f So sorry to hear about Patsy's passing. I saw her address in my notes and wondered if I should sent another card. It is a reminder to enjoy every day both in our own lives and the lives of our friends.

Sandy, My Sunday walking friend has been getting injections for macular degeneration about every four weeks for the last year or so. I pick her up and drive her to her appointment. Either I do an errand or two while she's there or sit in my car in the parking lot and read or listen to a book. The appointments are 45-90 minutes long. This last time she found out that the treatments are working and her next appointment is in eight weeks.



Here is Annie in her new bed. She chewed through two layers of backing on the old bed to release the foam stuffing and it was too difficult to repair. The new bed is canvas and looks relatively indestructible. It's big enough for her and her toys

Barbie

A bit of bad news here. The meds thought they had Corvid contained at last. Well, when I came out of my apartment for breakfast and to lock my front door the lady next door came out of her unit at exactly the same time. Our front doors are next to each other and she wasn’t wearing a mask. I was. I said “where’s your mask Gertrude.” And she said she didn’t need it anymore. Off we went to breakfast. Well, this afternoon, my lovely cleaning lady Fatima dropped by to see me at the end of her shift. You can guess the rest. Opening my door so I could see out, Gertrude’s door is plastered with infectious and quarantine notices. Since then, the nurse says she will test me in four days time! I’m not worried about me, but Jilly might have to go to Michael’s if I’ve caught it. However, optimistic as ever, I don’t think I’ll test positive and there’s no point worrying at this stage.

Just cross your fingers please for me. I have trouble breathing in winter ever since I got pneumonia a few years ago, but I have a humidifier which really helps.

Anne.

What a day I had yesterday. All plans went out the window, and I had quite a few, but Linda phoned in the morning to ask if I could invite her and the lady that works a plot at the allotments I used to dig, over for coffee. Of course I said yes and Rachel arrived first, in tears. It turns out she visited her plot on Tuesday to find the nasty man I had so many problems with sitting there with a bonfire, burning her possessions. When she confronted him he physically attacked her so she had to go to A&E! He bruised her face and lip pushing her face into frozen ground and also fractured ribs so she has reported it to the police and was waiting for them to contact her for a statement but apparently nasty little man has already been to the police to say she attacked him! She’s in bits so Linda and I will support her any way we can but meanwhile I will visit the site later to take photos for her. Don’t worry, I’m not scared of him and anyway, I’m bigger but will let Linda know when I arrive just in case!

It remains very cold but more sunshine this morning so I have a cycle of laundry to hang out for a couple of hours.

Goodness Anne, this Covid outbreak is a constant worry for you. Everyone should be wearing masks unless in their rooms but sounds like you are the only sensible resident! Any chance you could return to your old homestead and live in the basement until Spring?

Lin, we could have done with that tea set and caption yesterday! It’s beautiful.

Sandy, my friend who phoned me from the South of France last week has the same macular degeneration diagnosis but has been told the injections don’t work for her so I’m guessing that’s to do with whether it’s wet or dry. I do hope you can get some encouraging information from your regular doctor.

Time wrap up warm to walk with George and Betty but I’ll check back later.
Take care everyone.
Jackie 🥰

Watch out, MFP is playing hard to get again so I had to bypass their password and somehow get in via Google. At least that worked this time!

I’m more worried about you Anne, especially after you worked so hard to avoid Covid when you were in your previous home. You’re right of course, the world has changed so much that joint families with a variety of generations aren’t as common anymore, except Asian families. Yes, do keep an eye on Jilly with grumpy next door. She obviously doesn’t understand pets need time to settle, as do we.

I’ve spoken to Rachael on the phone this evening and she told me she has contacted the police again and been told the case has been referred for investigation. The problem in this country now is so many government cutbacks in police and NHS staff they have to prioritise cases but the doctor she saw in A&E says she would have got similar injuries in a car accident so the bully can’t justify what he did. He behaved like some sort of psychopath, one minute smiling while telling blatant lies, the next trying to snap her neck and suffocate her. The police officer she spoke to was sympathetic but it might be a couple of days before he visits to take a statement. Ivor is crazy, mad and we think he should be locked up too but in case not, we are going to follow official procedures to get him sacked as a local councillor and also a very good friend of Rachael’s, who happens to be a local journalist, is so furious, as all of us are, she won’t stop until his behaviour is publicised!

Sandy, that’s good, your eye doctor has put your mind at rest so you are doing the best thing for you and continuing driving. Being told my driving license might be taken away was what made me brave enough to face my two cataract procedures!

