Today’s choice of tea towel is ‘Mr Gee’s Family’. I thought this might bring cheer to Catherine at a difficult Christmas.
On the back of the envelope “Thank you to the Postal Workers for delivering my letters this year to Nottingham. You have done a great job. Give yourselves a pat on the back”. I entirely agree, without them Catherine’s Diary would not be published.
2 December 2020
I was telling Bruce how lucky we were this afternoon. We had Blue Tits in and a Robin, two Doves and I assume four Starlings. In my delivery today I ordered a carton of lactose-free milk. I love milky coffee and hot chocolate but I find semi-skimmed milk doesn’t agree with me now. I was surprised it tasted like milk. I thought there might be a ‘tang’ to it.
I’ve noticed that nearly all the Christmas movies are made in Canada but I wish they wouldn’t roll the cast so fast. It doesn’t give me a chance to find out who’s who. On the Drama Channel they squash the cast to one side and it’s so irritating.
3 December 2020
Day 3 (of the Advent Calendar): Rose Wine (I don’t know how to put one of those accents on the ‘e’ and make it the correct sort of wine. Sorry). Lay in until 7.30am, watched a good film yesterday, ‘The Christmas Miracle’, kept me awake to 12am. Pouring with rain here, no birds yet. I had a text from Brian saying they had floods in Bognor. I told him to stop sending me doom and gloom texts about floods. i don’t want to hear about it.
I watched three good movies this afternoon and at 3.58pm my Robin appeared on the bush, chirping away. As it was so cloudy, I could only just make his outline out. New experience at 4.30pm and 5pm: two power cuts, admittedly it only lasted 10 seconds but I didn’t like it. Now, whenever I’m moving about I’m taking the torch with me.
I phoned Christine up, who is still in hospital, and she sounded ok. I asked her what she had for tea. She said she couldn’t remember but I heard a lady in the background shout out “Cheese salad sandwich”.
4 to 7 December 2020
Please pick a date Barbara. I can’t remember what happened when!! Life is very slow in my house, not a lot happening and its so cold. Have three layers on, hot water bottle and my coat over my legs. I have plenty of ventilation in my porch, considering I have a new front door, new roof and cladding. It’s like the Arctic out there! Could be because I have no carpet out there, only newspapers at the moment. On the glass door, near the porch, I have managed to put a blanket up, hammering a few drawing pins in to keep it up
Other highlights, opening my Advent Calendar: two white wines, 2 roses and three red wines to date. I shaved my three-hair beard with Bruce’s razor, getting good at this!
I think I have conquered the coldness by the front door. I pulled a rug, or most of it, into the porch. I brought down a convector heater, put it near the meter cupboard; it all helps. Plus its raining tonight and the temperature is rising and I am now minus a cardigan.
Have you noticed in these Christmas films, they don’t wear slippers. It’s high heels and when they have hot chocolate, they don’t hold the handle; yes, I know, its only pretend.
When Amanda and Wade cleared the loft, we found a black sack with old birthday and Christmas cards, possibly dating back to when Amanda was 3 or 4 years old. We transferred them all to a plastic box (large one). When I put up my Christmas tree on the bookcase, I also put up some Christmas cards from Amanda to her Daddy, and Daddy to Amanda. The cards look a bit old fashioned but my bookcase looks Christmassy and I love it.
Last night I received two laminated posters from Barbara and Liz, thanking the Wheelie Bin men and Postal Workers during the Pandemic. I am putting them up tomorrow. It’s nice to receive some mail. I only get a bank statement once a month, something to look forward to!!
I was thinking about not talking about cats, but I’m missing it already. Monday, Wade bought Tilly fifty cans of cat food. Tinker is off her food (most unusual); this is because I’ve let Blackie stay in all night in the kitchen as the weather has been so cold. Perhaps she doesn’t think I love her any more. But this cat, and my first dog, a toy poodle called Peppy, I will love forever.
9 December 2020
Amanda took me to Sainsbury and I thoroughly enjoyed myself, and I wasn’t too bad using the scanner, forgotten what its like to use a trolley, so much to see. As Amanda remarked, when we came out, that we had been an hour in there, the longest she’s been in a supermarket!! When we got home, Amanda helped with the unpacking. I’d overdone it a bit, and then she put the tinsel on my tree, which is looking a lot better now.
The Postman brought a card from Barbara and Liz; the picture on the front was Ealing Town Hall, ‘a blast from the past’, my home town. I had a postcard from Isabella (Barbara’s cat), with her picture on the front and she is now sitting on my bookcase. I know I talk about cats and Christmas movies a lot but I wanted to say when Bruce and I were married, our first Christmas was in a flat over a car showroom, off the Greenford Road. We had a real Christmas tree, the top touched the ceiling. It was beautiful with the lights , baubles, tinsel and I can still see it now.
13 December 2020
Do you know it is 5.30pm and I have birds outside singing? Will put out food for them tonight.
14 December 2020
Glad the weekend is over. It’s so long. Best thing to happen this afternoon, I had Tilly on my lap for an hour. In 13 years, it’s the longest she has sat on my lap. I felt special.
15 December 2020
I wasn’t sure whether to write about my ‘melt down’ yesterday evening , but Harlow is in Tier 3. I had a text from Barbara about being in the Tier 3, and how scary it is. I’m not scared for myself but I am for my daughter and her husband. It’s never ending, will it end? The rules chop and change, no set pattern, gyms open but no classes taught, shops open, people don’t social distance, it doesn’t make sense. I’m, expect like other people, fed up with it all. I hate being in the house on my own. My husband was a bit of a grumpy git, always falling asleep in the chair especially in the last few months of his life, but by God, I would give anything to have him in that chair now. I’m sure I wasn’t easy to get along with, must take the rough with the smooth. I’m saying sorry to Barbara as most of this was in a text to her, though her reply was “we all deserve a moan” which made me feel better. And I feel a lot calmer today. I have to feel more positive. What will be, will be.
On a lighter note, is there any ideas on how to wrap a Christmas present easily? Sellotape sticks to my hands, or the table top and the ends of the parcel are different folds!! One day, I want to go to America at Christmas time. They really go ‘over the top’. The best part of flying there, you are right above the clouds, a wonderous sight.
I’m hoping for a happier year, next year.
Take care, be safe everyone love from Catherine, Tilly, Tinker, Blackie and Rupert
Virtual Tea Towel Museum 