End of working week

It is the end of another working week and tomorrow is the beginning of August, I am really feeling it now as I have worked from the office right through and  I haven't had any holiday since Christmas and really am flagging.

Also the news that the Limo is soon to shuffle off to  Corsa heaven has left me with a heavy heart. The Lady Lainey limo and I have done some miles and had jolly japes along the way, I am sad, I know this is a piece of metal ( and got squidged last summer) but sometimes its better the devil you know. ( car wise that is!).

I am also having another visitor this weekend, I don't know what is going on, two weekends running!
To be honest it is just what I need as I am now clutching very hard to a few straws and hoping that no more countries are crossed off the approved list, I couldn't stand having another holiday cancelled.

I have to be honest and say that I didn't see or listen to any of the One Day cricket yesterday, mainly because I was too busy both at work and when I got home.
I envy those people who have had time to lose weight, do lots of exercise and make banana bread, I'm lucky if I make it upstairs at night {waking up on the sofa has become common place}

We are predicted to have the hottest day in the history of the universe { or something like that according to the Met office} I am wondering if this is in the South because this week here has been cool and rainy, little bit warmer, rainy and is overcast this morning.

Well off to finish the week and then home to wait for the wine delivery, make some chutney { I took a jar of rhubarb chutney to the office on Tuesday and it disappeared in record time}, and possibly sit in the afternoon sun{!!??}.

Have a great weekend

stay safe

Lifes rich tapestry

Its another week, and things here at The Wickets are much the same, with the exception that I had visitors on Sunday  for the first time since February. It was lovely to have lunch and a natter, and just generally have some company.

Living on my own is my choice and one that I love very much but I have become aware of how much I have retreated from the world in general. Lockdown has led me to living very much like a hermit.

I know that when  times  are trying it can  bring out the best and the worst in people, and this has been evident over the last few month. We are all struggling in our own way, trying  to figure our way around the pandemic and how our lives have changed.
All of us have had our lives changed and not just for the short term, I think that it may be for a good while to come.

As such, I try to keep plodding on, no matter that at times I would just like to crawl into bed, pull the duvet over my head and stay there. Sometimes it's hard to put on a smile and face the world, and sometimes its hard to just face social media with so much on there that is harsh.

It is all part of life's rich tapestry and I have to accept that.

There is cricket although none that I can actually go to see ( not that I would however, as I made the decision to stay away this year).

There are some  things returning to some sort of normality and there is a birthday girl today.

Happy Birthday Glenys I hope you have a good day in the circumstances.




back soon

Brief return

Well I'm back briefly, I haven't posted as I really don't have a lot to  say ( well I do but that's a different kettle of fish).

Life at The Wickets continues to be busy, I continue to be exhausted so absolutely no change.

I am out and about on the new bike and loving it.

Cricket is still not a thing on my radar, I really have binned it off until next season, and also appear to have waved bye bye to a wodge of cash  on the sponsorship front.

However I am going to holiday like there is no tomorrow for the remainder of the year.

More work in the offing at The Wickets as I gradually get the house to suit me.

And after more than a year of finding it very difficult to get up and downstairs, I can now do it without pain or discomfort, in part due to a vibration plate that was recommended by the physio as I was unable to see him.
Never underestimate the damage that a seemingly 'minor' injury can do.

Oh well, time to log off again.

 I hope that you are all  well

take care & stay safe.

Busy

I'm still super busy at the office and also at home as I whip myself into a frenzy of getting more exercise, I am one of those people who has been office  working  right from the start of  lockdown, I haven't really had a lot of time to myself apart from weekends when I am so tired that I tend to sleep a lot.
So I decided that I needed to do something to get moving more.
I signed up  to walk 2 miles a day every day for the whole of August and raise money for Refuge, a domestic violence charity.

 I appreciate that a lot of you may walk more than a mile in a day, but since last year and all the trauma of the foot, knee and hips, I tend to do about a mile at a sedate pace so I'm upping the distance and the speed.

Having set up the page on Monday afternoon, I woke up yesterday morning to find that I had reached my target, I was absolutely  gobsmacked and cannot thank the people who donated enough.
Your kindness will hep people who need it, and more so at the moment as we are living in these strange times.

Thank you all so much.

Mid July

As we move into mid July things are changing for us all again, pubs have reopened ( not  that I have been), restaurants are open ( ditto) and hairdressers are back.

My fabulous mane tamer got to grips with my lockdown hair and I now feel half way human!

Cricket returned in International format, albeit behind closed doors.

And we lost.

At the office, the  'Richards' are talking about staged returns to work although they haven't included themselves in this.

