Sunday 24th January, 2021
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| Having fun looking after Elliot this week. He was ok with it but kept asking for his mother and father. |
Good morning all.
Well, this has been an eventful week in many ways. Sunday, though, was quiet. While Oli and her little family went out house seeking - yes they are looking for a house - Eladio and I went on our walk. It was impossible to do the forest walk because of the snow and debris so we took the old route, up the road and across the fields. The snow was still there and quite a lot of it. I spotted a snowman and had to have a photo didn't I? When I posted it people asked if I had made it. Unfortunately no. The child in me would have loved to though.
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| On our snowy walk on Sunday next to a snow man |
I am holding little Pippa who came with us, as did Norah our beagle who seems to be a snow enthusiast. Here she is with Eladio.
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| Eladio and Norah on our walk in the snow on Sunday |
It's not easy to walk in the snow and we had to be careful of the ice on the path so actually didn't make it to the end. That day we had an enjoyable family lunch and my father was delighted to see Elliot. Elliot and family had come to stay until Tuesday as all schools, including nurseries, were not open until Wednesday. Imagine, 10 days without school all because of the Filomena snowstorm. I imagine most parents were in a similar predicament to Olivia but thankfully she had us to look after Elliot.
Both Miguel and Oli returned to work on Monday and our work as carers for Elliot began. He was awake at 6.30 and thus interrupted my morning quiet time. I entertained him with Peppa Pig and other children's cartoons on my iPad until he fell asleep. That meant I could leave him to Eladio and get ready to go to my hairdresser appointment. Yes, hairdressers are still open here. Maybe they shouldn't be but I was grateful they are as my hair was in a dreadful state. I decided to walk there and back rather than risk driving on the slippery roads and streets but it was a freezing cold morning. I was home by 12 feeling guilty I had left Eladio so long with Elliot but was pleased to hear he had slept for quite a while.
When he was awake it was my turn to play with him and oh how he loves playing with his toys with me. I like it too until he starts throwing them around in the lounge hahahahaha. This week's feature photo is of me when at one point when he had quietened down a bit (haha). In that photo you can see how my hair looked after the visit to the hairdresser, much better than before. What Elliot loves best is playing on my iPad. I'm not so keen on him doing that. He is only 16 months old but knows how to find Netflix and You Tube! Eladio remarked that in not too long a time he will probably be helping him with his mobile when he has an issue. For sure he will.
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| Elliot and Eladio and my iPad which he adores |
The attraction to mobiles and tablets and anything with buttons by babies is astonishing. It's a bit frightening too. Compared to what I had as a child, he is in digital heaven. Frankly I would prefer him to spend more time playing with cars and his other toys. The problem is, he sees us on our mobiles all the time and either wants us to stop because he wants our attention or he wants to play with them. There is no getting around this. I wonder when he will get his first mobile. Children with mobiles get younger and younger these days.
Both Oli and Miguel were back quite soon at about 1.30 and that was good as he kept asking for "Mama" and "Papa" wondering where they were. As he is getting older he is getting more aware and now knows when his parents aren't there. He was delighted to see them as were we. I had to make our lunch and later was allowed a siesta or "power nap" as it is called elsewhere, although it's the same thing (see below). The highlight on Monday was my weekly Skype call with my best friend Amanda who lives in Devon (UK). We didn't have much to tell each other as in these Covid times neither of us get out very much. My friend has taken to water painting and showed me some of her paintings. I was impressed. I never knew she had this talent. I told her I could hardly even draw a stick figure. She also told me she and Andy did a lot of jigsaws. Now that is something I would like to do but no one else would be interested in this house. Interestingly in these times, to fill the long days spent at home, many people are taking up bygone pastimes similar to those we read about in Jane Austen Books, such as water painting in Amanda's case. Some are shunning screen time in favour of needlework, cross-stitching, "pianoforte", singing and reading or learning languages, all included in what would be the definition of the accomplished woman in Austen's books. This week I watched Sense and Sensibility and next week I will watch Pride and Prejudice but I won't be doing needlework or playing the piano as I was not brought up to be the perfect Georgian lady I'm afraid.
