It’s been a year since our lives changed dramatically due to Covid and lockdown. Last March, my Tough Times post included a “Year Ahead” Tarot reading in light of this. Today. I too a look back to see how accurate it had been. Take a look at the original post (I haven’t edited it since, even to correct the odd typo), and see what you think. (more…)

A brief numerical roundup of last year…

2020 – the year in question

0-0 – vision of how the year would turn out

1 – trading events attended

16 – booked trading events cancelled

3 – lockdowns

2 – family members seen

9 – family members not seen in 2020 (excluding partners)

0 (of 1) – family weddings attended 

2490 – miles driven in 2020 (of which almost half prior to March lockdown)

6800 – fewer miles driven than in 2019

 90 – books read (about a dozen of these on audio)

 >250 – masks made

<6 – pub visits since March 

1 – new job

0 – loaves of bread baked during lockdown

0 – patience left for this situation

We live in interesting times. There is so much divisiveness, anxiety, paranoia, anger, fear and uncertainty sloshing about in out lives that it is hardly surprising that most people are, to a greater or lesser degree, flailing around trying to find some equilibrium. I’ve always thought of myself as reasonably stable (within my definition of that anyway), but this year has been a strain even on my mental wellbeing. This weekend I had a bit of a reset and everything seems much better today, so I thought I’d share a few things in case it helps anyone else. (more…)

I have been quite busy recently, with one thing and another, not least the installation of a spanky (and long overdue) new bathroom* including, for the very first time, my own shower. I still prefer a bit of a hot soak in the bath (good for getting the chill and aches out of the old bones), but given the very poor water pressure in our house, the electric shower is proving an attractive alternative.  Building work is always disruptive and messy so it’s fair to say that I didn’t get a lot done in the last couple of weeks…well, apart from tiling, that is, and lots of running around sourcing bits and pieces for the bathroom. Then, just as the end was in sight and I was free to resume prepping stock for the outdoor fair season…BAM! Covid-19! Well, that was a bolt from the blue for all of us, wasn’t it?

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Well, it’s been a busy few months with one thing and another and still there is no end in sight to headless chicken mode! This week has been “Back to School” week, but mine have both finished school now and yet, I’m still running around like said headless chicken. This is mostly the fault of South Western Trains.

Here’s why.

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My wonderful Mum died a couple of weeks ago and the funeral was held on Thursday. She was 98 and so it was not entirely unanticipated given her age and increasing frailty, though it came about rather suddenly and was a shock nonetheless. I’m still in denial, of course. When you haven’t lived with someone for a long time, it’s easy to think of them as still being there somewhere, simply not here, where you are right now, and I’m OK with that. She is still alive to me. (more…)

Not so much news, since it’s the normal state of affairs, but I’ve been very, very busy. To give you some idea of how busy, I wrote the first line of this post on the 6th June, it is now the 8th September. Yep, that busy! So what have I been up to, you may wonder. Conversely, you may not care a jot, but I’m going to tell you anyway and since you are here, you may as well make yourself a cuppa, pull up a pew, get comfortable and have a read.  

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I have been sadly neglecting this blog, except when cornered like a rat, which is why I have been signing up for the Tarot Blog Hop regularly. Nothing like a deadline to focus the mind, though that does mean that I have only been writing about Tarot lately and neglecting the myriad of other projects etc. that keep me too busy to…err…write my blog.

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I’ve just got back from another hugely enjoyable TABI Conference in Birmingham. Everyone is always very friendly and inclusive, so the social aspect is great fun, as you can probably see from the pic of Friday night’s dinner.

As something of a veteran – I’ve been to almost all of them, and helped organise several in my time – it was lovely to see old friends, put voices to online faces and to meet newcomers to the event. This year, we had something of an international gathering with attendees from Germany, Switzerland and even Australia!

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As you may know, I have something of an interest in historic food. I’ve made dishes from Richard II’s cook’s book A Forme of Cury, early editions of Mrs Beeton’s Household Management, recipes from the two World Wars, Medieval Poland, and a whole host of others across several centuries. Some I have taken from copies of the original texts, others have been aided by the research of the likes of  Clarissa Dickson Wright, Dorothy Hartley and a whole host of historians throughout the ages, professional and amateur. You’ll find some of my efforts on the virtual pages of this very blog.

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