Lin, do be careful shovelling all that snow. It’s only January 11th so lots more Winter to come! That’s an interesting tea set. I wonder if the word Jerusalem refers to our unofficial English anthem. Anne might know, being our font of knowledge on all things poetic. Dark Satanic Mills Anne; what do you think?

David just phoned to check if I’m ok and now it’s suddenly 7.30pm so I had better think about meal preparation.

Take care dear friends.
Jackie 🥰

Well, this is new to me!

Jerusalem ["And did those feet in ancient time"]
BY WILLIAM BLAKE

And did those feet in ancient time
Walk upon Englands mountains green:
And was the holy Lamb of God,
On Englands pleasant pastures seen!

And did the Countenance Divine,
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here,
Among these dark Satanic Mills?

Bring me my Bow of burning gold:
Bring me my arrows of desire:
Bring me my Spear: O clouds unfold!
Bring me my Chariot of fire!

I will not cease from Mental Fight,
Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand:
Till we have built Jerusalem,
In Englands green & pleasant Land.


And I just thought it an interesting teapot!

Lin

😁😂🤣 It’s never too late to learn Anne! It was definitely the most rousing hymn in assembly, even if we didn’t know what it meant. Thanks Lin, I was singing it in my head as I read the words in your posts! 🎶 🎼 🎵
Jackie 🥰

Good morning. Well I’m feeling a lot more cheerful after being tested last evening in my pyjamas by a very nice nurse. I’m still upright, just got a very sore throat and cold, which I probably got from Gerty. She’s still in isolation because she’s testing positive but the meds suspect it’s just a very sore throat and a cold like me.

Actually I can’t complain. This home is really very nice, oh Lord, just have to stop while Fatima comes in to change the towels. Later, Jilly Bean loves Fatima who’s from Albania. The only way we can stop Jilly excitedly barking and leaping around Fatima is to shove a milky bone in Jilly Beans mouth. Anyway, if anyone is contemplating giving up cooking, putting trash out, washing up, snow shovelling etc, my advice is give it 3 - 6 months to adjust. Now if I could just get the kids to bring over my favourite armchair and desk life would be perfect. You can join everyone else in the big lounge for exercise, concerts, etc or, if you feel anti social stay at home with a book and a glass of sherry etc. The only blight is Corvid. Roll on spring when I can open the patio doors and do a bit of planter gardening and grow a few veggies. The only thing lacking here. I YEARN for green veggies as does our new table mate as she contemplates a dish of prunes at breakfast time. Enough on that score! She’s Danish and was born in the same year as me.

Anne.
PS. It’s forecast to be 18 degrees next week! What! That’s “shiver me timbers” weather.!

Hello ladies. Oops, midnight but my day is finishing as it began. I was about to grab car keys first thing and go grocery shopping when my iPhone pinged so I read the message from Linda about Rachael and paused to reply. Of course she responded and on we went until I decided to walk with George and Betty instead of shopping. For the first time since mid December we climbed to the top and although the ground and flood water is frozen, we enjoyed an hour of fresh cold air! Walking back down I first saw Brian with his Westie, so we chatted, then David appeared with Hattie so we walked back to the car park together. He had picked up a large bag of kindling for me which will see me through a couple of weeks which is very helpful because our cold weather will get worse next week!

Lin, I follow a gardener on YouTube who I think lives in South Carolina and today he was more interested in giving an Arctic blast weather warning for most of America but particularly mentioned Chicago and your area. He says it will hang around until the end of the month… just in case you aren’t aware! Canada to Anne. Record breaking low temperatures apparently so yes, if you could get your chair delivered, I would say you are in the best place for now.
Stay home Sandy too!

Love the Cheshire Cat teapot!

I shopped for groceries before lunch then got down to some investigating and slowly but surely I am collecting information through contacts to prove the nasty bully is also a liar which, as an elected official, is an offence so Rachael will be able to make a formal complaint then leave the rest to the police who will hopefully charge him.

Must get myself to bed. 🥱😴
Keep warm and safe.
Jackie

Today has been one of those grey, bleak ones but after a leisurely start I drove George and Betty to our usual spot and walked across the top moor. Not much of a view what with the low clouds and mist, but the arctic wind has gone for a couple of days so it wasn’t unpleasant, plus I wore a thick pair of tights under my jeans!

My contact came through with information that proves the ghastly bully had been lying to Rachael about there ever being a council meeting that decided to evict her so I’ve sent her the relevant details for her to follow up and make a formal complaint. Then Linda messaged this afternoon to tell me her son had seen the bully walking with a stick so hopefully he hurt himself when attacking Rachael, although I wouldn’t put it past him to pretend she attacked and hurt him!

