RIP Captain Sir Tom Moore, 600.000 vaccinated in one day in the UK, 4 years since I left Yoigo, Groundhog day and Candlemas, a photo from my past, Elsa our Labrador operated, Sound of Music Christopher Plummer dies and other tales of the week.

 Sunday 7th February, 2021

A photo from my past. Me with my mother and brother George and her pigs in Ruskington, Lincolnshire when we were small children. I treasure this photo, one of very few I have with my mother and brother.

Good morning to you all. How is life treating you? Well, I hope.

Life was not too good for  the 100 year old fundraiser Captain (Sir) Tom Moore and English national treasure.  He was admitted to hospital in Bedford with Covid last Sunday after suffering pneumonia.  I gave my father his book for Christmas called "Tomorrow will be a good day". The title seems ironic now. I was very very sorry for this wonderful centenarian who I knew the whole country was praying for. I was too. In a way, I really thought he would pull through but as you all know by now, sadly, very sadly, he passed away on Tuesday. I was stunned at the news and literally cried. This man meant so much to us all. He was a beacon of light and hope when the pandemic began and someone who inspired us all to go on. We shall go on, of course and we must use his mantra: Tomorrow will be a good day. 

Captain Tom in hospital with Covid. 

He never got his vaccine as he had been suffering with pneumonia at home before being admitted to hospital. However that day 600.000 people received theirs in the UK. That is more than we got in Spain in one week. On Monday we got 400.000 doses from Pfizer and a miserly lot of 52,000 doses from Moderna for a week's supply. The difference in the amount of vaccine supplies to countries is appallingly unfair but the virus knows no borders so what is the point of giving jabs to the whole of the population of one country when neighbouring countries can't? The UK government many not have done the best of jobs to contain the virus and not many countries have but at least they have got the vaccine programme right. The photo below comes courtesy of my Lancashire friend Joanne who got it from London's Evening Standard. 

The UK getting it right when it comes to the vaccine roll out. 

It makes me livid that my own 101 year old father is still waiting for his. I have been told he is first on the list after the care homes but Madrid had put the roll out on hold for 10 days (yes 10 days) for lack of vaccines.

We learned from the news that day that a year ago last Sunday the very first Covid case was detected in Spain - in La Gomera (Canary Islands) in a young German tourist.  And look what happened since. Who would have believed it? Yes, we are beginning our second year of life with Covid and it is not easy. That day Portugal and Spain closed their respective borders (ouch) and France is requesting a negative PCR test to enter the country. Many countries are taking similar actions and restrictions get tighter and tighter. 

One person who is blissfully unaware of Covid is my dearest grandson Elliot. That day saw him sitting on a wonderful hand me down "motorbike" which he loves. It was Oli who sent the photo below, not Elliot who hasn't sent any photos recently but constantly makes video calls and then hangs up (hahahaha). Here is the happy little boy.

Elliot oblivious to Covid enjoying his motorbike last Sunday

Because of Covid many people are suffering financially so I thought it was a complete scandal and insult to them when the contract between the Argentinian forward, Lionel Messi, and the Barcelona football club was leaked and it came to light that it, or rather he,  is worth 555 million euros!!!! This is for the period from 2017 to June 2021. So this verbally lacking ball kicker earns over 100 million euros a year just from the  Club. That's scandalous. Football players like him are considered heroes by some, not by me. 

Scandalous too was the treatment handed out by the police in Russia where peaceful demonstrations were taking place to demand the release from prison of the  opposition leader Navalny who was detained  after his arrival from   Berlin a short while ago.  He was there to be treated for poisoning with the novichok nerve agent and he faced a trial for missing parole - he is accused of some sort of trumped up embezzlement charges. There were demonstrations all over Russia for the second weekend in a row and this is getting ugly and could get uglier.

Brutal force exercised by the police during the Navalny protests last Sunday

Moscow went into virtual lockdown and not for Covid this time.  If you have been following the news you will know that Alexei Navalny is an anti corruption campaigner whose main target is today's de facto  "Tsar" of Russia, President Vladimir Putin. Recently he released a video on You Tube which shows Putin's luxury palace by the Black Sea - 55 million people saw it. Now one of Putin's cronies, another Russian oligarch, says it is his. I was furious to read on Tuesday after the trial that he had been sentenced to 3 years in a prison colony. 

Our Sunday was very quiet indeed. We shielded at home most of the day apart form our walk with the dogs in the morning. 

I woke up quite late for me on Monday morning. I wasn't down in the kitchen until 7.15 (wow). Olivia, my TV journalist daughter, was up later than usual too as she was off on Monday and Tuesday this week. She was owed holiday which she would lose if she didn't take these two days off. Of course there was nowhere to go but at least she could rest a bit as during the day Elliot would be at the nursery. Both Oli and Miguel would join us for lunch, a first without their baby. It was a bit of break for them and I can tell you, they need a break. 

Facebook reminded me that on that day 4 years ago I was at Court. It was a memorable and sad day marking the end of my 10 year career as Yoigo's Comminications Director. 

Not a happy photo - me 4 years ago at the Mediation court after being made redundant

Gosh has it been 4 years already? It has. That day was one of the worst in my career. I had to go to the Mediation court or whatever it's called (SMAC in Spain) for the redundancy settlement agreement. I went with two male colleagues, the three of us being the first to go after Yoigo was bought up by the smaller operator, Másmóvil. All but one of the top management jobs was filled by the latter. They were in their right but it was a bit immoral especially as we had all been promised we would not lose our jobs. Mediation would have been acceptable if it hadn't been for the fact that the lawyer handed me one of my male colleague's settlement documents rather than mine. That's when I found out my colleagues were receiving a huge settlement pay in comparison. Life is unfair for women in the corporate world. If I had my life over again I would never choose a job in the corporate world - it's a jungle and a battle ground out there and I dare anyone working in it to dispute this. No, I should have been a journalist but I realised that a bit too late in life. 

But the corporate world had and has its perks and I've had my fair share of them; wonderful travel, incredible hotels, amazing restaurants, free medical insurance, luncheon vouchers, etc and, of course, a company car. All those trappings generally keep you going in a job working for a multinational even if the company culture is hostile which it nearly always is, except for the first few years when a company starts up. It's difficult to give these perks up. I think it was the same day, 4 years ago, that I had to give up "my" luxury BMW X6. That really hurt. The company was decent enough to lend me a car until I got my own a month or so later. But when they lent me a company Mini with the Yoigo logo plastered all over it, it added insult to injury. I had been fired by a company and now had to drive a car with the company logo. 

The last time I drove my company car a luxury BMW X6. 

With some of the settlement pay I bought myself a lovely white Mini which I am very happy with but I have to admit I miss the BMW. We could have done with it during the snow I can tell you.

