Sunday morning again, love Steve Wright's love songs and a hot cup of tea as once again it is not warm.  Harry, Lisa and Tugs are all well in Surrey, Harry has such a happy smile and Zippy was like a black bouncy ball, leaping on the sofa, hopping over Lisa's head and much to Harry's annoyance trying to catch the ball that was being used in the new marble marathon that had been built to entertain us.  So it was abandoned until today when Zippy has gone out for a walk.  There has been no sign of Isabella so we have no idea how Peter is on the covid ward.  Margaret and I had a good chat on the phone, laughed like school girls and talked rubbish, once again Mary has gone incognito, I've not heard from her since I rang to tell her about their old neighbours, whose funeral it was on Friday, so over two weeks.  It's treatment week, the fitst this year but it's obviously helping hubby as we are now ten months on and he is beating the odds every day.  I know this is why our daughters want to see us as we've lost those good months to lockdown and they want to see their Dad whilst he is happy and doing the best he can.  I'm just grateful that we have face time or it would have been worse.  So I need to get dressed, big boots on and fight my way up the snowy Hill, wish me luck.  See you tomorrow, love Carol x 

Dear Carol and Friends,

I don't know how you all cope with having to shovel snow, and the cold.  I wouldn't.  We had nearly 40 degrees earlier in the week then the next day it was down to 12 degrees.  I sat here wearing winter clothes and my dressing gown, and couldn't get warm.  I ended up going to bed early.  St least i got warm.  Weather has been miserable since, although you probably wouldn't have minded it.  It is started to warm up again now.  Have had much summer yet.  Seems your post is as bad as ours.  Since covid started, most of the mail/parcels has been delayed, with some taking 3 weeks to arrive.  Deana actually had an appointment for Eli (hearing check) which arrived after the date she was to confirm that the date was ok.  My dear friend Bev is OK, it wasn't cancer, still needs to treat her ailment but such a relief to them all and me.  I took some flowers to her the day she came home and said that cancer had been ruled out.  Just a slight difference between a pan au raisin and the chocolate crossant, both nice though.
I'm surprised your still allowed to take dogs to be pampered.  The only ones that were still working here were the mobile ones.  Love how she said we all had to look like yetis, while the dogs get pampered.  Not so far from the truth either.  Speaking of that I have an appointment on Tuesday to get my hair cut again, it's grown so much since the last one.  
I'm hoping your friend that was rushed to hospital with pneumonia recovers quickly.
They are only just realising that men and women react differently.  they could have asked any woman and she would have told them that years ago.  
Good to hear your family are all well, and Ella is now 8, the same age as Bree's boys.  Stevie is 7 in a few weeks (4th Feb) and Eli is 3 on the 21st, so only a few days.  He isn't having a party this year though.  
I might just have to try and get a Barbara Erskine book, they sound good,  I get a lot of books through amazon on my tablet (using a kindle app), so easy, and saves so much space, and its actualy cheaper.  Hope you made it up the snowy hill.

I've had a busy week, I watched Eli on Wednesday, then Rotary, our first proper meeting since covid started.  Then Thursday I was up early to watch Eli and get him ready for daycare, as Deana went to the market.  Then as she was so busy I did flower deliveries for her, She shouted me lunch so we had a delicious Thai chckien salad, then she sent me out on more deliveries.  Then Friday, Sat, and today I had a shift at Anam Cara, and exhausted now but I had to write, it's been a while.  We are all well, even Eli.

Billy, They don't make it easy, hope you are feeling somewhat better now and not as tired.

Take care, love to all.  Sue xx

Dear Sue and all, you poor thing, 12 degrees, we would love double figures!  It sounds as though you are somewhat back to having a life, we're still locked up, or supposed to be, the amount of people exercising on a weekend is unbelievable, bikers, joggers, walkers, football games and so on but after ten months everyone has had enough and it's the only thing we are allowed to do, go outside.  Mary finally rang me yesterday and she was saying her younger granddaughter is struggling with home schooling as she is word dyslexic and needs face to face teaching.  Our three are coping but they miss friends, Ella had fewer birthday cards due to not seeing anyone but she was happy.  Faye is working from home this week marking children's work but she said they have 60 children who download three lots of work per day, so 180 bits of work to mark, that's ridiculous I said, she has only been there one week and is only a teachers assistant not a teacher.  The snow is gradually going but we are expecting more by Thursday which is not good as we are at the hospital.  So apparently us 70 year olds will be next for the vaccine which is brilliant and the sooner the better for us all.  So not much else going on as we are not going anywhere.  See you soon, love Carol x 

