2020 - a year of loss

Nothing could have prepared us for 2020. A year that offered so much as the start of a new decade, but turned out to be the worst year I have ever lived through.

It has truly been a year of loss. Loss of lives, loss of jobs, loss of cherished businesses, loss of freedom, loss of choice, loss of anticipated holidays, loss of planned celebrations, even a loss of hopes and dreams. So many of the fun and enjoyable things we can do as humans were taken away from us in 2020. Travel, eating and drinking out in pubs and restaurants, cafes and bars, musical concerts, sports events, simple gatherings and meals with friends, church services, celebrations that we used to take for granted, all affected by the virus.

I feel that this year has been the lost year. So much time suspended while we sat at home and waited for the virus to go away, only it didn't. Two lockdowns and we're now facing a third. I fear this will go on into 2021, and only the widespread take-up of the vaccine will let us return to normality. But I do fear that the lives we lived before coronavirus will never be the same again. The shadow will always be there - the fear that has hung over all of us this year will perhaps never go away in our lifetime. Who could ever have imagined how terribly affected we would be, not only as a country but as a planet? We will never be able to put a price on the losses we have suffered this year. 

And then there are the words that have become commonplace, some of which we had never used before, or which had different meanings:

Covid and coronavirus

Unprecedented

Pandemic

Outbreak

Infections

Super-spreader

Furlough ( I didn't even know how to spell this word back in March)

Lockdown

Bubble (for me, formerly had something to do with soap)

Self-quarantine

Tiers

Social distancing

The "R" number

Face masks (previously used for swimming or cosmetics for me!) or face covering

Self-isolating

And our Government's slogans:

Stay Home - Protect the NHS - Save Lives

Stay Alert - Control the Virus - Save Lives

Hands - Face - Space

Track and Trace

And then, against the background of all this, there were my own personal problems with Mum and Dad, which made a bad situation even worse. How could I ever have known, as I drove to my parents' house on the 13 February, the outcome of my Dad's fall which resulted in months of problems, the eventual sale of the house (which I still can't believe has happened), and the loss of their cherished independence.? Trying to sort that all out, and put the house on the market and complete the sale were perhaps the hardest and saddest things I have ever had to do in my life so far.

I was off work for five months out of the year, and some people I know at work have not returned since March. I doubt they will return before March 2021, so they will have been gone a whole year.

But we have to try and look on the bright side. The circumstances have allowed some of us to discover new ways of working, new ways of getting in touch with family and friends. It's brought communities together and paved the way for some people to really shine, enabling them to do fantastic deeds and raise money that would never have been possible before.

And it hasn't been all bad! The weather in our first lockdown was fabulous. I loved going for walks with Sophie and Keith, sitting in the conservatory with my daughter while she worked, spending so much time together as a family, and getting things done in the house that we'd been meaning to do for ages.

So, what were the best days of 2020?  There were some! There was no travel this year - our trip to France in April was postponed until September, and then put off again to April 2021. Sophie's holiday in Italy was also put back to May 2021, and countless other trips for people this year were either cancelled or postponed. The pandemic caused worldwide travel chaos with lightning decisions to quarantine people coming in from affected areas.

Anyway...enough of the gloom and doom. Here are the best days of 2020:

Wednesday January 15 - My Birthday and a trip to Beaconsfield and The Royal Standard of England pub. A lovely lunch in beautiful and ancient surroundings.

Sunday January 26 - Mike's birthday and a trip down to London for lunch in Greenwich. Our last outing as a family for quite a while!

Saturday February 1 - A lovely day of treats, lunch out and even cake and a cup of tea in the afternoon!

Sunday April 5 - Sophie's birthday and not quite the day we were expecting! However, a lovely walk, Champagne and a Spanish-themed meal made up for it... a bit!

Friday May 8 -  VE Day and a lovely afternoon spent with neighbours outside our houses, sipping drinks and having a great time!

Wednesday May 20 - a trip to the coast - Winterton-on-Sea and Cromer. Beautiful weather and so nice to escape for the day!

Monday July 7 -  a trip to Oxford, great sight-seeing and street food for lunch!

Sunday July 26 - A lovely lunch at The Cowper's Oak in Weston Underwood and an afternoon enjoying Castle Ashby Gardens.

Saturday August 8 - Keith and I go on a mooch into Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire. Beautiful weather and two meals out - what more could we want!

Saturday October 24 - a trip over to Olney in Buckinghamshire, our new Market Harborough! Charity shop finds and a fantastic little tea-room!

Saturday December 5 - A repeat trip to Olney, a beautiful day, lunch at Teapots and more charity shop finds!

Thursday December 24 - Christmas Eve, always one of my favourite days, but this year blessed with good weather and a lovely walk!

As we look forward to 2021, I pray that it will be a much better year. I don't think things will return to normal for a good part of the year, but let's all hope that we get over the pandemic, lives are saved and that things improve for us all!

Sneaking about...

Keith went to Tesco and Aldi this morning and also tried, without luck, to get his hair cut. It's long overdue!

Sophie and I mooched about the house and did very little. Outside it was cold and sunny with the slight threat of snow later in the day. Keith returned from shopping having given up on his haircut, and we helped him unload the bulging bags of shopping.

Sophie and I still needed some ingredients for tomorrow's meal, so we all went to Smith's Farm Shop as they stock a wide range of herbs and spices and Indian flatbreads. However, the place was packed and the queue to get in stretched a long way! We drove back out and headed to Waitrose, but the supermarket was also very busy with queues of people waiting to get in... unbelievable! Who on earth would have thought shopping would still be like this in December?

We gave up, I put some petrol in my Dad's car, and we dropped Keith off at home. We had decided to sneak into Leicestershire and visit Farndon Fields for the ingredients we needed. We just hoped there wouldn't be police patrols on the border!

We took the scenic route to the main Harborough road and then turned off at Great Oxendon to take another narrow single track road. The roads were muddy and wet, but not flooded, thank goodness! Just before Market Harborough, we crossed over into Leicestershire, which like Northamptonshire, is in Tier 3.

I was expecting more queues but there were only a handful of people in front of us, and after a short wait, we were in. We bought some cardamon pods and looked at getting a bag of nuts, but the price was exorbitant. Giving up on the ingredients we needed, we indulged in some treats for lunch - turkey, sage and onion sausage rolls, and breadsticks with a houmous dip. Of course, Sophie also bought a selection of macarons - no visit to Farndon Fields is complete without them!

We headed home with our booty and arrived at the same time as Keith and Mike who had been at work. I had already put the heating on in the conservatory so it was lovely to sit there, eat a late lunch and read the newspaper. 

At 3pm we watched the news and discovered, as we had expected, that Northamptonshire will be in Tier 4 from midnight tonight. This means that I will be off work again as all leisure centres and gyms will close. The number of deaths yesterday was alarming - 981 - the same as at the peak in April. This number could have had something to do with a delay in reporting over Christmas, but it's obvious that something needs to be done. On a good note, another vaccine has been approved but it will take a few months for people to be given the dose.

Sophie and I went for a walk down to the village and as the time neared 4pm we were treated to a beautiful sunset.

The photos don't really capture the amazing range of colours in the sky - pinks, peaches, blues, greys and oranges. In the distance, it looked misty and I could have leaned on the field gate and just watched for ages!

