My self isolation cup! I bought it in Asda the other day, and will only use this now until I'm home...

Heard a plane fly overhead, sounds different somehow, so much less noise everywhere.. like after a heavy snowfall; or like the silence when the electricity has gone off, the constant noise we don't even here anymore is stilled.. And everything sounds... still.  Peaceful.

The plane reminds me of the many dystopian movies.. Where something awful has happened, a pandemic, a zombie apocalypse, a futuristic story..

And at the end.. When they think there is no hope.. Overhead a plane.. And they know.. Life continues.

That there is hope.

Purloined, I believe!

Around us the world is struggling, badly, infected, deaths.

Isolated people.
At the placement.. The first week I felt really alone, I know I was amongst others in the house, but I felt alone.

How it must be for people on their own I can't imagine, especially in apartments.

My flight was cancelled, of course, if I had no work I could have got back home as I'm a resident there.

If there are still limitations at the end of July I'll use that option, either for flight, or by bus!

Already checked, I can get a coach London Victoria to Paris, Paris to Bilboa, and from there to Malaga, and my car at the airport!!!
Incurring charges every day!!

TTFN
Marian

Castle Gould

March 8th, we visited here, Castle Gould, and Hempstead House, at the Sands Point Preserve, on Long Island..

Just Googled for more info, mentions paranormal investigation!

Didn't feel anything paranormal there!

Did learn a lot about rockets! Guggenheim family who helped with aeronautical sciences and links with NASA.

We walked around the garden and two of us went down to the beach.. totally ignoring, as others ahead of us.. the Do Not Enter The Beach signs!!

Was beautiful down there, windy though! And we looked for treasure.. as we did so my cousin and I found a coin! I thought it might be a doubloon!

But no, it was a gambling chip!! Treasure nonetheless!

Okay I have a huge amount of time to catch up on!

So there could be errors aplenty trying to type out on my phone..

So early March! New York, family, parties for my aunt's 92nd birthday.. well, 23 leap year birthdays..

The Covid19 virus was beginning.. badly, already in Europe and the UK and New York.

Leaving from JFK I saw many people wearing masks and gloves.. I carried my hand sanitizer, using it all the time!

JFK

My flight to Gatwick went okay.. tiring: sitting at the gate most of the time, I ate, I bought drinks for the flight, paying with a whole load of coins.. then bought a coffee and got change!! 

Everyone already keeping distance from eachother, it was a strange feeling and god forbid an innocent cough!

Once on the plane I just closed my eyes, no movies, nothing, I woke up, drank my drinks, used the toilet.. slept some more, shorter flight of course flying in this direction.. 

Landed at Gatwick feeling shattered.

I'd just had an hour's time change in New York with the clocks going forward an hour, then UK four hours back... 

Landed in good time, used the international security control and back into departures, again.. ate drank ate.. toilets!!  Hand sanitizer!!!

Then boarded again! Saw my case come through in a small trolly with another couple of bags.. from the international section!

Then on landing back home, I at least knew this time to go to a separate isolated baggage collection area.. my case already there.

It was 4pm, I'd been up since 6:30 the previous day, five hour time difference now.. 

Shattered! Friend picked me up and home.. to drop my bags and go to the supermarket.

Only a few days at home then I was back to the UK.. another time change, and now another as the clocks have sprung forward here also!

TTFN

Marian

More tomorrow!! 

Yesterday on the tenth anniversary of mom passing, I finished what I began six years ago, and scattered what remained...

I let her go, holding onto what wasn't really my mom anymore...

This time no geese in the way.. no people, and family with me 💜

Ironically the music coming over from the neighboring ice-rink was the track of 2019! The music of the road trip!

Dance Monkey!

Strange day yesterday, highs and lows.. Life goes on, the world keeps turning; me holding on by my fingertips mostly it seems..

TTFN
Marian

New York New York!

All self explanatory really.. the streets of New York.. and The Vessel!

TTFN
Marian

Yesterday Wednesday March 4th

This week is rolling past at great speed!
Was going to list the days with happenings.  But my photographs tell the story do they not.

