We Will Not be Daunted

 Here’s to 2021 being a better year than the last one, but it seems that on a national basis it appears not to be the case with a difficult start as the country is in the midst of a national lockdown. Vaccines and lockdown have been introduced to help the nation get back to some sort of normality hopefully sometime in late Spring but breath is not behind held to be honest. COVIDIOTS who ignore or deny the existence or deadly effects of this virulent virus: Moronic people who in most cases prolong the spread of the virus by their carelessness; but they are to be pitied and felt sorry for because I think they are more frightened than the rest of us. Frankly its easier to bury your head in the sand and you won't see it will you?

Someone on Twitter wrote recently: “We’re all scared of the virus and what might happen in the next few weeks. But perhaps we should feel sorry for the virus deniers, who are so much more scared than the rest of us that they’ve had to create this whole fantasy world in which none of this is happening.”

Linda and I are keeping ourselves safe and to ourselves. We are desperately missing our family and friends; missing going to our favourite places for lunch; our favourite beauty spots; our favourite shops; freedoms we wouldn’t normally think twice about. The pay off? As two people mildly at risk, we want to live and it’s a price we are prepared to take for a more secure long-term future.

Of course, there’s a balance in that the country must continue to survive economically and sadly, that’s exacerbated by the ridiculous and outrageous exit from the EU, the advantages of which were greatly exaggerated and lied about from those with a misplaced and sorely misjudged nationalist, xenophobic agenda  those who hanker for the out-of-time and vicious days of the ‘Empire.’ Great Britain? It’s a Brexiteers joke surely!

Having retired, we are filling our long darker days this winter with plenty of things to do and it’s exciting looking forward to planning our garden to include a wildlife section, bee friendly section, vegetable patch, herb garden and much more. We have inherited some fruit trees, pear, apple and plum as well as a quince tree, although I am not sure what quince is - some research needed soon methinks. 

We have already planted up some shrubs we have bought from our previous home, a few more perennials to plant we brought in pots and a new flower bed to create in the grass (which is heavily moss infested). 

We have identified a small tree (about 20' tall) as a 'false acacia' and it has spikes on it which I am not happy about to that will be coming down leaving a tall stump which we can grow something around. 

Our spiritual life continues apace and we continue to tutor our psychic development group via the magic of the ‘tinterweb. Linda writes her stories and is writing her life story as we speak.

My camera is being dusted off even if it’s to take pictures in the garden and of the wildlife for now and I have some new art materials bought for me by lovely Linda and I have some plans for warmer days to paint using acrylics which I’ve never used before and reacquaint myself with oils. I was never any good at watercolours because my drawing skills are poor, but who knows, with a bit of patience, it might teach me a thing or two about myself!

That’s about it for now, don’t forget, never hit a dog over the head whilst you have your hand in its mouth!

Chat soon

Ta-ra

Looking Back to Look Forward 2020 to 2021

Bit of a personal reflective piece today.

Blown out the cobwebs today and had a wonderful little walk along our beautiful coast as we say ta-ra to a bizarre year of high contrast for me. A 'normal' late winter back in the distant days of February, but with the dark clouds of lockdown on the horizon, the sun came out and we had one of the clearest spring skies I can remember. Fresh air coupled with a lot of worry for my personal safety and that of Linda and working from home created a  tension and concern I had not really experienced before. My mental health suffered because I darent go to the supermarket and in any case shelves of essentials were bare and frankly, we were running out of food and couldn't get a delivery. We certainly lost lot of weight! We discovered however that kindness was still around when local traders took the initiative and started doing deliveries so we abandoned the big supermarkets and bought local.

Our relationship went from strength to strength frankly as we do talk about things and our feelings and we supported each other in what I still think were horrific and unprecedented times. Family and friends were missed badly (and still are) but thank goodness for phone, text and video messaging, and lucky for me, I still had a job.

Working in the garden and our spiritual life were a blessed relief to be honest but we were very much looking to our future in what we were hoping would be a 'normal world' again. Our marriage was postponed in April because these type of services were shutting down which was a blow, not that we were planning any sort of expensive ceremony, just us two and two dear friends as witnesses with a cafe meal afterward! Then came the big decision. I needed to retire. I felt that I was coming to the point where I didn't want to let my job down by losing interest or motivation which was looming no doubt, working from home had its advantages, but lots of professional disadvantages too; I couldn't face my standards falling. In order to retire, we needed to downsize to be able to afford to live independently. Decorating started and the house was put up for sale and we were looking at our favourite spots to retire to. Staying local was out of the question, too expensive, but we wanted a change in any case, new life, new start, fresh ideas. It meant leaving familiarity, family, friends, and this was something I had never done before. Was it the right decision? I felt this joint decision was and had the support of Linda and Spirit to move onward and upward to new chapters in our lives.