All photos courtesy of Sophie

As the sun sank below the horizon, it became a lot colder, so we hurried home and enjoyed a hot chocolate with spiced rum. Delicious! The news was full of information about the new Tiers so I watched a lovely programme called Reindeer Family and Me. It was pure and wonderful escapism from our current troubles!

Car and phone niggles!

Before I went to work today, Keith called the garage about my car. Although they were still closed, Rob answered and said that with older cars (!) they didn't normally replace the plastic panel, but if we could manage to secure it, it would be fine. Keith did manage to put it back yesterday by crawling underneath the car and securing it with cable ties, so we'll take it out tomorrow for a test run to see how it is.

I took my Dad's car to work again and had a fairly pleasant shift with Sara. We were very busy when the phone lines opened, but this time I could see how many calls were coming in! It did quieten down but most of the calls were about booking swimming sessions. I will be so glad when we don't have to do that any more! Tomorrow we are due another announcement about the Tier system, but infections are increasing rapidly every day with the new variant of the virus, so it looks likely that more areas will be in Tier 4. If we go into this Tier, then our leisure centres will close.

My phone was playing up again today, and it had died completely when I left work at 4pm. I really do need to do something about it next year, that's if we're allowed to go shopping in Milton Keynes, that is! I sped home in the gloom (it's been grey and overcast all day) and relaxed with Sophie by catching up with the last few episodes of Modern Family that we'd somehow managed to miss. We were in agreement that the series had come to an end as neither of us found it funny any more!

After dinner, Keith and I watched the last episode of Black Narcissus, which was excellent. The Nepalese scenery was breathtaking. We kept Monty in tonight as it was freezing outside, with snow forecast for the next couple of days. Will we get any, I wonder?!

Back to work...

I really didn't know what to expect at work today, and was hoping that it wouldn't be too bad! Keith went out early in my car to go shopping, but as I was heading out in my Dad's car he was coming back. He said the car was making a very strange noise, so he didn't want to drive it. Hopefully, we can contact the garage tomorrow and get it fixed.

The weather today has been horrible, with thick fog this morning, and temperatures hovering around freezing. I was working with Louiza today and arrived with plenty of time to get the office set up. Unfortunately, our wallboard refused to work, so we didn't have a clue as to how many calls were coming in, how many were waiting or had been abandoned!

After an initial hectic rush, when I feared it would be like this all day, things calmed down. We didn't have any moans or groans about the fitness classes being cancelled, but there were a few emails about freezing memberships. I did as many as I could to help Sara tomorrow.

At 4pm I sped home and relaxed by watching the second of two programmes about Siberian Tigers. The snow looked wonderful, and even though we'd had weather warnings out for our own snow today, it had remained dry all day. I would like to see just a bit!

Every day feels like Sunday...

Friday (Christmas Day) felt like Sunday, yesterday, when it was Saturday, it felt like Sunday, and today when it actually is Sunday definitely feels like Sunday!

Sophie wanted to go to the gym today, so I suggested giving her a lift and then going to get some shopping that we needed. I was out of coffee, and we needed some ingredients for dinner. Last night's storm hadn't been as bad as expected, but Holcot was flooded again, so we had to take care when driving through the area of the road by the duck pond.

As well as some shopping, I also needed fat snax so after dropping her off I drove to the nearby Wilco's which was just about to open. Unfortunately, they were out of stock so I gave up and went to the Co-op at Moulton, which, apart from some mushrooms, didn't have anything I needed!

I drove back, and read the Sunday papers while waiting for Sophie and she wasn't long at all. Back home I asked her to help me put a colour on my hair (much-needed) and we had a bit of a pamper!

As the weather was so beautiful today, I suggested a walk around Brixworth Country Park and then a hot chocolate afterwards from the Willow Tree Cafe. I was hoping they would still be doing take-aways. Keith came as well but when we arrived at the car park, I have never seen so many cars wedged into the spaces! There wasn't a space free at all. Also, the queue for the cafe was about twenty deep, so we drove straight back out again, and went to the Brampton Halt steam train station instead. 

Parking was easier here and we had a choice of going towards Market Harborough or back towards Northampton. The path north was very wet so we turned right and headed for The Windhover pub. Even here, there were loads of people out so we had to keep dodging families with pushchairs, and men talking very loudly!

It was truly a beautiful day with lovely fluffy clouds and blue skies, but it was cold! The Brampton Valley Way, an old disused railway line, is low-lying and the fields around us were flooded.

Before actually getting to the end of the road, we turned back and re-traced our steps. It was still very busy - everybody must have had the same idea today, or were just fed up with being cooped up at home!

Back home it was time to relax for a while and Keith prepared a delicious chicken casserole using a bottle of white wine I'd bought. We added dumplings for extra flavour, and made good use of the turkey!

This evening we settled down to watch Black Narcissus, which looked very good and was set in Nepal. Just my kind of programme!

Lockdown lite...

Traditionally, today is the day when we do very little, eat chocolate and leftovers, and loll about. Today is also the day when the whole of Northamptonshire went into Tier 3, so all pubs, bars, restaurants and cafes closed. It's not a full lockdown for us as most shops are still open, as well as gyms, hairdressers and beauty salons, but it does restrict us going out for a meal or a cup of tea and cake. At work, we won't be able to run our fitness classes, so my shift might be a bit challenging on Monday!

We spent the morning doing very little, and we certainly weren't tempted by the Boxing Day Sales! The weather has been grey and overcast but Sophie and I did venture out for a walk in the early afternoon and went down to Walgrave. The stream underneath the bridge was in full flow, due to the huge amount of rainfall we've had over the last few days. Today we have weather warnings out for heavy rain and wind from Storm Bella, due to hit the British Isles later in the day.

I had an appointment to see my parents this afternoon at 4pm, so Sophie and I set off, and when we arrived they were already in the lounge. I don't think they'd had as good a Christmas as I'd hoped, because both of them seemed a bit unhappy, which was a real shame. We sat and chatted for half an hour but they were delighted with the presents we'd bought them, and my Dad was wearing his new shirt while my Mum had her new clothes on that I'd bought her for lounging about in.

Sophie and I popped to the Co-op nearby for more chipolatas to add to the bubble and squeak for dinner this evening, before returning home and relaxing. I suggested watching The Florida Project, a film I'd wanted to see since it was released in 2017. It was a bit sad, to be honest, and showed a side to Florida that we have never really seen.

Dinner this evening was leftovers made into bubble and squeak, cold turkey and chipolatas. As ever, the meal was delicious and we have enough turkey left over to make a casserole tomorrow!

An indulgent Christmas Day!

We awoke to sunshine and blue skies again, but it was cold. By 9am Sophie and Mike were awake, so we cracked open a bottle of Champagne and gathered in the living room to open our presents. I think we all did very well, but there was a lot of booze involved!

My parents called, and they were both delighted with the gifts we had given them. I was hoping that today would be special for them, to try and make up for the difficulties they had suffered over the last few months.

After the present-opening, I tidied up and we had breakfast. We didn't see Father Christmas walking around this year - normally someone dresses up, and walks around our estate ringing a bell, but not this year, which was a shame. We haven't a clue who it is, but it was nice to see him all the same!

