Month: May 2020

Stay Alert and Carry on. Day 49.

Mondays in lockdown seem to be extra dreary, no reason why as one day is much like another. I felt rather lifeless or listless or something less today and the only news is coronavirus news. My most exciting part of the day was changing some ceiling light bulbs which I had been putting off. Job done, they work, another item ticked off my todo list and even that I’m finding quite irritating. Once the todo list is done, what then? That’s quite a depressing thought. Still we are allowed out and we can meet with one other person. Garden centres will be open although I don’t think that what’s left to do on my balcony warrants a trip to one, shame.

It’s funny how different people interpret the rules etc. in different ways especially on social media. Some of that stuff would turn me into a nervous wreck if I let it. I’ve taken to checking most stuff out on official sites if it’s likely to affect me. Today I learnt that The British Medical Association said that any exception to the easing of lockdown should be on the basis of the need to protect individuals and that quarantining “based solely on age would be both unethical and illegal’. I guess we all find what we want to find.

We have been advised to wear masks in enclosed spaces only, they’re not needed outside in the fresh air. And nothing to do with us yet, but in Singapore they are trialling robot dogs in a park to help maintain social distancing, woof woof. The dogs are fitted with a camera to monitor how busy it becomes and has a loudspeaker to broadcast messages. They didn’t say if it had a name. In Holland they are getting very innovative. glass pods are being used in care homes for family members to visit the elderly residents. Also similar glass pods are being used by restaurants there to maintain social distancing whilst dining. Drones are being used in the uk and have shown several empty town centres and coastal areas.

Most parents are surprised when their unruly, untidy and sometimes downright rude teenagers turn into responsible and charming adults. You know the sort of thing, bedroom floor completely covered with dirty and clean clothes etc. (we don’t need to delve into the etc.s). Ask them to do housework, proper cooking as opposed to pot noodles and gardening don’t even bother to mention because it’s a all losing battle. So I’m going to tell you that my son’s latest hobby is growing vegetables. I find it quite amazing. I’m hoping that I get to sample some later in the year. Less surprising is his other new pastime, home made beer. As with all things ‘Peter’ he’s got all the gear and and plenty of requests for help from family and friends on social media. Plenty of answers too, it’s a good thing we have a master brewer in the family. If it wasn’t for lockdown I’d say, never a dull moment but I’m afraid there is the odd one.

Common sense and stay alert are the new slogans. Here’s an old one, nighty night, don’t let the bug bite 😴💤😴

Upwards and Onwards. Day 48.

I’ve just been working on my blog site NannyJune.com and have added ‘About Me’ and my first recipe which as promised is my version of gazpacho. A bit late, I’m afraid as the weather is about to get cooler and it’s really for a warm summer’s day. You might be better off with a good old chicken broth. The bank holiday weekend is over and Bournemouth didn’t seem to be inundated with visitors, I think down here they are staying away.

BoJo has unveiled plans for the relaxation of lockdown. Seems as if there aren’t too many changes. More guidance is to be published on Monday (tomorrow) but it does say that from Wednesday we can meet with one other person who does not live in our own household. I know so many people living alone who have already been doing this, in the open air and keeping their distance. Don’t ask me for names as I will fall back on age related forgetfulness. My daughter’s neighbour had a few people in the garden for a bit of a party and I know of other families who have been going to each others gardens for BBQ. An estate agent in Gloucester is boasting that he has carried out 60 viewing on properties claiming that the poperties are empty and he wears gloves. He’s managed to sell four and rented six – can people move then? my daughter is still waiting. The agent, a Mr Bone also received a £10,000 grant from his council and said if they want to pay my wages that’s fine by me. Well it’s not fine by the rest of us tax payers. Lock ‘im up I say.

Meanwhile Germany who had already relaxed their lockdown rules have seen a spurt in the number of coronavirus cases. They are still way below the UK number of deaths with just over 7000 and with a larger population than ours. So far I’m afraid nothing bodes well for an early or even not too long return to some form of normality.

I walked down to Bournemouth square today for a bit of exercise and to pick up a couple of bits in Tesco. The town is still empty but the number of beggars seems to have increased even though there are spaces for them in some hotels including food.

Meanwhile in Birmingham police stopped a driver on the M5. The man tried to throw a bag of cocaine out of his window before stopping but the window was closed and the bag burst showering the powder all over the interior. £25,000 worth. The officers were able to make an arrest. What is it with Birmingham? that’s where the man gave away his hiding place when he farted.

