I've Had It!!!

At last I've had my Vaccination. Mine was postponed as they did not have enough vaccine but on Wednesday I received a letter asking me to book another appointment. I straight away logged on and booked an appointment for the next day (Thursday)  at 5.30 pm. at the newly opened clinic held in the Gainsborough Sports Centre. I have not driven far in the dark for about a year due to lockdown and having to have a cataract operation  during the summer so I quite enjoyed driving into Ipswich and seeing the changes made in a year. I had to queue for a few minutes and then all went smoothly and I have my next jab in April. I was pleased to get home and Poppy and I celebrated with the last of my Florentines and some Dreamies, I'll leave you to work out who had  what!. Today is my friend Violets birthday so I popped round with a card and guess what, whilst I was at Gainsborough she was at Trinity Park not 2 miles away having her Jab, not that will make much difference to our lives as we really miss our days out pottering round different village, garden centres and the seaside not forgetting adding to our lists of favourite places to eat. we will get back to them eventually and in the meantime today is sunny and bright, and I have a Portal call this evening with all my family in Suffolk and Hampshire. We shall be able to wish Happy Birthday  to my youngest grandson who will be 15 tomorrow. 

Must go now as Morrisons are delivering tomorrow and all I have ordered so far is cat food so someone in my house has got their priorities right. 

Stay safe and warm as it is getting colder this weekend. Speak to you soon. from Poppy and Val.

Mother Christmas

 I know, I know it's nearly the end of January but this weekend I have been feeling like Mother Christmas. My grandson bought me an oversized fleece hoody which he said was all the rage this year. It is a red fleece with the inside lined with white fleece and is very roomy. it is supposed to be worn over your clothes (I think) and I do so with my black trousers, red toweling socks and the fleece which comes down past my knees  I am   cosy &  warm, and look like Mother Christmas.🎅🎅. the weather here has been wet, slightly snowing, and very cold so this weekend I am pottering about indoors , keeping my fingers crossed that nobody rings the doorbell!!! I didn't put it on until the Morrisons delivery man had been, didn't want to freak him out especially as he had bought me some Florentines, (my favourites). Poppy & I have had a snoozy afternoon and she is still snoozing after her tea whilst I am watching Man Utd. v Liverpool. so if you see Mother Christmas about in Suffolk you'll know I have got the call and am rushing to get my jab. 🎅🎅🎅. Bye from Poppy and Val

Vaccine? what Vaccine.

 Still haven't heard a new date for my vaccine, which is made me feel a bit down as I was happy to get the appointment and now feel a bit dejected. As I don't have any control over it I am putting it to the back of my mind and getting on day by day, even though some friends have had theirs. Suffolk has only vaccinated 36 % of over 80s the lowest in the country . 

Several sunny days this week and I have walked along the river Gipping to Hazel wood and yesterday walked through the churchyard and round in a circle via Vicarage lane and Ship lane. I have been to the fish and chip shop nearby and was happy when I was told to wait in my car and they would wave to me when it was cooked. They did and very nice it was too. Poppy and I spent a short while in the back garden  tidying up one of the borders then we spent the afternoon in the sunny lounge she was snoozing and I read the paper and talked for an hour to my s. son Robert who I haven't seen since the summer. I did not let Poppy out until it was dark and so this morning when I drew the curtains discovered that the fence at the bottom of the garden had been replaced during the afternoon. A surprise, and also I was surprised and pleased to have 2 parcels this week. My daughter sent me some books as she knows how I am missing the library and my other daughter sent me one of her beautiful handmade cards and also 2 twin packs of Hartleys sugar free jelly chrystals which she found in her local Coop and I have not been able to get from Morrisons order since before Christmas! so I will be making several bowls of jelly with fruit in and some whisked up with yoghurt. I do like to have a dessert with my meals. I am off to sort out the fridge and cupboards as Morrisons are delivering, tomorrow. Poppy loves to poke her nose into everything and she will get into any cupboard if I don't watch her. Stay safe and warm this weekend love from your friends Poppy and Val

Disapointed

 I was so pleased on Wednesday to be able to book a vaccination appointment which should have been next Tuesday BUT yesterday afternoon I received a message sayin my appointments have been cancelled due to vaccine supplies, didn't say they had run out or whatever. They will text me when new appointments are made, so goodness knows when that will be. surely they knew how much the would have 5 days in advance. Typically Suffolk was well down on the list to get the vaccine,  as we usually are back of the queue for nearly everything, new roads, housing, grants etc. I shall have to wait with patience as hopefully someone who needs it more than me get theirs.

