Cold here, but no snow. I haven't been out today. We are tier four but no one seems to be paying much attention to the 'stay at home' bit if the traffic on our road is anything to go by. We're trying to be stricter with our veganism next year so I have a few things such as custard and real cheese that will have to be eaten by midnight tomorrow.
Returning to school may well be delayed past mid-January, at least in some areas (probably not Tier 3, though).
I'm beginning to wonder if even church will be out-of-bounds again soon, especially if we south-easterners go into Tier 5 or even Tier 6.
Granted we're north of the Border in SEC-land, but we're in Scottish Tier 4 and the decision has been taken in our place that church is on-line again. Tier 4 means our numbers are restricted to 20 at a service; also that you are not supposed to travel outside your local council area. Our regular congregation comes from 4 or 5 local council areas and by the time you have accounted for the number of people seemingly needed to make a service work, there are only spaces for about 12 others....
Perhaps more pertinently, our congregation includes several medical professionals, including those working in acute medicine/ICU and other specialties "on the front line". Their advice to our leadership group was that when the pan Scotland (excluding the islands) re-entry into Tier 4 was re-announced, we should cease in-person services again. The view in this neck of the woods (with which I concur) is that we show our love for each other by NOT meeting in person...
When Tier 4 was announced, my family quickly decided that Tier 5 or 6 was "stay in bed and eat chocolate". Of course, this may not keep us healthy for very long!
When Tier 4 was announced, my family quickly decided that Tier 5 or 6 was "stay in bed and eat chocolate". Of course, this may not keep us healthy for very long!
Tier 4 when combined with the length of the days (in our household anyway) is resulting in sofa dens complete with cushions and blankets......& Lots of Telly!
The *Stay-At-Home* tier, which means that I don't think it's a particularly good idea for FatherInCharge to keep on encouraging people to come to daily Mass, and to stay for a chat afterwards!
TBF, he tries to make sure about mask-wearing, social-distancing etc. etc., but even so...
Our Vicar cancelled the indoor Christmas services* with a heavy heart, but it seems he was right. The vicar at our last parish (which was already in Tier 4, as we were not) has picked up Covid and thinks it was from the Communion service on Christmas Eve, as he hasn't been anywhere else.
* They held an outdoor carol service in the car park, which was apparently a great success.
I am in level 4 but still holding midweek prayer services, because we may and I have never had anything like 20 at any of them: 4 yesterday, but it was in the church that is up a steep hill and it was snowing featherbeds at the time. As soon as people are told to start isolating again - over 70s etc as in the lockdown - then I will cease to hold these services. Sunday has been online since March and I don't see that ending any time soon, though one of the elders wants that discussed at the next Zoom Session meeting.
We replayed the Christmas feast last night, with the additon of the other son. Good food, a lot of GIN and laughter, followed by trivial pursuit. Tonight we'll see in the new year with a cribbage competition.
ION I've taught the lodger how to sew on buttons and simple darning - he's now at work on an old jumper of mine he's taken a shine to.
I had a very thought-provoking moment yesterday morning when Mr Nen and I were catching up with some old friends who are now in New Zealand and they were asking what we were "doing for church" in these times. My mind, and conversation, immediately went to the small groups I'm part of, rather than the (very good quality) online Sunday services and midweek shorter ones (usually involving an interview with one of the members of the congregation) that Our Place are doing at the moment. I was surprised to find this in myself and it's leading to some thinking about what church actually is, for me.
Our Place had planned a real life morning service this Sunday if we were in tier 2 but as we are not that won't be happening.
In other news it's bright and sunny and I'll be heading out for a walk after lunch. We have roast lamb for this evening and a bottle of bubbles in the fridge.
I'm also inordinately excited about starting next year's diary. I'd kept the same format of diary for years, made a change this year and it hasn't gone well (in more ways than one...) and I've got a different sort again for 2021.
We shall be continuing with services - all masked, socially-distanced and no chatting.
The (masked) choir will continue to sing under the same restrictions as above - but we're not allowed to rehearse.