Well it's not snow now its persistent rain so coats on and off for bloods.  I'm sat waiting for hubby, engrossed in my phone when someone hammered on my window, I nearly jumped through the roof!  Are you Sharon she asks, holding a mask over her head like an umbrella, no I say, well I've got a poorly patient who wants some help, I'm still not Sharon I reply, she looks crestfallen and walks away, I relayed this to Margaret as she had sent me a photo of three generations of bathing beauties leaning over the railings of the sea front, which one are you she asks?  Fourth from the left hubby chooses, if you don't get this here we go!!  First lot of girls in shorts and bathing costumes, aged 10 years, second lot nubile twenty year olds in bikinis, third lot (us) big bums, big thighs and cossie up our bums, she does make me laugh.  Back home I rang Val, poor Peter had had a horrible time as his fall had broken his ankle, they sent someone to Vals home to ensure he could come home safely, so they were expected to have him home, by the following morning he had deteriorated so much from covid it was cancelled.  Val said it was so cruel but she was allowed to sit with him for three days before he died.  Lissa my Vicar rang, she has been so kind during the last ten months as the church is closed again.  Then another friend rang, hubby said who's that now, you're very popular today, well there's nothing else to do I told him, give us a cuddle he says, then complains that I've messed up his specs and they say romance is dead.  See you soon, love Carol x 

So today I set up a video call for us four girls but my blooming phone wouldn't work, so having organised the whole thing I had to leave and speak to no one.  Hubby thought it was hilarious, so I taught him not to laugh at me and purchased a new I phone, that'll teach him!  To be truthful I had been looking at getting one before Christmas but the daughters got involved and the usual happened, oh be careful Mum, oh don't get caught in an agreement that you don't want, I sometimes wonder how they think I have managed for my 72 years on this earth.  Well I think I've got a good deal and we can now chat on video and I don't have to nick Hubbies I pad.  The rain has been persistent and cold so we have only gone to get milk and bread as the bread we had was green, my new CD arrived, its the Mavericks, do you remember them anyone, Blue Moon, Let's dance and many more, I was laid in bed Sunday night listening to the late show on the radio, drifting off to sleep when Blue Moon came on, I was jolted awake by the composition, wracking my brains as to who sang it, I may even buy the single vinyl as we bought Faye a proper record player a while ago.  Lisa sent me a photo of her home office, it is gorgeous, I doubt she will want to start travelling three hours commute again but she admitted that she is more tired now than when she did, that's because she ran on adrenaline all the time, we both agreed that we are bored, there is so little socially to keep us occupied.  So hope you're OK, love Carol x 

Hi Carol, and everyone else who loves to read the adventures of your family and friends.
A belated Happy New Year to you all!  I am chuckling, here, reading about the advice your children are giving you about buying your new phone.  I learned, in the last year and a bit since I first got cancer, that there is no parent as overprotective as an adult child dealing with the poor, stupid soul who gave them life and all the tools to deal with it. I am the recipient of such advice, bordering on orders.  I'm forbidden from going shopping at the moment. I'm only allowed to walk the dog when there is no snow on the ground, I must have my heating on higher because I'm old and need to stay warm and I should be badgering the doctors for my vaccination appointment because a friend, two years younger than I has already had hers. 
I obey, up to a point, but then I have a real jolly whenever I have to go out for a hospital or other medical appointment because I can then pop into the supermarket and buy all the things I don't see when I'm doing an online shop!

Billy, you are still my hero, Happy New Year to you and Bren. 
Sue, thank you for keeping us up to date on life in Oz, your menus are amazing!