I didn't want to linger over negative thoughts of the court case 4 years ago and what being made redundant (a nice word to replace the real word, fired), meant to me after 10 years of a successful career with Yoigo. At the time it hurt a lot although I had expected it. On the point of turning 60, it was a difficult moment and I had to fight or crawl my way back in some way. No way was I giving up and living off my husband's pension. In any case we needed the income to keep up this great big house. Airbn was a success from the beginning and has changed my life a lot. So has turning freelance which was really difficult at the beginning. That's why I am so grateful to my ex Yoigo boss for finding me a role with a fiber network company as their freelance Communications Director. Both these new roles have given me the freedom to work from anywhere and although I don't have the trappings and perks of the corporate world I am basically my own boss. Also in this time I have managed to write a book - the biography of my father's life - and  bought a house. So, looking back, I don't think I have done too badly since the beginning of my new journey which started on 1st February 2017 at the Mediation Court. In a year's time I think I will be writing to tell you that I have retired as next February I will turn 65. Who knows what will happen then?

Not much happened on Monday, except for the lovely presence of Oli and Miguel at lunch. As I wasn't expecting them, we all ate my "cocido madrileño" leftovers along with the meatballs from the day before. No one complained. I did some freelance work that day, revising a document I have to read as a voice over for a University video. I was supposed to be doing it this week but it has been postponed till next Tuesday. It's all about the digital world in the EU, fascinating. Well, not really, hahahaha. 

Ah but I am forgetting my weekly Monday Skype call with Amanda, always a highlight. We love our weekly chats although there isn't much to tell. Somehow we always end up talking about our school days at St. Joseph's Catholic College in Bradford. That day had us reminiscing about our quirky, cranky, Irish music teacher, Mr. O'Rourke. He was a genius in a way but a terrible teacher. However he put together a wonderful choir and singing in it brings me the best memories of life at school. It has also given me a lifelong love of choral music. 

The day ended with a simple dinner of ham and fresh asparagus and then a bout of Netflix. We started a Turkish TV series called 50M2 but we were not impressed.

Tuesday dawned. It was a grey day and would get even more so. It was also "Groundhog Day" in the US. That's not something that ever really interests me but this year it did. That's because of so many comparisons of our lives today during the pandemic being like Groundhog Day, i.e. every day being Groundhog Day, every day the same. The use of the term comes from the film of the same name where exactly that happens. In reality Groundhog day occurs once a year on 2nd February in the USA. This is a tradition where a groundhog comes out of hibernation. If the animal sees its shadow  there will be 6 more weeks of winter and it goes back into its hole. If it doesn't see its shadow it means there will be 6 weeks of good weather and spring will come early. This year, amid huge snow storms in the US, "Phil, the groundhog predicted winter to continue. 

"Phil" the groundhog

My friend Joanne sent me a photo to tell me that 2nd February was also Candlemas,  the midpoint between the shortest day and the middle of spring.  Candlemas is also known as the Feast of Presentation, Presentation of the Lord or Presentation of Christ in the Temple.  It commemorates when the Virgin Mary went into the temple in Jerusalem to be purified 40 days after the birth of Jesus. On Candlemas clergy would bless and give out candles and these represented how long and cold the winter would be. Germans "expanded on this concept by selecting an animal - a hedgehog then - as a means of predicting weather. Thus Groundhog Day has its roots in the ancient Christian tradition of Candlemas. 

Definitely unaware of Candelmas but maybe more aware of Groundhog day, Oli surprised us by arriving at about 11 am to join us for our walk and for lunch. Later she and Miguel would continue their house seeking. We went for a walk to the local café that serves "churros" as Oli was craving for them. I wasn't and shouldn't have had my "porra" (the thicker version) but hell dammit, this was a treat from my daughter, our first treat of the week. I recorded the moment on my phone for this blog and for our family history in a photo. This is it:

A special moment with Eladio and Olivia who treated us to coffee and churros this week

I also took this one of Eladio with little Pippa enjoying the moment. He looks so happy doesn't he?

My smiling husband with Pippa during our coffee and churros treat with Olivia this week

It`s not often we get our younger daughter alone and it was lovely to be together. I shared the photo on the family Whatsapp group and in reply Suzy sent us a photo of herself in the middle of her teaching lessons all the way from Costa Rica. We wished she had been with us to but had to make do with a photo. She doesn't send many so I treasure it. 

Photo from Suzy on Tuesday - in the middle of her teaching lessons

Upon our return I was happy to see that my Criminal Records check document had arrived from Coventry with the much needed Apostille of The Hague. My lawyer will be giving it into the College of Lawyers to add to the documents submitted to request Spanish nationality.  I really hope that with this, my nightmare collection of documents which began 1 year ago is now over. 

My criminal records check with the coveted Apostille of The Hague arrived on Tuesday

That wasn't the only thing to arrive that day. My order of FFP2 face masks also arrived. Since the argument on TV about their efficacy, I was persuaded to buy some but so were millions of other people and they may well run out. I tried one on and it's much much tighter than the surgical masks we have been using up till now.  On the plus side the main advantage is that they protect the person wearing one and anyone nearby. 

Soon it was time for lunch. At Eladio's request that day I made one of his favourite dishes, "patatas revolconas". That's difficult to translate. "Revolcón" in Spanish means something like tumble. The potatoes are literally half mashed leaving parts of them whole. They are mixed with garlic fried in oil to which paprika is added. The mixture of the garlic and paprika with the potatoes is crowned with fried and crispy chunks of bacon. This was what mine looked like.

My patatas revolconas which I made for lunch on Tuesday

It was when I was whiling away the time - my repetitive Groundhog day - I learned that Captain Sir Thomas More had passed away. I was stunned, shocked and I have to admit it, I cried. I cried for this wonderful man who had done so much for us all. You all know who he is and you all know his story. When he started walking around his garden to raise money for the NHS aiming for 100 laps at 10 laps a day until he turned 100 - something that started as a joke in his family who wanted him to do exercise after a hip operation -  this, otherwise unknown, 99 year old could never have imagined how his story would go viral and inspire a nation and how famous he would become.  This Army veteran who, like my father, fought in WW2, went on to fight again in the only way he could, on the cusp of his 100th year, to fund the NHS during the pandemic and became as I said above, a beacon of hope; light in times of darkness. 

The impeccably dressed and impeccably mannered Captain Moore on one of his 100 laps around his 25m2 garden last year. 

It wasn't so much the money he made - an astonishing 33 million pounds, it was the man himself who inspired us with his story. He lifted our spirits when the world most needed it. A stoic Yorkshire man who hails from Keighley in West Yorkshire, it was his positive attitude that inspired us most, his non grumble, can-do  attitude and his mantra; "tomorrow is a good day", just what we wanted to hear. Like my father and people of his generation he had a determination to look on the bright side of life. It was also his elegant figure using a walking frame, dressed in a suit and tie that captured the eye and his impeccable manners. They don't make them like that anymore. That is why, I think he will be most missed. It is wonderful too that in these days when old people are not as respected as they should be, that Captain Tom, as he was known, rose to fame and became everyone's grandfather. All I can say is I salute you Captain Tom and RIP knowing you have lived your life to the full in the most positive way possible and that you have been an example to us all. 

