Speeding train

Fast as memories flying through my mind.

Watching my life fly past, my childhood and children's childhood.. neighborhood

I see me, little Marian Bonelli, and then in the rec little Barry and little Tony.. 

Now both with young'uns themselves.

My line, under my house.. under the concrete platform I lay on over the tunnel to watch as the trains past beneath.

The grand Union Canal, weaving along beside the A41 and the Euston line.

Old man's beard heavy on the passing, me passing, hedgerows.. 

Lots of bright winterly berries too.. going to be a bad winter, too many old wives tales, but I guess they must have come from somewhere.

Roads I know, knew, all too well.. the old A41.. following it along from Hemel Hempstead, the road up to Bovingdon.. Bourne End.. 

Then behind the terraces coming into Berkhamsted, under Gravel Path.. then whoosh.. gone the park at the bottom of the road that leads to Tesco.. the old conker trees there.. I have some still, from there, of course I do! I hear ya!

Wanted to make use of the time to follow the words I've recently heard about all the information coming into our minds when travelling and it passes straight through and out.. doesn't cling..

And it's only past hurts grief's that act like a net to stop us or make happy things sad by clinging on..

So plan of watching absorbing and letting go the journey.. turned into a net..

Once out of Milton Keynes.. where our first stop is, now.. and in our parked up pause back there I've quickly penned this.

Now parked up at last station.

I've seen..

Field of Llamas 

Fields of sheep, and cattle

Field of seagulls!

Mistletoe!?! Nope not just now, or maybe! But I meant to say with a photograph the other day, the what appears to be greenery in those trees is mistletoe.  We've seen loads while out walking, last week I exclaimed, as I do, that's mistletoe! And passing workman heard and shouted to his mate, we should grab that!

Back to journey, now.

There has been fog so thick at times can't see to the ends of the passing fields.. oh hang on, they're not passing, I am..

Trees of my step dads.. his type of tree, old and gnarled.. 

Fields burned after harvest.. felt for a moment I could smell the burnt wheat but just nose memory... Another few hectares with giant signs reading.. Growing for Wheetabix!

Pulling into Rugby.. and out again..

On my last train now, had a shortish wait in Coventry.. now here I am in Leamington Spa.. feels like only yesterday I was waiting here! 

I definitely need to stop and smell the roses, metaphorically speaking!

One person got off, and only me got on this train.. although time yet +1 

Taken some nice railway photographs.. said it before, I should have been writing down train numbers! Keeping my trainspotters anorak firmly under cover!

Later I am posting this as written, slightly list-like, but I'm writing lists and ticking boxes so it's all good.

Watched a beautiful movie yesterday, Last Christmas.. 2019. Absolutely beautiful watch it if you can.

Okay on our way! Back to Stratford upon Avon and what looks to be a very beautiful hotel.

And it is. The Mercure, very old, black and white frontage. Lots of twists and turns inside.. 

Very strange from outside, not the hotel, the whole lockdown look. It's a dark gray day, bit foggy here even in the town. And the hotel looked locked up, door closed, downstairs rooms unlit.

A sign telling people to ring the bell, which I did, and someone came to let me in, and locked up behind me.

Hotels in Lockdown, for us solitary lone workers, key workers, healthcare workers.

I checked in, and came up to my room. It's really beautiful, a humongous bed! With all the regular.. the bathroom huge too.

I dropped my things and popped out quickly for some food, unlocked for me to get back in. I signed in on the Covid19 track and trace also as requested.

Came back to my room and ate half the prepackaged food I bought; after a nice half hour and coffee finished I ran a bath, poured in the small bottle of hotel bubble bath.. I applied a mask I'd bought in Mercadona back home, and laid back listening to music eyes closed in the bubbles and hot water.. really really lovely.

Now in comfies, drinking a caramel latte mix.. I'll have a rash in the morning, but what the hey!

And posting this!

TTFN

Marian

Today, slightly melancholy.. it's just the stuff we have to do; I just want a time now where I don't have to have something important that has to be done. I just want to be.. without the stress and worry.

Flights tests documentation

Today, after reminding test centre twice or thrice yesterday, an email came through just after 04:00 this morning telling me I can change my £199.00 test for free! 

