Ups and Downs

Yesterday was another good day. M and I went for a late morning walk around the village where my father and his family came from (on both sides, from at least the early 19th century). To avoid the dreaded mud we mostly stuck to the main road. It is a long, straggling village, so we started in the middle, walked to the south end and back, and then towards the north end, turning round when it started to rain. I think we walked about 2 1/2 miles altogether. The house below was once the Red Lion Inn, and is where my 10 year old great-grandfather at the time of the 1881 census. 

The next photo is of what is thought to be the oldest house in the village, dating back to the 16th century.  I'd love to see what it looks like inside! After we got home from our walk we warmed up with turkey soup which I had made the night before. In the afternoon we played games - Banangrams, Mind the Gap (a card game similar to Uno but based on London Underground stations and lines) and Mega Monopoly, which in our opinion is much the best Monopoly version. Then M and I watched Hidden Figures, which we saw at the cinema when it was first released. It is an excellent film and well worth watching again. Even though it was just the four of us, we had our usual Boxing Day buffet for dinner. Last year we went to R's for Boxing Day, but obviously that wasn't a possibility this year.  

Today has felt quite flat and lethargic. I woke with a headache which wouldn't shift, and H is feeling at a loose end as she has next week off work but with nothing to do - can't see her BF except for walks, can't go to the gym, can't visit any friends, can't go and do any shopping for things for their new house. It feels a waste of holiday time, especially as she knows that when she wants time off later it will be the busy season and she won't be able to get it. M and I did manage to go out for a walk locally this morning, and H and TG went out for a short walk this afternoon but came back complaining of wet feet. The weather has been truly awful this week. We are on high ground, but there have been floods in the town where I work, and yesterday I was going to meet a friend for a walk but she had to cancel as they needed to go and rescue her elderly mother whose flat was in danger of flooding. Between plague and floods it all feels very apocalyptic. I keep reminding myself that things will get better, hopefully quite quickly once the vaccination programme gets up to full speed.