Hornsea, which is where we would have liked to have gone was a disappointment in what was available and cost. We had to spread our search wider and one day Linda suggested we look at Bridlington. Never even thought of this area, I didn't know it well, but there were lots of affordable housing, lots to occupy ourselves with and only an hour away from family and friends in West Hull and Hessle. We found our bungalow and on 26th August we were married in Scarborough at the register office, just four of us present - we never told anyone we were doing it, and had our reception for four at the Princess Cafe who treated us royally.

We signed up for the house and moved in November and with that security, I put my ticket in. Nearly 45 years with the same job, it was going to be a wrench to leave that security of employment and familiarity, the wonderful people would be missed of course, but you know what, the time had come for moving on.

So we find ourselves looking back at a year of personal contrast, negatives certainly, but outweighed by the positives and the opportunity to make the best of these extraordinary times ahead.

So, as the last rays of sun fall upon us this year, I wish absolutely everyone we know a safe, happy and prosperous New Year, please look for the positives and advantages, be kind to each other and know, whatever the circumstances we are always here for you.

Lot and lots and lorry loads of love xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

VE DAY, 75th Anniversary 8th May 2020

On this day, VE Day, 75th Anniversary, 8th May, Linda and I commemorate the end of war in Europe and recognise the massive relief of the country that the terrifying and destructive period had come to an end. We remember two men, one from each family who came home safe from POW camps in 1945.

Left is Flight Lt Engineer Roy Lee, Linda's uncle. As a Flight Engineer Sergeant, he was shot down over occupied France in 1943 and badly burned, he was the sole survivor of his Lancaster Bomber. Rescued by locals, he was too badly injured and asked to be turned over to the Germans when he was treated medically and incarcerated in Stalag IVB. He escaped and was eventually captured in Czechoslovakia.

Pictured right is my Uncle, Rifleman Sydney Jones, Kings Royal Corps who was captured early in the war in Calais and sent to Germany. On one occasion he stopped a German soldier beating his friend with his rifle butt and Syd beat the German. His comrades hid him under the floors of the huts for three months because the Germans were going to shoot him. Thinking he had escaped, eventually he was no longer sought.

Both men returned to Blighty to their families and loved ones in 1945. They were heroes living in extraordinary times and we are very proud of them. THAT'S why we are celebrating and to remember those who never returned or returned like our uncles did, all of whom put their lives at risk for our future. RIP gentlemen and thank you. Xxxx

 

Finding Things to Do

Here we are in sunny but cold East Yorkshire (UK) as March 2020 comes to a creaking close, we have a northerly arctic blast to contend with, but as we are confined to our homes to keep us all safe from the latest pandemic to sweep the world, we'll be a little warmer.

Linda and I are taking some sensible steps, keeping ourselves to ourselves, having no visitors, not going out anywhere and having food delivered. We are desperately missing our loved ones, but not only for our safety, but for theirs too, we are taking no chances. We spent a few bob on a treadmill recently so we are using that and with our current sensible diet (including cutting out most carbohydrates (no pastas, breads, potatoes etc.,)) we have lost 35 pounds in weight between us.

I have to mention out wonderful NHS in the UK and all our emergency services and key workers who are doing a superb job in the face of real adversity.

I am lucky in many ways to be working from home, I have good wi-fi with 400mb per second downloads and 36 mb per second upload speeds through Kingston Communications (KCOM), a local Hull firm. Being at home we can look after ourselves and each other and we are finding lots of things to do which doesn't involve the television. Linda is doing her writing, I am reading and researching old favourite hobbies of mine including photography and old monologues and I recorded one for Facebook to cheer people up which I'll pop below for you to have a look at.

We are decorating the upstairs of the house at the moment, we've done our back bedroom and turned into our healing room and psychic study room - its where we do our reiki and readings. Our psychic circle we run has been postponed for the period of the crisis, but we are doing work with our group of friends on-line.

The little front bedroom is next while I am on holiday for a week next week and our bedroom will be last which means the whole house will have been decorated through since we moved in in December 2016, a week before Christmas (not advisable).

