Xmas Tree 2025

 We were away until December 1st last year, so didn't put up a tree or decorations last year.

This year daughter and I are hosting a get together at the end of November at our house, so this year I have to decorate the house.  As the rest of this month we are busy, I found time the other day to put up the tree.

So here is this year's tree.

Always have our British ornaments front and centre!

I found this decoration amongst my stash.  Do you remember 2020..........

Can't believe it's already been five years.  This year is the first time I skipped my covid booster.  Got my flu shot though.  I am one of the lucky ones who has never had covid.  Hubby got it, but I never did.

Covid made me do it!

I stopped dying my hair during covid.  I am now my natural "colour", grey with more and more white the older I get.  Do I look older; yes.  Would I dye my hair again, no...wish I had decided to do it earlier.

I really need to have my hair cut, but I am waiting to see if any coupons arrive in the mail.  I hate paying full price for a hair cut, I am cheap that way😉

Do you dye your hair?

I went on Thursday and had my 3rd booster, so now I have had 2 covid vaccinations and 3 boosters.  Hubby got covid in May of last year.  I refused to keep away from him.  We slept in the same bed, stayed in the same room, etc.  I was lucky that I didn't catch Covid.  I am the only one in our immediate family who hasn't caught it (touch wood!!)

Have you had Covid?  Did you have a mild dose or were you really sick?

Touchy subject....

So the subject of vaccination can be a touchy subject.  I am on the side of vaccination is the only way to go.  All our family are double vaccinated.  As soon as they bring in the vaccinations for the 5 - 11 year old's my grandchildren of that age will also be vaccinated. 

Some people think it's all a bunch of lies this covid.  Hubby works with a couple of people; actually 3 people who refuse to have the vaccination.  One of them I don't know why, but the other two just refuse to get them.  "O" reckons he won't get it.  "K" reckons if everyone else gets the vaccination he'll be safe.

Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago and dh gets a text from work to say that "K" wife has just tested positive for covid.  Thankfully, dh hadn't seen "K" and was now on vacation.  Fast forward to this week and "K" now has covid and is in hospital on oxygen.  His wife's brother was also so sick he was hospitalized for the same reason.  "K's" elderly parents thankfully were vaccinated but they too caught covid from "K."

So dh's boss now has decided that until everyone is double vaccinated in the company, they have to get a covid test on a Friday and you are not allowed to go into work until you get a negative covid test.  When told this, this is what "O" said:

Well that sounds like a lot of work, I may as well go and get vaccinated.

😲😮😖😡😠

I am beyond frustrated with "K," "O," and the rest of the folk who don't want to get vaccinated when they don't have a valid reason not too.  They are filling up the ICU's, so there is no room for other people.

Covid is never going to go away; it's like the flu.  Folk do your bit!

100 km/62 miles

 That is how far it is to our doctor's office, one way.  The journey takes us around 80 + minutes one way.  We went to see our doctor in person on Tuesday; which was the first time in a year.  We normally have telephone appointments.  Our appointment was for 9:30 am.  We were shown into his office at 10 am, probably waited another 15 minutes for him to come and see us.  Meanwhile there was a child who we thought was being murdered with the amount of screaming he was doing in a room down the hallway.  Turned out it was an 8 year old getting stitches removed; and our doctor had to help out.  Goodness knows how they put the stitches in, in the first place?

We got out of the doctors office just after 10:30 am.  As it is a distance to his office, I try to complete a couple of jobs in the same day.  So we went to visit family while down there.  It was just after 3 pm before we got back home.  The journey back home was as hectic as on the way down.  All in all we did 220 km that day.  

Doctor's are in short supply where we live, so we are still continuing to travel, and as we have a couple of health issues, it would not be prudent to deregister from our present doctor, which is what we would have to do and then apply via the Government's website to try and find a doctor where we live. 

Our doctor did say something interesting though.  He said that this covid pandemic is just like when there was an influenza pandemic a 100 years ago.  It killed a lot of people to start with, then it level's out.  A vaccination is invented and you are given that on a yearly basis and it becomes a normal thing you live with.  This is what is happening with the covid pandemic.  Covid will become a "normal" everyday thing just like flu is.