From Tuesday, the weather came down. But rain brings its own beauty...

Random from imperfect car photography with moving life caught on camera...

 Below the home of the late John Lennon..

And Strawberry Fields area of Central Park...

And Yesterday ... all my troubles seemed so far away... moment pinned in time, this song, 1989/90... In a coach coming back from a dog track in walthhamstow London.  The whole lot of us singing this song..

TTFN
Marian

Tuesday March 3rd

Ice skating Central Park

Pepsi Cola

Looking back at Manhattan

The old shipyard area..

Had an amazing lunch at Stamatis on 23 Ave, outstandingly good.. I cheekily asked for help in choosing what to eat, and was just generally cheeky!

And above and below headed back into Manhattan over the Queens borough Bridge this morning...

TTFN
Marian

Monday March 2nd

The Chrysler Building

I had never actually walked around the base of the Chrysler Building before!

Empire State Building

And coming from the bus stop I found myself right by Macy's! Where we'd stopped when we'd stayed here in Manhattan six years ago...

I paused for a while, visualizing us sat there.. drinking coffee.. I could almost see us, and I was thrown for a moment.. taken back in time.

The Vessel

I walked around to the Vessel.. but couldn't walk straight in, or up? Tried to get the free tickets online but was a two hour wait, so headed off up to Central Park.. I stopped for coffee in McDonald's! Sat upstairs and rested a while.. I walked up 7th.. my old familiar route.. pausing again in Times Square...

Random bee!?! Near the Vessel

This is the code to use to get tickets booked on line, no fees, free tickets! There are machines on site, but this is definitely the way to go ahead of time.

Times Square

Beethoven Statue

The old photo was taken about 1933.. mom in her father's arms.. I wanted to get up close and exactly where my mom and granddad were.. no chance! A fence all the way around now!

Then above the Bethesda Fountain.. apart from now no water, the area wasn't so far away.. mom is like ten foot away from the fountain! Now it looks like miles! Well, you know, not near enough.

I was saddened.. couldn't scatter my mom either, way too many Canadian geese right where I wanted to be! That was a no no for obvious reasons!

Then couldn't get to these two places and take photographs that would be exactly where my mom and grandparents had stepped..

This was on Monday, I bussed into the city, from right around the corner.. I had the change, turned out it was Metro Card only! A lady near the front said don't worry use my Metro Card and give me the cash.. she did, and I did.. I was so thankful, I thanked her so much, and again when she left the bus.. then when I got off the bus I said to the driver that the lady was an angel, he said most of the people on his bus were angels...

TTFN
Marian

New York trip..

The view again... from the plane from Gatwick to JFK.. heading out in early evening flying into the sunset.. we actually flew into the sunset for most of the journey, never quite reaching it..

Once landed I was through security and baggage reclaim very quickly..

Lots of people wearing masks, and one man wearing latex gloves! Worried about the Corona virus..

And as I write, there are cases now all around New York, and four on the coast down on the Costa del Sol.. as well as the thousands everywhere else!

Not really concerned, yet.. but very aware spending so many hours in departures and mid-flight, have to tighten up even more with hygiene, try to remember to keep my hands away from my face.. no chewing my fingers! Lols I don't chew my nails, but my fingers yes!

My aunt's birthday cake is much better to chew on! Wow! Strawberry shortbread cake! My aunt is a leap year baby, so 23 real birthdays so far!  Crazy! Lots of us celebrated with her.. everyone brought food, it was wonderful, fun games conversation.. laughter... Lots and lots of laughter.. we played a three dice game which was fun.. and also a charades game, using an App on the phone.. that was hilarious! So many phrases that were impossible to explain with parents and grandparents unaware of what some of the phrases even meant! Or just plain embarrassing to say out loud!

We visited a Holocaust museum on Sunday.

It was awful, it was so shocking, I read and absorbed from the writings the photography.. I knew a great deal already, but learnt so much more... It really effected me, I kept seeing the faces in my mind for hours afterwards.

We followed up with filling up in a diner..

With a cool jukebox on the table!

TTFN
Marian