Quick daily posts

[richardandtracy]

I'm in a position where I could easily do my current job from home. I am doing documents, and will be for weeks, our customer seems to feel a box is not adequately documented until the weight of paper equals or exceeds the box weight. Trying to argue it's impossible to do this from home is a false argument, because I can use Word just as well at home as at work.
However, my bosses feel it would be unreasonable for me & my office colleagues to work from home when the bods on the shop floor cannot. Which, as far as I can see breaks the letter & spirit of 'Work from home if possible'. Not very happy.

Regards,

Richard.

[Mabel Figworthy]

Now there's an argument I hadn't encountered before . By the same token, isn't it unfair that people in the extremely vulnerable category are told to stay at home as much as possible and not venture into shops, while we can? By your bosses' logic we should all be shielding out of a feeling of solidarity....

[Serinde]

Spoke to a lady this morning who said a council health worker, there to fix the hoist in her home (she's looking after a vulnerable person) tried to enter the property without either mask or gloves. She refused to let him in, then supplied him with the necessary bits AND CALLED THE COUNCIL! Quite right, too.

[Wise Owl]

Sorry to hear that Richard, surely the whole point is to have less bodies in a certain space and working from home, if you can, will help that?

[Garnet]

I do wish people would take this horrible time more seriously. Just found out our Ysbyty Enfys - meaning Rainbow Hospital - the Welsh equivalent of England's Nightingale Hospital starts to receive patients from next week.

I know that's what they were set up for, but it didn't have to get to this, in my humble little opinion if people had followed the rules.

Sorry to be a downer.

Stay Safe everyone.

[richardandtracy]

I am actually quite fortunate with the office I work in. 25 years ago the office had 12 people in it, now there are four (doing almost the same amount of work). The floor area of the room is 1600 square feet (80ft x 20ft), and is more than the floor area of my house and conservatories. In this there are 4 of us, seated about 15ft apart. It isn't a high risk as all of us are fairly sensible, but it is one I'd prefer not to run. My boss is probably the one who exhibits the riskiest behaviour, meeting more people than the four of us in the office put together in his role as a Coast Guard.

Regards,

Richard

[rcperryls]

Hmmm, I thought we were the only ones having trouble with people following the guidelines because it is such a political issue here and we certainly have the highest numbers of cases and deaths. And families in absolute disagreement with one another. This is the most stressful week I can remember in years. Decades. I know its bad when I move from re watching Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Star Trek and Superhero movies which I know by heart to Hallmark Channel Christmas Movies. Even the solace I get from watching the British Murder Mystery TV Shows on Britbox and Acorn doesn't work as much since they are set too much in the reality I'm trying to escape from, in between taking peaks at the news. For someone who is known to read the last chapter of a book because I can't stand the suspense, this is a hard time. Off to the S&G to toss some plates and glasses and then settle down in the garden with a hot drink and a piece of blueberry pie. All are welcome to join in.

Carole

[Mabel Figworthy]

Completely non-stitch related but I am ridiculously excited about it - our village is getting a butcher's/deli/bakery! Such an improvement on having three framers and four hairdressers . These people are a farm shop a few miles away and we have started getting our meat from them during lockdown, but to have them within walking distance.... this is not going to be good for my waistline! (Did I mention their home-made Scotch eggs?)

[wendywombat]

To have locally sourced food in a near by location is fantastic. I can quite understand your jubilation.
After years of living in France with a superb market we bought from the local traders, often the vegetables came from their garden, the eggs certainly did.
Now we are enjoying seeking out similar food sources here in Scotland. We shop locally here too and have found the small shops where the goods are sold with a sense of pride. We may pay a bit more for our meat and fish but it comes from local farms and the nearby fishing ports.
I wouldn't worry about the waistline, Mabel. We have noticed that local food supplies are a bit more expensive, but we eat better and a little less. Also walking from shop to shop is good exercise.

[Serinde]

We belong to a couple of co-operatives run by NeighbourFood and The Great British Food Hub, which provide all sorts of wonderful goodies. If there are one's in your area (or similar), do have a look.

I have finally tidied up the back garden (what a mess!), dismantled the bean and pea poles, cleaned out the cold frame and separated the runners from their strawberry mothers. Whew. And I have sugar snap pea, broad bean and runner bean seeds (lots of runner bean seeds) for my efforts. There just isn't enough time in these short days to do much.

[Nicola Main]

Passed my first two modules of my Cross Stitch Diploma with 96% and 89% respectively! Really enjoying it!

[Podolyanka]

Congratulations, Nicola, well done!

[wendywombat]

Well done Nicola!

[Serinde]

Congratulations, Nicola!

[Mabel Figworthy]

Remembrance - I remember the fallen, and those who came back scarred (physically and mentally), but I also remember my grandmother.

She wrote cheerful little messages on the back of pictures sent to my grandfather when he was interned by the Germans.
She kept her (and his) spirits up despite trying to bring up 8 children in an enemy-occupied country. She bore a ninth (my mother) the next summer and was pregnant with her tenth during the hunger winter of 1944-45, leading her to remark to the doctor who told her "it's a boy!" that she wouldn't have been surprised if it had been a piglet, seeing what her diet had been through pregnancy.
And when, during the occupation, a German officer who often passed the house told her that he had a little girl my mother's age at home, but he'd never seen her, she taught my mother to wave at him whenever he passed.

[wendywombat]

Thank you for sharing those memories and photos.
I remembered my grandfather who fought in the trenches in WW1.
He never spoke of those times except the occasional comments about survival.
Those memories were about getting clean water and food. He would tap the side of his nose and remark that he wouldn't be surprised if there weren't a few French who had a nose like his!
I never understood this until I was older!
Those soldiers had to do what they could to survive. And they did it for future generations.
Bless them all.

[Garnet]

Congratulations Nicola.


Thank You Mabel for the memories and the photos from me too.

My Grandfather was in WW1 too, he was at Mons and was gassed, he struggled awfully when he returned and for a number of years after the war. I'm certain the gassing shortened his life.

My Father was posted to Italy during WW2 and never spoke about it either ( I read about it since - horrendous ) He went on to be the treasurer of the Liverpool Royal British Legion, and had been to the Royal Albert Hall and the Cenotaph in London more than once.

My DS has both their Medals now.

It is so important to remember, the loss on all sides, the suffering, the strength our Grandparents had and to always be grateful for the Peace we have today.

( I wish we had a Poppy emoji on the forum )

[wendywombat]

Congratulations Nicola.


Thank You Mabel for the memories and the photos from me too.


It is so important to remember, the loss on all sides, the suffering, the strength our Grandparents had and to always be grateful for the Peace we have today.

( I wish we had a Poppy emoji on the forum )

I have been wearing the Poppy that you made for me.
Funny thing is that the Scottish Poppy has 4 petals and no green leaf.
I didn't realise there was a difference until we moved here.

[Garnet]

Aww Wendy, I'm glad you still like it and feel honoured you wore it today, and yes, I'm wearing mine too.

[Wise Owl]

Congratulations Nicola!!!

Thanks for sharing those stories Mabel, Garnet and Wendywombat. Always such a sobering day. I always feel grateful that we are lucky to be here and honour those who fought for us.
My grandad was in WW2 and he never spoke about what he went through. The only stories I heard were about the food they used to make for each other. Some fancy recipes to spice up tins of baked beans!