Don’t forget that you can now put walk with a friend in your diary, it’s getting exciting. Sleep well ‘beautiful dreamers’ (that’s a song) nighty night

Gazpacho

Gazpacho is a cold soup made with raw salad vegetables and delicious on a hot summer’s day. In Spain I would simply have liquidised all the vegetables and then passed them through a fairly fine sieve. I would also have used a kilo of over ripe tomatoes but that is more difficult in the UK so I have adapted to make a very tasty English version of the Spanish classic.

Ingredients:

  • I litre carton of good quality tomato juice (cold from fridge)
  • 1 large and 1 small green peppers – I peel them with a potato peeler to save having to sieve them. Don’t forget to remove the seeds etc.
  • About 3/4 of a cucumber or to taste – peeled
  • 1 regular sized clove garlic
  • 1 spring onion – just the white part.  or a small piece of a white onion
  • white bread, about 50 grms.
  • salt, olive oil and vinegar

Method:  Liquidise all the vegetables together with the tomato juice until smooth. I use the veg straight from the fridge. Then add salt, olive oil and vinegar to taste, add the bread (no crusts unless they are very soft), Blend everything together and hey presto we have gazpacho.

Notes:   Any of the above quantities can be modified to your own taste. If you grow your own or can buy, maybe in a farmers market, nice ripe tomatoes they will without a doubt make a superior soup but will need to be sieved. In Spain the white bread used would be pan de barra (French loaf), usually a piece of stale bread from the day before which would be soaked in water, crust removed, then squeezed to remove liquid. If the soup is for a special occasion it is often served with accompanying small diced vegetables – green pepper, fresh tomato, cucumber and some small croutons. These would be served in dishes and sprinkled on top of the soup. Serve very cold in bowls.

 

 

Twittering On. Day 47.

Yesterday evening I finished planting everything on my balcony. I thought I had bought too many plants but I managed to use them all and I could probably fit in another half dozen. I’ll keep my eyes open when I next go shopping  There’s not a lot of variety as I couldn’t get to a nursery but I have geraniums, petunias, busy lizzies and a couple of New Guinea impatiens. Also Elena and Andrew bought me two hydrangeas and I had a couple of green things that I don’t know the names of. It’s good to know that a job is officially off my todo list. I tried to be really careful with everything but the neighbour downstairs came out with his little handheld hoover before I’d even finished. My Daughter Sam said I should do like in the Cadbury advert and drop a bar of chocolate down with a sorry post-it stuck on. I had breakfast out there this morning in the sunshine, very nice. Could have dropped him a buttered crumpet.

I don’t know why I’ve been thinking this but do jams and pickles count as part of your five a day? I believe they were first made to preserve fresh fruit and veg for when it was out of season and especially through the winter. Seems to me that it must be a step in the right direction but I guess we don’t eat enough to make it count as a portion. Funny what you think about when in isolation.

One thing that’s annoyed me is that my watch battery has run out. No, don’t tell me to buy one online and do it myself because it’s one of those that need to be opened with a special tool and sealed. I used to collect watches but got fed up with buying batteries for all of them and now they are in a box and none of them working. Maybe I’ll try opening one of the cheaper ones and see if I can get it going. Not that I need to know what the time is anyway.

Ace twitterer Piers Morgan who loves to criticise or at times openly vilify anyone who doesn’t meet his exacting standard according to his own opinion, seems to be trying to finish his best friend relationship with Trump. He told the POTUS to shut the f*** up over Trump’s controversial statement about curing coronavirus with disinfectant. Oh dear. He has been unfollowed by the POTUS. As for our government Piers has continuously criticised their handling of the pandemic and without a doubt he will have sometimes been right and other times wrong but it is quite clear, he always plays to his audience. His latest target has been the actor Miriam Margoyles who said she had been rather hoping that BoJo didn’t recover from the virus. Piers said it was disgusting and this is where toxic tribalism has got us. I think MM actually said she had had difficulty in not wanting the PM to recover but then quickly back pedalled showing that she’s just a very silly person and not to be taken seriously. I wonder why the interviewer even asked her what she thought of the government’s handling of the situation. She hardly comes across as the brain of Britain. Once again it’s playing to the masses.  They haven’t asked NannyJune yet, what does that tell you.