The news in Spain was dire that day and all this week, vs a vs the rise of infections and deaths from Covid. Since the pandemic began we have over 2.6 million cases and more than 55.000 deaths. I remember being shocked when that number was 1000! We don't talk about the "R" number here but measure Covid by how many infections there are per 100.000 people and that figure is over 800. If 250 is considered high risk, imagine 800. Many of the new cases are coming from the new British strain which is far more infectious and apparently now 30% more lethal. The numbers have tripled and admissions to hospitals has doubled in the past three weeks. One in five hospital beds and a third of ICU's are occupied by Covid patients. There was a record rise over the weekend at over 80.000 the highest number since the pandemic began. Many areas are calling for a total lockdown but the government is resisting. The problem is that the government's hands are a little tied as the power lays with the local administrations. It seems that instead of 1 country we have 17, divided into "autonomous communities". So, it's a constant battle to align restrictions on a nationwide level. It is time for bars and restaurants and hairdressers to close in the areas where they are still open. Curfew hours are getting stricter with some areas starting evening curfew at 8 pm. Madrid, one of the worst affected areas took measures on Friday and from tomorrow some of these include bars and restaurants closing at 9 pm, curfew at 10 pm, no mixing of households indoors and only 4 people allowed to meet outdoors. Thankfully, though, the number of those being vaccinated is on the rise and those who got their first jab 3 weeks ago got their second jab this week. In the UK there will be no second jab or it will come much later. I'm not sure I agree with that. I do wish the vaccine roll out would go faster though. However, we should be cautious about the freedom we are expecting from vaccinations as it not all proved that once vaccinated we can't pass the virus on I'm afraid.
Worldwide the figures are forever on the up. This week we went from just under 80 million to 99.338.987 of those infected and from a death toll of 2.031.137 to 2.130.654. I say the week has been eventful but I am not referring to our little lives in semi lockdown here on the outskirts of Madrid. I think we are all affected in some way or other. This week I read an interview with the actress and British national treasure, Judi Dench. The 86 year old who is a hyperactive person like I used to be, is now frustrated sitting out the pandemic in her home in Surrey, UK. What I took away from the interview was her feeling about lockdown and the pandemic. We are all basically killing time and waiting for the world to start up again. Don't you feel that way? I do. Perhaps that is why I spend every afternoon killing time by binge watching TV series. This week I finished all 6 seasons of When Calls the Heart. I am missing it now but what I really am missing is the world we knew before Covid 19. Somehow I don't see Judi Dench doing needlework to pass the time.
Tuesday came, our last morning of looking after Elliot. He was awake early again, at 7 am and it was the same routine except that I didn't have the excuse of going to the hairdresser or anywhere else hahahha. I was expecting a new guest that day, a guy called Sam who lives in Sweden. He wouldn't be arriving until the evening. I was not too worried re Covid as to come to Spain he will have had to have a PCR test. In any case he is occupying the downstairs room so social distancing is easy. Of course I have to be careful but I also don't have much choice here as Airbnb is a major part of my livelihood.
We looked after our darling grandson until his parents arrived after midday. He did sleep for a little while which allowed us some free time. Here is the little mite taking a morning nap in the lounge.
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| Elliot's morning nap on Tuesday |
On the subject of naps, I read that day in The Times that Boris Johnson, a bit like Churchill did, believes in an afternoon "power nap" to be able to keep going. A power nap is really the equivalent to the Spanish siesta, a much maligned practice and word that conjures up a lazy Spain, but sounds more positive and modern when called a power nap. Not that many people take a siesta here these days but when they do and I count myself among them, the benefits are just those that Britain's Prime Ministers extols. So stop thinking a siesta is for lazy people and think of the benefits which include improved learning, memory and the prevention of stress. The siesta or power nap also boosts mood, creativity and productivity. I can vouch for that. No doubt Elliot, if he could talk, would agree. I love it when he wakes up from his little nap or in the morning. He clings to me and smells like a baby and all I can feel is immense love.
After his little nap, he needed our undivided attention and that's what he got. We played with his toys until he was tired of them all.
