I ran in the rain this morning. It’s actually quite a while since I have done that, partly because on days when the rain has been coming down in proverbial ‘stair rods’ I have simply chickened out and stayed indoors. Today it was not raining when I set out but the promise of rain on my weather app was enough to persuade me to put a rain jacket on. The rain I ran in was what the weathermen refer to as ‘light rain’, which presumably means it takes rather longer to soak you through than the ‘heavy’ variety. That came some time after I had returned home, some truly torrential rain, provoking protests on our group chat from Granddaughter Number One who had to take her dog out in it as her housemate is away on a family visit to the USA. It’s a hard life!
The torrential stuff had eased off by midday and now we have simply returned to cloudy and damp! Crisp and cold was more cheerful but did demand more effort to keep warm.
I should not complain about the weather. At least we have a warm and dry home to return to. In Gaza and other places there are people living in makeshift tents with rain and wind making life extra difficult. Bad enough having to go on a daily hunt for water in warmer seasons, it must be horrific in freezing conditions. And how do you dry the clothes which got soaked in the rain?
As this article tells us, the ceasefire is making precious little difference to life in Gaza. Air strikes continue, people are still being killed, there is is still not enough food despite some (insufficient) supplies being allowed in, and to make a bad situation worse, basic medical necessities are still in short supply. Medics told the Guardian on Sunday that stocks of gauze, antiseptics, thermometers and antibiotics were running low. Mohammed Saqr, the director of nursing at Nasser hospital in Khan Younis, said: “We are still suffering a severe lack of most of our supplies and medicines. We have daily crises, and the same shortages and deficiencies in supplies, and we are still exhausted as we are still receiving lots of casualties.
“There isn’t much difference from the period before the ceasefire. Unfortunately, the bombing is still going on … We don’t feel there is a big change.”
And yet reports still tell us that despite the continuing violence in Gaza having strained the ceasefire, both sides say they are committed to the agreement. Aid is still needed. We must not forget that.
Gaza hospitals running out of supplies as airstrikes continue, medics say | Gaza | The Guardian
Here in Delph, some gardens are already decorated with model reindeer and some homes are already displaying large Christmas trees in their windows. I am resolutely resisting the temptation to break out the Christmas ear rings. After all, it isn’t December … yet! In the village centre the tree which was erected yesterday morning, and which was even bedecked with lights by late afternoon, had disappeared. Goodness! Had someone stolen it! There hadn’t been a storm or even strong winds to blow it over. Someone in the co-op told me that they (whoever ‘they’ are) had decided it was too tall and the farmer (whoever that is) had had to take it away reduce its height. So it goes. By the time I came out of the co-op they were already re-erecting the abbreviated tree. Let’s hope it’s satisfactory this time.
Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone!
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