We’ve had our bank holiday Monday on Friday and tomorrow by my calculation is Sunday so without further ado, until mañana, buenas noches

 

75th VE Day Anniversary. Day 46.

Up and down the country flags were hung in gardens and balconies, there was a two minute silence at 11 am, the red arrows flew over the capital, Winston Churchill’s VE speech was replayed on television, Vera Lynn singing We’ll Meet Again was played and the Queen appeared on TV to remind the nation that we have survived before and we will survive again, Maybe that’s the song that should have been played. My recollection from my childhood is that it took several years to rebuild not only the buildings and infrastructure of our country and Europe but the economy and the people’s freedom to buy products freely. Food rationing in the UK was to continue for another nine years.

I’ve had a virtual zoom get together with some good friends today. We didn’t celebrate anything except being friends. A good old chit chat to remind ourselves that life goes on and one day we shall be able to go out for lunch or shopping or a coffee or whatever.

Lockdown rules will apparently be updated by the government on Sunday so that we know what to do next week. No doubt we will all end up just as confused as we have been so far. It depends who you listen to and what you read with everybody making their own interpretation of the guidelines. There is no doubt however that 30,000 plus deaths is something to take seriously.

In the US unemployment has risen to 14.7% with 20.5 million jobs lost in April. This seems to me to be almost unbelievable but the information was taken from the BBC web site. That would be over one third of our population including children.

The idea of lockdown seems to elude some people. Three young men travelled from Berkshire to Dorset to celebrate the birthday of one of them on the beach. They walked at the foot of the cliffs at low tide, and you guessed it, they got cut off by the incoming water. One of them swam back around Old Harry Rock (which I can see from my very floral balcony but I missed this incident) to raise the alarm at Studland and get help. The lifeboat crew, two coastguard teams and helicopters, two ambulances and nine police offices were out to help with the rescue. The two stranded individuals (I don’t feel like calling them men) had climbed up onto the rocks to await rescue. There is a nudist beach at Studland and no one has mentioned if they were wearing clothing or not when found. I can’t help wishing they weren’t.

I hope you managed to wave your flag for victory today and sang along with Vera. You must be tired, sleep well

The New Normal. Day 45.

I seem to be keeping busy and have had a good day. I went up to Southbourne this morning and had a walk along the clifftop and undercliff with a friend. So nice to catch up and have someone to chat to in person, keeping our two metre distance of course. I took a small flask of coffee. two cups and a few of my birthday, Italian cantucci biscuits (present from Alex & Jack). We sat on a bench, one at each end, and felt quite normal. A lady passing by stopped to chat, everyone is getting lonely, and didn’t seem to want to leave. She was wearing gloves and mask and told us her life story and asked about ours. I think we have a new best friend named Rosemary.

Elena popped by with Elizabeth to pick up a rose bush I wanted to give her. So nice to see them even if we did keep the gate between us. After their visit I set to to put my shelving unit together for the balcony. It had arrived a month ago at least and had got stuck on my to do list. Took me a while and longer than I had imagined but that is the way of flat pack furniture. It was also a bit bigger than I had anticipated but it’s done and with a little reshuffle of pots, table etc. I must say it looks quite good. Still have to put a few more plants into some empty pots but it’s beginning to take shape.

Funny story in the news today regarding a wanted man who had fled into woodland in Nottinghamshire hiding in some bushes. He ‘blew’ his cover when he let out a rip roaring fart. The arresting police officer said ‘I was nearly out of wind after running after the suspect but luckily he still had some’.You really couldn’t make this stuff up.
It seems the Sussexes new tell all book has been cancelled by them or by the publishers. People who preordered on Amazon were informed that their orders had been cancelled. Later in the day in reply to a question on twitter, users were told that it was all a mistake due to the amazon ordering process and to try again. Maybe it was just all a marketing ploy to get people twittering. I shall neither twitter nor buy.
Colonel Tom Moore has been offered a million pounds worth of nightclub appearances by promoters. It wasn’t clear what would be expected of the 100 year old Pride of Britain but the nightclubs are insisting he would be very well cared for and wouldn’t have to stay for longer than an hour so he doesn’t get home too late. I’ve rather formed the impression that our Colonel Tom could give most people a run for their money.  You and I though need our beds so good night, sleep tight.

Memories Are Made of This. Day 44.