I think on Tuesday the whole country was in mourning. That day thousands and thousands of people died of Coronavirus; numbers that in a dreadful way we are getting used to. But one person stood out and that was Captain Sir Tomas Moore of Yorkshire. He will be remembered by us all.

I was still thinking about him the next day, Wednesday morning and most of this week. Facebook reminded me that a year ago that day Eladio and I were in Santa Pola where we spent a week or so at our apartment near the sea. We would love to go again but are trapped and can't travel at all. So we just have to live on memories and on dreams of a better future. It's funny how Facebook reminds me every day of what our life was like before the Pandemic. The thing is we didn't appreciate what we had until it was taken away from us.

A year ago enjoying a coffee in the sun in Santa Pola. We had no idea what was coming then. 

When we were enjoying that coffee in the sun  a year ago, we had no idea what was coming and today we have no idea when the pandemic will be over, if it ever is. It's quite possible we may have to wear masks, wash our hands frequently and maintain social distance for a long long time. That's a daunting thought. Captain Tom would probably not agree so I shall try to think more positively. 

Known for his 100 lap walks around his garden, he would not approve either that the rain put us off our own walk that day. It was cold, foggy and rained and we stayed at home. Only Eladio went out to take Elsa our Labrador to the vet for her knee operation, poor darling. 

Captain Tom though would have been happy to hear the good news that day. Finally we had some good news about the pandemic.  AstroZeneca, the manufacturers of the Oxford vaccine, announced that day that after tests, it may well stop transmission of the virus by up to 67%. Our great worry about the new vaccines was whether they would also help stop transmission. It was splendid news. However, there are doubts about its effectiveness on people over 65 as this age group was not included in the trials. I was happy too to hear that the Russian vaccine Sputnik has proved in trials that it is 92% effective in protecting people from catching the virus. So far we have only focused  on western world made vaccines. In my opinion that is because of our lack of trust of anything made in Russia or China a legacy of the Cold War. However, as the need for more and more vaccines is evident, we may well see Sputknik on the market in Europe soon. 

Lunch was unfortunate. I had steak and one bite broke an already fragile back tooth. A couple of nights before I had broken another one on the other side of my mouth after biting on a piece of bread that was too hard. Oh God, suddenly I had two broken teeth and could not continue eating. Well, I could, but it had to be something soft.  Trying to eat that day with two broken teeth made me realise just how difficult it must be for my 101 father to eat. He tells me he has 8 teeth left but somehow manages to enjoy lots of biscuits. I always make his food as soft as possible but will be more sympathetic now to the state of his teeth. All his life he looked after them religiously and was faithful to the dentist he had in his Cambridge days, Mr. Carr. Where Mr. Carr moved, my father went to see him and his teeth were always well looked after. I had a dental appointment on Thursday and instead of going along to treat one broken tooth I would need another one to be treated too.  Dr. Garralda (my Mr. Carr) who has been my dentist for more than 30 years was very unfortunately unavailable as he is in hospital (not Covid thankfully). That meant I would have to put myself into the hands of one of his partners. I have so much faith in him I wasn't sure I was going to feel safe in the hands of anyone else. I hoped I wouldn't need extensive treatment or implants meaning I would have to go back and back again because of the danger of catching the virus, not to mention the cost. 

While this was happening Elsa was being operated on and we were hoping for the best. The trauma vet rang us in the late afternoon to tell us she had come out of surgery. He said it had been successful and that he had been able to repair the ligament on one of her knees and that luckily the meniscus was not affected.   The area around the ligament  was however very inflamed which is why she was probably in so much pain. During the surgery he did a biopsy on her lips to see how the infection she has in her mouth is doing. It is just not going away despite months of treatment. Poor Elsa. We wouldn't see her until the next day and the kitchen felt funny with just 2 dogs. I later read it will take up to 4 or 5 months for her to be able to walk normally again. 

That was nearly the only piece of news I had to tell Suzy that afternoon when we skyped, she in her office - the beach - and Eladio and I in our bedroom using my trusted iPad, one of the best gifts I ever received in my Yoigo days. She seemed in good spirits and is enjoying her new life in Costa Rica. I have a feeling she is surrounded by men wanting her attention, something that wasn't happening here at home in the Pandemic as there were none around. Well, I hope she enjoys their attention but doesn't get hurt. Suzy tends to give her all - heart and soul - and often ends up on the wrong side of a relationship. Just enjoy Suzy, just enjoy. 

At 6 pm that day a national clap was held in the UK to pay a tribute to "Captain Tom". I wish I had been there to take part. I was, in spirit. What an impression he has left on the nation. 

The day ended watching a WW2 film (yes, that's our genre) on Prime Video. It was harrowing but incredibly interesting. Called The Innocents it features nuns and doctors which, as you know, is my thing too. 

A harrowing film

The basic story line is how a young French Red Cross trainee doctor tries to help a group of Polish cloistered nuns who have been raped,  a story inspired by the aftermath of mass rapes by Soviet soldiers. What a film. It's not for everyone's stomachs but is quite a story.

I needed something more calming after that and returned to The Dig, the film everyone is talking about and which tells the story of the finding of the Anglo Saxen burial ground in Sutton Hoo in Suffolk. I first watched it with Eladio in Spanish and oh how much it loses when it is dubbed. This time I loved every minute of it. I had thought it was a bit slow the first time round but as a friend pointed out that is the beauty of it and it was. I had not noticed that the actor, Ralph Fiennes who plays the self taught archeologist, Basil Brown, was the well known British actor who played Amon Goeth in Schindler's List. Watching the original and not the dubbed version I was able to appreciate Fienne's amazing attempt at imitating the Suffolk accent. He was brilliant at it. I don't know Suffolk but I do know Norfolk and there are similarities. Apart from having people on hand during filming who were from Suffolk he also went on a local pub crawl - good for him. Read more about that here. 

Ralph Fiennes as Basil Brown in The Dig

Thursday came and that morning I would go to the dentist for my emergency appointment. But first I had my breakfast (everything soft:-() and of course watched my younger daughter in her programme on TV as I do every morning. She never fails to impress me but that day she impressed me more. She was standing in for one of the presenters. Well, actually, she was sitting at the big table with Monica, the presenter. She looked so professional. She usually reports on Covid and she did but she was happier reporting on politics. The big case this week is about a man called Luis Bárcenas who was the treasurer of the right wing government (PP) when it was led by Mariano Rajoy. The case has been going on for years about how the PP, with the help of Bárcenas siphoned off money from donations and bribe money for contracts, money which was also handed out to leading members of the government. This week Bárcenas has said he will turn state's evidence, accusing Rajoy of having destroyed documents and receiving money in cash. He said he had proof. This is the biggest corruption case facing the PP, now the opposition party.

