soon found quiet a bench in the park and enjoyed our sandwiches, but we gave the ice cream a miss as the queue was out of the parlour door and down the street. Phil rang. He had a fabulous day on his Sausage making course and has taken quite a lot of food home with him. The clocks go forward an hour tonight, onwards and into British Summertime. Hooray.

Sunday 27 March Mother’s Day and somewhat ironic that it starts with the loss of an hour’s sleep. But here’s to Mothers everywhere and the place you deserve in our hearts. I opened my lovely cards; the chocolates can wait. Phil rang yesterday evening as he will be working all day today, and Ian rang this morning. I have such a wonderful family and have no idea what I have done to deserve them, but Phil, Ian, Ellie and Maria and my gorgeous husband – I love them all. The sun didn’t come out until early afternoon, but it was warm when it did shine through. We had a nice bike ride up to Vanguard. The road was flat, there was little wind, and the sight of blossom everywhere is just glorious. The Blackthorn is coming out round the field now and it looks so pretty in white. Just one deer on the field, and when I turned round it had gone again. You have to be there, or you miss it. There was a Buzzard circling high in the thermals, I heard it keening before I saw it. It looked so free, and it made me think of the poor people of Ukraine. What they wouldn’t give for that kind of freedom right now. The pile of ironing wouldn’t wait so I put Interior Design Masters on the laptop and got stuck in. Dad’s speech is getting more slurred, but I think it is when he gets tired. Monday 28 March It was raining when I set off for the pool, but it wasn’t much and was clearing by mid-morning. Back to Art, yippee, it was good to see both Denise and Mark looking much better. As for looking poorly, I was shocked by a recent photo of Phil Collins. I knew he wasn’t well, but it seems to have aged him dreadfully. Poor man. A lady has found a treasure chest on a Norfolk beach. She said it just looked like an unusual shaped log when she first spotted it. How exciting. I hope John and Anne enjoy their mini-break in the Cotswolds. Covid and all of its variants seem to be growing rapidly again putting the NHS back into turmoil with full wards, patients waiting and no staff. Tuesday 29 March The first thing I saw this morning when I drew the curtain was a football in the garden. Nothing wrong with that, except some of the Daffodils had lost their heads, just like the statue a few months ago. The owner of the ball is 18, he won’t come and ask for it, he won’t say thank you when I return it, in fact he doesn’t even acknowledge our existence. It makes me hopping mad, especially when there are two more footballs in the field that have been there for weeks. The Sparrows are in and out of the Nesting box again, but not the Bluetits. They were chased off by the Sparrows last year so none of the birds nested in it. They treat it like a Wendy House. The Queen attended a memorial service for Prince Philip, despite concerns over her health. 20 fines have been issued by the Police for breaches of Lockdown Regulations at No 10 Downing Street. The carpet cleaning continues with the back room done today. It was good to see Ann back at Deans for tea, it’s important to get out and about and meet friends. If there’s one thing we have learnt about the Russians in this war it is not to trust a word they say. Anita leant me a couple of walking sticks to try, and I have to admit using one made walking much easier. I loved the video of Rusty splashing in the stream that Anne took when they were in the Cotswolds. Wednesday 30 March Still stiff this morning, but I was a bit better after my swim. I can’t work out where this flare-up has come from but my knees are like bricks. This time last week it was wall to wall sunshine but now it looks as if the media have got their wish at last and we are in for a cold spell. 'Snow will hit York at this time on this day.' Talk about spreading gloom and doom. Fortunately, the sun has brought out all of the blossom and wherever you look you can see magnificent Magnolias, Daffodils galore, Forsythia, Camellias, tiny Star Magnolias and Flowering Red Currant; plus a lot of trees are starting to green up, including my Philadelphus. Four deer on the field, and when I turned my back, they had vanished. They are very skittish at the moment. I’m pleased to say that it sounds as if Glynis and Doug have settled nicely into their new home in the Dales. What a lovely part of the world. We got a nice postcard from Ruth and Glyn from their mini-break on the Isle of Wight. I've never been to Osborne House, but I should like to see it. We met Helen and Paul at Deans and had a hot chocolate each. Two hours passed very quickly; they are such good company. Helen gave me two boxes of rose petal confetti to put away for the wedding. We had a heavy shower of rain and small snow pellets on the way home, just as the media predicted. They must be relieved that they’ve got it right for once. It reminds of St Malachy who predicted the end of the world soon, but it was from a document published in 1590. And we thought that hoaxes were of our time. I’ve just finished reading ‘The Phone Box at the Edge of the World’ by Laura Imai Messina and can recommend it. The storyline is very unusual, but it is a most satisfying read.

Thursday 31 March Snow, but not a lot, and sunny periods with a very cold wind. What had laid was gone by 10am, but I could white on the distant hilltops of Garrowby and the Wolds. I know Helen didn’t want it to be snowing up there but hopefully it will have gone by the time she has to make her journey. Laura Kuenssberg has left her job as Political Editor for the BBC. I know she is going on to other things, but I shall miss her news reports, I trusted her analysis. A day to do the Meter Readings before the Energy Tariffs change tomorrow and every energy company website seems to have crashed. We took Anita’s advice and photographed the meter readings, then e-mailed them back as a record. Our next door neighbour Peter is in hospital where I am sure he is being well looked after. As Andrew says, he never complains. I weighed up the ingredients ready to make the wedding cake. I should have done it yesterday but was too lazy. Ah well, I’ve done it now. Both Germany and France are refusing to meet the demand of Russia that they pay in Roubles for their gas supplies. I love the photo of a snowflake that Phil took. It is so beautiful and delicate. My patience paid off and I was able to access the website and submit our Meter Readings at 9.45pm. Another day and it could have been an April Fool’s day joke.