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| Eladio and Elliot with his toys on Tuesday morning |
That's when he turns to my ornaments, including my grandfather's cigarette case. Remember I told you last week I was trying to find out whether it was a Fabergé? Thanks to links on the BBC programme, Antiques Roadshow (tip came from Amanda) I got in touch with a jeweler dealer who after seeing photographs dashed my hopes by saying it was definitely not a Fabergé. That upset me a bit but I put it behind me as soon as possible.
Just as Elliot was beginning to miss his mother and continually saying "Mama", she arrived. Our grandson desperately needs to spend his mornings at the nursery and not with his grandparents but with other children his age and engage in activities that help his development. My fear is that if restrictions get harder, nurseries may close down again as they did in the first phase of the pandemic. What will we do then I wonder? Oli was tired of course and happy to be home after a long morning at work. Her job at the morning programme, La Hora de la 1 (TVE) has changed from being the presenter of Covid data. Now she is at the news desk reporting on different topics in breaking news stories which she herself has to prepare. It's more stressful but it means she can now get up at 5.30 am instead of 4.30 am. It also means she has to follow the news in general much more closely which is also stressful as she just doesn't have the time. We watched her several times and showed Elliot his mother on TV which made him pine for her even more. This is a clip from one of her reports. We will still see her as commentator from time to time in the studio which always brings me a thrill. I'm so proud of her.
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| Oli in her new role reporting on breaking news topics from the newsroom of her programme |
In that particular clip she was reporting on immigrants entering Spain illegally through Melilla, an earthquake in Argentina and the level of pollution in Madrid - the highest in Europe! It's very stressful but it's also a great job for a seasoned journalist like Olivia. Good luck darling. It's funny to think that when she was a child she hated the news, many times asking us to turn the radio off in the car. I could never have imagined her going on to becoming a TV journalist and presenter. I suppose though the love of news runs in her blood. It comes from my parents, especially my father. At home as a child we had to watch nearly all the news programmes and then there were news quizzes at "tea" (our evening meal). That turned me into a news junkie and I later worked in corporate journalism. I wish though I had been a media journalist, such as a BBC correspondent. That would have been my dream job except that I had no idea of my vocation for journalism until it was far too late in life. So it's nice to see my younger daughter fulfilling my dream.
In the afternoon they left while we were having our siesta/power nap (hahaha). I spent the afternoon quite lazily until it was time for dinner. Then I inspected our new guest's room and prepared a plate of fruit for his arrival - my Airbnb trademark. He arrived at around 9.30 pm - a bit late for me - it was dark outside and I was wary of slipping on the icy path. Thankfully I didn't. Sam is from Sweden and spoke such perfect English I wondered if he was American. He told me he was Swedish but of Turkish Kurdish origin. I told him he would feel very welcome in our most international home. It took a while to show him the ropes as our home is so large and there are so many things to show guests for them to settle in happily. He was happy he was with his room but was soon went out again. I didn't see him until the next day.
It was funny not to have Elliot interrupting our going to bed process. He usually goes from our room to his parent's and back many times and loves rummaging in my bedside table drawer. But we had peace that night and watched a film on Netflix after the depressing news programme. Even I am becoming a bit sick of Covid news. It's getting me down. We loved our choice of film that night; Suite Française. It's a love story set in occupied France during the 2nd World War so right up our street.
Wednesday dawned, the day of Biden's inauguration. It was also the day the rain came. Torrential rain and blustery winds were forecast but in the end it didn't rain much and neither did it melt the snow until later in the week. We went food shopping that morning but skipped on the coffee outside as it was freezing - well +5º, but cold enough. I could have done with Bernie Sanders' mittens - more about that below.
The news that day was all about Trump leaving the White House and the Presidential inauguration. All eyes were on America, ours too. Trump was the 1st President in over a century not to attend his successor's swearing in, a mark of rebuff. Instead he left with the First Lady on board the Presidential helicopter. On their way to Florida they stopped at Joint Base Andrews. There, the still POTUS, addressed a handful of aides and promised he would be back in some form or other. He then boarded Air Force One for the last time. We have not heard the last of him. I am looking forward to him being impeached and hope it really happens.