Olivia reporting on the Bárcenas case on Thursday morning

Eladio watched her all morning but I had to go to the dentist. I hadn't been since the pandemic and oh how things have changed. I was greeted by an astronaut type figure who took my temperature before letting me over the threshold. I sat in an empty waiting room and was called on time. It was a Dra. Jiménez who would be my dentist as my usual one is in hospital (get well soon Rafa). She was so so young, probably in her 20's and did not inspire much confidence until she started her examination of my mouth. Instead of 2 broken molars, she found 3. How lovely. She wanted to save them as the root and nerves were fine. She suggested dental inlays, a new procedure for me, called "incrustraciones" in Spanish. I had never heard of them but they are a sort of porcelain filling which lasts for eons. Meanwhile she put in temporary fillings so I wouldn't have to eat like a baby. I have to go back this month and next and it all sounds quite simple. I left feeling impressed with my new dentist and happy there was a relatively simple solution. 

On my way back I stopped at our favourite café, Alverán, to order my own birthday cake for tomorrow. I was amused to hear from the owner that my husband had just been by and ordered one for me. Oh how sweet. Well, we didn't need two so I left it at that, except for changing the type of chocolate from dark to white, white being my favourite. 

I was home on time for our walk and gosh the sun came out making it much more pleasant. We are now able to resume our forest walks but have to be careful with some of the trees that fell during the snow storm. 

Our siesta was interrupted by the arrival of Oli and little Elliot. They surprised us and I was delighted to see them, especially our 16 month old grandson who rushed into my arms. We played with him all afternoon. I had bought him a Playmobil bus with the characteristic "clicky" figures and Amazon delivered it that afternoon. He seems to like it. Here he is with Eladio examining his first Plyamobil toy. 

Eladio and Elliot examining his first Playmobil toy

When our girls were children they loved their "clickies" and I hoped Elliot would too. 

Elliot and Oli stayed for dinner and the night so we had a pleasant family dinner which consisted of "tortilla" (Spanish omelet), salad and ham.  Miguel arrived later and we saved him a plate. Before going to bed, Eladio had to go to the vet to pick up poor Elsa, our Lab. He took ages to come home and I was in bed and watching the last episodes of Call The Heart when he did. I wouldn't see Elsa until the next day and was horrified to see her wearing a huge plastic collar.  As soon as I saw her, I removed it but only for her to have her breakfast. It is on for a purpose, to stop her licking the wound and infecting it. She doesn't seem to like the collar but stoically accepts it. 

Elsa with her halo like collar on - Eladio called her Saint Elsa (haha). 

 

Eladio said the collar on her in the photo looked like a halo and called her Saint Elsa. That actually fits her as she is such a good dog, the best behaved we have ever had. Even the vets said that and they see a lot of dogs every day. She will have to be stoic as she now faces up to or 5 months until she can walk properly again, poor thing. We feel so sorry for her. 

Friday dawned and as usual Facebook reminded me of my memories, or rather photos I had posted in previous years. I was most struck by one with my Mother and brother. In that photo, a photo from my past, George and I were probably about 5 and 3. My mother, Princess Elena Von Lieven, must have been in her very early 40s and she looked so happy.  I am on her lap with her hand on mine (oh how I loved her long tapered hands) and in the background there are some of her pigs. This was when she had a sort of farm to feed us all and we lived in a bungalow called Fermain in the small village of Ruskington in Lincolnshire. We lived in Lincolnshire, farming country, because my father's job was at the famous RAF college, Cranwell where he taught Russian to the cadets. I don't have many photos with my mother or brother that are anyway decent. My father had an old Brownie camera but he wasn't the best photographer. However,  this photo, although a little blurred, is a close up and I can see my mother's beautiful face. Some people say I look just like her. I never thought I did. This is a copy of the original photo where you can see more of the pigs. My mother with her innate sense of humour gave them names like Kruschchev for example. I loved my childhood in Ruskington where both George and I first went to school. If you are my age and were born in Britain, you will remember using a slate and a piece of chalk to learn to write. Imagine! Oh that does make me feel old.

Photo from my past. Must have been taken in 1960. Notice my mother's 60's dress. 

Fast forward some 60 years and this Friday had me feeling very sorry for myself. I went for my 10 am appointment with the maxillofacial specialist to see the lump on my tongue, one I have had for over a year and a half. I didn't tell you or anyone, except for Amanda, but when the skin doctor saw it a week ago, she said a biopsy was needed to rule out malignancy or the spread of it. She referred me to a maxillofacial consultant. Oh those awful words. I walked out of the hospital already planning my funeral and wondering what life for the rest of the family, especially my husband of nearly 40 years, would be like without me. I was hoping for a church funeral with English hymns and to be buried in England and not cremated. I reflected too that if death was to come, I could face it and be thankful for nearly 64 years of a rather acceptable life. Thankfully these plans can now be put on hold but you can imagine my worry in the past two weeks. I didn't want to tell my family so as not to worry them. Happily as soon as the lovely maxillofacial specialist saw the lump on my tongue she pronounced it was  "fibroma", a lump a bit like a scar that forms on your tongue often because of your teeth rubbing against it. She removed it there and then in a short operation including local anesthesia. That hurt but the operation didn't. She would then send it off for  a biopsy and I will get the results in 2 weeks but she was fairly confident it was a common benign fibroma. I was very, very relieved. The consultant told me it would hurt and boy was she right. It was awful and I could hardly eat or swallow all day. Thus my feeling very sorry for myself all day. I was prescribed a common painkiller and I used paracetamol but it didn't work much. As for eating, well that was difficult and I was told to only eat cold food. That meant I couldn't eat the bean stew I had prepared for lunch and ended up eating a yoghurt with pureed fruit. 

I came home feeling tired and a little whoosy from the operation but I had to go out as it was our weekly shopping day and the cupboards were bare. Oli and Elliot came in the afternoon and I did my best to play with him but was feeling pretty lousy because of the pain in my mouth. Eladio entertained him when he brought up some of the girls' old toys. Wow that was  a bit of  trip down memory lane. I specially remember getting them  a lovely boot house. To get it I had take out a year's subscription to a baby magazine. It was endearing to see Elliot play with toys his mother had played with when she was his age. 

 

Elliot playing with our daughters' toys, relics from their past. He loves the boot house.

When Elliot had had enough of the new toys, it was time for dinner.  I did my best to come up with something special but the meal was a bit of a fiasco for me as I had to eat very slowly because of the pain.

It was during dinner I found out that Christopher Plummer, the actor who played Captain Georg Von Trapp in my favourite film, The Sound of Music, had died that day aged 91 (not of Covid thankfully).

Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer in a scene in The Sound of Music

That was so sad to hear. I loved him in his role as the stern captain who runs his house and family like a ship but who softens when Julie Andrews comes on the scene. It was like the end of an era as my cousin Marie remarked to me when I posted the news on social media. The girls (my daughters) were gutted too as they were brought up on this film, influenced by me. I remember seeing the premiere in 1965 when I was just 8 and I have adored it ever since. However, it seems, Plummer, of Canadian origin (I thought he was English), didn't always like it himself, calling it The Sound of Mucus, mostly because he didn't like the role which he described as "cardboard". He mellowed to it over time and I'm glad he did because although he acted in many other films he will always be remembered as Captain Von Trapp. RIP Christopher Plummer, you always delighted me as Captain Von Trapp even if you didn't like his character yourself. I loved it. 