At about 11am, we drove over the care home and waved to my parents through the lounge window. I was unable to book a visit today but I can see them tomorrow, on Boxing Day. It was lovely to see them, but very sad at the same time...

Back home, Keith took charge in the kitchen and popped our beautiful turkey into the oven. The smells all afternoon were lovely and made us hungry although we didn't want to eat a lot as we didn't want to lose our appetite! Sophie has developed a head cold and felt horrible in the afternoon, but Keith made her a hot toddy and that cheered her up. I had a couple of G&Ts with a new Gin that Keith had bought me - it was a lovely, herby Gin that tasted of a summer garden!

Keith stayed in the kitchen all afternoon, and Sophie and I lolled on the sofa watching television, which was very indulgent! We saw Planes, Trains and Automobiles, a film I always enjoy, followed by Remarkable Places to eat with Fred Sirieux and Michel Roux. Watching that just made us hungrier!

By 5pm, the meal was ready, and Keith had really put a huge amount of effort into the cooking. We enjoyed a truly delicious turkey, stuffing, pigs in blankets, roast potatoes, carrots and parsnips cooked with honey, Brussels sprouts, Yorkshire puddings, broccoli and cauliflower and mashed swede. It did bring it home to Keith, though, that we do need a double oven when the kitchen is replaced. Not just for a large Christmas dinner, but if we have people around to eat, or even if we need to cook four pizzas at once!

We had crackers left over from last year so we pulled those, drank a bottle of Chablis, and had a great time. After we'd eaten, Keith was shattered so he went and sat in the living room while Sophie, Mike and I cleared away and washed up.

We had a very relaxing evening, and at about 8.30pm, Sophie and I enjoyed a restaurant-standard Tiramisu which had benefited from being made the day before. Keith and Mike were asleep so we had control over the remote... perfect! Dessert was accompanied by an Australian Semillon and we watched the Christmas episode of Escape to the Chateau.

It was a lovely, very relaxed day and I spoke to my parents several times on the phone. I am hoping that next year we can spend the day with them!

Happy Christmas!

To everyone who reads my blog, thank you! I hope you're all having a lovely Christmas!

The presents have been opened, the Champagne drunk, the vegetables peeled! We're all ready!

Have a great Christmas!

Lots of love Janie and the Gang xxxx

A Christmas Eve walk

I had warned Sophie last night to perhaps leave going to the gym today, but she insisted she wanted to go. I got up with her as I needed to move the cars, and it was thoroughly miserable getting into my freezing vehicle to move it. Luckily, the rain had stopped but it was about 3c, so quite cold and frosty.

As I backed the car down the driveway, I heard an ominous scraping noise, and for one terrible moment, I thought I had another puncture. I stopped the car and got out to take a look but instead of a flat tyre, there was a sheet of plastic lying on the driveway. It had obviously fallen from underneath the car and was the shield protecting the underside from the elements. Driving through all the water yesterday must have dislodged it...

I backed the car out again, told Sophie to be really careful, and waved her off. Inside I had just made myself a coffee when the phone rang. It was Sophie to say that she was coming home - the water in Holcot was almost impassable, and with the problem with my car, she decided the fates were against her! I was relieved because I'd been reading on Facebook about all the floods in our area, and the police were warning people not to drive through floodwater on the roads.

With Sophie safely back home we had a very relaxed and lazy morning. Mike was off work as well as the golf club was underwater, and the bunkers resembled ponds. His manager had sent him some photos of the course, and had said that a man had gone fishing at the lake they have nearby, and had nearly drowned!

But what a contrast the weather was today! Clear blue skies, sunshine and a cold wind replaced the murk and mild temperatures of yesterday. It was lovely to relax and mooch about, and Keith and I had breakfast while watching a very interesting programme about wartime Christmases. Sophie was working until 12.30pm when we planned to go for a walk.

It was so cold I even wore gloves today! The wind was bitter but it was so refreshing to be out and having a walk. We went down to the village, and then along a single track road out towards the route that was flooded yesterday. Along the way, Sophie picked up some white felt-like material that had been discarded in the hedgerows, so we did our bit by disposing of it in the village hall bin!

We decided to walk along to the end of the road and called Keith to ask us to pick us up. We didn't fancy walking back on the main road into the village, and we didn't fancy retracing our steps either, as it was so cold.

It didn't take us long to reach the end of the road, and Keith appeared in Sophie's car. The water had gone from the road, and it was amazing to think it had been there yesterday! We went home, had a veggie sausage bap for lunch, and talked about our plans for New Year's Day. There will be no trip out to Oxfordshire or Cambridgeshire, or even the Cotswolds, with a pub lunch this year as our surrounding counties are mostly in Tier 4, and even in our Tier, the pubs and restaurants will be closed. We tentatively discussed going to Towcester to have a walk, and then maybe having a fish and chip lunch, eating it out of the paper as Sophie always wanted to do!

After lunch, Sophie and I made Tiramisu for dessert tomorrow, and I started on the preparations for some nutty, chocolatey cakes that I wanted to make as a treat. I managed to catch the last 45 minutes of It's A Wonderful Life and then jumped into the bath. Keith wanted to play cards tonight, so I finished off the cakes, and we called the children down to have a drink and gather in the conservatory.

Dinner tonight was our Tesco Finest meal, and it was lovely not to have to do loads of preparation - we just put it all in the oven! After we'd eaten we watched Elf, which was a lovely end to a wonderful day!

Flood!

Today has been, quite simply, unbelievable. We awoke to thick fog, and I got up with Keith as we were taking Mike to work, and then going on to Tesco to get our Christmas food shop. We left at 6am, and I told Sophie to go careful on her way to the gym because the fog was so thick. We literally crawled to the golf club in Kettering, and I did wonder how much Mike would be able to do today, with the weather conditions. The golf club was so dark!

Tesco was busy (yes, even at 6.30am!) but not too bad, and we were able to get everything we needed, and then some! We had £90 in Clubcard vouchers but we managed to exceed that! We did buy several bottles of wine, Champagne, a litre bottle of vodka for Sophie, and two Tesco Finest meal deals for Christmas Eve, as an alternative to going to the pub. We had booked for 6pm, but I was anxious about being inside in a warm and stuffy environment with lots of different people (Ian had said the pub was almost fully booked when we rang), so we had cancelled our booking. I felt guilty because the pub needs our business, but I just didn't want to risk us all being exposed to the virus.

We headed home with our booty, and an hour after we arrived home, Sophie came home as well. She couldn't believe the fog, but the weather was due to get worse...

I made a start on cleaning the house, and outside it started to rain heavily. I managed to do the whole of the house today and worked my way downstairs as I hadn't cleaned upstairs on Monday as I'd hoped. Outside it was still raining, and I mentioned to Keith that surely Mike would be calling us soon to pick him up! What could he do in the rain?

No sooner had I said it than the phone rang, so Keith and I went to pick him up. In Old, rainwater was pouring through one of the stone walls and flooding the main road in the village. We headed out towards the A43, and the road was starting to flood badly in places, with the water almost covering the surface. It was pouring off the adjoining fields, and the ditches were full of muddy water. We hadn't seen it like this for ages as some time ago the local farmer had dug grooves into the verges which dealt with any rainwater coming off the fields.

