We have neighbours who sunbathe. The garden chairs have come out and, if last year is anything to go by, they will stay out now until late September, no matter what the weather does in between times. Mid morning, as I hung out the washing, I noticed that one of the sunbathers was installed already but she still had her socks on. The wind must have been making her feet feel cold. Later in the day, the socks had disappeared. By about one o’clock she was drinking beer in the sunshine. I suppose that in different times she might have been sitting on the terrace of some pub, maybe even the one next door to us which is firmly locked up. Even the carpark has keep-out cones across it, to dissuade any of the locals from thinking they can now park there with impunity.
We did a bit more garden work: cutting the grass and pulling up weeds. I have been careful not to pull up the dandelions yet as the ecologists say we should leave them for the bees until there are more flowers in bloom. Okay, I can live with that. Even though dandelions seem to spread like wildfire, I rather like them.
Today, Easter Sunday, is less spectacular. Still warm, but the cloud has moved in and the weather app on my phone offers us a 10% chance of rain. I have bought no Easter eggs for anyone this Easter. We came back from Galicia just as Spain went into lockdown and before we knew it we too were in a lockdown of our own. So there was no time for Easter egg shopping and suddenly the supermarkets were stripped bare! Did anyone stockpile chocolate eggs, I wonder? When people talk about “essential shopping” I ask myself who decides what constitutes essential. For a friend of mine it is long-life milk, something I would never buy under normal circumstances anyway. And I know quite a few people for whom chocolate really is one of life’s essentials.
For some people it seems to be pets. Well, not everyone, as I have heard stories of animals being abandoned for fear that they might bring the virus into the home. But then I read that France has decided to allow people outside to adopt a pet from animal shelters, despite strict home confinement measures. Maybe it’s something to do with people’s mental health but I suspect it’s more likely the SPA, the French RSPCA, has warned that their centres, shut down several weeks ago in line with limiting contact, are getting dangerously overcrowded.
Here in the UK, with the shortage of protective clothing for health workers reaching crisis point, Home Secretary Priti Patel says she is “sorry if people feel there have been failings” over the provision of PPE. Wow! When is an apology not an apology? I’m not apologising for the failings, just sorry you feel that way. A bit like saying you’re sorry that someone was insulted by what you said but you stand by saying it anyway!!! Or perhaps more like a cross parent telling a child, I’m sorry you don’t like it but that’s how it is!
So this report of the same Home Secretary’s refusal to accept refugee children from overcrowded Greek camps is hardly surprising. Surely these children, who have family waiting for them in the Uk could be put into quarantine on arrival. But apparently not!
On a more cheerful note, and to add a touch of colour, here are pictures of yesterday’s garlic, onion, tomato and green bean mix before and after the addition of noodles.
On the menu today: Spanish potato and onion tortilla, roasted peppers, a bit of ham and some salad.
Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone.
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