And I asked what time on Wednesday, they just replied yes that's fine. And I had to email again to actually get a time.

I have organised through a friend's help to get my info into the Spanish system to change my Brit license back into a Spanish one, and then in a few days to get the appointment made.

Why I changed it back to UK beats me.

And to conclude today's short Blog a short piece of script from The Haunting of Hill House.

~~~

Time, I mean.

I thought for so long that time was like a line, that...

That our moments were laid out like dominoes, and that they...

Fell, one into another.

And on it went, just days tipping, one into the next, into the next, in a long line between the beginning...

And the end.

But I was wrong.

It's not like that at all.

Our moments fall around us like rain.

Or.. The snow.

Or confetti.

~~~

TTFN

Marian

Been out for a great walk this morning.

Still 4° but was lovely, the frost had melted and it was muddy as a backstreet mud bath!

Not sure why backstreet?! 

But it was extremely muddy on our way back..

Managed to stick, no pun intended, to the edges of the muddy bits and held onto trees as the brambles held onto my hair as I did so!

Even saw parakeets, again!

Back in now and feels very warm inside compared.

Had a delivery while out, I had ordered some perfume, I wanted a small bottle for travelling purposes, I am a stickler for what I like, and will wear the same perfume for years and years.. why change it?

But recently came across one that's unfortunately in the shape of a shoe! Carolina Herrera.. I cannot find it in a regular bottle, so thought I had found a small sample bottle.. I was right, it was small, the sort they give out for free in the stores.. and some numpty like me pay for! 

I should know better! Yes! I know!

Also arrived a beautiful book I'd ordered for granddaughter, unfortunately, I did a repeat book for grandson and another book for elder granddaughter really had too much of her name, spelt correctly.. but too much.

A bit of a head in hands day today!

I ordered myself slippers for home a couple of days ago, and as soon as I hit the order button, the email came through of course to tell me.. but then said the slippers will arrive between end of December to mid January! I hit the cancel order option, got no reply until the morning when a response came through saying the slippers were on their way.. from deepest darkest who knows where if they're taking two months!

TTFN

Marian

The best and most beautiful things in this world cannot be seen or even heard, but must be felt with the heart.

Helen Keller 1880-1968

Watching Gremlins.. yeah yeah I know! Anyways.. and seeing the hi tech modern equipment.. and then fast forward to now, to real life tech and the enormous leaps we've made in the past nearly 40 years since this movie was made, can you believe it was 1984.. makes the TV tech seem so old fashioned, even when it had seemed impossible to us back then.

But, look at us now, in this Covid world, this locked in, locked out, restrictions and tests, no contact, no travel no life life we have now.

Who was better off.

I know this will pass, maybe not completely, ever... This will have changed so much for so many.

I just want to go home and can't, down to the bare bones of it I need to work for the money.

If I could go home I would right now, BA are flying, and I can go home with no test and just be home where I want to be.

But I can't.

Lols yes sound a bit stroppy, stamping my feet and throwing toys from pram.

But we all must feel we've just had enough now.

If only more people had been more careful or more caring for others.. if they hadn't just acted like this isn't a life changer.

Okay.. off my soap box.. or soup box as I called it the other day!

Just looking at figures at home and thought I'd add a little history info here.. 

Leapt from Gremlins the other day to this evening watching Notting Hill.

Family all a'bed, and I'm watching this..

Four weeks time I'll be home, fingers crossed of course. Third flight booked to get home, Covid test booked, train's and hotel prior to work, Airbnbs closed so has to be a different one to last when I paused in Stratford Upon Avon.

Looks a very old building.. so maybe full of ghosts and spooky happenings.

It's been so lovely staying here with younger son and his family.. spending quality time with the new baby.. well nearly eight month old baby. Was awful not being able to visit when she was born and then the long gap before I came back to the UK.

Now of course I miss elder son and his family so badly too, I've never not seen them for this long.

I know, and feel extremely lucky to have spent a month with them in April and lucky now to be here either side of these placements dates to be here.

Mmm photos?

I'll post one that isn't really great! Lols but has parakeets! Like the ones on the coast!

Lols spot the parakeets! There are two there, was crazy seeing three of them flying about!