Do you have to travel far to see your family doctor?

Monday was a busy day catching up with bits and bobs.  Tuesday we were out all day.  Wednesday we were out all day and didn't get back home until after 7pm.  So today (Thursday) I finally got some more painting done.  It's all go at the moment.

Goodness me......

 It's been forever since I last posted.  I am around, just didn't feel as though I have had anything worth sharing with you.  I have missed blogging though and I am finding the older I get the more I forget things 😊 so at least when I blog, I can look back on things and it reminds me.  I have to say that's one thing I like about Facebook, old posts pop up in memories and remind me of all sorts of things.

I have found since the covid pandemic things have been harder and even though we are all double vaccinated I am still not comfortable being out and about in crowds.  If people get close to me in the stores, even though everyone has masks on, I still don't like it.  I know people are travelling; but I am not happy doing that, though I would dearly love to go back to the UK for a vacation.  "R" and her family just came back from Mexico and the resort itself was fine, with only 25% capacity.  It was the travelling there and back that was stressful.  We are not willing to expose ourselves to those type's of situations yet.

We have gained another member of our family.  Our son and his wife had another gorgeous little boy back in June.  Evan James is growing like a weed and will be 2 months old in a couple of days time. He is our last grandchild.  Everyone has said their families are complete.

All the rest of the grands are growing like weeds also.  Nitara will be 9 in January, Nora will be 8 in November, Sam will be 7 in September.  Jeina and Paige were 5 in May & June.  Liam was 3 in May and Evan was born in June.  That's right I have four birthday's from the end of May until the end of June.

Dh is still working, in fact has never stopped during this pandemic, made no difference at all.  He will be having his annual vacation shortly thank goodness.  It has been hot and humid these past few weeks and it's really making dh weary.  We have no plans to go anywhere, but I do have plans for things that need doing around the house...he will be thrilled..LOL

I have stopped sewing for Appleby Lane, my poor hands are getting too arthritic to do a lot of sewing.  I just make odds and ends for the family and myself now.  So I have been busy making jigsaw puzzles and reading while hibernating from the heat.  Thank goodness for air conditioning.

So there you are a little catch up and I think I will start blogging again.  Keep an eye out for the next post.  Hope everyone is well and please stay safe.

We're living in crazy times that's for sure.........

It's been a few months since I last did a blog post.  Between now and then all sorts of things has happened, but none as dramatic as the Covid-19 crisis that is exploding world wide.

I have been in two minds about jumping back into the blogging bandwagon but I feel I may have useful information to help us through these trying times, that could help out in a small way?  Some things people already know what to do, others may not.  Also each country has set up different systems to deal with this crisis.  Also each person/family is dealing with this crisis in their own different way.

In our family we are fortunate that so far everyone is still managing to work; either from home or still at their place of work.  Daycare's and school's are closed but the grandkids are lucky to be able to be at home with one or both parents.  I must admit I am missing them like crazy, but thanks to modern technology I can see and talk to them frequently.  However it's not the same as being able to give them a hug, but that will happen soon enough.

One thing I think that has affected probably everyone is the panic buying of food and supplies.  It has happened all over the world and I think some have suffered more than other's.  Personally I think things are beginning to settle down; at least in my area, as the shelves in the stores are a little more fuller.  I know I have had to alter the way I do things and for the first time in my adult life I was concerned about whether or not we would be able to get fresh fruit and veggies...……...and no I wasn't one of the crazies that bought all the toilet paper...……….never did understand why people were bulk buying toilet paper? 

As I said so far everyone is still working in the family, but no job is 100% secure and if we were to rely on the government to support us we would be unable to cover all our bills and still be able to eat!!  So over the next few days I will do various posts about various topics to help us through these trying times.  If there is anything you want me to cover please ask.

I already make 90% of our meals from scratch and now it's up to 100% so will share some cheap and easy meal ideas.  I will go over how to budget and save money doing various things.  Also I am hoping between us all we will be able to come up with various ideas that will help us all not just now, but in the weeks and months after this crisis is over with.

Finally:

And please stay safe and listen to what your government is saying about social distancing!