Well, this Christmas doesn't take its place among the most stellar ever, I have to say. On the day itself the Edinburgh family came, which was very nice. Here is Biggest Granddaughter wearing her Batman onesie and reading a book - her favourite activity. But neither Daughter 1 nor Big Grandson was very well (not Covid, just a bad fluey cold/cough) and Grandson is far from recovered even now.
However, the real problem has been with Daughter 2 and family. Her parents-in-law live in a small house, so when they want to see the family for any length of time, everyone goes to Center Parcs, not far from where SIL2's parents live. Daughter 2 was dubious about this because of Covid, but both her parents-in-law are disabled and use mobility scooters, so Center Parcs is good for them. They've had a pretty isolated time since the first lockdown. Also, Daughter 2's husband's sister and BIL moved to Norway with their children in the spring (BIL is Norwegian). So this was a big family reunion.
So obviously they had to go home. But now they couldn't go home by train because they had Covid. So they had to wait till things opened up on Sunday, hire a car (SIL2's s sister had to hire it because neither Daughter 2 nor her husband could go to the hire place) Daughter 2 was named as the other driver, and she had to drive them home in the dark (so that Littlest was asleep and thus not vomiting). Meanwhile the rest of the family had to go home on Monday before they came down with it. The timing of it all could hardly have been worse.
And by now they've almost all tested positive.
And this is with all the adults triple-vaccinated. Though fortunately, so far none of them is particularly ill - just feeling very tired and as if they have a really bad cold.
So that cast a blight - obviously over their Christmas but also over ours - we were so upset for them and so worried about them. I hate my beloved people travelling by car, especially ill and in the dark. However, everyone did get safely home and they're all now isolating.
Which means, of course, that Daughter 2 isn't, as planned, coming up here for New Year for our family reunion - which isn't happening at all because Son feels he shouldn't come down either - we're again limited to three households meeting up and, being a doctor, he really doesn't want to complicate life by getting Covid.
Ah well, ah well, there are much worse things happening to other people. But one is - everyone is - rather fed up with yet more restrictions to normal life. Presumably we'll all get Covid in the end, anyway. But it's as well not to get it while the NHS is overburdened by the non-vaccinated becoming ill and needing hospitalisation. I wish everyone would just get the jab - or, as we tend to say in Scotland, the jag.
At least the Botanics aren't shut (yet) so we went the other day and admired their wicker decorations. There are 12 of these, such as...
Oh, dear, I can see why you're so fed up with Covid! What a horrible and stressful event and as you mentioned, extremely unfortunate timing. (not that anytime is good, but the holidays and all that planning) I'm glad you're getting out and spending time with some of your family. Is it "sine" then? I doubt that we'll sing it, but just in case...
ReplyDeleteYes, like "sign".
DeleteWhat a lot of bother Covid has caused worldwide. I spent Christmas day alone as grandson was diagnosed with Covid 2 days before Christmas. The whole family was together on 20th to celebrate other grandson's special birthday so we all had to go into isolation. Son's friend is from Finland and had made lots of Finnish food and no one to share it with. So some of us had lots of food and some none. It Took 5 days for our test results to come back so we were all alone till then. Grandson is now free of covid in time to celebrate. Son and friend booked an air B&B and have disappeared west of the Great Dividing Range but not before bringing some Finnish food to share, she is a great cook. daughter and SIL still in isolation.
ReplyDeleteLove all the wicker statues and your Heron is a much prettier colour than our dull grey ones.
Happy New Year to you and your family
They couldn’t have tried harder to be free of the wretched thing and yet there it was ruining everyone’s Christmas.I’m so sorry. Our granddaughter got it and had to isolate so preventing DIL and family going to hers for the first time in three years.Only the shortening of isolation to 7 days meant they could have Christmas Day with us but as the catering had gone completely haywire, 7 of us shared one small chicken. I’m hoping to be in bed long before I have to sing Auld Lang Syne. I sympathised with your recent post about insomnia. But I’ll bid you a happier new year now.
ReplyDeleteWishing you great life and light in all circumstances. And continued joy in your botanicals x
ReplyDeleteOh BOTHER!! And they did everything right, too. The only 'lighter note' is that their infections aren't too serious. But it's such a disruption to everyone's plans.We're just waiting for Omicron to sneak into the community over here. It's inevitable that it will, but, for those of us who are immunocompromised, the later the better. At least there seem to be some drugs that increase our chances, if we do succumb but I really don't want to test them out!
ReplyDeleteI'm making a quilt for a friend's daughter's grandson who's due in mid February so I have to get on with it, and stop the procrastination. It's simple, by comparison with your lovely pair, just appliquéd random elephants. And I have a friend who's a professional quilter who I'm more than happy to pay to quilt it for me. That's not laziness, it's sharing the love/money around, isn't it?
May 2022 bring better health, and lots of family happiness.
Appliqued random elephants sound quite complicated to me!
DeleteOh No! I’m so sorry for DD2 — what a mess. I hope they’re all feeling better by now. The lockdowns all seem so pointless by now — especially since most people are vaccinated (as you say, triple) so they’re symptoms aren’t much worse than a bad cold. Ah well, when all else fails, turn to quilting — which I see, you’ve beautifully done - Bravo!!! Happy New Year!!!
ReplyDeleteWell, what a mess you have all had of the Holiday! That could very well have been us - and last year we had a similarly boring Christmas. My husband and I were both ill with a 'flu (not Covid, I was tested) and even though we are a small family, we did not get together, just so's not to spread the germ (which we had probably gotten from the grandkids, anyway). Yes, it was odd, lonely and not fun at all.
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