A few hours later, his successor would be sworn in in a toned down ceremony, due to Covid, one of Biden's first concerns as the new President. We were watching the events as a terrible one emerged near home in Madrid. At around 15h Spanish time, a building in the centre of Madrid suffered two gas explosions that killed four people and injured many more. The building in the heart of the city belonged to the Church so thankfully was not a block of flats which would surely have killed many more. The after blast affected other buildings too, including a nearby care home for the elderly. The occupants, as if they hadn't already suffered enough with Covid, had to be evacuated in what looked like a battle scene.
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| Explosion from gas in Madrid - totally destroyed this building. |
There was a school nearby too. Luckily the children were inside during their break time - the time the explosion happened - because of the snow outside. Had they been in the playground, their fate would have been terrible. It was the main news in Spain after the US presidential inauguration.
Eladio and I watched the whole ceremony, perhaps the nearest the US gets to a Coronation. There were very few people and those missing were replaced with hundreds of star-spangled flags. The security was unlike anything ever seen before, owing to threats of violence just two weeks after the terrible attack on the Capitol. One thing Trump and the former First Lady would not have missed was the weather. It was pretty cold that day in Washington with temperatures at about 5ºc (much colder than in Florida) and those attending must have felt it. I loved the way many of the women, similarly to The Queen, wore matching coats and dresses.
It was a very moving and touching ceremony and done with style. First Kamala Harris was sworn in to become the first woman, black and south Asian Vice President. What a moment for women, what a moment for her. Many see her as the next President, owing to Biden's age, 78 - the oldest man to become President in the history of the USA.
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| Kamala Harris taking the oath to become VP |
Trump was not present but his VP, Mike Pence, was and I wonder what he thought of his successor. He was all diplomacy and smiles so we shall never know.
I was also moved when Lady Gaga, overdressed, in her usual style, sang the National Anthem. Some say she sang flat at times but I didn't notice. It was good to see the ex Presidents, Clinton, Bush and Obama. Only Carter, aged 96 and too frail to attend, was missing.
Soon it was time for America's 46th President, Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. to be sworn in and even though he has been called "sleepy Joe", he didn't appear at all sleepy to me. He was accompanied by his wife, Jill, a teacher aged 69 who has promised to keep her job. I wonder if she will be able to. She was holding a huge 5 inch bible owned by the family for his oath.
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| Joe Biden taking the Presidential Oath |
Who did look pretty sleepy during the ceremony was 79 year old Bernie Sanders, the democrat candidate and Vermont Senator who lost to Biden. While Biden was beautifully attired in a Ralph Lauren suit, the former wore a casual winter outfit including an old parka jacket and now famous sustainably and hand made mittens. No doubt he was more concerned about the weather than he was about looking smart.
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| Bernie Sanders cut a different figure to most of those who attended the ceremony with his casual winter grandfather look |
When it comes to clothing at the ceremony, Sanders stole the show. There have been literally thousands of memes after his appearance, in stark contrast to everyone else attending. It was good to see him sitting socially distanced and wearing his mask but what people liked best were the mittens. Everyone wanted some but their hopes were dashed when we found out they were home made and only for him. Sanders who was born in Brooklyn to a family that struggled financially, was unfazed about the reaction on internet to his outfit and mittens. He told CBS News after the ceremony; "In Vermont we dress warn - we know something about the cold. We are not so concerned about good fashion. We want to keep warm. And that's what I did today". I thought he looked pretty bored. Maybe he was musing that it could have been him up there taking the Presidential oath.
It was amazing how God's presence was made throughout the ceremony, something unthinkable in Europe. Biden is the second Catholic President after JFK and takes his faith very seriously. His speech was long, too long, but moving and his main theme was unity and democracy, putting the past behind us and uniting and healing America. I hope he can do that as the country is deeply divided.
I don't remember the order of the ceremony but do remember how an unknown singer, to me, Garth Brooks, sang Amazing Grace. It's one of my favourite songs but I found it disappointing he sang a capella. It would have been a lot more moving if there had been a choir or orchestra accompanying him.