O - I thought choirs are allowed to rehearse - presumably in the Church? - as long as the *usual* precautions are followed.
Our PTB have consulted various guidelines and come up with the no rehearsals rule, and I know of other places where the same interpretation is being followed. We're thinking a possible solution may be to have an act of worship for choir (said) with a "sermon in music"* in the middle.
* something they used to have at a couple of city churches some years ago.
I like the idea of the said service with *sermon in music*!
There do seem to be variations in the guidelines in different dioceses. Our Place doesn't have a choir, so the problem doesn't arise - the nearest formal (IYSWIM) choir is probably that at the Cathedral, and I don't know what they do there as regards rehearsals.
I suppose meeting before the service, and running through the music, is also forbidden?
The shrine of St. Michael has been worshipped at, but they had no cloves, which is something of an embuggerance, due to the planned feast chez Piglet - you can't stick a ham with cloves if you haven't got any.
I'm currently on the train, and I'll stop in to Tesco's when I get back (to get WINE), but I'm not holding out much hope that they'll have cloves, so it'll have to be undecorated.
The shrine of St. Michael has been worshipped at, but they had no cloves, which is something of an embuggerance, due to the planned feast chez Piglet - you can't stick a ham with cloves if you haven't got any.
A Certain Lady (otherwise known as SWMBO - let the wise discern) forgot to ask me (but it was still my fault) to purchase said cloves when I went shopping this morning (and also shortbread, which is apparently deemed essential for Midnightish Hogmanic Festivity). So I was duly despatched down the road to W+itrose for a second time. On this occasion it lived up to its name although the queue actually moved quickly and the sun was out.
My day is degenerating. I went for a cold icy walk and had to navigate round groups of people who had no idea of social distancing and were walking three and four abreast and two or three deep on the paths (you're all one household? Really?) and with no acknowledgement of someone coming the other way who might like to walk on the path rather than across the frozen mud, thank you very much.
We are only in tier 3 here and I can't understand it; we should have gone to tier 4.
Came back to find Mr Nen had forgotten to put the food recycling bin out with everything else so now we have a brimming food bin and a week of more recycling before we can get rid of it all.
Flicked through Facebook, not something I do very often, and annoyed by pictures of someone I know travelling in a non socially distanced way and only sort-of wearing a mask - ie, under the nose.
I feel out-of-proportion angry about it all so it looks as though 2021 is shaping up to be Nen's Grumpy Old Woman Year. Be afraid. Alternatively, send alcohol and chocolate.
Got to w*rk this morning to discover the boss had sent an email yesterday afternoon to both teams saying "everyone with a w*rk laptop to w*rk from home with immediate effect". Apparently she ought to have sent it on Boxing Day, when the county containing our office and most of the team members went up to Tier 4, but she was having a (well-deserved) break and didn't check her emails till yesterday!
So today was my first ever day of working from home, and apart from one system which we know we can't get into when off-site, everything else was OK, and some items were quicker to access over the home net connection than they usually are in the office! Might not hold true next week when the majority are back using those systems rather than just those of us providing minimum holiday support...
A cold, sleety day out. I find myself able to bear the disappointment of missing the customary standing on The Meadows with a glass of fizz at midnight.
Though perhaps I should try and maintain continuity by having the champers even if it's indoors and sans fireworks?
I feel out-of-proportion angry about it all so it looks as though 2021 is shaping up to be Nen's Grumpy Old Woman Year. Be afraid. Alternatively, send alcohol and chocolate.
Maybe it's just 2020 going out with a horrid, nasty bang. 2021 promises to be much better... eventually. (I'd send you alcohol and chocolate if I could!)
I wouldn't give him a farthing for his stupid bongs - he can shove them where the sun don't shine.
However ...
Where St. Michael disappointed, Tessie Cohen provided. I am now the happy owner of a generous jar of whole cloves, and I promise* I'll never be rude about T*sco's again.
* OK, I crossed my trotters when I typed that ...
