Into the beyond

 Dear Marmite,

Yet another anniversary has arrived! It was one year ago today that I retired. Now I have got to this auspicious moment - one complete year of thumb twiddling - I am ready to work. I have tried volunteering, and necessary as that seems, there aren't so many opportunities at the moment. The food parcel delivery thingy dried up despite a second lockdown and other charities are concerned about getting too close and spreading germs. Instead of being retired, I'd like to think of myself as being between jobs.

Yesterday was a day worthy of mention. I took Nasser and his family for a walk in the woods - Stockgrove Park, near Leighton Buzzard. As a child I used to swim in an indoor pool there. That was at a time when there weren't many public pools. I didn't manage to find the house or the pool but I did manage to get us lost. Although in all fairness, it wasn't just me to blame.

Getting lost is rather a recurring theme, Marms, and at this point you are probably oozing sympathy for all involved. So let me fill you in. We parked near the Heath and Reach entrance - at the time I thought this was the only one and from my childhood memory, the grounds weren't particlularly large. 

I have to say the place was quite busy considering how cold it was and how foggy. We walked past the lake - great for duck spotting -  and took a left up a hill and then later rejoined the main path after pine cone hunting. So far so good. We ended up at a Scout Hut by another car park. Again, no problem. Then we set off from there to the left and wandered up hill and down dale. 

It was around this point that Adnan (13) declared that he had seen enough trees. When you are in a forest this is a problem. Kenan (9) said he knew the way back because he had been collecting Pokemoms. However, he had only been collecting them since the Scout Hut so we circled back to the wrong car park. 

To chivvy the boys along I set a few challenges and races. The last of these turned into a bit of a disaster as I predicted that our car park was straight ahead and got Adnan to run ahead in search of it. This gave him purpose and he thought we would be leaving sooner - a great idea all round, I thought. I then had second thoughts as the signs seemed misleading and crowds of people were surging in from the left. Unfortunately Adnan, by this time, had disappeared into the blue beyond - probably never to be seen again. 

Amira (Mum) and Kenan followed in the direction I  had sent Adnan while Nasser and I set off for what I thought was the "right" way. So now we were one group split up into three smaller groups in a foggy forest that was far larger than I remembered.  Nasser and I had been here before - far too many times. 

At this point Nasser started to offer to write the blog for me - so today I can't take credit for all that I have put to paper. We thought we had got to the car park. It was a car park but not the one with our car in it. This was actually quite funny. Nasser left me and jogged in the direction I thought our car park was and left me to walk to the main road. The sky was growing heavy at this time and under a canopy it was growing dark. Time was of the essence.

Suffice to say we all eventually became one again. I don't think the boys were too amused but Amira feels she has been initiated into my rather too inclusive club of wild days out where getting lost is part and parcel of the experience.  Anything could happen and as Nasser said it is always memorable for all the wrong reasons.

As we head for Christmas I have taken to heart an article in the Guardian about putting up decorations early to cheer yourself up. So my tree is up - just a few days ago - and the stockings are up too. I have gone, once again for an avant garde Christmas tree. This time from John Lewis - my favourite shop. I have used my decorations from Singapore that have been collected over the years. I think you would recognise the style, Marms. 

There is a house in my street that looks more bling than Orchard Road. I am not normally too enamoured by OTT displays but on this occasion  - a time of doom and gloom - it has made me smile.

As Boris said - Let's celebrate Christmas and be jolly careful. And, as someone else added - celebrate Christmas with your loved ones and bury them in January! One thing I am not volunteering for is a jab. I am prepared to take my chance in that domain. 

Yet again, I think you would have enjoyed my walk in the woods (perhaps). At least in England I have noticed people are attached to their dogs when out walking while people in Singapore are attached to their phones. On that note, I will say bye bye to my beloved dog to whom I am very much attached.

Love you

XXX

One week and counting...

Dear Marmite

Just over a week to go and we will be out of Lockdown - Not Lockdown 2 and depending whether we live in a high risk zone or not we could be in for more of the same. However, this won't be called lockdown after December 2nd so it won't be as bad  - perhaps! Fortunately for us Brits, the virus will miraculously disappear over Christmas and mistletoe will abound! 