Much more moving though was the appearance of 22 year old Amanda Gorman, the National Youth Poet Laureate who really stole the show when she recited her poem, "The Hill we climb" written after the 6th January attack on the Capitol. I read that she had "screamed and danced her head off " when she had been chosen to read the poem at the Inauguration. She was perfect in every way and no one would believe that she had to overcome a speech defect, a tendency to stutter, just as Joe Biden had. This is the lovely young lady.
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| Amanda Gorman reciting her poem at the ceremony. |
Amanda Gorman became an instant worldwide hit for her poem, how she recited it and why not, for her style. And what style. The young girl who studies at Harvard favours Prada for her wardrobe. I would too if I could afford it. There have been articles and articles about this poised young poet but one struck a cord from Spain's leading newspaper, El País. I read this week that she had spent the academic year of 2019 in Spain learning the language. She also got acquainted with Spanish poetry and learned to love Federico García Lorca. He too was my favourite when I did my degree in Hispanic Studies at Nottingham University many moons ago. I like the fact that we have that in common. This young lady now a worldwide star, has constantly said she will run for President in 2036. No doubt she could be elected and wouldn't it be great to have the first woman and black President for the USA? It was Jill Biden who singled her out for her recital at the inauguration. Perhaps the teacher in her saw Amanda's amazing potential. And I'm sure Biden who has built the most diverse cabinet ever can also see her as his future successor. His cabinet of 15 people only includes 5 white Americans. The rest come from the minorities that really represent America, just like Amanda Gorman does. I wish them all success as I do her. One day she will be a driving force, akin to Michelle Obama.
If you missed it, here is a link to watch her. The full text of her wonderful poem can be found here. In her poem she also asked for unity. It is a poem of hope for America but I think it can apply to any of us who are hurting and want to go forward. She ends the poem with these powerful words, "for there is always light, if only we are brave enough to see it, if only we are brave enough to be it". She was certainly brave when she stood up to speak to the world. Marvelous!
No doubt these words resonated with the new President who has had to go forward on many occasion, leaving hurt behind. He lost his first wife and small child in a car accident just as he became the youngest Senator in the USA. He also lost his firstborn son, Joseph "Beau" with his second wife, when he died of brain cancer in 2015. He had apparently made a promise to "Beau" that he would continue his work and life in politics. He later wrote a book called "Promise me Dad". No doubt Beau would have been very proud of him on Wednesday. How terrible for any parent to lose one child. Two must be unbearable. Biden has all my respect for being brave enough to go on.
As we finished watching this very sober but uplifting and emotional inauguration ceremony I wondered whether Trump was watching too. I wondered too what was in the letter he left on the desk in the Oval Office for Biden, a tradition he did not break with this time.
After placing flowers on the tomb of the unknown soldier at Arlington Heights together with the ex Presidents, it was time for a short walk for Biden and his family to the White House. Biden will know it well from his time as Vice President under Obama. The Bidens had a nasty surprise in wait when they arrived at the main door to the White House. Not only had the former First Lady broken with tradition and not shown her successor around, but pettily, Trump had fired the butler and they found the door locked. Once it had been opened Biden took no time to make his way to his new desk to do some important work, work to reverse some of Trump's more controversial policies, especially on climate change, immigration and Covid. He signed 15 executive orders including making it obligatory to wear masks and practice social distancing on federal property, a return to being a member of the WHO, rejoining the 2015 Paris climate agreement, the ending of the wall being built along the Mexican border as well as the travel ban on some Muslim countries. I call that steps in the right direction. I wish him and the rest of his countrymen good wishes in making America great again and not in the way Trump promised and failed 4 years ago.
As the ceremony was going on there were staff moving in the Bidenw' belongings. There was time too to redecorate The Oval Office and set up his desk the way he would like it. He changed a few busts - yes Churchill was removed - curtains too were changed but what I found most interesting was that they did away with what has been called the "Diet Coke button", a case with a red button. Many people thought it was the Nuclear button and Trump would play tricks with guests by pressing it and instead of sending a bomb, he was delivered a silver tray with a diet coke on it.