This is going to be a very odd Hogmanay - I've never actually spent it completely alone before, but I may join Firenze from a distance in a glass of something fizzy at the appropriate moment; my boss gave me a miniature bottle of Prosecco for Christmas and if I can open it without causing structural damage, I'll toast the end of 2020 - it really can't be over soon enough.
I think I'm with you on being a grumpy old woman @nenya. We're tier 4 and loads of people out and about mixing in large groups. As husband didn't exactly follow the spirit of the law when went to help out with his mother this week, I feel I can't be too much of a grouch.
We've just had a very nice family and friends quiz. Lots of chat and interesting facts discussed as part of it. Now cooking dinner, which is mainly Marks and Sparks with the ends of the veg we won in a raffle before Christmas. To be followed be panettone that I was given by a certain department store when I went to collect something I'd bought on-line in their sale.
I was stocking curry supplies a few months back and ordered ground cloves. I hadn't used them much previously but treated them like my other curry staples (turmeric, cumin, paprika...) and ordered a kilo. I've since over-cloved 2-3 curries and sent a large packet to a friend who needed it for tea loaf (or something of that nature). I fear it may end up lasting as long as the 500g packet of extra hot chili powder that is now in its tenth year.
A kilo of cloves?!?!? I can't even imagine how much space that would occupy!
I'm in the middle of a rather nice supper: salmon baked with veggies (potatoes, carrots, broccoli and Kenya beans) and crème fraîche with Dijon mustard, washed down with a nice New Zealand Sauv Blanc.
Having reached the age when I am entitled, nay, expected, to be a nasty old Grouch, I can say with confidence that the New Year will come in without me trying to keep awake and sing silly songs. When I wake up on the 1st January, fresh and unhung over, I find the new year has arrived as expected and is settling in nicely.
I’m beginning to regret agreeing to zoom with some of my oldest friend to see the old year out - I’m ready for bed with around 3 hours still to go! I’ll toast the New Year with ginger wine I think, rather than the Prosecco (donated for a raffle that was cancelled) I put in the fridge - a whole bottle might be too much for me!
This particular grumpy old s*d is aiming to be in bed before Brexit hour, let along midnight - I would prefer to pretend that neither Brexit nor 2020 had happened, but I don't think that drinking enough to forget is a very good idea. We are, of course, in the 10-day-old Wales lockdown: like the fabled Pontypool Front Row, we like to get our retaliation in first!
Blwyddyn Newydd Dda i chi gyd! Happy New Year to you all!
We had roast lamb washed down with a very nice Chateuneuf du Pape, Christmas pudding, and are now on to coffee and chocolates. We have bubbles in the fridge for drinking in the new year later with the neighbours but as I'm ready for bed now I think the bottle might stay in the fridge till tomorrow.
However, as virtual dancing won't give me indigestion I might hop on to the party thread for a bit.
I’m beginning to regret agreeing to zoom with some of my oldest friend to see the old year out - I’m ready for bed with around 3 hours still to go! I’ll toast the New Year with ginger wine I think, rather than the Prosecco (donated for a raffle that was cancelled) I put in the fridge - a whole bottle might be too much for me!
It seems the local bombers have run out of ammunition. It like 'Nam all over again!
Anyways: at half past the midnight hour, from a Continental WesShire village where it's just started to snow big flakes of heavenly whiteness - a nice surprise! - , wishes for a very happy or at least passable New Year to all! Onward and upward.
I hope you don't mind my telling you that just around midnight, it started snowing in this 'ere Continental WesShire. Everything is for now peaceful and quiet* and covered in a soothing blanket of snow, a couple of inches. To me it feels like an apology from above for 2020. (Your opinions may differ.)
Just listening to festive organ music from one of the cathedrals here, from a few hours ago. Soothing, again. I am a soothing-sayer.
*(with the exception of the council's snowploughs that have sprung into action)
We have been given three calendars for Christmas, in addition to the one I always get Mr S to make for me, adorned with pictures from the previous year - so, he will have his West Ham one ( a gift from Master S) in the study, I shall have the Peanuts one (from my brother) and the home-made one will hang on the notice board in the utility room, next to the Couples Calendar that came from TIG#1, now 5 (all together - aww!)