So all this means I could be back to my swimming regime and playing tennis as well as cycling come December 2nd - Oh joy of joys. I am planning Christmas as if it were a funeral. The turkey deserves a good send off! For good measure I will even set fire to the Christmas pud. These small touches to turning Christmas into a funeral mean that up to 30 people can gather and I am sure a few rounds of spoons won't be too much of an issue as the virus will absent itself from our fair isle for the duration of the celebrations.

Danielle and I visited the family graves in Leighton Buzzard on Monday. It was a perfect winter day with clear skies, glistening grass but with rather a lot of fresh graves. I made my third attempt to find my Aunty Grace's grave as I have promised to tend to it. In the end Danielle's need to have a wee stopped our search. I promise I won't give up. 

With COVID rules, I thought that only emergency dental work was being carried out so I delayed making a routine check-up appointment for nearly a year. I phoned around a few local surgeries  but to no avail. One woman receptionist told me she couldn't see why I didn't use my old dentist when I told her I had just moved into the area. If only she knew how stupid that comment was! It would have involved two fourteen hour flights and a two week quarrantive.

As it was, I have ended up paying the cost of a flight!! to have deep cleaning at a private dental practice in Central MK. I was impressed with the organisation - COVID-wise -  and the dentist wore a mask that resembled a WWll gas mask so her chatting to me and my answering were pretty minimal exchanges. I could well have been on a Dr Who set talking to an alien. I have had deeper conversations with you, Marms. 

Meanwhile on the home front, Danielle and Richard are filling every available space with baby stuff ready for the imminent birth of Billie Bump. When I had Laura way back in 1984, I went for minimal stuff as I left the country 6 weeks after she was born. Barry left the day after  she was born leaving me with a house to clear as well as having a new baby. The contrast in preparations for my first baby and for Billie couldn't be starker! 

I have bought them a decent buggy / car seat thingy as I went through far too many insufficient strollers during early motherhood. I remember having a secondhand Mothercare one in the Bahamas. Laura managed to unscrew a key part that changed the position to upright every time I took it out. This meant retracing my steps to find where I had lost it. Then we bought a new one in the States and that got lost on a flight. In Singapore, I bought a lightweight (probably Chinese made) one that I could take on the bus. This used to fold up with Sammi inside. So as you can see, I feel a stroller of quality (hopefully) is a good investment and hopefully not the cause of family tales involving kiddie disasters.

Inspired by Vanessa in Singapore - showing off her planting skills to you and Team Marmite, I have upgraded my herb tray in the kitchen. So far I have Rosemary, carrot tops, parsley, basil and corriander. I have also bought more seed packets and now need another place to plant these out... My home is just not big enough! 

We had a birthday celebration for Nasser last week. It was a small affair with a big cake and a treasure hunt around the house...another exclusive party! Have you any thoughts about how you will celebrate your 14th Birthday? It really is just round the corner now and I am so sorry I won't be there to celebrate with you. 

Missing you as always.

Love and hugs

XXX

A year of living dangerously

 Dear Marmite

It was one year ago today that I left my Dairy Farm home for the last time and started my vagrancy. I look back at all the things I have done over this year and then I look back and think that it was no time at all.  I see it as the start of my journey and still I haven't got a place I would really call home. 

As it is a time for looking back and getting a bit nostalgic, I feel I am missing my old life. I know this old life doesn't really exist anymore and the lovely farewell parties probably wouldn't have happened if I had left this year. Mostly I miss the people - especially the Dariy Farm ones - and you old Marms. No dog says, "Hellooooo" to me each morning in Milton Keynes. 

So one year on, I am facing my first whole winter - not a nice thought. I reckon I have enough warm clothes this time round and at the moment I still manage to have cold showers but even that might not last as the temperature drops. Shadow doesn't like the bad weather either - she probably remembers those barmy warm days that never ended back in her time in Singapore too.