I’m guessing we all know by now that a new Banksy artwork has appeared at Southampton General Hospital. Not a secret night time endeavour but by arrangement with the hospital’s managers. How lovely, brightened up my day just knowing that it’s there. So is my granddaughter Louise who is working there as a nurse and says she’s looking forward to going in tomorrow and seeing it hanging in the foyer. Hope you take a photo Lou. I bet everyone smiles as they walk past it. It’s going to be there till autumn so maybe I’ll take a trip there and see it before it’s auctioned.
 
Another thing to cheer me up today was an orchid that was left outside my door. Went to go out to collect my car from it’s MOT and there it was. I definitely went out with a spring in my step, it’s nice when people think of you, came from a man too 😏.
Local (here in Bournemouth) MP Connor Burns has resigned as trade minister. He made veiled threats to use parliamentary privilege against a member of the public who was in a dispute with his father. He will continue as MP for Bournemouth West. Not much to say on that.
I’ve watched the first episode of Normal People but haven’t yet formed an opinion, it was only half an hour so will need to watch more. I also watched the episode of The Crown where London was enveloped in smog and that brought back a few memories. I can remember going to school when it was so thick you couldn’t see your own hand outstretched in front of you. At this time we had moved out of London and living in Essex. I also recollect struggling to get to grammar school on public transport in the smog. I had to catch a bus, two trains and another bus. By the time I arrived it was nearly mid-day and was told to go home as I might not make it if I didn’t leave there and then. If my grandchildren were to ask me if I found it scary, the honest answer is no, I never thought about it. It was, in a funny sort of way exciting, apart from the fact that it got in your eyes and up your nostrils and when you blew your nose, black dusty stuff came out. I don’t remember it becoming political either but I was still a young teenager and never thought about it from that point of view.
 
I’ve been to Wilko again buying compost and pots for my balcony which isn’t very big although there are two, one in the lounge and one in my bedroom. Still boredom in lockdown seems to drive me to keep buying stuff to put on them. I’ve got a flat pack shelving unit to put the pots on and I might put that together tomorrow. I’ve got pots – too many probably- and soil, maybe not enough and definitely not enough plants for the number of pots I’ve purchased. I promise to take a photo when it’s all done and post in in my blog. But for now Night night, sleep tight 😴💤😴

Is This Normal? Day 43.

Elon Musk aka Mr Tesla has been in the news recently but nothing to do with electric cars, large or small. Last week he applied to become an electricity supplier in the uk. His application was for a license to generate electricity to supply any premises in Great Britain. Yesterday he was back in the headlines when his musician partner Grimes gave birth to a baby boy. Today they were choosing a name and the first suggestion by Mr T. himself is “X Æ A-12 Musk”. I’m not sure if this is serious nor how you will pronounce it if it is. I don’t suppose we will need to worry about it as it’s unlikely any of us will need to say anything to the child. Imagine their poor neighbour though shouting ‘hey you “X Æ A-12 Musk” stop kicking your ball up against my garage’.
The scientist who advised the UK government to put the country in lockdown has resigned from his post on the committees which have been giving advice to ministers. He has been breaking his own social distancing rules by meeting up with his girlfriend (a married woman who is in an open relationship) and who travelled across London to see him. Professor Lockdown, as he is known as, claims he believed he was immune to the virus as he had tested positive in March. He says he went into quarantine for nearly two weeks. I thought everyone had been advised to isolate for ‘at least’ two weeks. And what about the young lady in question, was she also immune? by osmosis maybe.
I’ve taken my car in for its MOT today. Dropped it off at the workshop just down the road where I always go. It felt really normal to drive down, park up and hand my keys over and discuss a couple of little problems. Quite cheered me up. At six o’clock I realised that they hadn’t called me and by then they were closed so I hope that everything is ok. We’ll find out tomorrow. I’m just not used to normal.
Adverts on FB are a real pain. They pop up tempting you with everything imaginable from clothing, to vitamins and kitchen gadgets to loans. What seems to be endless at the moment are shoe ads. especially since lockdown. Now why would we need a new pair of shoes when we are not aloud to go out. Certainly we don’t need new footwear for our exercise ramble around the block. We are going to feel much better in that old pair of comfies we have hidden away at the back of the wardrobe. In any case if you look at the delivery options they quite often say up to thirty days. Obviously they’re coming from China and I’m not sure I should be going for that. I think a pair of bed slippers is more in my line at the moment. Night night😴💤😴

Six Long Weeks. Day 42.