We picked Mike up from work, and the golf club was deserted. I would have been very surprised if anyone was foolish enough to be out playing in the torrential rain! The last time I had seen it like this was in 1998 when Northampton was flooded badly in the St James and Far Cotton areas of the town.

We headed home, and the roads were getting worse. Keith and I were going to see Mum and Dad this afternoon, and I was very glad that I'd asked Keith to accompany me, because when we ventured out again, the road was like a river, and the rain hadn't let up at all.

Dashcam footage!

We staggered into the care home with a big bag full of presents, and some shopping that Mum had asked for, along with the DVD player that Keith had managed to fix. We both got soaked! My parents were a little subdued this afternoon, and my Dad looked painfully thin but I'm hoping they'll both be cheered up by the presents we brought in!

We chatted for a good while before Keith and I headed home. This time we had to negotiate the flooded roads in the gloomy twilight when the roads were busier with people driving home from work. Several times I met an oncoming car and was sprayed with so much water I was momentarily blinded. It was not a good night to be out!

Thankfully, we arrived home safely and learnt that from Boxing Day, Northamptonshire will go into Tier 3, which means all pubs, restaurants, cafes and bars will have to close. Gyms can stay open but we won't be able to offer any fitness classes, so all the work Sheila did on Monday has been a waste of time (and me too, for checking them!).

What with the Dover fiasco (thousands of lorries were now waiting to cross the Channel), the new variant of coronavirus, the weather, and us going into a higher Tier, I feel like we're living in cursed times!

The terrible rain continued all evening, and became even heavier if that was possible! Tomorrow it's set to get much colder so I was worried about Sophie venturing out to the gym for her last visit before Christmas. She insisted on going, though but we'll have to see what tomorrow brings!

Finished for Christmas!

Today was my last day of work before Christmas, and it was a very quiet shift. I took in my Secret Santa gift and added it to the box of other presents. I had bought a bottle of Champagne for Georgia, a lovely girl who works on Reception, and amazingly, she had drawn me as well! She came in, spotted her gift and danced out in glee! I think she liked it!

Sara asked me to proofread all of the new fitness classes that Sheila had put onto the system yesterday, so at least I had something to do! It still doesn't feel like Christmas, and when I left at 4pm, after wishing my colleague Jo a Merry Christmas, I didn't feel that usual high when I finish for the festive season!

I drove into town to collect Mike who had been at Abbie's house for the last few days. He was in good spirits and was looking forward to just two more days at work and then finishing for Christmas. 

I had a very relaxing evening - Sophie was upstairs watching footage of Hugh Fernly-Whittingstall cook for her boyfriend's work colleagues and Keith was also upstairs watching Newcastle play, so I sat in the living room with a G&T and watched an old Christmas episode of The Good Life. Just perfect!

Trawling around the shops.

Today the weather has been absolutely horrible - it barely got light, and it has poured for most of the morning and late afternoon.

We woke up to the news that France has closed its borders with us, so lorries were stacking up at Dover and Folkestone. Lots of other countries are now refusing flights from the UK, including Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands. Can it get any worse? Of course, this meant then, that the whispers of food shortages started, so Keith and I went over to Aldi and Tesco before 9am. 

I had been having a nice, lazy start to the day watching a programme about a lucky group of people who had taken advantage of Barbados opening its doors for a year so they could work from home... how lovely!

Aldi was fine and was quiet, but we had to queue to get into Tesco, something we haven't had to do for months. It was horrible standing in the rain, but in the store itself, it wasn't too bad and definitely quieter than when Sophie and I went on Saturday! We have one more shop to do and we're planning to go very early on Wednesday to get our vegetables and wine for Christmas Day. Wish us luck!

I had things I needed to buy for Mum and Dad so Keith and I split up in Tesco. As I was waiting for Keith, I spotted Sue and we had a chat. She's going out for an Indian on Christmas Day, so she's sorted!

We headed home and unpacked all the shopping before driving into town to Jones's where I was hoping to buy more presents. I was getting desperate now! Jones's wasn't as busy as I imagined, and it was clear that they were winding everything down now in terms of Christmas. I wouldn't have been surprised to see Valentine's cards or Easter things on display!

I managed to spend just over £100 in the wholesalers... Some of this was money now owed to me by Mike for his grandparents' gifts, but even so, it was far more than I had been expecting to pay! And I still need to get a few bits and bobs! Arrgghh!

On the way home I called into the small post office near Whitehills to post condolence cards to my cousins, Beverley and Kim. Predictably, there was a queue and I stood in it, outside in the cold, for quite a while. We then sped home where Sophie had given up waiting for us and had started her lunch.

I had a look on the internet for gift ideas and gave up. I suggested to Keith that we go to Beckworth for one last shop and we drove there after picking up our prescriptions at the surgery in Brixworth. Travelling over Pitsford reservoir we marvelled at how full it was. We have certainly had some rain lately!

Beckworth was busy but I bought gifts for my Mum from Mike, so that was a huge relief. Keith and I looked at the turkeys and there were only a few available - we saw a huge crown for about £70 and on the other end of the scale a tiny little one for £22! I doubt it would have fed two!

It was a relief to get home, and after Sophie had finished work I wrapped everything so I think I am done now. Hooray!

Sad news

Sophie received a shock this morning when she awoke to a text message from the NHS app saying she had been somewhere recently - no idea where or when - and a person visiting on the same day had tested positive for Covid. We think it may have been Beckworth last Saturday, but there were no details, and the app just told her to look out for symptoms and get a test if she developed any! It was a bit worrying but all of us feel fine and it had been eight days ago so let's hope the person visited at a different time of the day!

We mooched about the house all morning and at 1pm went over to Weedon to try and get some more Christmas shopping done. It was a gorgeous day with lots of sunshine and blue skies but it was cold! I had planned on cleaning the inside of my car, but the thought made me shiver! The drive over was beautiful - all rolling hills and gorgeous scenery through the villages of Spratton and Ravensthorpe.

We made a beeline for Darlington's cafe and opted to sit outside, at the back of the restaurant, which was mostly enclosed, and had lots of heaters. 

I am starting to worry about being inside now, especially with this new variant of the virus about, so sitting outside was perfect. It was a bit chilly, though and halfway through our visit, it started to pour with rain, but we were protected. We enjoyed a lovely lunch of baked potatoes, mine with tuna and Sophie's with cheese and beans. Mine came accompanied by a mound of salad, including grapes and apple. Delicious!

It was very pretty in the little outside area, a bit like Santa's grotto, so we had a lovely time sitting and chatting. After we'd eaten we went and had a good look at the shops, and Sophie managed to complete her shopping, which was great! A much more successful day than yesterday! I didn't manage to get anything, though, and time is running out for me!

We drove home on the new bypass road, and after crossing the M1 at Junction 16, I was amazed at the new road layout, and two huge new warehouses that had been built by the Red Lion truckstop! It must have been ages since we travelled this way!

Back home it was time to relax and let Keith look after dinner, pulled pork served with new potatoes and baps. I received a phone call from my cousin, Beverley, with the very sad news that my Aunt Pat had died today. I had been expecting it as Beverley had messaged me to say she was ill, but it was still a shock and I phoned my parents immediately. I am not sure when the funeral will be, or even if we can go, but my parents were shocked as well, especially my Dad as Aunt Pat was his older sister.