All I wanted after dinner that night was to go to be bed. I took another paracetamol and slept fitfully. The good thing  though was that I felt a lot better yesterday morning. 

Saturday was a family day as Elliot and his parents stayed the night again and for lunch. They went out house seeking in the morning while we went on our rather rainy walk. Not much else happened that day worth recording. It was just another Saturday in lockdown, another "Groundhog Day" for us and most people around the world. Oh when will this end? Judging by the figures, no time soon. If last Sunday the worldwide figures for infections and deaths were 103.167.644 and 2.230.217, today they have risen to 106.377.451 and 2.321.363. On the bright side the rise is much lower than other weeks. In Spain and elsewhere we are seeing a downward trend. It's very slow but decreasing. However, only when there are 150.000 cases per 100.000 or less will we be able to contemplate some form of relaxing of the rules. There is talk of Easter holidays but I doubt travel will be allowed until the Autumn.  Meanwhile, we shall just have to stick it out.

Today is Sunday my friends, another Sunday in lockdown and I don't expect anything much to happen. Tomorrow though will be my birthday and something nice to break the monotony. You will hear all about it in next week's post. Meanwhile my friends, stay safe.

Cheers for now,

Masha

First Whatsapp photo from Elliot, picaresque behaviour in Spain, The Hague Apostille, vaccine delivery row in the EU, Olivia in blue, our weekly treat, Sutton Hoo burial site in Surrey and other stories.

Sunday 31st January, 2021

My treat of the week - coffee out with Eladio

Good morning all. 

How has your week been in this Covid battered world we live in? It's still getting me down. A surprise Whatsapp  brought a smile to my face though  early last Sunday. I got what I thought was a photo from my daughter Olivia of Elliot at his nursery. I thanked her for it. A while later she told me she hadn't sent the photo but that her 16 month old son had! Do you hear that? My toddler grandson had mastered the art of sending a photo on whatsapp to his grandmother. If he can do that at this age what will he be able to do when he is 5 years old I wondered to myself? I had already seen him accessing Netflix and You Tube or pressing the play button, sending audios and making random video calls so I shouldn't have been surprised but I was. He has mastered the mobile phone before talking or feeding himself with a spoon although he soon will.  Babies today and children are true digital natives. This 16 month old is able to navigate the internet the way some people in their 70's and 80's cannot. This is the photo he sent by the way. 

Elliot's first Whatsapp photo sent to me (here at his nursery)

I was amazed but amused. His photo did a good job improving my mood after scouring the papers last Sunday. The only news in Spain is Covid (the rise of and lack of vaccines), the upcoming Catalan elections and also the way some authorities are skipping the vaccine queue. This includes the head of the Spanish Armed Forces who was forced to resign. 

It's such a Spanish thing to cheat the authorities and society and get away with it.    It's called "picaresque" (picaresco) and has its origins in the figure of a "pícaro"from 16th century Spanish literature. The behaviour of a picaresque, using his wits in a corrupt society, stops just short of criminality, thus its popularity. A "pícaro" is a rogue or rascal and trickster but also an appealing sort of hero who lives by his wits.   The two most famous novels of this genre are Lazarillo de Tormes and El Buscón, both of which I read when I studied Spanish at Nottingham University. Rogues of the type described in these books were referred to as "pícaros" and the word entered the Spanish language to describe their anti social behaviour, their distrust for institutions and desire to beat the system. The picaresque genre is not exclusive to Spain although it was born here. I didn't know it but Charles Dickens' first novel, The Pickwick Papers is considered a picaresque novel too as is Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn.  The issues  picaresque novel's heroes have to face are still those we face today; the power of politicians, the church and the power of the economic elite on the masses. 

Definition of the Picaresque novel - image is of Huckleberry Finn

Basically a "pícaro" is someone who lives by his wits  and tries to climb the social ladder sometimes through the old boy system (just as ingrained in Spain) and illicitly too but without being caught.  There are plenty of them in Spain, such as Spain's now former head of the Armed Forces. Spaniards, in general - not all of course -  love flouting rules and not getting caught. It's the national sport and possibly a trait that although sometimes endearing it is what has brought so much corruption to this otherwise wonderful country. If you live in Spain for a long time, like me, it's difficult not to get infected by picaresque behaviour as very often it is not even frowned upon, quite the opposite it can be applauded.  Few people are free of it. It's part of the fabric of this society and probably not exclusive to Spain.  Things are changing though and picaresque behaviour from those in powerful positions is now highly criticised even from people who at their level of society are also "pícaros" which is rather hypocritical. 

My day was not picaresque, it was very quiet and boring. We so miss our travels to the four corners of Spain and abroad. It was frustrating that day to see the temperature rising to 24ºc in Alicante near where we have our apartment by the sea and which we can't go to. It would get higher as the week progressed. But we did have some sun that we enjoyed on our morning walk with Pippa and Norah. I made a lovely lunch "from scratch" as it is called these days -. all my meals are made from scratch - cream of asparagus and mushroom soup followed by meat balls with more veg. 

The house felt quiet without Oli and her family and I hardly saw our guests. I did see Felipe, our Russian born guest, though when he met Zena, our Ukrainian born weekend carer. I remarked to him just how international our house is when I caught the two of them chatting away in Russian. It is an international house just as my childhood home in Bradford was.

On Monday I had a reason to leave the house. Hurray. No, not really,  as I was going to a doctor's appointment. It was at 12.20 in Pozuelo at the big private hospital, Quirón. So there was time for our walk beforehand and for getting lunch ready. It was nice to get out but I am wary of going to hospitals for obvious reasons. I had an appointment with a dermatologist who I should have seen a long time ago but had either put it off or couldn't go because of Covid. I wanted her to see a mouth ulcer which I have now had since the summer of 2019, a year and a half ago. Another dermatologist saw it about 6 months ago but wasn't concerned. He gave me some mouth gel which didn't work and asked me to do a blood test. I took the blood test results with me to the appointment on Monday. The skin doctor took one look and said she didn't think it was a mouth ulcer but a sort of lesion. She ordered me to get an appointment with the maxillofacial department to have a biopsy performed.  I duly got one for 5th February.   While there I mentioned my brother George had died of melanoma and she assured me the lesion was not that. She did, though, take a look at my whole body for any possible marks and thankfully didn't find any. I did my very best not to linger over negative thoughts for the rest of the day and until my next appointment. 

Every Monday afternoon I have a skype call with my dear school friend Amanda. The topics of our conversation are nearly always the same; Brexit, Covid and the change in President in the US. We are on the same page on all these topics so we are often a comfort to each other. The rest of the time I spent continuing to watch (for the second time), When Calls the Heart, that soppy romantic TV series set in Canada in the early part of the 20th century. It's so comforting to watch and keeps my mind off any negative thoughts.