Sandy, Earlier this evening I came upon a YouTube live feed from Chicago airport showing the snow blowing across the runways. Brrr! My friend in France has confirmed her macular degeneration is one eye dry and the other wet! She now writes emails using the microphone and hopes it generally understands her but knowing that, it’s easy to just skip over words when reading that don’t make sense! Her husband bought her an electric bike but she worries she might drive into someone so tends to walk. One of her daughters lives in Canada and sent her a stick with 4 feet so if she has to pause, it helps with her balance. I’m not sure I would feel comfortable with a male guest I hadn’t seen for 20 years! Can’t he stay in a hotel?

Continue to keep warm sneakers. We are expecting another Arctic blast by Tuesday and possibly heavy snow Wednesday but I’m stocked up with fuel for the stoves and food for my tummy!

Jackie 🥰

Up early and out this morning and ended up walking with Ruth and her Jack Russell Digby plus David and Harriet. We walked for about an hour and a half with no cold wind to bother us, then I drove into town for a few dog treats and more cat food. Brady does seem to eat more during cold spells and if it stops him catching quite so many mice, so much the better!
My friend Pat called me on WhatsApp as I was finishing preparing a pork casserole for my slow cooker so we chatted for a couple of hours. She will be retiring from her part time job at a supermarket now she is coming up to her 75th birthday but still gets bogged down in silly work politics. It will do her good to walk away because the job gives stress, then she can get a pain in her head related to her stroke.

Goodness Lin, that is cold and I understand your concerns about frozen pipes. My outside tap is wrapped in a thick layer of bubble wrap but I still worry because the supply in my cottage comes in at the same place and has frozen in the past. Not enough to burst pipes but to leave me without water. A good idea to open cabinet doors overnight… I will do the same as temperatures fall. That has reminded me to pop outside now to wrap the rubber pipe that connects the kitchen hob to a tank of gas because that can also freeze! At least the fire in my dining room is glowing and I will soon light the wood burner in my snug!

Anne, I think some men get silly when older, that or dream they are 18 again! Perhaps women do too although I don’t know any. Much happier being independent to do their own thing!

Happy Sunday everyone. Stay safe and warm.
Jackie 🥰

Hello 🥶🥶🥶🥶

It has warmed up to -13 F with wind chill up to -28. Overnight it was about -20 degrees with a wind chill almost -40.

The water is still flowing in the kitchen and the upstairs bathroom. In fact I took a nice hot shower this morning. And the furnace is still running although something smells a bit hot.

I checked the furnace exhaust pipe and no ice buildup but the sliding door to the deck was extremely difficult to open.

A package went missing in the mail yesterday. First time I have ever seen Informed Delivery highlight an entry in red saying location of package unknown. 😧 that package has the sentiments I was going to use for Valentine cards and St. Patrick’s Day cards. Darn!!

Church is canceled today of course.

I signed up for several Silver Sneakers classes. The first one turned out to be unwatchable The instructor’s broadcast kept freezing up, audio cut out and he shut off the chat so there was no way to inform him of it. I left. Hope the second class a bit later works well.

Sandy, we didn’t mean to beat up on you. ❤️❤️

Jackie, the need for additional cat food—that was something that came up in my conversation that lasted hours. She has a cat and the one thing she had someone pick up for her was cat food and she said she needs to get out soon for more!

Anne, hello. How are you feeling today?

I guess I will make some lunch. I have been paying bills, I need to ferret around and find if there are any I missed lurking about.

Be safe everyone.

Lin🙋🏼‍♀️
❤️❤️

Happy Monday. An Arctic blast has arrived here too so I stayed off the moors and instead took Betty and George for a quick stroll round the block, then left them at home while I drove to a tyre garage because mine looked a bit worn. Good news, he told me they are legal and safe so to pop back in a few months when he will check them again. Although very cold, the sun shone all day so I finally sorted through tomato seeds and planted them. Chopped a few logs then it was time for a cuppa and set fires. It’s going to be well below freezing tonight so I’ve brought the seed trays indoors then I can dream about juicy summer tomatoes!
I hadn’t spoken to Sheila since last Sunday so we caught up on the phone. She’d had another of her bad migraines but was beginning to feel better.

Sandy, I find I watch more internet than tv these days. Nearly all our tv dramas look dark and depressing but perhaps I’m just getting older and more sensitive! I assume Las Vegas will be a lot warmer than Chicago so that’s something to look forward to.

Gone midnight and time for bed. It will be lovely to snuggle into my duvet because now the fire is dying down my feet are cold.

I hope everyone is keeping well and warm.
Jackie 🥰