I, in  the meantime have put a preliminary booking on a trip to Malta, flying on Boxing Day and also may book my flight for November  in the next few weeks.

I need a break, before I break.

Friday not only saw the new haircut but also meeting up with my oldest friend, Debbie, it was a chance to have a proper old chin wag and put the world to rights.

Who knows how the next few weeks will pan out, but I am sure that things will settle into a new  sort of normality..

My normality is that I go shopping once a week, forget what I really wanted and end up with lots of things that I didn't realise I needed!


And the charity shop is open again...…………… I bought a new 'boule' for the garden! This made me very happy!


I have taken great pleasure in my early morning walks, and have to say that nature is really at its best at the moment with so much flora and fauna around. As I wander around the outskirts of town, I have been able to spot little faces peering out from undergrowth. And the undergrowth is very abundant.

Ah well time to head out and tackle the ever increasing traffic.

have a great day/week


stay safe

New week

Well here we are in the 2nd week in July and this week sees the return of Test Cricket as England take on The West Indies at the Ageas Bowl.

It seems strange to not have any feeling of excitement about cricket.
Possibly because I have told myself that I am having a season off.


I have been having time off from lots of things, including housework and gardening, I think that this weekend, it may  be a case of knuckling down and getting things done, luckily we have a skip at work which myself and the rest of the skeleton staff have been filling up nicely, I have some more things to get rid of and will do that this week.

Once again I cannot believe in a year how much I have managed to cram into The Wickets. I think that a real life laundry needs to happen, I am considering selling off a lot of my vinyl, I don't listen to it and the music that I really love I also have on CD as well as available through my online music library.

I am still doing my once a week essential shop, I am using the local greengrocer and butcher, all small businesses need a hand at the moment, and I  have found a local wine merchant ( half a mile up the road local!). Now this is a blessing and a curse, a blessing as they deliver to me for free and at a time suitable for me. ( Friday afternoon), and a curse for the same reason!


Had a catch up with Ben last week as he was back in training. Its a tough time for all of cricket, but I feel for the youngsters as  futures may be in the balance.
I really hope that both of  'my boys' make it through to next season.

I have added a couple of extra things to my trip itinerary in November ( Covid 19 and air bridges permitting), I really hope that it comes off. If not it is there for next year, or the year after.


Well time to head off , the roads are now very busy on a morning and evening, maybe not quite as bad as before lockdown, but there are definitely more cars on the road.


Have a good day/week.

take care

stay safe.

Happy 1st Birthday

Happy first birthday to The Wickets, it is today, a year to the day since I moved into my happy little house, although its been a bit of a year with injury and the after effects of that, it has been a happy year.

I am still as settled as I was the minute that I opened the door at 12.10pm on 4/07/19.

Not a lot has changed, although the brown and teal horizontal stripes in the lounge have gone ( thank goodness), just the vertical ones in the dining room to finish getting rid of.

 Before all the stripes were removed!

My garden is just perfect and of course the wicket was one of the first things that was done after moving in ( thank you Philip and Carole).

I am taking my time to get things changed, there is no hurry.

I love the fact that I have peace and quiet, I have lovely walks around the area, and have found the elderflowers/berries, blackberries and lots of cherries.

Simple pleasures.


What more could I ask for.


Not a lot really.


Have a peaceful weekend.

stay safe

another week

Waking up would be great as at the moment as I seem to be doing my best sleep for England.
I know that I need a proper break, but at the moment I am trying to hold onto my holidays for a bit longer.
The news came through that County Cricket will return on 1st August, which is good for the players.
Even if spectators are allowed to attend at some point in the now ever shortened season, I do not think that I will be venturing, as I have said , I love cricket but I love me more.

I see that there is lots of chat about the forthcoming behind closed doors test. Stuart Broad saying that he is 'worried' that he wont perform to his best without crowds, I think that should be the least of his worries in the current climate.

And then there is Tim, after his shock announcement that he was leaving Yorkshire, it came out yesterday that he would be with Warwickshire for the remainder of the season and had signed a two year deal with them.
Good on the Bears for getting a trooper!

Life in lockdown ( yes contrary what some absolute idiots think we are still in lockdown) is plodding on, I have now found a local company who deliver champagne, and Jacques Bardelot champagne  none the less, that has made lockdown a whole lot brighter.

I am currently cherry picking and freezing until I decide how I want to use them.
The garden sheds are currently full of Elderflower champagne, surprisingly the chutney cupboard is starting to need topping up after I have sent quite a lot out and not been restocking it.

Well there is something to do this weekend.

Have a great week, take care and stay safe.