Both Eladio and I agreed as we watched the evening news just how depressing the news is. We refer to Covid of course. We were all so thrilled a vaccine was coming but now our hopes have been somewhat dashed as we are being told that a vaccine won't stop us passing on the virus. Does this really mean we shall have to continue social distancing and all the other anti measures and for how long? When will we get our lives back as they were before? I shouldn't harp on about Covid and our lives right now but we are living through a once in a lifetime historic pandemic which affects us all and it's difficult to ignore it. 

Tuesday came and another guest, Adrian (a tatooist!) was coming. That day we would have 3 guests under our roof. Felipe, our Russian born guest, has prolonged his stay for another 10 days and we are happy to have him. He is a pleasure to host. Very surprisingly on Wednesday he kindly gave me a Russian icon and two plates. They must have come from his family home and I was very touched. 

Facebook reminded met that 3 years ago that day we were in Manchester. Oli had been sent by her TV programme and we decided to join her and Suzy too who, at the time, was living in London. What a wonderful reunion that was. 

In Manchester with the girls 3 years ago this week. Oh how I long to be able to travel again.

Not that Manchester is a very luring tourist location but it was a great few days together. As a child we lived not too far and my father would take us to that dark industrial and rather grim city to the family dentist,  Mr. Carr. It was on one of those journeys I learned one of the greatest lessons in my life. Seeing a row of  run down Victorian terrace houses I pointed out how ugly they were. My father replied that he always looked for the beautiful things and not the ugly ones and that very often there was something beautiful to be found in ugly things. He is so right and his positive attitude is something I have always tried to emulate. But is there anything beautiful in this ugly Pandemic? Well, maybe the fact that we have gone back to basics, spending time at home with our loved ones. Another good thing to come out of lockdown, for me, at least, is my frequent communication with friends on skype, facetime, whatsapp, etc. On Tuesday I was looking forward to another call with our dear friends Kathy and Phil who live in Keighley. I remember spending a lovely few days with them before meeting up with the girls in Manchester. Those were the days. It's Phil's birthday today by the way so I am happy to send him greetings for today from here. Happy Birthday Phil. Hope you have a great day. Enjoy Kathy's Victorian sponge cake I know she is making for you. 

But there was no good news about Covid that day. The total number of infections reported worldwide had reached over 100 million, 25% of them coming from the US. 19 countries were reported  to have reached over 1 million infections, including both Spain and the UK.  Tuesday was the day that the UK passed the 100.000 death toll.  In Spain I read in The Local that "Spain's infection rate at 884.7 cases per 100,000 has now overtaken the United Kingdom (862.9) and is only behind Portugal (1,484), Czech Republic (1,010.4) and Ireland (926.9). Oh God I thought we are doing so badly. As if that wasn't bad enough, vaccines are not being delivered as promised by the three main pharma companies, Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Moderna.  This caused a commotion in the EU and the UK. The companies hit back by saying the UK had secured their contracts weeks before the EU. Who knows? The reality is that there are not enough to go round. I had proof of this when I wrote to my father's GP asking for the second time when he would be getting his vaccine. She replied the roll out was on hold which confirmed to me that there are not enough supplies to go around. She assured me he would be one of the first on the list. The above figures came midweek. Today, on this last day of January, the world wide figures now stand at: 103.167.644 infections  and 2.230.217   deaths, up from 99.338.987 infections and 2.230.217  deaths last Sunday.

It's not going away is it? We were so full of hope when they announced the vaccines but a) there are not enough to go round, b) we are now hearing that people who are vaccinated may still pass on the infection and c) the current vaccines may not work on the new variants from the UK, South Africa and Brazil. So, we shall be socially distancing and living in virtual house arrest (aka lockdown) for the foreseeable future. In the UK there was a new measure introduced for people travelling to the UK to be put into forced lockdown at hotels paid for by them, for 10 days. Imagine!!!! 

Tuesday was not a good day on a personal level either. I was just sitting down to a delicious lunch of my home made bean stew ("fabada") when I received a call from my lawyer who was due to submit my papers for Spanish nationality the next day. She rang to tell me she thought my last and most important document  -the Criminal Record Check issued through the UK Ministry of Justice - was most probably not valid as the paper had been issued in December and the UK left the EU on 31st of the month. Core blimey was my reaction and thank you once again Brexit.  The only way out was  to get the DBS Criminal Record declaration I had received from the UK legalised in the UK, as if it wasn't legal. To do so I would have to move fast as the document is only valid for 3 months. To be legalised it would need the Hague Apostille (fyi this is what it means: "An Apostille is a French word meaning certification. The Apostille is attached to your original document to verify it is legitimate and authentic so it will be accepted in other countries who are members of the Hague Apostille Convention."). I had already gone through this process to get the Apostille on my birth certificate so quickly found a service based in the UK online. 

The Apostille on my birth certificate

I paid 104 pounds in quite a complicated process and the next day I would send off the document for it to be legalised with the Apostille in Coventry of all places and returned to me. Once it is legalised it will have to be translated here by a "traductor jurado" ( a sworn translator) for a further 70 euros.  Will there ever be an end to this mind boggling paperwork needed to get Spanish nationality? It must be similar to the mind boggling paperwork now needed for the UK to trade with the EU post Brexit. 

I did not expect this paperwork obstacle  on Tuesday and it frustrated me, not to mention that it interrupted lunch with my father and Eladio. My appetite went as soon as I received the phone call from my lawyer. 

The afternoon was better and was cheered up by a Facetime call with my friends Kathy and Phil, in lockdown in my beloved Yorkshire. The three of us are in our 60's and we spent a good part of our 1.5h call talking about our ails, aches and pains. I remarked that our conversation was centred on old people like conversation and we should try to change the topic. It's difficult not to talk about Covid and Brexit when talking to my English friends, although we tried. 

The day ended watching a very interesting film called Septembers of Shiraz. Starring Adrien Brody of The Pianist fame  it is  about a rich Jewish family living in Iran during the revolution of 1979 after the toppling of the Shah. I well remember those times but it must have been awful for those living there seeing their "normal lives" being turned upside down and turning into a society dominated by  Islamic fundamentalism. 

Wednesday dawned and that morning I received an envelope from my friend Anne in Finland. Guess what it was and when it was sent? A Christmas card posted on 11th December which arrived on 27th January. What sort of postal service is that I wonder? My friend Anne told me the postal service in Finland was a joke. Well it's a joke too in Spain so the too combined resulted in a Christmas card taking a month and a half to cross Europe.