Dinner was delicious, and after we'd eaten Keith watched the BBC Sports Personality of the Year. Sophie and I went upstairs and I watched the Vicar of Dibley on my Kindle Fire. At least it made me smile! When Keith came to bed he said that our neighbouring countries had started to ban flights and ferries from the UK because of the new variant of coronavirus. It looks like things are going to get worse!

More tiers before bedtime...

Sophie and I set off early this morning to go to Tesco to shop for our local food bank. Rather than do Secret Santa at her workplace this year, Sophie had suggested that people donate an amount of their choice so we could buy food for those in need this Christmas.

We had just over £90 to spend, and that didn't include some items that her manager had donated. On the way, we stopped at the new Costa by the A14 and had a Flat White and a pastry. The cafe was busy, and it was obvious that some people sitting in didn't belong to the same household. How good are these rules if they're not being enforced?

Things are taking quite an ominous turn now due to a new variant of the coronavirus, which is making it far easier to spread. London and the south-east are worst affected, and there is a strong rumour that Boris will create another tier - Tier 4 - just for this region of England.

We left Costa and drove to Tesco where we filled the trolley with essentials. It was amazing how much we could buy with our money! As we also had some shopping to do for ourselves, it all became a bit messy as we'd used the self-scan option, and we had to go through the normal checkouts with our purchases! 

At the self-scan checkouts, I dug out the newspaper from the very bottom of the trolley as I didn't want to be caught with it, without paying for it. Can you imagine the embarrassment? We didn't bring any boxes with us and the amount we'd bought wouldn't fit in the bags we'd brought so we headed home to re-pack it all!

Once that was all done, we phoned the food bank and drove over to Kettering. The plan was to drop it off and then visit The Yards to look for Christmas presents. Taking it was a simple process, and we went and parked in the car park by the church and library. Ahead of us was a huge marquee and we discovered that it was a walk-in Covid testing site. We steered well clear of it!

Unfortunately, we received a shock when we arrived at The Yards. There was just one shop open as you went in, and the usual large area with different stalls was closed off. The entrance was in another part of The Yards, and the place looked run-down and neglected. Apart from a lampshade shop and another selling combat gear, there was just one area full of antiques and tat. We were so disappointed! We had been hoping to buy some presents here, and the usual area full of gifts, decorations, vintage clothing and American sweets was closed down completely.

We decided to leave and try our luck at the lovely beer shop that was opposite, but this had disappeared as well. What has happened to Kettering? Staring us in the face, starkly, was how much retail has been affected by the current situation.

We walked back to the car and it started to rain, putting both of us in a foul mood. Sophie was desperate to buy some presents for Mike so I suggested Castle Ashby which has a delicatessen selling lovely foods, beers and wines.

The rain stopped, and the sun came out, but it was a chilly day. At Castle Ashby, we parked in the overflow car park and walked to the courtyard area. By now we were hungry so we went to The Buttery in the hope of having some lunch. Several tables were occupied outside but neither of us felt like eating at a cold table, we wanted a cosy one inside! Our luck was out, and the woman serving said there'd be a 30-minute wait... We gave up and went straight to the delicatessen where a man was hovering by the beers and wines and taking an absolute age to choose anything. When he moved away we looked at the beers but Sophie didn't fancy paying £10 for a can despite its high alcohol content! £10!!

I suggested getting something for lunch and taking it home, but Sophie wasn't keen so we returned to the car empty-handed. The day was turning out to be a very disappointing one! We drove back the way we'd come and visited a Farm Shop near Earls Barton. They had a range of beers but they were on the weak side, and Sophie knew that none of them would appeal to Mike.

From there we tried a cafe and craft shop situated in a range of barns near Mears Ashby. When we entered the small shop, there was a very unsavoury smell permeating the place. It really put us off and smelt a bit like rancid lamb! They didn't have any tables, either, so in desperation, we went to McDonald's for a naughty treat, going through the drive-thru and eating in the car, watched by a very hungry seagull who kept screeching at us!

Back home we made a start on the preparations for dinner, which tonight was Thai Yellow Curry. We needed to make a curry paste, which Sophie prepared, while I cut up the chicken and two potatoes. After we'd done as much as we could Sophie made us both a cocktail using my Blood Orange Gin and the rest of the Vermouth. Delicious!

We sat down to listen to Boris at 4pm and received a bit of a shock. London, the south-east and our neighbouring counties of Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire are all now in Tier 4, which means non-essential shops will close, gyms, hairdressers and beauty salons will not be able to open, and people will not be able to see anyone outside of their household bubble at Christmas. For the rest of us, the five-day relaxation will be reduced to just one day, Christmas Day. The virus is spreading much faster than anticipated, and the Government has decided to implement these changes in an attempt to slow it down.

Dinner this evening was delicious, although Sophie said it lacked something - could it have been the fish sauce that we left out? The bottle we had was best before March 2020 so we threw it away!

A lazy start to the weekend!

When Sophie returned from the gym I sat with her in the conservatory and read the papers, so a lovely, lazy start to my Friday.

However, housework was calling, and I cleaned downstairs while Keith prepared the vegetables for dinner. The weather outside was horrible and cold, with a nasty wind and drizzly rain. Typical that I was off today and yesterday was lovely! I gave the downstairs of the house a really good clean and mopped the kitchen floor, the hallway and the study. Upstairs can wait until Monday!

Keith and I went to get Mike from work in the wind and rain and watched some foolish golfers at the 18th. They were soaked through! I warned Mike on the way home that I had just cleaned the kitchen floor and woe betide him if he made a mess!

This evening's dinner choice was chicken soup, and we had already cooked some breasts in the oven. It was a very simple recipe and called for carrots, onions and garlic to be sweated in a casserole dish for a while, a jug of stock poured in and then the chicken added. To add some more bulk we put in a bag of rice and heated some baguettes in the oven. The soup was delicious and very filling.

After we'd eaten Sophie and I watched a programme about The Savoy hotel last Christmas. If only the people celebrating New Year had known what was ahead of them!

Tier review

I was back at work this morning and working with Sue. Again, we had a very quiet shift, and we kept one eye on the news as there was a review of the Tier system today. I think everyone in Northamptonshire was expecting to be put into Tier 3, but amazingly, we have stayed where we are. However, Buckinghamshire is now in Tier 3, so that puts paid to lunch in Olney for the foreseeable future.

It also means that the meal planned tomorrow evening with Lynda, Andrea and Fiona at The Four Pears will have to be postponed as well, as we cannot gather together for dinner. It does, however, mean that as a family we can go to the pub for a meal on Christmas Eve!

At 4pm I sped home in the beautiful twilight (it's been lovely weather today) and discovered that one of Sophie's presents had arrived while I was at work. Normally, by now, we would have had an evening shop in Milton Keynes, but this year I just don't feel like risking it (plus MK will be in Tier 3 from Saturday). I have done well so far with buying presents in Jones's and Tesco and buying online, so that will have to do this year. There were lots of warnings in the news today about Christmas, and how people need to be careful. It's at times like this that I'm thankful we don't have a huge family nearby, otherwise, how would you choose?