Although I’ve called this six long weeks I find it hard to believe that we’ve actually been in lockdown for that length of time. I can’t see that there’s been anything beneficial in it for me personally except of course that I haven’t caught Covid-19 but, maybe I never would have done or maybe I would have and recovered and become immune. Who knows? For the planet there possibly or probably have been benefits. The air is a lot cleaner and in some cities which were highly polluted the level of toxic air is greatly reduced.  It’s spring so maybe more birds and wildlife have not only been born but managed to survive and hopefully less plastic rubbish has been thrown into the sea. All these things will no doubt benefit us all in time.

The president of Belarus has declined to put his country’s citizens into lockdown. He has claimed that they can avoid the illness by drinking vodka and having saunas. Well, if one demon doesn’t get you the other certainly will. Oops, just seen that you only need to drink 50ml of the alcohol per day. The leader has also given the advice that working in the fields and having breakfast on time is the best way to stay healthy. What time is on time, I usually have mine between 10.30 and 11.30, will that do? But then I don’t work in the fields or anywhere else and I don’t drink alcohol. No hope for me.

I’ve been watching Netflix as promised. I’ve seen three episodes of The Crown, not sure what I think yet as it seems a bit slow, maybe it will liven up in time. Also I keep thinking that the Queen’s hair is too long so I’ve checked it out. Just right for when she got married but by the coronation it was quite a bit shorter, these details are very important. I’ve also had a look at Unorthodox which I had read about and which has been recommended, I’m definitely enjoying that. I’ve also read that the Sussex couple who are now living in LaLa land will release their biography in the summer. It will ‘navigate their life from the wedding till they stepped down from royal life’. It will no doubt be a short story.

I started this blog on the first day of lockdown and never thought that it might go on this long. It’s taken on a life of its own (similar to the coronavirus really) and somehow I can’t go to bed without doing an update. As the talks go on of a possible relaxation of isolation I wonder if I will continue into the future. I think maybe I will but perhaps not daily, more like a weekly column. Que sera sera.  Sleep well everyone, this too shall pass.

Truth or Lies. Day 41.

Isolation is a perfect breeding ground for fake stories and conspiracy theories. Stories abound about different celebs (most of whom I haven’t heard of), the royal family and anyone who is mildly famous or even infamous. There is a conspiracy theory that coronavirus was a US biological  weapon taken to China by a government employee who went to Wuhan to participate in the military world games. Although it has been shown to be fake news the story will not go away now that it is on internet media. Now of course the POTUS is saying that he has proof it came from a laboratory  in Wuhan and blah blah blah. Another story is that BoJo did not have Covid-19, this story seems to have started in the blog magazine Dorset Eye and came from someone in the labour party. Although doctors in St Thomas’ Hospital have confirmed that he did have the virus the good old mag for people of Dorset by the people of Dorset knows better.

Piers Morgan is being tested for Covid-19 and awaiting results. He will not be appearing on GMB until he fails to show symptoms. Madonna has tested positive for coronavirus antibodies meaning she has been in contact with someone who has the illness. In spite of this she attended her friend’s birthday party. Several people went to the party via zoom but Madge went in person and took a cake which she called a Covid cake for her birthday friend Steven Klein (not sure who he is either!).

Some shops, stores and food outlets have said they will try opening some of their premises to see how it goes. Names mentioned are John Lewis, Greggs, Homebase and others. Haven’t seen Bournemouth or Poole mentioned in any of the lists but looking at Bournemouth town centre even before lockdown, I would be surprised if any opened ever again. I might have to think about moving to a town that is a town.

Apart from not being able to go to the hairdresser, cinema, gym etc, our tv channels are running out of new programmes as due to social distancing they can’t produce them. We are going to have to watch vintage programmes. That’s funny we seem to have been doing that for years with the odd new one thrown in.

It is being discussed whether older Britons should be allowed to go out once lockdown starts to be lifted. I personally believe that for my physical and mental health I need to be busy and meet other people. I’ve spent several years now making sure my brain keeps active, that I can still be of use and offer something to the community at large and I certainly know that I need contact with my family and friends. I know many others like me. Has anyone got a soapbox I can borrow?   Time to dream, night night 😴💤😴