I have also adopted a new daybook even though there is plenty of space left in the old one as it was bought specifically to cope with a) The Dowager and b) being a churchwarden, neither of which concern me any more. AND I am preparing a new address book as the last one, featuring Winnie the Pooh, originally belonged to Miss S about 25 years ago <gulp>. It's full of crossings-out and labels stuck over old addresses, and also useful phone numbers such as 'Fred Fence' (it meant something then, but no longer) so I feel justified in making a Fresh Start.
Comments
Granted we're north of the Border in SEC-land, but we're in Scottish Tier 4 and the decision has been taken in our place that church is on-line again. Tier 4 means our numbers are restricted to 20 at a service; also that you are not supposed to travel outside your local council area. Our regular congregation comes from 4 or 5 local council areas and by the time you have accounted for the number of people seemingly needed to make a service work, there are only spaces for about 12 others....
Perhaps more pertinently, our congregation includes several medical professionals, including those working in acute medicine/ICU and other specialties "on the front line". Their advice to our leadership group was that when the pan Scotland (excluding the islands) re-entry into Tier 4 was re-announced, we should cease in-person services again. The view in this neck of the woods (with which I concur) is that we show our love for each other by NOT meeting in person...
Either that, or they're essential unicorn fodder.
I've a nasty suspicion that we're going back to lockdown as per March 2019 before so very long. I would love to be proved wrong but...
But it would be fun while it lasted...
Our Vicar cancelled the indoor Christmas services* with a heavy heart, but it seems he was right. The vicar at our last parish (which was already in Tier 4, as we were not) has picked up Covid and thinks it was from the Communion service on Christmas Eve, as he hasn't been anywhere else.
* They held an outdoor carol service in the car park, which was apparently a great success.
The (masked) choir will continue to sing under the same restrictions as above - but we're not allowed to rehearse.
ION I've taught the lodger how to sew on buttons and simple darning - he's now at work on an old jumper of mine he's taken a shine to.
O - I thought choirs are allowed to rehearse - presumably in the Church? - as long as the *usual* precautions are followed.
Our Place had planned a real life morning service this Sunday if we were in tier 2 but as we are not that won't be happening.
In other news it's bright and sunny and I'll be heading out for a walk after lunch. We have roast lamb for this evening and a bottle of bubbles in the fridge.
I'm also inordinately excited about starting next year's diary. I'd kept the same format of diary for years, made a change this year and it hasn't gone well (in more ways than one...) and I've got a different sort again for 2021.
Our PTB have consulted various guidelines and come up with the no rehearsals rule, and I know of other places where the same interpretation is being followed. We're thinking a possible solution may be to have an act of worship for choir (said) with a "sermon in music"* in the middle.
* something they used to have at a couple of city churches some years ago.
There do seem to be variations in the guidelines in different dioceses. Our Place doesn't have a choir, so the problem doesn't arise - the nearest formal (IYSWIM) choir is probably that at the Cathedral, and I don't know what they do there as regards rehearsals.
I suppose meeting before the service, and running through the music, is also forbidden?
I'm currently on the train, and I'll stop in to Tesco's when I get back (to get WINE), but I'm not holding out much hope that they'll have cloves, so it'll have to be undecorated.
A Certain Lady (otherwise known as SWMBO - let the wise discern) forgot to ask me (but it was still my fault) to purchase said cloves when I went shopping this morning (and also shortbread, which is apparently deemed essential for Midnightish Hogmanic Festivity). So I was duly despatched down the road to W+itrose for a second time. On this occasion it lived up to its name although the queue actually moved quickly and the sun was out.
We are only in tier 3 here and I can't understand it; we should have gone to tier 4.
Came back to find Mr Nen had forgotten to put the food recycling bin out with everything else so now we have a brimming food bin and a week of more recycling before we can get rid of it all.