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| The famous diet coke box with its red button which Biden had removed this week |
I was interested to read that it was Lyndon Johnson who installed it there so he could be warned when the First Lady was on her way to see him! That's a nice bit of trivia to come out of the stories of Biden's inauguration this week.
When the ceremony came to an end, I took a break and while checking my phone over a cup of British tea, I was delighted to read an email from my lawyer. It was to tell me she had secured an appointment to request Spanish nationality for me and to submit the necessary paperwork. The appointment is on 27th January but she will go alone. My presence is only required, I think, once the request has been granted. I would have to go into the city to take her my original documents on Friday of this week. Wow, finally, something was happening. However, our meeting didn't go quite as planned as you will read below.
It was a quiet dinner that night when we were accompanied by Felipe, our Russian born guest who loves our dogs so. Then it was time for bed and a refresh of the news. It was at about that time that we got messages from Suzy in Costa Rica who had been having trouble with her 4 year old Samsung phone. She even sent us some photos which cheered me up - oh I do miss her. I also sent her Amanda Gorman's poem which I thought would be very relevant to her. The photos are on the beach where she goes every morning to do her daily yoga session. Here she is looking happy on a tree and another one, surprisingly, on a horse.
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| Suzy on the beach in Jaco. Love this pic. |
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| Suzy on a horse that belongs to a friend, on the beach in Jaco, Costa Rica, this week. |
Lucky Suzy is wearing summer clothes and bikinis while we are wrapped up in winter clothes at home. What a difference. We later had a short video call and caught her at the beach again. She seemed fine. I hope she is. Our older daughter told us she had taken up kick boxing. That does seem quite popular these days. Not sure I like it but it may come in handy for self defence. She seems to be finding her way in her new life in Latin America. No doubt she was not at all aware of events in North America nor would she have watched the ceremony. Suzy has not inherited our love of news and is quite happy to live without knowing what is going on in the rest of the world.
As if we hadn't had enough of American Presidents that night, we stumbled across a documentary on the Kennedy family. They are still news today. I mean, who does not remember the assassination of JFK if they were alive in 1963 or old enough to understand? I was just 6 years old and have never ever forgotten. What a story. No doubt John Kennedy and his brothers would have been happy to see a Catholic Democrat sworn in as the 46th President of the USA.
Thursday came and it continued to rain and brought strong gusts and would do for the rest of the week taking away the rest of the snow with it. Storm Hortensia had replaced Storm Filomena. So we go from storm to storm. In my home country my countrymen are suffering the consequences of Storm Christopher which has brought floods and forced thousands to be evacuated. Is this due to climate change? Probably.
That meant our walk had to be on the streets that morning rather than in the fields or in the forest. Walking the streets we saw all the damage that the snowfall had caused, especially to the trees. We hoped that Storm Hortensia would not inflict more damage.
Thursday was the quietest day of the week and there is not much to report so let me move on to Friday. That morning we would do something different. We went to Madrid to give the original documents to my lawyer, Azucena, to start the request for Spanish nationality procedure.
It was our only time out of the area this week and took us a while to get there as my lawyer, who works at home like most people these days, lives in an area of the city we are not familiar with. It was the first time I was to see her after so much emailing and whatsapping. I handed her the documents she had asked me to give her and was taken aback when she asked for my previous passport. She had not asked for it before and I don't have it as it was stolen. The reason apparently it that I have to prove 10 years of residence here and my current passport was issued in 2013. I was gobsmacked and cross with her for not having told me before. End of story is that she will now go down the married to a Spaniard route as well as the over 10 years residency but for that she needed more papers which I didn't have on me of course, nor at home. These were my husband's birth certificate, our marriage certificate and a paper documenting all my years of tax contribution in Spain!!!!! We do have what is called "el libro de familia" (family book) given to all people when they get married. But no, that wouldn't do as it doesn't prove we are still married. Oh God this was so Kafkian and frustrating especially as I thought I had everything for her first appointment to submit my request for Spanish nationality which is on 27th January. She will gather the papers herself and I hope they will suffice to start the process and that she will get them on time. Azucena told me it would take one year after that to get the approval of nationality. I was curious as to what happens then. It appears I will have to take an oath in front of a Spanish judge promising to obey Spanish laws and to (ouch) renounce my British nationality. In reality I won't as the UK will continue to consider me a British citizen under UK law and I get to keep my passport. Apparently then I will be issued with a Spanish birth certificate (crazy) with the correct facts of my birth - Cambridge 8th February 1957.With this I will be able to apply for a Spanish passport and the ubiquitous DNI (national identity document). I was intrigued to know I would be given my mother's surname, Lieven, as my second surname after Lloyd. All Spaniards have two surnames, the first from their father and the second from their mother. That was the only positive news regarding this nightmare process started because of Brexit and because I want to get back my EU citizenship. Damn you Brexit.