TTFN

Marian

And to come back now and add a post script. I returned to Notting Hill movie, and a song began to play and instant tears fell.. how music can effect our emotions so quickly eh..

Oh the song? Ronan Keating, When you say nothing at all.

 Today feels like a poorly made 1980's movie..

"you are asked to wear a face covering at all times, covering your nose and mouth except if you are exempt"

"Please wash your hands and keep a safe distance from other people"

"Our station is being cleaned more regularly"

All said by what sounds like a poorly made android.

This was Monday, travelling back to Tony's from work.

Journey from hell, left at 2pm arrived at Tony's about 8:20pm.. long long journey.

Taxi, trains, bus.. an hour at Coventry station, an hour at a bus stop in the rain.. 

Pretty yuk, without the pretty.

Been a good week here now, relaxing, walking when weather nice, being very well fed, both my daughter's in-law great cooks, both my son's and offspring very well looked after..

Few stressful events, worry over getting a certificate to time with flight home in December. Glasses ordered great, but don't fit.. I am too worried about breaking them to adjust to much.. they've been sent back, unfortunately.

I have another two weeks here, and two more at work.. plus a couple of odd days, and that's my eleven weeks done!

My third flight booked, fingers crossed no more cancellations, hotels booked and cancelled, and now this Covid test to have done to be able to gain entry to my home country!

It starts November 23rd. And the issue of timing a test no longer than 72 hours from arrival, a test that might take three or four days to get emailed.. is causing weird dreams and great worry!

TTFN

Marian

Wanted this photograph on yesterday's blog, but I was weary and no amount of trying got it to load.. 

So here it is today, Alhaurín under a fiery sky..

Because for some reason.. fires and all things warm are making me the more eager to get home, which might sound slightly confusing to those not living in a warmer country.. but, when you have hot summers day in the 40's.. and winter drops to high teens.. that's one helluva temperature drop! And the thought of wooly sweaters, and roaring fires just sounds perfect!

Baited breath today on the Presidential election. Trying not to fear the worse! 

Six weeks tomorrow I fly home.. I sigh with hope and great excitement!

TTFN

Marian

Do I need a quote here?

Lols just got all poetic but deleted it! Bit wordy! 

So hey, "just be you!"

Getting back to the lady for whom I carry her memories.. watching Coco, again.. this evening on the night that this also is..

Like the man forgotten and fades away in the other world because he had no one to remember him.. 

I will carry her memories for as long as I am here..

It was Halloween when I wrote the above.. 

So two evenings ago.. lady called then buzzed me, and buzzed me again.. 

I went flying downstairs.. and racing along the floor towards her at break neck speed.. the father? Or mother? Of all the great house spiders.. arachnid muy grande! He was on a mission to get to her! The lady had a tissue in her hand which I grabbed then grabbed the spider and ran through the kitchen into the utility and unlocking the back door threw said arachnid out, tissue and all!

Locked the door behind him!

I ran back in and in mock shock fell to floor laughing! 

Halloween spider! Thanks little furry friend!

And today, I hit my head on the open oven door, no I wasn't on the floor it's a high double oven/grill, I was grilling cheese onto my lasagna! And bent to throw something in the bin and whack.. it really hurt, it still hurts, actually.

Flights! Have mentioned my flight home on the 14th December I had to change, work error! I changed it to the 15th, Ryanair changed it to the 16th.. this is all from East Midlands.. they then changed it to the 14th.. round robin! So of course I can't fly on the 14th.. money back please, and thank you.

So booked a flight from Luton on Wizz Air.. for the 15th.. they cancelled this afternoon.

I have now booked a flight Ryanair from Stansted! Fingers crossed, and will only believe it when I'm on board..

Very tired now, noisy house as night; we get to know the noises in our own homes.. the creaking, the refrigerator motor, just odd sounds we don't take any notice of any more.. it's not like that when you work away in someone else's house, you don't have time to settle in, every noise could be something wrong.. someone wrong. Sleeping with one ear open and one eye open, like having a small child in the house, sleeping but barely, and always aware of noise, shadows.. sounds, or even lack of sounds..

Now to sleep, perchance to dream, of olive groves and lakes.. of mountain air and dark starlit skies.. of a warm fire, a blanket, a hot drink and a good story.

TTFN

Marian