Flicked through Facebook, not something I do very often, and annoyed by pictures of someone I know travelling in a non socially distanced way and only sort-of wearing a mask - ie, under the nose.
I feel out-of-proportion angry about it all so it looks as though 2021 is shaping up to be Nen's Grumpy Old Woman Year. Be afraid. Alternatively, send alcohol and chocolate.
So today was my first ever day of working from home, and apart from one system which we know we can't get into when off-site, everything else was OK, and some items were quicker to access over the home net connection than they usually are in the office! Might not hold true next week when the majority are back using those systems rather than just those of us providing minimum holiday support...
Though perhaps I should try and maintain continuity by having the champers even if it's indoors and sans fireworks?
I shall by then, as is usual for me, have been wanting to go to bed since 8.15.
Nen - still grumpy.
ETA - you definitely need to keep the champers tradition, Firenze.
Maybe it's just 2020 going out with a horrid, nasty bang. 2021 promises to be much better... eventually. (I'd send you alcohol and chocolate if I could!)
I was expecting an invitation from Boris to Bung a Bob for a Big Ben Bong, but it seems to have got lost somewhere.
Anyway, I'd miss it, as I intend to Be in Bed by Brexshit-Hour (if not Before)!
However ...
Where St. Michael disappointed, Tessie Cohen provided. I am now the happy owner of a generous jar of whole cloves, and I promise* I'll never be rude about T*sco's again.
* OK, I crossed my trotters when I typed that ...
This is going to be a very odd Hogmanay - I've never actually spent it completely alone before, but I may join Firenze from a distance in a glass of something fizzy at the appropriate moment; my boss gave me a miniature bottle of Prosecco for Christmas and if I can open it without causing structural damage, I'll toast the end of 2020 - it really can't be over soon enough.
We've just had a very nice family and friends quiz. Lots of chat and interesting facts discussed as part of it. Now cooking dinner, which is mainly Marks and Sparks with the ends of the veg we won in a raffle before Christmas. To be followed be panettone that I was given by a certain department store when I went to collect something I'd bought on-line in their sale.
I'm in the middle of a rather nice supper: salmon baked with veggies (potatoes, carrots, broccoli and Kenya beans) and crème fraîche with Dijon mustard, washed down with a nice New Zealand Sauv Blanc.
😊
I’m beginning to regret agreeing to zoom with some of my oldest friend to see the old year out - I’m ready for bed with around 3 hours still to go! I’ll toast the New Year with ginger wine I think, rather than the Prosecco (donated for a raffle that was cancelled) I put in the fridge - a whole bottle might be too much for me!
Blwyddyn Newydd Dda i chi gyd! Happy New Year to you all!
However, as virtual dancing won't give me indigestion I might hop on to the party thread for a bit.
So wishing everyone a wonderful new year - with good health all round.
Good riddance to most of the things 2020 will be remembered for, and best wishes to all for good times spent with friends and family in 2021
Anyways: at half past the midnight hour, from a Continental WesShire village where it's just started to snow big flakes of heavenly whiteness - a nice surprise! - , wishes for a very happy or at least passable New Year to all! Onward and upward.
Just listening to festive organ music from one of the cathedrals here, from a few hours ago. Soothing, again. I am a soothing-sayer.
*(with the exception of the council's snowploughs that have sprung into action)
I have also adopted a new daybook even though there is plenty of space left in the old one as it was bought specifically to cope with a) The Dowager and b) being a churchwarden, neither of which concern me any more. AND I am preparing a new address book as the last one, featuring Winnie the Pooh, originally belonged to Miss S about 25 years ago <gulp>. It's full of crossings-out and labels stuck over old addresses, and also useful phone numbers such as 'Fred Fence' (it meant something then, but no longer) so I feel justified in making a Fresh Start.
Happy 2021, everyone
After proper* breakfast we're off for a walk and to check/ top-up the log piles of a few elderly neighbours.
* bacon, egg, tired veg, etc - not to be confused with just a cup of coffee and toast