Christine xxx

Hello everyone!  Isn't it funny how the world goes round with us parents and adult children, I look back and remember how I did the same with my Mum no wonder she got cross with me, we once had an argument in Tesco, mind she did have dementia and insisted on buying her own food, mainly chocolate!  Although this would be lovely in a dystopian world in real life it doesn't work, so I kept taking the kit kats and chocolate puddings out of the basket and she kept putting them back in, so it was like a pudding fight.  Needless to say she won which made me really cross, so when we went to pay I said as she thought she knew more than me off you go and pay.  I felt awful as she stood in the queue trying to work out her money or remember her pin number, this was the woman who had gone into her Halifax bank and asked for fifty ones, when I tried to lift her handbag up I'd said Mum what's in here, she relayed that they had not had any "ones" so had gone out the back and given her fifty pound coins.  I suddenly realised that her ones were ten pound notes, so fifty ones equalled £50, so had to ring the Halifax and get a note put on the computer so she didn't stagger out with hundreds of pound coins.  So back to the till and my hardened heart melted and I took over and paid for all the chocolate.  At least she only had one daughter, I've got double the whammy.  So Flo rang me and said Dorothy had been in bed as she had fallen in the kitchen and badly hurt her leg but didn't know how.  Flo said she's piled the pounds on and has had enough of being stuck at home, then told me that we can video call on Messenger so we're having another go tomorrow, Christine is doing exercises at home and I keep doing weights and squats to keep me moving.  I've just watched a really funny clip that Lisa posted, a woman in her PJs is home schooling three children, holding down a job, has a dog and is trying to stay calm, having logged them all onto their computers, run out of printer ink, not fed any of them but with snacks she thinks it's about 3pm and when she checks it's only 9.32am, she hits the vodka and tells them it's Mummy's special water.  So lunch is over and we're off to hospital for treatment, then I'll come back, wash the floor whilst he's missing in action then go back, we're having fish and chips for tea as I'm so, so sick of cooking, I need to live where Sue does and order a banquet, Billy hope you and Bren are OK.  Love Carol x 

Hi carol.

Got back just after noon completely shattered Both layd down and slept for hours .

Luckily bren has a cist they said leave it unless it gets bigger put pain gel on it .

Your getting my started Fish and chips yum yum.

Take care and enjoy each day.

Love Billy xxxx

Dear Billy, it's so draining this hospital malarkey.  You take care of yourself and Bren and if there is help take it.  Much love, Carol x 

Dear Carol and friends,

We do seem to be getting back to somewhat normal, we only have to wear masks in department stores, supermarkets and other large stores, but must carry one with us when we go out.  They are holding cricket matches, and the tennis will start here shortly.  Not full capacity, I think they are allowed to have 50% capacity.  I'm guessing those that are interested are happy.  I do know quite a few of the international tennis players weren't happy about having to quarantine for 14 days, and being unable to train during that time, but it's just as well they had to, as a few have come down with covid.  And at this stage the Cirque du Soleil tickets I have for March is sill going ahead.  They are the re-issued tickets from last March.  
We are back to warm weather here, lovely day today, sunshine, blue sky, and just a hint of a breeze, by Sunday it will be hot with an expected 38C.  

I had Eli Wednesday. then again Thursday, as he has a nasty cold again.  Nick took the day of today to watch him as I was at Anam Cara.  Will be there again tomorrow and Sunday.  We had our Rotary meeting on Wednesday.  Eli turned 3 on Wednesday but was quite miserable with his cold, although he did enjoy blowing out the candles on his cake., so much so, that Deana had to relight them so he could blow them out a 2nd time.

Not sure when the vaccines will start here, they wer hoping for February, but some are also saying March, like you I think the sooner the better so we can fully return to normal.

I was more than happy to let Deana and Nick organise my last phone.  It's just easier to have them all on the 1 plan.  Neil had all our phones on a business plan and Deana has done the same through the shop.  I love the song Blue Moon, although I couldn't have said who sang it.  I love music, almost anything from the 50's/60's through to some of the current music.

Talking to friends that work in Melbourne, there is quote a few who will continue to work from home a couple of days a week, even when everything does return to what was normal, so much is done now using the phone and email.  There will always be some that don't have that option though.

That clip Lisa posted sounds hilarious, and I remember Bree saying on a few occasions, she could have done with something stronger than coffee when she was home schooling her 3.

Christine. I think we are all old enough where we will obey our bossy children when it suits us, but other times do exactly as we please regardless.  Although mine aren't too bossy, at least not yet.  The chef at the restaurant that does the banquets is brilliant, the food is always wonderful.  He now won't open the restaurant at night as he does a lot of catering since covid closed restaurants and people started ordering takeaway from him and now they want him to cater for functions. The restaurant is only small, so this way he probably serves a lot more.  He actually grows some of what is served.  Happy New Year to you also.  Thinking about it though, both my brother and I tried to boss Mum, not that it really worked with her.

Billy, that wonderful news re Bren's glad it's nothing worse than a cyst.  And hospital appointments are tiring, even when you are well, no wonder both you and Bren were exhausted once you got home.  

Take care and love to all.  Sue xx