This and that . . .

 

Like many of you, I really don't like the world we are having to live in at the moment.  I have had to stop watching the news, except for once a day to check in and be informed. So much gloom and doom, negativity. I find myself feeling almost hopeless if the news is on for very long. 

I find  myself feeling a bit angry with a country that I have always felt had contemptable practices anyways, with a huge disregard and lack of respect for all living creatures.  How dare they. 

I find myself feeling angry with my own government who I feel acted too little too late and who are too eager to get everything back to normal, so much so that I also feel they are jumping the gun at relaxing the rules. 

I find myself feeling really sad about all the people that are dying, especially those in care-homes and those who care for them.  For our NHS workers, for anyone putting themselves on the danger-line.

I worry about the family I have no contact with.

I find myself feeling afraid that this is it, for the rest of my life.  That at a time I should be enjoying my golden years, I will be stuck at home, unable to and afraid to go anywhere ever again. 

I find myself feeling fearful that I actually will never see my family again.  That I will never be able to go to church again, to shop, to be free from anxiety, to travel . . .

I want to throw rotten cabbages at the people who spurn and flout the rules with a total disregard for the safety and well being for others, for parents who haven't the decency, will or ability to keep their teenagers at home where they belong. 

I find myself desparing that there is any way out of this.  I feel like I am living in a bad disaster movie, and fear that in the end we will all die, except for a very few. 

I hate that the people I care about are all being affected by this.  I fear for a world where my grandchildren will not be able to enjoy the same freedoms I enjoyed as a child.  

 

That is when I have to shut down my thinking and start dwelling on positive things.  Things such as  . . . 

The skies have not been bluer or clearer. The birds have not sung sweeter. The air has never been cleaner.  Dolphins swimming in the Venice canals.  Such wonders.

People have never been kinder or more helpful to each other.  Reaching out in a myriad of ways to those around them. Wanting to make a real difference.  Even celebrities have jumped on the bandwagon creating videos to entertain and reach out to others. 

We have never eaten better.  Since I stopped relying on Grocery store food, I have been buying our meat and produce from the local market and it is so much better quality.

Families are spending precious time together, doing things together that they haven't done togther in years.  Communicating.  Sharing.  Playing together. Loving together. Appreciating each other in special ways. They are truly getting to know each other again.

People are reading more books, learning new skills. Cooking. Baking. Knitting, crocheting, sewing, planting gardens.  There are tutorials available to watch on cutting hair, grooming dogs, making masks, etc. 

Our garden has never looked tidier.  Our house has never been cleaner. 

Our world itself is cleaner and brighter. 

People have never been more grateful for small and simple things.  

 

 

It truly is about perspective.  When your perspective switches from the negative to the positive, life gets better and hope abounds.  

 

I splurged this week and bought us a box of tomatoes from The Tomato Stall.  They came to us up here in Chester all the way from the Isle of Wight. I have always loved tomatoes. When we were children, in the summer months, my mother would be gifted with bags of tomatoes from the men where she worked.  They all loved my mom and they would be bringing her in bags of their garden surplus all during the summer months.  We used to eat tomatoes like apples.  

For most of her life mom had a tomato sandwich for her lunch.  They were quite simply her favourite thing, and they are one of my favourite things also.  I have had a delicious tomato sandwich for my supper two nights in a row. These tomatoes are incredibly tasty.  I think today I am going to make either a salad or a sauce with some. 

   

While I was at it I ordered some of their fabulous looking asparagus.  Totally wonderful. We had some yesterday.  So fresh and delicious.  I adore asparagus.  I never had it until I was an adult and now I can't get enough of it!  Maybe I will do something with asparagus and tomatoes together! 

  

Our landlord dropped off some hedge clippers for Todd this week.  (Todd's have died.) He was saying that once the lockdown is finished they want to renovate our kitchen, make it bigger.  I said okay so long as the rent doesn't go up.  If the rent goes up any more, we will have to move for sure.  It would be nice to have a larger kitchen with better use of the space.  More cupboards, more space, new backsplash, new floor tiles, etc.  He wants to knock down the wall under the stairs and expand it there.  We shall see what happens.  At the moment I only have a 12 inch square of countertop space to work with.  It would be nice to have more.  I probably shouldn't hold my breath for too long. 

  

The Drive Through at the KFC in the retail park near us re-opened.  Apparently the queues were really long with people wanting  a treat of fried chicken.  I have heard that McDonalds will be re-opening their drive through again soon as well.  People love to eat junk.  I have a love/hate relationship with both venues.  Every once in a blue moon I crave one or the other.  Then when I am eating it I wonder why I bothered.  I think it is entirely possible that some things taste much better in our minds and memories than they actually do in real life. 

And with that I will leave you with a thought for the day  . . . 

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★
 *You are not going to master

the rest of your life in one day.

Just relax. Master the day,

then just keep doing that

every day. ~Unknown

•。★★ 。* 。•。★★ 。* 。 

 

In The English Kitchen today, Ina's Skillet Roasted Lemon Chicken.  This was fabulous!

Have a great Saturday.  Very overcast here at the moment. We will see what happens.  Don't forget! 

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And I do too!