After Sophie had finished work I spread out on the dining table and wrapped my presents. I just need to get a few things now and try and shop for my parents' present to each other and I'm done!

Where does the time go?

I was facing a busy day today, trying to make the best use of my time off! Keith and I went over to Next in Kettering at 9am and picked up the clothes I'd ordered for my Mum for her birthday. I'd ordered a lovely jumper and a scarf, and I said that if they didn't fit, I would give up!

Collection from the shop was quick and easy, and we ventured into Tesco to buy presents for Soph and Mike. At the moment, Tesco have some very good deals if you have a Clubcard, and we made use of them! After we'd shopped I really wanted a coffee so I queued up at Costa and waited. A woman was standing doing something at one of the counters, but rather than acknowledging me and saying she would be with me in a minute (or whatever) she ignored me completely.

I gave up and we drove over to the new Costa opposite Aldi where we sat and enjoyed a Flat White and a Bramley apple sausage roll. As we left I suddenly remembered I had to get cards and chocolates for my Mum so we had to return to Tesco again! I left Keith in the car and went inside to get him his present as well!

From Kettering, we made the longish drive to Northampton where I picked up the bedspread from the launderette. We then sped home where I just had time to put my Mum's clothes into a gift bag before going to see them! Phew!

The visit today was utterly different from last week. They arrived dead on time and I stayed for almost 45 minutes. We had a good chat, and both my parents looked great - very smart, well-dressed and they seemed happy, which was lovely. I had planned on going to get Mike straight from the visit but he had called Sophie to say he was going to be late, so I headed home, and had lunch with my daughter. 

The weather today had been steadily getting worse, and when we did go and get Mike from work it was blowing a gale and raining heavily. We returned home, and I decided to wrap some presents. I was very pleased with what I'd managed to achieve today, but the time had sped by!

Keith disappeared upstairs to watch Newcastle play on Amazon Prime, and he said he thought he had the beginnings of a cold. Oh no... We dosed him up with Lemsip, honey, whisky and hot lemonade and prayed that he wouldn't develop a full-blown cold. Normally, by now, he has had a cough and cold, and we were dreading him getting one this year...

Sophie and I played Scrabble, and then we prepared a fish pie for dinner. Afterwards, we had a very festive evening watching Return to the Chateau and then Gordon, Gino and Fred in Lapland. It was hilarious!

An enjoyable day at work... for once!

Sophie didn't go to the gym this morning so I had a little lie-in until 7.30am. She was meeting her manager at Costa later today to exchange gifts, and have a catch-up. They were planning on meeting at the drive-thru in Costa but staying in their own cars!

I went off to work and for the first time in ages, Keith drove me as Sophie needed her car. I had a very pleasant shift working with Jo, and only Nicola was in as Sara was on annual leave and Sheila was furloughed today. The phones were very quiet indeed, and there was a lovely relaxed atmosphere about today. I helped with customer service emails and we did a lot of chatting with Nicola!

At 4pm Keith came to collect me and we sped home in the beautiful twilight. It's been another gorgeous day today so a bit annoying to be cooped up in a very hot office!

I sat and relaxed at home and watched a fantastic documentary about snow foxes. Perfect winter viewing! Then, with a new gin to savour, I watched the end of Love Sarah, a film I'd been wanting to see ever since it came out in the cinemas. It was poignant but enjoyable.

Dinner this evening, cooked by Keith, was a delicious chicken casserole in a creamy sauce. Afterwards, we watched University Challenge, and although we did answer a few, the questions are now getting harder!

Making progress!

Monday mornings roll around very quickly, but at least I was off work today! I really wanted to make the most of the time I had and was determined to get some jobs sorted out today. I also wanted to make inroads into my Christmas shopping!

Keith and I went out mid-morning and took our bedspread to the launderette, something I'd been meaning to do for ages. It cost £17 but it was well worth it to have it lovely and clean! From town, we drove to the bank and queued up, as per usual. I have never known a time when we haven't had to queue! One of the staff came down the line and asked us what we needed to do. I explained about being a signatory on my Mum and Dad's account, and that I was worried I hadn't received a debit card yet. She said I could try and sort it out online, so we left. I had no desire to hang about at the Weston Favell Centre!

We then popped to Jones's and bought wrapping paper, bottle bags, gifts for my parents, and bird food for our hungry feathered friends. Luckily it was quiet so we were able to meander around in peace and not get jostled! As we left people were pouring in, so I think we had a lucky escape!

We decided to go from town straight to get Mike from work and arrived a bit early. However, it was lovely to sit and relax for a while after our busy morning. Back home I had a quick lunch and pootled about for the rest of the afternoon. The weather today has been beautiful with blue skies and sunshine, but it's also been mild for the time of year. I really don't think a white Christmas is on the cards this year!

A dreary Sunday

It has rained today, non-stop and has been very dull and dreary. The very worst kind of Sunday weather.

We had a slow start to the day and I couldn't help looking back at past December 13ths when we always used to visit my Nan in Dartford as it was her birthday. If my grandmothers were still alive today (both would be over 100 years of age) we wouldn't even be able to go and see them, let alone take them out for lunch as Kent is in Tier 3.

Keith went off to Tesco this morning to get the Sunday papers and some essential bits and bobs, and I just pootled about the house with Sophie. We marinated a chicken for tonight's dinner, and then donned a facemask, and watched a Place in the Sun (it always seems to be on, whatever time fo the day!). 

In the early afternoon, we splashed our way over to Smith's Farm Shop as Sophie was still hunting for more foodie gifts for her boyfriend and her manager at work. I bought a bottle of Prosecco for this evening and some treats, and then we splashed our way home again. The roads were starting to flood as the rain did not let up at all during the day.

Back home we enjoyed a hot chocolate - definitely the kind of day for it - and relaxed. Dinner this evening was a Hairy Biker's recipe, Moroccan chicken, and we popped the lemon marinated chicken into a casserole dish, and let it simmer for an hour on the hob. We'd added two onions, ginger, turmeric, saffron and stock, and it smelt lovely.

Dinner was served with couscous, roasted vegetables, Indian flatbreads (all we could find!) and a thick spicy sauce. It was definitely a different kind of dish to ones we usually have and it went down very well!

Tea and cake... again!

I was up earlyish, and started watching Little Women, but gave up after about half an hour. The film kept moving backwards and forwards in time, which I hate! I'm just glad I didn't go and see it at the cinema!

When Sophie woke up we had breakfast of cheese on toast and watched Saturday Kitchen. However, I had a lot of things planned for today so by lunchtime, we were showered and dressed and ready to go. We went to Mum and Dad's care home first and I dropped off some new underwear and shoes for my Mum, as well as a pair of trainers for my Dad.

We then sped over to Brixworth as I had a stack of cards to post for my Mum, and there was one that was destined for Cyprus. However, just as we arrived, the post office closed, which was very annoying! Undeterred we drove to the small post office near The Whitehills pub which is always very friendly and helpful. The lady behind the counter said the card might still make it to Cyprus in time, but she did warn me that at the moment, the post was very slow, something we have noticed at home with expected deliveries.

