So no holiday this year. We had been booked to meet up as a family in Yorkshire from 9th July but the loosening of Covid 19 restrictions has been deferred for another four weeks. It's possible that overnight stays of people from more than two households will be allowed from 19th July but there are no places available to book. All of the folk who would normally go abroad are having staycations this year.

Never mind, we've decided to spend the summer on a round robin visit to each other's houses instead. That will be nice as it's been a long time since we've done that. Unfortunately, no-one has a house large enough to take us all at the same time. We could squeeze six in, as others could probably do in their homes, but there are nine of us, counting spouses as well.

We're hoping to return to the week together somewhere nice in 2022. The Isle of Man holiday for us and our daughter, Jennet, and her beau, Pete, has been postponed again until next year's June. Hopefully all will go ahead then.

In the meantime, we have had a visit from them over the Bank Holiday weekend at the end of May, which was such a relief. I've missed our group hugs! (Faces averted of course :D )

We actually managed a trip to Formby, our nearest beach. I love Formby. As children, we were always going there, whatever the weather or time of year. The husband does not have that as part of his culture and isn't fussed about taking me. It's been five years since I last went! Anyway, he took us there and stayed in the car (knees playing him up) whilst we struggled up and down the dunes to reach the sea...and it was in! It's never in at Formby :D The beach was packed with people enjoying themselves but all socially distanced.

It was a hot day but there was a cool breeze off the sea. The kids went for a walk, paddling, and were gone for half an hour! This is a lovely picture of them :D




And this:

I hope everyone reading this (all 2 of you, haha) is well and looking after themselves. We are fine, just being even more socially distant than normal!

It's strange how usually I spend a lot of my time in the house or garden, not bothering about going anywhere, unless it's for necessary shopping. That's my normal life, anyway, apart from the weekly Pilates class. However, knowing that the government recommends social distancing has put an edge on it that I've never experienced before. I want to go out to have lunch in a cafe just because I know that I shouldn't! Weird.

My husband is in the pleasestayathomeandprotectyourself age group so even he has stopped using the car for jaunting off to play with trains (miniature railway) or sailing his model boats. He is not a happy bunny. Thank goodness he has a SHED!

Our holiday to the Isle of Man in June is probably off and I was really looking forward to that. My oldest relative lives on the island so we wanted to see her while we could. The advice is if you go the island stay indoors for 14 days so there's no point in going. They have no cases of Covid 19 at all so I applaud the efforts to keep it out. The IOM Steam Packet Company will be offering refunds or changes of date so perhaps we'll get there next year.

If you feel the symptoms of cabin fever and have read all your books and listened to all of your music twice over and knitted/crotcheted an enormous throw for your bed and played all the games you can think of et cetera then have a try at this.

Not only will it while away some time, your input is extremely useful for the scientific projects that you help. It is free to use and has 99 projects atm. Although the name is Zooniverse, it's not all about animals. There are some literary and historical projects, as well as astronomical and medical. I joined years ago to help transcribe some Scottish weather data from the early 20th century but now help with identifying whales, condors and animals caught on automatic cameras.

Do remember to get out into the fresh air and do some exercise, even if it's just walking.

One of the silver linings of this time of social distancing, self-isolation or lockdown is that air pollution over industrial areas and cities has dissipated rapidly.

This is going to be a year to remember, folks.

You know how things are just ticking along nicely: three weeks to a lovely family holiday; both of us in health; car going well...then?



On Saturday, we noticed that the kitchen floor had started to lift so the husband slit it carefully and reached in his hand. The result? A sopping wet underlay! It appears that the stopcock behind the drawers unit had been gently leaking for a long time :(

One emergency plumber and a phone call to our insurers later, the end result is we're going to have a new kitchen. I can't think straight atm. Instead of enjoying this spell of lovely weather in the calm, cool corner of the garden, we're busy running round kitchen fitters and gathering quotes for the insurers!

I'm slowly getting my head round all the different colours and door designs that are available these days (the damaged kitchen is 30 years old and the firm that fitted it has gone out of business) and am beginning to veer towards grey cupboards with a grey tiled floor. To add colour, I fancy having a pink tiled splashback. Next it's choosing a hob and hood and I don't know where to begin with that!

This holiday with all four of my siblings and their partners can't come quickly enough! I'm going to need it :P

 This was taken on 10th June at my sister's wedding. Mark with Darcie, also celebrating two years together, and Jenn on the right.

I know it's a day early but I'll probably be too busy to post tomorrow.

First thing is it's completion day for my late Mum's house. By 1pm, it will no longer be my responsibility, phew! It's taken just a year from the month she died and two years from the month Dad died. Saying our last goodbye today when we go to take the final meter readings.

Second thing is I'm going to York tomorrow!!! Not seen my girlie since Christmas. We have tickets to see 'Wonderland' at The Grand Opera House on Saturday. Also having breakfast with Mark and Darcie on Saturday morning. It'll be nice to catch up :)

I'm staying there till Sunday so it'll be a nice break. The husband has promised that we'll spend a few days in The Lakes at our honeymoon hotel, now the house sale is complete. I'm looking forward to a relaxing time and possibly finding a remote area for a huge primal scream!

After eight months of discarding, sorting, tidying, skipping, sorting and tidying again, then charity drops and siblings' collections, tidying again, dealing with the legal and financial matters and engaging an estate agent and a solicitor, the property went 'live' this morning, to use the jargon, and within an hour I had a message to say a couple are visiting the house at 2pm tomorrow. Fast work, Arnold and Phillips!

Brochure to follow :)

This cheers me up no end!



www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/36633951/two-proposals-and-other-pride-moments-to-make-us-feel-good

Link to the BBC page then go down to the Twitter comment 'Pride policeman pops the question' that has the ITV film of this lovely proposal. The Metropolitan Police have their own LGBT network and these police officers were marching IN the Pride event, not there as security :)

Also pictured are the first two Met Police officers to become engaged, the proposal being made in public on the same day :)

Mum died at 11am this morning. The decline was rapid. Last week we were talking about getting her home to die, by Thursday we knew we wouldn't disturb her.

She was a strong-minded woman and had made lists of things to do and bequests to individuals. Dad died on 13th March last year. It's the end of an era.

Some of you know that my Mum (83) hurt her leg somehow in early December. The doctor said it's muscular (bursitis), took x-rays to check and told her to rest it. She struggled around the house with a walking stick and my sister moved in to help her. She spent Christmas being pampered by my brother at his house for a week then returned home. She has a fold-up bed downstairs and also a wet-room on the ground floor so she doesn't have to climb stairs. My brother bought her a walking frame from Argos! Best present ever. At last she could move about, albeit slowly. My sister stayed with her for the first week in January, then I took over last week. Progress is slow but happening. She was talking to me one last week then we both spotted that she had crossed her legs without realising! Getting in and out of bed doesn't involve acrobatics anymore, which gives her a chance to sleep properly. A side-effect of the inactivity has been fluid retention in her ankles but this seems to be reducing, as well.

The point of all this is to explain why I've been quiet online recently. I did get an iPad from Jenn and the men for Christmas and I'm having fun playing with that but it's nowhere near as good as a proper keyboard for writing at length :) An amazing app for identifying celestial bodies is 'SkyView Free' and I've completed the glorious 'The Room' and am most of the way through 'The Room 2' :D

Having two days off then returning to Mum's on Sunday for a few days. She only needs us now to make her meals because she finds it difficult to manoeuvre round the kitchen to cook for herself. Hopefully, she'll be completely mobile in the next couple of weeks.