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

So today purely about me moaning!!

I am, as I'm sure you are also, now used to seeing people wearing masks!

The World Health Organisation... Say.. please read

As someone who uses masks and gloves, everyone should know a little bit more on the subject now it seems.

Gloves: You know in any one day I can go through litteraly dozens and dozens, to stop cross contamination, from the person to me and visa versa, and I'm not working with people with Covid19.

Why wear in a supermarket touching everything others have touched, then get in your car keeping the gloves on, and or, as I saw yesterday more than once.. TOUCHING YOUR FACE!!

That's what people were doing yesterday, hands in gloves, picking off the shelves, into carts,  touching their faces back to pushing the carts!?!

What's the point?

Just keep washing your hands, keep NOT touching your faces.

And social distancing.. yesterday, again, the shop had taken precautions yellow taping distance markers, I'm trying to keep within limits and then bam.. a couple.. who must have walked in seperately and another man had pushed through into my area! I'm afraid I told them.. what's happening here, we're supposed to be social distancing!!! They just didn't care.

Masks: By all means at home if you're with someone with symptoms, wear a mask, both of you! All of you!!

And twenty minutes for most lightweight masks, is their effectiveness, and although it was a joke on a certain site.. but think about this, if you.. sorry someone else breaks wind, and it makes its way out of their pants and jeans and you can still smell it! What's a piece of scrap material going to do wrapped around your face? Just saying...

What's the point?

Okay rant over.
On with our day!

TTFN
Marian

A Facebook post about getting all the grounded time I never got as a teenager raised some smiles from friends..

It's true, my mom never grounded me, ever, she very probably should have, but she was brought up so strictly, she gave me free reign.. such a long rope it's a wonder I didn't trip over it! Every day!?!

But the responses made me smile thinking how my friends know me..

But how much? That's the impression I give isn't it? An open book, and yes I am very open, my life on these pages, over the years.. all here? You think? No..

I still have so much I keep hidden...  all my blogging all my talk.. yet still only the rare people I let in to my heart and soul..

I am writing in my book again just now, sun pouring through the window, listening to my Spotify playlist, writing these words, feeling very relaxed and thoughts drifting through my mind, good and bad.. happy and sad.. but not lingering..

It's nice, it's good.

TTFN
Marian

You know, it's like life has been hit with a giant pause button..

But only some life.

And hearing the trams, planes.. cars..
As if controlled by robots.

We're suspended in a different time, a different situation, as if by extraordinary means.

I'm watching Netflix and it seems strange to me to see people living 'normal' lives.

The beautiful book above, a gift.. thank you.

I am filling with my saved sayings from my Pinterest board.

Purple ink! Of course!

Take care, stay safe.

TTFN
Marian

Walked past this railing in the past, many times, but never noticed it until today.. my granddaughter pointed something's out there..

Steps down and all overgrown.. good photo opportunity!

Another good walk.. another beautiful day..
In this strange dystopian world we now live in.

Where today's highlight was me watching the progress of an Amazon driver nine deliveries away, but also only four streets away!

I was, much to the annoyance of my son, giving a running commentary of his immentent arrival!

And just before he arrived I went outside to wait! Telling him when we came that that was the excitement for the day watching the route on my phone!!


TTFN
Marian

Some photography from my last walk around home before leaving for work..

I walked in the afternoon, and it was already too warm to be walking anywhere at two in the afternoon!!

So above a very dead snake! I'm guessing it lost a fight against a car!

The bridge by the ancient water mill..

Lemons

There is an old abandoned house near this tree on the way into town.. love eucalyptus trees... Amongst my many other favourites!

And so to now...
My much needed medication! Thankfully a wonderful friend back home has gone to my farmacy there, and posted me some! But whilst I wait for work to forward on to me.. I have run out!! Two days ago I signed in as a temporary patient.. accomplished over their website and a couple of phone calls.. at my family's doctors surgery. They sorted me both my meds and told me a prescription was taken to a local farmacy.. It's about ten minutes from here, I could see a crowd of people gathered together, way too close together! In a long line, and shaking hands.. close as close!!

I was luckily on the other side of the road to them.. the line went around the front of a building to a side door!!

After visiting the farmacy, where I didn't even go in, we talked and I was given my meds through a hatch.. keeping distance and safety measures.

Returning home I crossed over well before the growing line, by the church!! I just couldn't believe it!! There wasn't even a foot between people, never mind six!!

Everybody passing by staring in disbelief at them!! Not sure if it could have been a service? Or food bank.. but people not staying safe!!! ?? What is that all about!!

Oh and no cost for meds!!

Today I visited a local store for food supplies; was handed gloves as I entered, he said for my health and theirs.. He helped me and others.. people kept their distance well, all being very self aware.

As I was going through paying, I noticed it was cash only.. he said don't worry, either pay afterwards, using the cash point outside or pay when I could.. wow! I couldn't believe the compassion.. the thoughtfulness..

I did get cash immediately, and having left my shopping in-store, I returned to pay.

Then he gave me a mask too!
This was a small local store.. not a big chain.

I don't know how we'll all be after this is over, the changes me might make..  maybe even some people will have completely forgotten this all after a year... Or less.. but hopefully we're all learning lessons from this, we need to.

TTFN
Marian

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