How naive we were to think it would be over. Every week seems to bring new revelations about the Government's response to Covid 19. I'm trying to think of a single word to describe it. I don't think there is one. It's been disastrous but that's not the word, someone will need to invent one.
There's been other stuff too, we're still attempting to Brexit (that's one of the things I'll come back to eventually) and more importantly #BlackLivesMatter, which has, or should have, brought to the fore the systemic racism that exists in our so-called civilised society. The shocking murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis has made us look at ourselves and recognise that black and minority ethnic people continue to battle against racism every single moment of each day and remain largely unprotected by law enforcement in the US and indeed in many countries around the world, our own included. The backlash against protests that #BlackLivesMatter by white people who feel somehow demeaned by the suggestion that the majority of us are racist whether purposely, by ignorance or just by not speaking up, not standing up, has been depressing to see.
I will do better.
Saturday, 20 June 2020
Friday, 8 May 2020
What Fresh Hell is This?
So it's been a while. Almost 8 years to be precise. Lots has happened but not much more important than the current global situation which has brought me back here to offload my thoughts. They're multitude and muddled.
It's the 75th Anniversary of VE day too, which shouldn't pass without comment. It's an odd state of affairs; a celebration of our freedom from war and the recognition of the heroes of the time juxtaposition-ed against the current fight, captivity and a celebration of a different kind of hero. #NHSHeroes. Not sure we were using hashtags when I was last here in 2012. A new language has evolved and with more recently added vocabulary; elbow-bump (that came and went within the space of about 2 weeks) replaced by social -distancing, track and trace, lockdown and acronyms now in everyday use; PPE, wfh. WtAF? (not new, seemed appropriate).
Life has settled into a routine of daily exercise (100 miles walked in March & April), food shopping, eating and otherwise trying to fill the hours. New pressures and anxieties; the weekly trip to the supermarket, being judged on whether your lockdown is productive enough or if your trip out of the house is deemed essential, or if you're risking your loved one's life handing over a pint of milk. And loo roll, flour, pasta are restricted purchases. Should we clap for the NHS or, preferably just not vote Tory next time?
Holidays have been cancelled - I'll get to that later, Mother's Day was a wave and a chat from the driveway, running with friends is a distant memory as is a drink at the pub or browsing the shops or going to the library.
Schools have been effectively closed for 7 weeks up to today, so I've been wfh mainly and only going in a couple of mornings a fortnight, to provide for the children of keyworkers. It's a risky business. The children haven't yet learned the meaning of the new vocab and can't reliably judge two metres. Attempting to social distance is like herding cats.
We've had it easy in our household, I've no doubt. We have a garden, I can still check on mum, I'm not trying to home-school three small children, I'm not shielding a medically vulnerable person, she's on the other side of the world. It's wearing though. It's boring and most of us have had enough. But it's the new normal and we have to put up with it. Stay Home, Protect the NHS, Save Lives. and we're luckier than many countries from a lockdown point of view, it's less strict here, but we may pay the price for our freedom later. We're already paying to be fair with a death rate second only to the US globally and the elderly apparently deemed collateral damage to an ineffective government. At the outset, when Wuhan was in lockdown almost overnight and residents were arrested for being on the street it was happening in a distant city with an oppressive government and most of us thought; 'that won't happen here'.
How easily we gave up our freedoms.
It's the 75th Anniversary of VE day too, which shouldn't pass without comment. It's an odd state of affairs; a celebration of our freedom from war and the recognition of the heroes of the time juxtaposition-ed against the current fight, captivity and a celebration of a different kind of hero. #NHSHeroes. Not sure we were using hashtags when I was last here in 2012. A new language has evolved and with more recently added vocabulary; elbow-bump (that came and went within the space of about 2 weeks) replaced by social -distancing, track and trace, lockdown and acronyms now in everyday use; PPE, wfh. WtAF? (not new, seemed appropriate).
Life has settled into a routine of daily exercise (100 miles walked in March & April), food shopping, eating and otherwise trying to fill the hours. New pressures and anxieties; the weekly trip to the supermarket, being judged on whether your lockdown is productive enough or if your trip out of the house is deemed essential, or if you're risking your loved one's life handing over a pint of milk. And loo roll, flour, pasta are restricted purchases. Should we clap for the NHS or, preferably just not vote Tory next time?
Holidays have been cancelled - I'll get to that later, Mother's Day was a wave and a chat from the driveway, running with friends is a distant memory as is a drink at the pub or browsing the shops or going to the library.
Schools have been effectively closed for 7 weeks up to today, so I've been wfh mainly and only going in a couple of mornings a fortnight, to provide for the children of keyworkers. It's a risky business. The children haven't yet learned the meaning of the new vocab and can't reliably judge two metres. Attempting to social distance is like herding cats.
We've had it easy in our household, I've no doubt. We have a garden, I can still check on mum, I'm not trying to home-school three small children, I'm not shielding a medically vulnerable person, she's on the other side of the world. It's wearing though. It's boring and most of us have had enough. But it's the new normal and we have to put up with it. Stay Home, Protect the NHS, Save Lives. and we're luckier than many countries from a lockdown point of view, it's less strict here, but we may pay the price for our freedom later. We're already paying to be fair with a death rate second only to the US globally and the elderly apparently deemed collateral damage to an ineffective government. At the outset, when Wuhan was in lockdown almost overnight and residents were arrested for being on the street it was happening in a distant city with an oppressive government and most of us thought; 'that won't happen here'.
How easily we gave up our freedoms.
