WEEK 41 CORONAVIRUS - INFECTION RATES STARTING TO RISE AGAIN

A quick roundup of the week: we are still having to be careful about not mixing socially, shops are open but pubs have to close at 6 pm.  It seems that the numbers of people infected are on the rise again in all parts of the UK.  While full lockdown has not been restarted there are many people (medical for example)  wanting it to be in place over the Christmas in order to avoid a very serious hospital overload in January.  So the current advice is "Yes, you can plan to mix in limited numbers at Christmas but be cautious about how you do about it."

Meanwhile Iain took the opportunity to get a squad of guys doing a neighbour's driveway with mono blocks, to do our own.

They did a very good job - tidy workers, turned up on time, were very well organised with everything.  Job done in two days with minimum upset on the street.

This is Iain coming out of his car.

This little building project reminds me of the many years I have had to run around the country in the weeks running up to Christmas to do his chores, all very 'essential' like getting the life-raft serviced in some out-of-the-way  industrial estate high above the town of Greenock. (As you can read, Christmas and all the work of it simply passes him by....)

I took this photo whilst standing in a queue in the local Post Office.  I haven't seen that painting of Santa in over 50 years.  Norman Rockwell was the artist and this picture plus many, many others were part of the culture in my youth.  For example, they often appeared on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post magazine. 

I parked in front of this car when out to pick up a book at the Hyndland Bookshop.  (Iain refuses to order anything on Amazon so as a result we order from Blackwells in 'Englandshire' or go into town to use the local bookshops.)

It's the Marrimeko flowers design (Finnish fabric and household items) which I absolutely love!

Lastly, I tried to make this Battenburg cake with Ellie this week.  It really was not a success - too much icky icing.  There is a lovely Syrian bakery now in our local area and when I was in this week I saw they make thionly it is very much smaller in scale and they cover it with melted chocolate.