That's why I sent off my Criminal Records Check by Courier that morning and not by post. I needed it to get to Coventry as soon as possible. That was one of our errands that morning after Eladio took Elsa to the vet for the umpteenth time. The mouth infection is lingering on so she needs to continue with antibiotics. However the trauma vet advised operating her knee next Wednesday. Poor Elsa, our lovely and noble 9 year old lab, has suffered so much. Her muscle mass had decreased and that has to be because she hasn't had any exercise. After delivering the document to the Courier (MRW) at a cost of 56 euros to add to the other costs - God knows how much I have paid so far to get documents for Spanish nationality (and there is more to come) -  we went to BM, an upmarket supermarket to get some good steak for lunch. Oli was coming and I hadn't prepared anything. Then it was time to visit the chemist to get my father's medicines and to make sure his Doctor had updated the doses to be included in his electronic prescriptions. Thankfully she had. Before heading home we had a coffee outside (and a "porra" .- thick churro). We had it in the sun as on Wednesday mercury reached 20c in Madrid. We mused how lucky we were to be sitting outside having a coffee in the sun and not having been touched yet by Covid, except for restrictions. We mused too about the restrictions which in our case are much more bearable because we live in a big house in a leafy neighbourhood. I feel so sorry for people cramped in small flats in urban areas.

If I was busy, Oli was even busier. My TV reporter daughter has to be exhausted getting up at 5 in the morning and never getting enough sleep,  looking after a 16 month old baby and then having to prepare news and report on it live. To do so she has to be as alert as possible and that can't be easy. I watch her every morning, mostly from my iPad while reading the news or writing this blog and I still get a thrill. That morning she reported on the government cabinet reshuffle as well as the earthquake and hundreds of tremors in the Granada region. It's most unusual for Spain to suffer earthquakes - this one reached 4.4 on the Richter scale - so  was big news. The poor villagers of Santa Fé, the epicentre, who have suffered more than 700 tremors, have been sleeping outside for days now. 

Oli reporting live on Wednesday. I always love to watch her

It was a pleasure to have her for lunch that day. It's not often we have her on her own. She couldn't stay long though as at 2.30 she had to leave to join Miguel and little Elliot for two house viewing appointments not so far from here. It's so exciting that they are house hunting and I do hope they end up living near us. 

The house was very quiet after that. I never saw Sam, our Swedish Turkish guest, who left early the next morning. But I am very grateful to him for leaving me a 5 star glowing review, bless him. I didn't see Adrian our tatooist either who always keeps himself to himself and only briefly caught up with Felipe. Our house is so big I don't even think our guests ever met. 

It was a very relaxing afternoon and evening until I got a call from my lawyer (again) vs a vs getting an appointment to pick up our new post Brexit residency cards which should be available from 1st March - remember when I had to take my father to apply for them a few months ago?  That took up a good two hours and spoiled my dinner. On the bright side I got an appointment for next week. Thankfully this time I don't have to take my father as he was excused from the finger printing for the card because of his age. I doubt there is much impression on his fingers at this late stage in his life. Cross your fingers though that the cards are there and I don't have to go back and get another appointment. 

Our evening finished watching a rather silly film on Netflix which I do not recommend called "What we wanted" about a couple who couldn't have a baby. 

Thursday came. The main news that day and most of the week was the lack of vaccines in Europe, partly due to problems with production lines.  This has caused a big disparity in the roll out of vaccines in the EU vs the UK.  In the EU the roll out is slow because of lack of supplies which the companies, apparently committed to in their contracts. 

Both pharma companies Pfizer and AstroZeneca can't fulfill their contract requirements and this caused a huge hooha for all concerned. However the UK seems to have enough or more for all its population. The EU made a global order for all members but three months or so later than the UK. It should be added that the former is  complaining but didn't actually approve the Oxford made vaccine until Friday when the row emerging came to its climax. The week ended with the EU confirming new vaccine export controls from the block. It initially included Northern Ireland but then the EU backtracked. So the delivery supply of vaccines turned into a full blown diplomatic and political row; something we do not need.  There are so many ins and outs and details in this confrontation between the EU and the Pharma companies, it is impossible to sum them up here. For me it boils down to two factors; teething problems with production and roll out and the difference in the contracts signed between parties. We should not be fighting against each other, we should be rowing in the same direction as we are all in this together and are equally affected.  I have hope though that the teething problems will sort themselves out and that soon there will be more vaccines on the market, such as the promising UK made Novavax and Johnson and Johnson's which may be with us by spring or summer. 

It's the "rich countries" fighting about not having enough vaccines, while the third world countries aren't even in the discussion and should be as it's the whole world that needs to be vaccinated if we are to eradicate Covid 19. I am  disgusted at some people's selfish behaviour when it comes to jumping the queue to get a vaccine but  I was outraged to read this week about "luxury Covid-19 vaccine vacations" for the super rich. There are companies out there offering ultra luxury holidays to places like Dubai or India to receive the vaccine in packages costing around 55.000 euros. Flights are on private planes  to avoid travel restrictions and families enjoy a month's pampered accommodation while they wait for their second dose. These unethical and selfish rich people should spend their money, not on getting their vaccine while sunning themselves in some exotic location, but on helping others who are really suffering. I read somewhere that the top 5 or 10 richest people in the world could pay for all the vaccines and it would hardly make a hole in their pockets. 

Our topic of conversation at lunch, when we had the pleasure of Oli's company again, centred on the vaccine issue. Being a news journalist Oli has the latest news of course. We missed Elliot and couldn't wait to see him again. We also talked about the weather. Would you believe that mercury reached 30ºc in Alicante that day? Oh how we would love to go our apartment there to enjoy the beach and sun but we can't. What a difference in temperatures from just a few weeks ago during Storm Filomena when in some parts of Spain mercury went as low as -30ºc. That's a difference of 60º in just 2 weeks and is scary if it is because of climate change.

On the subject of  high temperatures, Suzy enjoys the high 20ºs every day and spends a lot of time on the beach in Jaco, Costa Rica which she refers to as "her office". She hangs out at a beach bar which has wifi and we spoke to her on skype that day and admired her office. She also sings there and plays her ukelele some nights. Good for her. She was in good spirits and seemed at peace with herself. She wants us to visit and we want to go too but that cannot be for a long time. Apart from kick boxing and yoga she is now taking up "skate". Wow. While on the call she introduced us to a "friend", a horse owner who offers rides on the beach. You may remember I showed you a photo of her on a horse a week or so ago. I told her to take the opportunity to learn how to ride a horse; something I have wanted to do all my life as horses are probably my favourite animal. She is not so keen. She is though keen to show Eladio, if we ever go out there, the crocodiles in the rivers. Apparently it is impossible to swim in rivers because of them. She also told us she had seen a family of whales on her beach and that there are sharks in the water not far from the beach she goes to. If I ever go I shall not venture into water of any kind apart from a shower, hahahaha. It was good to talk to Suzy, something we should do more often. It seems she is now pining less for Bali and is enjoying life in Costa Rica. I'm glad she is settling down. 