Even Christmas is uncertain this year. I feel for those celebrating Deepavali this weekend in small groups. It really is a different world with COVID dominating our lives. I am determined to make Christmas a bit special though. On my list are the things that you need to go searching for in Singapore - things like crackers, Christmas pud and Christmas drinks found only in Marks and Sparks in Wheelock Place!! Ginger wine will definitely be on the menu and my day will definitely start with a Bucks fizz. All I need is a houseful to make it a real celebration. I think my Christmas of 2016 is the benchmark for having a good time. 

At the moment I have shingles. Compared to COVID this really is an inconvenience. It means I have a bit of a rash, sleepless nights and I am a bit under the weather. Danielle has Gestational diabetes, she is an O neg and she has allergies so the NHS have pulled out all stops to help her overcome all these little setbacks. Poor girl doesn't stand a chance - she has my allergy problems, her father was borderline diabetic and her grandmother was a type 2 diabetic so with a combined dodgy medical history thank God for the NHS. Billie Bump will be fine.

So from Lockdown - ish England with wall to wall Canasta, it remains for me to send my love over the airwaves and tell you as always how much I still love you, Marms.

Hugs

XXX

Season of mists and mellow lockdowns

 Dear Marmite,

This is day 4 of the new lockdown. It is a new style lockdown where almost everything is open except the things I want to do. I can't go swimming, I can't do pub quizzes but I can meet someone for exercise outside provided I am not holding a racquet. Ridiculous, to say the least. There are just as many cars on the road too.

Danielle can no longer work either so at 28 weeks pregnant she has to begin her maternity leave because of the lockdown guidelines. I can see some sense in this as she works with vulnerable people. However, 12 weeks is a long time to sit around and wait for a baby to arrive when you feel perfectly fit and there is little to do.

So where does this leave me? I am rolling around the bedroom floor every day - this is a fair description of my exercise routine. I also go out cycling. Over here, at the start of the ride I feel cold and wonder whether I have enough clothes on and then half way round I need to strip off because I begin to bake. Yesterday I did a hilly 14 miles along country roads where the Lycra lads were out in force. It reminded me a bit of the Sunday morning rides I did in Singapore although the men cycling there wore rather less stretchy stuff that they do here.

I think the first lockdown must have made hedgerow animals brave. Back in March, all sorts of creatures freely ran to and fro across the country roads. Now they are but squashed carcasses. I have seen rats - they deserve it, badgers, squirrels, deer, birds (non-descript / flattened), and rabbits all strewn on the tarmac. I am convinced these creatures might have wondered what has happened to this crazy year where we deserted the roads for so long and changed their habitat and caution by doing so.

Last night, Danielle and I played Canasta. I was being trounced right up to the end and then the Gods smiled favourably on me and I went out with a concealed hand which pushed me well over the 5000 mark. You might call me competitive but it is these small joys that keep me smiling, Marms. 

Oh how small my life is these days. I think I say this to you every week. I have been following the US election just for the comedic rhetoric. I shall miss Trump. There surely will never be anyone as blatantly stupid as he is, encumbent in the White House ever again. I kept checking The Guardian for results and to begin with it said it was too early to call - this was nerve-racking -  and then when I woke up it said it was too close to call - and this went on for an eternity. I missed something in the middle while sleeping. I think that was the exciting bit. 

I have also set myself some challenges for the month. Exercise every day... that is easy. Learn something online - I've started. Don't use the car... get smaller shops from Tesco and put them on my bike. Lose weight... I sit around far too much despite exercising. 

I know I moan but I am one of the lucky ones. Thousands are losing their jobs - especially the young. The government is wasting billions on ineffective measures to curb the virus - mostly giving this money to incompetent cronies. Rishi Sunak has lost count of the different ways he has promised to help businesses while people at the heart of society struggle. The landlady of one of the pubs I do the quiz at is losing her job with Heineken because she hasn't met her targets. The food parcel deliveries aren't happening this time either. Against this background, house prices are still rising. How? 

Above all, Marms you are among the luckiest. You have Rita to spoil you and you no longer get dragged out for long walks. Keep smiling, Singapore is a good place to be. 

Love you as always

Hugs

XXX