1 - 31st January 2023

All previous posts have now disappeared as I start a new year. Let's see where I go and what happens in the world. 

The river is flooding and here is a white pheasant.

The willow tree has been pollarded and looks very stark but will come back in a nice shape.  A lot of thin branches had split or fallen in the winds so the tree surgeon said it was time to take it right back to previous pollarding. Watching him was quite scary. It was a very wet day.

Thought I would add a few photos from the Forbes family adventure in South America. Their photos from Instagram. Not sure how they will keep them permanently as Instagram seems to lose pictures or maybe it is that I won't understand it. These were taken in Brazil and Bolivia.

The rain has been incessant every second day or so. Its a good thing there aren't any chickens just now.

So today 16th January here is the situation with water right up to my feet.

17th - coldest night of the year which doesn't mean much seeing as we are only on the 17th of January. 

Lots of fog and a couple of days scraping the car but my bedroom window is still open 24 hours and I have reduced the thermostats to 13 degrees which seems fine. 

There are striking nurses, teachers, ambulance drivers and of course railway workers of different groups. Jacinda Ardern has resigned and in Peru there is almost an insurrection against the incumbent President so Helen and Rob are having to change some of their plans. Last night 20th they arrived in Sucre the capital of Bolivia (I didn't know that) at 4 in the morning — well actually today the 21st I guess, off the bus and searching for an hotel.

Ukraine is seeing continued onslaughts in the Eastern Donbas region. I started watching All Quiet on the Western Front, a German production which is tipped for best film but I got bored halfway through and switched off. Read O'Briens Joyce which is a good easy and quick read. There was a flock of redwings on the grass this morning pecking around in the wet grass. Tom and the children coming for early supper.

A week - 23rd - 29th

Because I won't be keeping all my diaries this week has been quite social.

Monday Had to be at Tom at 8am to let in the carpenter who is fixing the front door after Ben did such a rubbish job. Then had breakfast at UE coffee which is delicious with some banana bread and yogurt. they arena on the industrial site instead of in town.Then saw David Jones the frame maker to get my pictures framed. Not sure why? Then went out to The Bird in Hand with Janet who has mobility issues and finding walking difficult. We had scampi and chips, ginger beer and no pudding. Bridge in the evening. 

Tuesday went to a new optician in Fairford who was impressed with my sight and said nothing wrong there and no new glasses. I had also started a new taichi type of exercise class which I hope will help with balance. Bridge in the evening.

Wednesday went to Cheltenham to take Natalia out to lunch. She saw me and said "You look different!" Couldn't have just been the hair. We had lunch at the Gloucester college where the students run a little restaurant and for less than £10 you get a starter, and a pudding and we had water to drink. It was Heidi's 6th birthday so did a whatsap call. On their way to the high salt flats on Bolivia. Peru seems out of the question still.

Thursday I went potting in Clanfield with Sue Drew and made a small pot. She is an excellent teacher and puts you on a program rather than let you free. There are about 12 of us and she bustles around and gives us all advice and tutoring. Very pleased to actually be back on a wheel however miserable the pot but at least a pot not just a pile of clay.

Friday dropped three canvasses into David Jones for framing then made my way up to Evenley to take Josceline Hebblethwaite out to lunch. She has dementia which could only have been diagnosed a short while before Jeremy, her husband and Roger's cousin, died. Then her ex-husband and the father of her children died a short time after that so all in all no wonder she is confused. She told me repeatedly that Jeremy just walks out of meals and she doesn't know where he goes. I couldn't quite understand when this started happening. Certainly after he died? We went to the Red Lion and had a three course lunch and ginger beer for £58. bridge in the evening. I suggested that she get a panic button or as she thinks of it a lanyard with an emergency number attached. Of course now there is three-storey house crammed with stuff which has to be sorted. Time is running out for her to do it, well probably run out already. Always makes me glad I no longer have a big house full of stuff. Even what I have here is too much.

Saturday will be shopping and cleaning the house and some ironing

Sunday Merinda and her friend Jan are coming for lunch. Somehow I thought of making a marmalade pudding so will give that a go. No idea where the idea came from. 

That is a good interesting week. Also received my Paintings books and the book edition of my Blog back to that is nice too especially as I have lost a lot of photos. The next ones won't now be for a few years.

What I painted for Helen's birthday.

 However, I had also shopped carefully so I didn't have 'past its use by date', or so I thought but of course I did. The days of doing a weekly shop are really gone as this happens all the time. Nothing seems to last a week or even 4 days. I suppose it is because so much food has already been days from its source. And reduced food really needs to be eaten the day you buy it.