Finally it was Friday, the last day of the week, a week more or less the same as all the other weeks since the restrictions began at the end of October. As usual I watched Oli on the TV. That day as on many other days she was doing a presenter's job and her topics were varied. I watch her and often take screen shots like this one of her where she is wearing blue against the blue EU flag. I think she was reporting on the damned vaccine mess. I share these photos with my family on whatsapp. This is the one I took.

Oli in blue on Friday

Eladio was amused when he saw it and wrote "tengo una muñeca vestida de xxxx". He was referring to a children's Spanish song which starts "tengo una muñeca vestida de azul". It means "I have a doll wearing blue". His "muñeca" (doll) was his daughter. I loved his funny comment. Later I told Oli she looked good in blue. She wasn't sure but had to trust her stylist. One of the perks of her job is having a stylist, a makeup artist and a  hair dresser, something I would die for. Wouldn't you? 

That morning, believe it or not, I received the latest manuscript of the biography of my father from my publisher in London. 

Some news from my publisher on my father's book this week. It is going at slower than snail pace.

I hadn't heard from then since October 16th when I sent in 4 minor changes. Why has it taken so long to include them? Thankfully this manuscript looks like it is the last. But it's anyone's bet now on when it will hit the shops or rather online bookstores. It is still on Amazon though if you are interested. This is the UK link but you can find it on any Amazon site. 

That at least was some good news and nothing to do with Covid. That morning we went on our weekly trip to the supermarket. It has become our main entertainment. The impact of the pandemic on daily life has turned normal routine activities into something special. What is special about doing the weekly shopping, something I used to hate?  It is now the one thing I look forward to in the week. We turn it into something even more special when we have a coffee together afterwards. Luckily the bars and restaurants are still open albeit with restrictions. They are closed from 9 pm which means of course we can no longer enjoy our Friday evening dinners out. So our weekly treat has now become our weekly coffee out. We always go to a "churros" café and there we enjoy a cup of coffee, a churro for Eladio and the thicker porra type for me. I love that moment. It really is the treat of our week. Actually we did it twice this week (naughty). It's the only time we feel that life is still a little bit normal. Having no particular feature photo for this week's post as we haven't done anything special, apart from this, I got Eladio to take a photo of me to illustrate this post. I hesitated whether to keep my mask on or not for the photo and decided to wear it as it is a symbol of our times. 

On the subject of masks there has been much debate this week about which are the most effective. We have always worn the surgical ones but apparently they only protect other people and not yourself. The recommended ones are the FFP2 type. I was persuaded by the argument and decided to make an order on Amazon before they run out as no doubt they will. Many people have turned the mask into a fashion item but they don't protect as well. I hate the mask so much I don't ever want to wear it for fashion or to match my clothes. I don't care too much about my clothes these days. I generally wear jeans or joggers with a jumper, don't bother with makeup or even jewelry. The only jewelry I wear is my watch and my wedding ring. I do though put on a splash of perfume most days. One sign of the effects of the pandemic is my foundation bottle. Oli bought me one for Christmas 2019 which is almost new. Why bother with makeup when there is nowhere to go apart from the supermarket? I do sometimes put on lipstick but then wonder why if no one is going to see it under the mask? Oh boy!!!

Not much else happened on Friday that is worth reporting, except perhaps to tell you we watched the latest Netflix film, The Dig. Sandra, my friend in Brussels, recommended it. The film is based on the true story of the excavation of an Anglo Saxen  burial site in Sutton Hoo in Surrey (UK), believed to be that of a 7th century warrior King along with his fabulous treasures.  I had never heard of the find nor of Sutton Hoo  but read that it had changed historians' view of early medieval Britain. The site is often referred to as England's valley of the Kings. I must visit one day. The dig happened in 1939 on the cusp of WW2. Here is a scene from the excavation.

The real dig - 1938, Sutton Hoo, Surrey, UK

Wanting to know more about it, I "dug" into the internet and read the following:

At its centre was a ruined burial chamber packed with treasures: Byzantine silverware, sumptuous gold jewellery, a lavish feasting set, and, most famously, an ornate iron helmet. Dating to the early AD 600s, this outstanding burial clearly commemorated a leading figure of East Anglia, the local Anglo-Saxon kingdom

The most famous artefact to be found, all of which are at the British Museum (I think) was what is known as the Sutton Hoo helmet. This is it. It must have been used in warfare. Imagine. What a find. 

The Sutton Hoo helmet

The film was interesting enough but a bit slow. I am grateful to it though for making me aware of  one of the 10 greatest archaeological finds ever in my home country. You can see the list here. 

Yesterday I woke up late for me at 7.45. By then my tatooist guest, Adrian had left. We had only briefly seen him when he arrived on Tuesday morning. He is the best of guests and a delight to host. Oli announced they would be coming for lunch so it was a good job I already had my "cocido madrileño" (dish made with chickpeas, veg and a variety of meat) on the boil. They were here just after we came back from our walk and it was soooo good to hold Elliot in my arms again. He is very keen on me at the moment (bless him) and wouldn't let go of me for much of his time with us yesterday. I had the privilege of feeding him - he now rejects his high chair - and I am amazed at just how much he eats. Yesterday he ate the whole baby puree jar followed by some of my soup and chickpeas. He then devoured a whole dish of fruit salad and even managed some chocolate. Just a couple of hours later he was eating a whole pear. No wonder he is growing so fast. He loved the new "touchy feely" books I had bought him but his favourite, at our house, is The Very Hungry Caterpillar" which my friends Kathy and Phil sent him when he was born. I have to read it to him over and over again and I groan each time he brings it to me. He is mad keen on mobile phones too which is not a good thing but it's impossible to keep him away from then if we are all using them all the time. Here he is with his grandfather who is showing him something on his screen. Love this photo don't you? 

Grandfather and grandson yesterday

He is learning words fast and knows who everyone is, including his great grandfather! I was sad when they left at about 6 to go to Elenita's for afternoon tea or similar. The house seemed very quiet so I just resumed watching more of When Calls the Heart. We had a small dinner, watched the news and then an interesting interview with Barack Obama by the TVE correspondent in Washington. Oh boy how frustrated he is with Trump's disastrous administration. 

We then began a new film on Netflix we had been recommended, "White Tiger". It's an Indian film about an ambitious Indian driver who, in a very picaresque way, uses his own wit to escape poverty. As we visited India on our 25th wedding anniversary - our greatest trip ever - we found the film interesting in a very Indian film like way and long to go back. If I'm not describing it well enough, this is how Netflix describes it: 

"The movie, newly released on Netflix, is an adaptation of the Booker Prize- winning debut novel of the same name by Indian author Aravind Adiga. Produced by Priyanka Chopra Jonas and directed by Ramin Bahrani, the film offers a grim tale of corruption and betrayal, examining the complex dynamics of the employer-servant relationships in India while delving into the country's stark rich-poor divide and its class and caste issues". 

No doubt we shall finish watching it tonight. Today is now Sunday and here I am finishing this post and just about to publish it and give a copy to my father who awaits it eagerly every week, bless him.

I bless you all too and wish you a good week ahead. Stay safe my friends,

Masha