Tuesday, 2 February 2016

JANUARY IS OVER, THANK THE GODS!




What a right royal pain in the behind January was. Of course I never expect much of the month but this one has, for sheer unpleasantness surpassed any January I can remember.
To begin with I was struck down with Noro Virus and barely having recovered contracted a “virus” which has caused me to be practically bedridden for the past four weeks.

Continual gales, named storms, torrential rain and days when it was so dark that it almost seemed like night time lasted for a week added to the depression my illness had caused, talk about “gathering gloom”! Ghastly!

To make matters worse I have been without a cleaner for the entire month and being unable to raise my head, let alone a duster the house now wears a patina of dust from the two stoves which will, I fear, form a crust if it is not tackled soon.
Fortunately I have now engaged another cleaner, this time from and agency who will I hope prove to be more reliable than my last, who's complicated love life became as much a burden to us as it was to her! Don't mistake me, I really liked the girl and I hope we shall remain friends (doubtful she has not spoken to any of us since we fired her), but really I could not allow her to continue cleaning the work tops with the same cloth she used to clean the loo!!!

Could this explain my current condition, the test result make it seem very likely.

Then the sad news of David Bowie's demise which threw me into a decline for days and he death of Terry Wogan was the last straw, even my stalwart son was deeply shocked and spent the entire day watching back numbers of “Blankety Blank”! I could not believe how much his death affected me, and everyone else it seems.

On the first of February I ripped the page off the calender and burned the wretched thing, it gave me great satisfaction.

Of course there is no guarantee that this month will be any better than the last, indeed it began with a bloody hurricane which brought down branches and closed a few roads here about. That said I do feel a little better and am able to eat again, and if I see one more jacket potato or bowl of rice pudding for at least a year I shall howl!

From all around the world tales of plague and pestilence, war and famine and the rise of potentially dangerous politicians (Messrs Trump and Corbyn) to name just two have caused alarm and despondency, mind you this is no new thing to be sure.

But enough of this misery, on the plus side the garden if full of Crocus and Snowdrops and the daffodils will soon be in flower. Today I noticed that the Hazels were covered in long catkin tails and tall knots of Bluebell leaves are to be seen among the shrubberies.

The nest boxes we put up in the Autumn have survived the gales and are being used as dormitories by the many Blue tits which frequent the garden and the new Dove house has attracted the attention of our tame Robin who is often to be seen standing in it's door way. it will be a grand residence for so small a bird I think.

Now the nights are drawing out, always cause for joy in our house, and soon it will be possible to spend time in the garden after tea, or take a stroll in the lane, wonderful.



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