Our poor garden never got any servicing at the back end of the year, no preparation for winter, it just got left because of the constant rain. we were flooded twice in our utility room with drains overflowing. We have managed salvage the garden with a few sessions throughout March and although we've lost some of our potted plants, much has remained hardy and survived. we have a pond now which is at ground level and was under several inches of water for a day under the floods, but that has survived too and we are awaiting marginal plants ordered on-line to start maturing it ready for fish whenever that will be.

However as spring follows winter, nature triumphs and here are some pictures of the spring plants

I have long been an admirer of the work of British music duo Flanders and Swann and they wrote songs about the quaintness of British life. One of their songs, The Gasman Cometh written in the 1950s is a wry look at the British workman. I can't sing it, but I have done a vocal rendition. Here it is, enjoy.

Chat soon

Tara

Interesting Times - New Opportunities?

With the Pandemic of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) being declared by the World Health Organisation, it has been a fascinating journey watching how we have reacted as human beings and as individual countries.

Driven by an extraordinarily insensitive, unfeeling and unaccountable media, in the UK at any rate, we have seen people frightened into believing that they are going to die, that their loved ones are going to die and that a 'killer' is on the loose. My partner and I have three elderly parents between us all over 80 and not in the prime of their health and undoubtedly they are at risk and have been for some time. Reading the shit in those headlines is not comforting, nor is it accurate.

Unlike some other countries, the UK has not responded quickly or decisively either to allay fears by putting in place initiatives and controls to inhibit the spread of the virus or to give any sense that advanced planning has taken place. There is a feeling among my circle that the lack of communications on plans have been a big disappointment when it comes to looking for leadership in difficult and challenging times. Indeed, major sporting bodies took the unilateral decision to ban public gatherings before the Government and it forced them to take action as we'll see in announcements shortly.

We've seen the best of people step up to the mark and our wonderful NHS are a prime example of front line staff putting themselves at risk for others. We've seen the worst of people - stockpiling food, panic buying when there is no need putting others at risk of not having essentials, hand cleaner and pain killers, fresh food and staples. Idiots all!

This is when we should see compassion, thoughts about others more vulnerable, those who are scared, frightened, lonely, old, ill. Let's hope that the lock-down gives people the time to look inwards, reflect, think about the wider implications to the economy, the country, their neighbourhood, their very way of life. Can we ever return to the way it was? Does this virus give us the opportunity to look forward to improvements in our society, better care of our environment, better care of ourselves, our hygiene, our attitude? A few might, everyone should.

So it's time to look to looking after ourselves, take care lovely people, use your time wisely.

Chat soon

Ta-ra

Been Away - Seen Life - Just Landed Back Home to Blogger

Na' then.

I left my last blog: Life of a Fifty Something Yorkshireman what seemed like an age ago (early 2014 ish) because my marriage broke down and has since been dissolved but so much has happened during that time and since: New and beautiful partner Linda, two addresses, moved from part time to full time employment at my age! and now settled in Hessle, East Yorkshire under the shadow of the Humber Bridge.

Welcome to my humble blog.

I guess that blogging and divorce for me was a step too far for my brain to cope with, so for those who followed my old blog, I apologise and for those who will follow if any, welcome to my journey through this extraordinary privilege called life.

A couple of nights ago, Linda pointed out that I am doing less and less in my artistic pursuits and needed to reconnect with my right hand brain. Our spiritual work continues apace, but too much time is spent watching the box, something we rarely did before, so healthier eating, improving our health and fitness and thinking about more positive and active leisure routines is order of the day.

Time to put some life back into life and rejuvenate the mojo and the writing is another strand to our and in particular my plan of improvement.

There may be a slight change to what you may read here. I have the acceptable level of involvement on Social Media for my age, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc., but to be honest I've been blocking out the rubbish that abounds in those strange places. I started doing this before the death of  TV personality Caroline Flack which was blamed partly by the unkindness of the media and Social media. No more heavy politics, the ridiculous and juvenile conflicts between Brexiteers and Remainers, no more trolls (who have the brainpower of actual trolls) and self important and opinionated commentators.

I don't need to read extremist rubbish to know what's going on in the world, I'm content to make my own mind up with reasonable and balanced views.

So, I am looking forward to writing my blog which will have views, but with kindness and consideration, humour of course and an eclectic mix of everything that is happening in and around my wonderful new life here in God's Own Country.

Ta-ra.