It's Snowing

 Snow has arrived in Suffolk overnight and when Poppy went out in the garden after her breakfast she was not impressed. I went back indoors as it was cold and she eventually must have gone across the patio but soon came in as only one track of paw prints across the garden gave her little meander away. we have both spent quite a time indoors this week as the rain and cold grey days seemed to drag on a bit. some days I only had short walks and my seamans hat knitting has had a good go most days. My decorator came to give me an estimate for my hall, I thought I might change the doors for new ones,(I have 8 doors off the hall ) but the price of new ones frightened me stiff so we agreed that I would have new handles and catches as several of them don't close well. I was expecting to have it done in the Spring but like most tradesmen Ross is booked up well into the summer and the only time to have it done is early February!!

 Our garden rubbish collection has been suspended, luckily my friend told me just as I was about to put the bin out. The news of the week was on Wednesday when I had a message on my phone asking me to book a Covid vaccination I did this online and will have it next Tuesday at Trinity Park Showground on the edge of Ipswich. It also booked the second jab in March. I was suprised how easy it was and at least I will be able to get out of the village and drive there, how I miss not going for a drive and walk.

Thursday evening is our family catch up on Portal and had a lovey time with much laughter as 8 of us chatted, Poppy sat on my lap trying to find where the sounds were coming from as she usually gets Dreamies when my daughter comes , and in Gosport Gordon my other daughters puppy was rushing up and down the floor trying to get into the act!!

That's all for now, Poppy is asleep on the sofa next to the radiator and I'm going to book a live streaming of Burton Albion and Ipswich Town for this afternoon, it will be warmer than if I was going to the Match. Have a good weekend, love from Poppy and Val

It's Cold

 I do not like the cold an wet so have been moaning to myself as it was cold and wet all weekend and now for the past few days it has been very cold and frosty. The cold makes the pain in my hip worse but it something I just have to put up with, so no more moaning Val!

My best friend Pat has had a fall and cracked some ribs, Not much the Paramedics could do for her so she has gone off to stay with her daughter for a while. just got there before Boris locked us in again. I shall miss her and especially her daughter who every Thursday bought me pensioner  fish and chips (with scraps!!!) when she picked her and Pats up. Lovely not to have to cook on Thursdays. 

Haven't been in the garden much as it's so cold and Poppy isn't keen either, She sits on my bedroom window until I let her in and goes to see if there's any thing to eat in the kitchen. spends a lot of the day snoozing and when she is awake rushes up and down like a mad thing, playing with her toys. She won't use the scratching post I bought and loves pouncing on and fighting a Grumpy cat toy she had for Christmas Other favourites are a long cord, I hold one end and she grabs the other when it is moving and wrestles it until I give in, and a small cushion with catnip in it.

Today I had Morrisons delivery and I took a couple of bags of glass to the village recycling areas. I had planned to walk through the churchyard, up Vicarage Lane and back down Ship lane but it was so cold I just walked to the river and back and got home as soon as I could. 

It's crumpets for tea for me and tuna Whiskas for Poppy so goodbye for now, take care and keep warm

Poppy nd Val

New Years Day

 Happy New Year to you all. The best part of New Years eve was a portal call to all my family. We chattered on for about one and a half hours and it was lovely to see all my teenage grandchildren joining in. I was going to stay up but Poppy and I went to bed as usual and I woke up about midnight as a few fireworks  were going off. 

2020 has been a year to remember and we have been lucky to have kept well. I have missed outings with friends, W.I. History group, my weekly family meal which my daughter does so we can catch up together. Good things were all summer we had the family meal in our gardens, bring your own picnic or takeaway. I did lots of walks taking my picnic, (something I had not done before as I usually popped into a a local cafe.) Best of all Poppy my rescue cat arrived on what would have been my mothers birthday  and has changed my life, Sometimes we are still working out whose in charge!! 

Such a lot of changes , and now we go forward into a new world for the U K. Look after yourselves and take care, look forward to the vaccine. Don't look back as we cannot change it and make the most of every day. Breakfast now for Poppy and Val x