Well, here we are.
I think my trouble is that I have been skipping along, believing that
everything would be better in 2021 – I would be rejuvenated, and Covid-19 would
go away. Not so. I am weaker than ever, and the virus stronger.
Usually there would
be tens of thousands of people in the streets of Edinburgh tonight, with pop
concerts from one end of Princes Street to the other and a wonderful firework
display over the Castle at midnight. None of that this time. But the radio says
that a lone piper will pipe the year in. I wonder if I could hear him, if I
went out on the doorstep? It’s a penetrating sound, and I do love the pipes.
But I won’t attempt it. It’s a cold night.
No walking again
today. The weather was pretty filthy. I think it should be manageable tomorrow,
and would certainly be good for me. Archie and Helen were both briefly here. I
am planning a “dry January” again this year, but found myself a couple of
bottles of cider short for today. They came to the rescue. That was partly why
I recently re-read this blog for January, to see if dry-ness had restored any
energy. If so, there’s no mention of it.
Kirsten, I love
your walk story (comment yesterday)! This morning I did a modest amount of
tidying, and found myself at one point trying to insert a book into its place
on a bottom shelf. Something was wrong, and I had to get down on one knee to
complete the operation. And then I couldn’t get up. I finally succeeded, but it
was scary, and I won’t go down on one knee again.
Knitting has
progressed. Shandy, I found “Orley Farm” with no difficulty on your
instructions, and knit away while listening. On the ascending slope, I marked
out 100 stitches in the middle of the hap so that all I had to do was count the two “ears”
to see when I had achieved 144 stitches. And so far both “ears” are still there, although
of course diminishing.
Reading
Janet, thank you
for the link (comment yesterday) to the article by the Toronto doctor about her
friendship with John le Carre: the link worked fine, and I enjoyed it. I loved the
bit at the beginning, where she confessed that she had never read him, and he
marched her across the street to a bookshop and bought the lot and signed them
for her – a valuable present indeed.
I’m doing fine with
“Rachel Ray” – curious and interesting.
I am very grateful
indeed for all your kind messages. Happy New Year to all.