From there we popped to Moulton so that Sophie could post a card to a friend who lives in the village and then it was over to Beckworth for lunch. Originally we'd decided to just have cake and a cup of tea, but both of us were hungry so we decided to share a panini. I had been expecting the restaurant to be decked out in Christmas decorations, but we were both disappointed with the lack of atmosphere. We were seated right at the farthest end of the marquee and looked over a jumble of boxes and mess. Not really what we were expecting!

However, as always, the food was very good, and we shared a pulled pork panini served with French fries, salad and coleslaw, and then we each chose a cake. Sophie decided on the Red Velvet while I went for a festive slice of sherry trifle torte, which was a bit on the small side!

After we'd eaten we visited the shop and Sophie bought lots of foodie gifts for her boyfriend. It is highly doubtful whether she will actually be able to give them to him before Christmas because of the current lockdowns, and the fact that London is set to go up into Tier 3 next week.

We drove home, and as we neared the house we saw a car parked outside, with a woman staring in the windows... As I pulled onto the drive she was literally hanging out of the window, and when I went over she said she was trying to work out what letter we were displaying for the Advent window! I apologised and said that I thought I only had to display it for the one day, but it seems not! I told her the letter T, and she went off very satisfied!

Sophie and I had decided to go to the small Christmas Fayre in the village and we drove up rather than walk in the dark. I was glad we did because we were there for all of five minutes! They had tried, bless them, but you just can't recreate the lovely atmosphere of a candle-lit church outside!

We returned home, Sophie made us Vodka martinis and we played Scrabble in the conservatory while Keith cooked Beef Stroganoff for dinner. Delicious!

Two for the price of one...

Thursday has been a non-eventful day, mainly due to the fact that I was at work from 10am until 4pm, so not much to report!

Thankfully, it was a quiet shift and there was only Sue, Sara and me in the office. December is traditionally the quietest of all the months as people have Christmas on their minds! I drove home at 4pm and relaxed with Sophie for a while before going to have a bath. I haven't felt at all well this week (tummy pains again) so having a bath was lovely and relaxing.

On Friday I worked with my buddy Kathy and it was just like old times! Again, the shift was quiet but the time passed fairly quickly as I had a job to do for Sheila.

At 4pm I sped home, changed and cuddled up on the sofa to relax. I was just so glad it was Friday and I had three days before my next shift! Keith cooked fish and chips for dinner, and Sophie and I sat and enjoyed a programme about Christmas at The Plaza hotel in New York. It looked wonderful! We rounded off the evening with half an hour of the film Last Christmas and sipped a glass of Sherry. Bliss!

Mrs Angry!

I switched the lights on in my decorated window early this morning just in case anyone was wandering around and having a look! I have to say, though, that I didn't see anyone looking at the decorations all day, but then I wasn't peering out continuously!

Keith and I took Sophie's car to the garage at Moulton, put some petrol in for her, and took the filthy little thing through the carwash. It was a gloomy, damp sort of day today, and as we drove off the forecourt, it started to drizzle. Typical!

Back home I enjoyed pastries and coffee for breakfast and sat with Sophie for a while. I had an appointment to see my parents at 12.40pm again, so I showered and drove over, giving myself plenty of time in case any building works held me up!

When I got to the care home, there wasn't a car park space anywhere. There were even cars parked along the approach road, but as some pretty big vehicles pass closely by, I didn't fancy leaving my car there! I sat and waited for ten minutes but in the end, gave up and had to park along a straight bit of the road. I went into reception and explained where I'd parked so they could get hold of me if they wanted me to move. I had no idea why there were so many cars but I hope this isn't going to be the case every time I visit in the future!

I was taken to the garden room, and I sat and waited... and waited. After fifteen minutes had gone by I called the care home and asked where my parents were! Another five minutes went by before they came down, and by now I was furious as half the time had disappeared!

I couldn't stay any longer as I was picking Mike up from work so we barely had ten minutes before I had to go. Before I left I arranged to pick up the DVD player I'd bought for my parents last week, and which was waiting for me in reception. Somehow, my parents had managed to break it in less than a week, which was extremely annoying. I stood and waited at the gate to be let out, and one of the carers appeared with the box. Perched on top were the two cards I sent out yesterday to my parents, and the carer attempted to give them back to me! Why? They were clearly addressed to my parents! Sometimes I really do wonder! Also in the box were the cards my Mum had written out for me to post, but some had the address missing so I'll have to do some detective work to find them!

I drove to get Mike without mishap and called into the Co-op on the way home to buy a sandwich. Mike told me to get a meal deal rather than a single sandwich and bought the food for me, bless him! 

After we'd returned Keith and I went back to the garage at Moulton to get some diesel for my car, and to take it through the carwash as well. Only now it was closed! I was livid - it wasn't turning out to be the best of days!

I was determined to get it washed as it was so dirty so we set off on a tour of the town, and eventually went to the carwash at the Morrison's garage on the Kettering road. Hooray!

It was bliss to get home, watch two episodes of The Fall and then try the new Gin for tonight - Blood Orange - which has turned out to be a new favourite!

Getting things done!

We awoke to another freezing cold morning but the weather is set to change later today and become a bit milder. Keith and I took my car over to Broughton this morning to get the brake pads replaced and braved the morning rush hour traffic, which was terrible.

We had intended going straight to Brixworth to go to the post office, but we decided to wait until later in the morning and avoid the school run! It can get very manic at the shops as a lot of parents park there to take their children to school.

We went home and had some breakfast instead, and watched the sky slowly turn blue. The fog had disappeared this morning, and the rest of the day turned out to be gorgeous with all the trees and hedges white and frosty.

After breakfast, we ventured over to Brixworth, and I popped into the Co-op first to get some tins and packets for the food bank collection this evening. I can't believe that two weeks have gone by so quickly! I then went and joined the long queue for the post office and bought stamps for my Christmas cards. I decided to head home and put them on the envelopes there, so Sophie and I could post them at lunchtime when we went for a walk.

Sophie had a fairly fraught online meeting at work this morning and I sat in the conservatory with her. At lunchtime, it was heaven to get out and enjoy the cold crisp air and sunshine. We posted the cards and walked up to the village where I had another look at the advent window in the house opposite the pub. It was pretty but you'd have to look hard to see the letter! I think ours will be easier to find!

Back home it was lunchtime, and Sophie had the last of the Mulligatawny soup while I had leftovers from the pasta dish we'd enjoyed last night. Keith went to get Mike from work, and I pootled about doing some chores. At the moment all I seem to do is empty or fill the dishwasher and tidy up the kitchen! It seems never-ending! I also had a message from a neighbour who wanted me to sort out her gym membership, which put me into a bad mood! I messaged her back saying that I wouldn't be at work until Thursday and she would have to call the contact centre to sort it out herself. Grrr!

Rob Price called and said the car would be ready at 4.30pm, so I had about half an hour to start preparing the window for tomorrow. I had ordered some lights for my Mum but she no longer needed them so I used them on our front window and Keith helped me unravel them, which was a real finicky job! I just hope they'll look OK!

Keith and I went to get the car and the rush hour traffic, at 4pm, was horrendous. They had replaced the brake pads but still couldn't find the source of the knocking and the mechanic said he couldn't even hear it. It cost us £123, and Keith drove my car home through the murky gloom. He said it hadn't made a noise all the way so let's hope it's fixed!