No doubt others are thinking and saying "Damn Brexit" too, especially small business owners in the UK who are finding difficulties exporting their product to EU countries. We all thought the last minute Christmas Eve deal with the EU assured us free trade. Well, it's nothing of the sort what with new VAT issues, new changes on moving goods and more and more bureaucracy all adding up to an administrative nightmare no one foresaw. Lorries are stuck with rotting food and people who ordered parcels before Christmas still haven't received them. British business owners who export to the EU have all experienced a lot of this pain in the first few weeks after the deal. People in the EU ordering goods online from the UK have found themselves having to pay up to 20% VAT extra which must be paid before goods are received from the UK. The option is to open their businesses in the EU meaning they will have to fire employees in the UK and hire new ones in the EU. What an irony when the government lied once again saying everything would be the same after Brexit. Well, it isn't. It's one fine mess.
While I was having a frustrating morning, Oli was having an extremely busy and stressful one. That day she stepped into the shoes of one of the main presenters who was away. She did so with such poise and professionalism I was extremely proud of her. Miguel, her cameraman partner was one of those filming the show and he caught her unawares preparing for one of her next appearances. I love this photo he took of her.
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| Oli caught unawares, working hard at her news desk on Friday by her partner Miguel who was one of the cameramen filming the show. |
My afternoon was the opposite of stressful and just before dinner I finished watching When Calls the Heart. Oh how I will miss it. We had dinner alone in the kitchen with no sign of our guests Sam or Felipe. It was a Friday evening and in life before the pandemic we would have been out to dinner. No more dinners out now in our lives and I miss them.
We would be cheered up on Saturday by the visit of Oli, Miguel and Elliot who came for lunch. Saturday was certainly the highlight of the week. Oli and family arrived early and left Elliot with us while they went to see a flat. We took him on our walk and he promptly fell asleep in his push chair. When he was awake upon our return, it was time for his lunch which I gave to him. He eats so well it amazes me. Yesterday, while watching Peppa Pig, I fed him a whole jar of baby food followed by half a banana and then a packet of fruit juice. Here I am feeding him and feeling immense love for my grandson.
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| Feeding Elliot yesterday |
His parents came back with food for lunch from the lovely Moroccan restaurant, El Tuareg, in Villaviciosa. Thus we enjoyed a feast of falafel, humous, couscous, pastela and baklava. We were all so full afterwards that we would need a power nap and wouldn't want much for dinner. The rest of the afternoon was spent playing with Elliot and generally enjoying quality family time. We even had a video call with Suzy (Aunty Bony to Elliot) where Elliot blew her kisses. Oli and family left early and we wont' see them again until next weekend but they certainly brightened up this one.
Today is Sunday and will be a very quiet day. The rain has gone but it is blustery and our day will be another one of killing time and sitting out the pandemic. I do have a video call to look forward to though this afternoon with Kathy and Phil which always cheers me up.
So friends, that's it from me for this week. I hope you have enjoyed my tales and I haven't bored you too much with my stories. But they are for posterity and have to be written for anyone to understand our lives today who reads this in the future. Maybe Elliot will one day enjoy reading my stories. I sincerely hope so as often I write them with him in mind.
Cheers then till next Sunday. All the best till then, Masha.
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