Saturday, 8 September 2012
Summer
Sorry. I've been neglectful of the blog. There is no excuse. I'm back now, having been inspired by The Coffee Lady to think about my summer.
It was a new type of summer, one which didn't have water fights, or trips to theme parks or calls of 'I'm bored mum'. It had A-level and driving test angst, (she passed and failed in that order) it had solo runs along the canal, afternoons in the garden with wine and The Child Free Holiday. I can hear your enthusiasm now. But don't be rushing on ahead of time. It was nice, I'm not complaining, but it will take some getting used to. I sort of missed the madness of it all and realised that we've moved on to the next stage. A couple more years and I'll have to get a dog or something.
It was a new type of summer, one which didn't have water fights, or trips to theme parks or calls of 'I'm bored mum'. It had A-level and driving test angst, (she passed and failed in that order) it had solo runs along the canal, afternoons in the garden with wine and The Child Free Holiday. I can hear your enthusiasm now. But don't be rushing on ahead of time. It was nice, I'm not complaining, but it will take some getting used to. I sort of missed the madness of it all and realised that we've moved on to the next stage. A couple more years and I'll have to get a dog or something.
Thursday, 21 April 2011
Easter week turned out nice again so it was time to dust off the walking boots and head for the hills.
The weather was so nice infact that shorts were donned as opposed to walking trousers and we remembered to take the sunblock. No burned faces this time around!
The weather was so nice infact that shorts were donned as opposed to walking trousers and we remembered to take the sunblock. No burned faces this time around!
We headed for Castleton and Mam Tor. Castleton is often packed on a sunny day but as it was midweek and we got there early it wasn't so bad. After a quick detour for the loo we headed off up the hill (the female anatomy is so inconveniently designed when it comes to outdoor pursuits).
We did Mam Tor and along the ridge, down into Hope then back across the fields to Castleton where the obligatory Magner's was downed. About 8 miles by my reckoning. And no blisters!
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| Yes -those are my legs! |
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| Mam Tor from the road. |
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| Is it a bird? |
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| The ridge path |
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| The path from Edale |
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| Cold Hot Cross Buns - good walking food. |
Monday, 7 March 2011
The KeepCalm Family hit New York!
As a means of combining a holiday and a meet up with the Prince* we decided to grace NewYork with our presence. Long flight, £££ lighter and lbs heavier we're back! A fantastic time was had by all. The photos speak for themselves.
*See previous post.
*See previous post.
Sunday, 19 December 2010
The Prince and the PPP*
Number 2 son, affectionately known by his siblings as The Prince** is still languishing in his university digs in Canada. This is due to a sudden (but well forecast) snowfall and PPP. The planning or lack of is the reponsibility of BAA and Heathrow who frankly couldn't organise a bunfight in a cakeshop. Cue many frantic phonecalls and websearching, a rebooked flight, a further cancellation, another rebooked flight and [breathe] a long lonely (for no2 son) wait until Tuesday. Cross your fingers for him.
It's all the more frustrating when the airport he's flying from remains open despite far more snow and temperatures remaining below -5 all day everyday.
* - piss poor planning
** - this is possibly because I have a tendency to overcompensate in an attempt to avert middle child syndrome. They say I spoil him. That can't be true, can it?
It's all the more frustrating when the airport he's flying from remains open despite far more snow and temperatures remaining below -5 all day everyday.
* - piss poor planning
** - this is possibly because I have a tendency to overcompensate in an attempt to avert middle child syndrome. They say I spoil him. That can't be true, can it?
Saturday, 13 November 2010
We went to the Gower Penninsula at half term; it was both gorgeous and grim in more ways than one.
The weather when we arrived was lovely, sunny and warm for October. However the next day when we had no choice but to walk in excess of 16 miles, there was wind and horizontal rain. More grimness followed as wet boots mean't I ended up with blisters the size of Wales itself, the showers at the YH were tepid, the drying room didn't live up to its name and there was no hot water in the kitchen.
The following morning with two packs of Compeed covering my blisters and dosed up on Ibuprofen we continued with the walk. This should have been all the way to Landland Bay but by the middle of the afternoon it was apparent that my feet would take no more and we had to bus the last couple of miles. The upside of the day was the fab weather and the most excellent B&B (Glenview at Mumbles - go tis great). The last straw though was me waking up in the middle of the night with a vomiting bug (probably due to the lack of hot water and hence less than hygenic conditions at the YH).
So I didn't get to eat my breakfast.
Whiteford Point
View back from Rhossili
Onwards
We are going the right way then?
Sunny morning over Oxwich Bay
From the headland back towards Oxwich
Three Cliffs
The weather when we arrived was lovely, sunny and warm for October. However the next day when we had no choice but to walk in excess of 16 miles, there was wind and horizontal rain. More grimness followed as wet boots mean't I ended up with blisters the size of Wales itself, the showers at the YH were tepid, the drying room didn't live up to its name and there was no hot water in the kitchen.
The following morning with two packs of Compeed covering my blisters and dosed up on Ibuprofen we continued with the walk. This should have been all the way to Landland Bay but by the middle of the afternoon it was apparent that my feet would take no more and we had to bus the last couple of miles. The upside of the day was the fab weather and the most excellent B&B (Glenview at Mumbles - go tis great). The last straw though was me waking up in the middle of the night with a vomiting bug (probably due to the lack of hot water and hence less than hygenic conditions at the YH).
So I didn't get to eat my breakfast.
Whiteford Point
View back from Rhossili
Onwards
We are going the right way then?
Sunny morning over Oxwich Bay
From the headland back towards Oxwich
Three Cliffs
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