I had a trial run of the lights back home and then soaked in the bath for ages. Bliss!

An unexpected bonus!

The fog and frost continued this morning, and it was particularly bad on the roads. Keith and I went to Tesco first thing and did our shopping for the next few days. I also needed some bits and bobs for my parents so they went into the trolley as well. Going through the checkouts we chatted to one of our regular ladies and caught up with all of her news. I hadn't seen her for ages, so that was good!

Back home I wrote out all my Christmas cards, so that's one job completed. Sophie didn't feel very well today and looked really pale and tired, bless her. I heated up a bowl of Mulligatawny soup and toasted some naan bread, and made her take some Ibuprofen with her lunch. I think that working from home is starting to really affect her now so with the vaccine becoming available over the next few months, maybe this is the beginning of the end.

Before getting Mike from work, I dropped off the stuff for my parents at the care home. Luckily today we weren't held up by diggers but it was still very muddy!

Back home we surprised Mike with not one but three advent calendars! I had ordered what I thought was just one from Amazon, but it turned out to be three for £4.99, so that was a bargain! Mike said the chocolates were a bit small but with three, it should satisfy his sweet tooth!

When Sophie had finished work we walked around the estate to deliver Christmas cards to friends and neighbours. Monty came with us, and accompanied us all the way, which was delightful! He hasn't done that for a while! It was very cold, though, and although we'd planned on walking up to the village, we decided to drive instead. The reason we were going was to look at a decorated window for the Advent walk. On the map, it showed a house opposite the pub, but it wasn't that clear when Sophie drove along the road. I was starting to get a bit worried about what I had to do, which is typical for me! I agree to do something and then heartily regret it!

One thing is for sure, the lights and decorations on our estate, and in the village, are beautiful and it seems that everyone has really gone all out this year to cheer up their houses for Christmas! The trees on the green were also lit up with the solar lights, and looked wonderful twinkling away in the darkness!

Our stunning countryside

Sundays are rapidly becoming the busiest day of the week lately! After a bit of a lie-in, Keith and I went to get the Sunday newspapers, and I was delighted to see that the weather was gorgeous - cold, misty and beautiful.

On the way back we took the single track road through the countryside, and I stopped to take some photos:

I absolutely love winter days like these! I could have sat and gazed out at the stunning scenery all day!

Back home Sophie was busy preparing the sauces for our dinner of Korean fried chicken tonight. I made breakfast for Keith and me, and then we popped over to Tesco's in my Dad's car to give it a run. We are reluctant to use my car until we get the brake pads sorted out on Tuesday.

My Dad's car was like a frozen igloo, and it took us ages to thaw it out! At Tesco I bought Christmas cards for my parents, two bottles of Bombay Sapphire Gin (for Mike as presents to me and Abbie), some Christmas treats, and ingredients for a cocktail for this evening.

The rest of the morning and early afternoon was spent mooching about. I did some household chores, and Sophie and I had a facemask whilst watching A Place In The Sun. I set up Amazon Prime on the television in the bedroom so Keith could watch England play France in the Rugby. 

By 3pm we were all set to go for a walk as I was hoping for a beautiful sunset. The sky had clouded over a bit but it was still a mixture of blues and greys. It was also still very cold! We walked up to the village and then down the rough track towards the nature reserve. Over to the west, the sky was cloudy but to our left, we could see the twinges of colour from the setting sun.

Someone's watching us...

It was heaven to be out walking, and the peace of the countryside was like a balm to the soul. We stood and watched the sky constantly changing until sunset, about 3.50pm, and then turned back. The photos I've taken really don't do justice to the beauty of our surroundings. On the way home, we met John, one of Keith's pub mates who was out walking his dog. We had a chat, and it was great to catch up with his news.

It was astonishing how quickly the light went after sunset. It was almost completely dark by the time we got back to our little estate, and we met several people who were walking up to the village to see the lighting of the Christmas tree outside the pub. We had forgotten it was taking place, but cocktails were calling us!

Sophie made delicious cocktails using Vodka, Prosecco, raspberries, lemons and honey, and she served them in her new glasses:

Cheers!

Outside it had become very foggy again, and temperatures were set to drop below freezing. Brrr! After a little relaxing with our cocktails, Pringles, and Greg Wallace in Vienna again (we are going next year - I am going to overdose on Christmas markets until I can't take it any more!) we made dinner. Sophie had already brined the chicken thighs, and I took them out, cut the fatty bits off and patted them dry. Sophie made the batter using sparkling water and vodka, and we heated up the oil in our big casserole dish.

Although we started at about 6.30pm, we didn't eat until about 7.45pm as it took quite a while to fry the chicken in batches, and we had to do it twice. Sophie made Jasmine rice (even though I hadn't bought proper Jasmine rice!), and the meal was delicious with the two sauces and a bottle of Sake that Mike had bought for us as an early Christmas present!

A human conveyor belt!

I had a flu jab booked for today at about 11am so after a quick breakfast, Sophie and I headed over to Guilsborough. We were a bit early, and we were amazed at the number of people driving in and out! It was a constant stream of cars!

I waited until my allotted time and went into the surgery where I was met by a member of staff holding a bottle of sanitiser. I then headed to the reception desk, gave my name, and was directed to the suite of rooms where I turned left. It was all very slick and well-organised and very much like a human conveyor belt! I went into one of the rooms, rolled up my sleeve and received a quick prick in the arm. All done! I must have been in and out in less than five minutes!

Sophie and I had decided to venture out to Olney again today, and as Buckinghamshire is in Tier 2 like Northamptonshire, it meant we could visit the shops and have lunch at a cafe. It took us a while to drive from Guilsborough to Olney but we went a new way which was a lot easier, bringing us out onto the main high street of the small town. We were lucky to bag a parking space on the main street, about a ten-minute walk from the centre. 

Sophie hadn't had any breakfast so we went for lunch first. We chose Teapots again, and we were delighted to take one of the last tables in the small cafe. Sophie chose a baked potato with cheese and beans while I opted for a cheese and onion toastie served with coleslaw and salad. The food was delicious, and we made room for more tea and cake afterwards! 

I chose coffee and walnut while Sophie enjoyed pineapple and coconut. The cakes were scrumptious and just what we'd been waiting for!

It was lovely sitting and relaxing in the friendly cafe, and we will be back again soon, I hope! From there we went to a nearby newsagent where we bought a magazine each and the newspaper. I had spotted a magazine with ideas for kitchen diners so I had to have it! Hopefully, it will give me some inspiration!

Teapots cafe, Olney

We mooched about the shops and Sophie bought some lovely glasses which she wants to use for cocktails. They were second-hand, which was even better!

The last time we'd visited Sophie had spotted some Russell and Bromley velvet boots and they were still there, priced at £110. I said I would get them for her as a Christmas present from my parents, but when she tried them on, they were slightly too small, which was a huge shame as they would have been perfect! She did, however, buy a blouse in another charity shop for £4 which was very pretty and perfect for work (when she gets to go back into the office!). 

We spent a lovely afternoon mooching about and taking some photos of the pretty town. By 3pm we'd had enough and headed home where we relaxed until dinner. Keith cooked a delicious beef casserole with dumplings, perfect for a wintry day!