In the Spring Bill and I were locked down in Wales which was bliss. The winter finds us in urban Northamptonshire — locked down and out of Wales. I miss the hills, the cool rain, the conviviality of all the socially distanced nods and waves and yelled greetings from passing quad bikes.
But there are compensations here — my bad back and gammy knee have improved. We have sorted out lots of things (had a new bathroom fitted), I have been writing a lot about my medical student days, ‘A Testicle on a plate,’ and the Christmas wine delivery has just arrived.
Once the school traffic has gone the streets are empty and the robins are in full throttle and the shrubs are full of berries.
Today I donned my new FFFP3 mask (by order of offspring) and walked in to the centre of this old shoe town to get my boots mended — it was very quiet and, apart from a few food shops, the cobbler was the only other place awake — in Northampton cobbling is essential (even the football team is called the ‘Cobblers’).
The new book is to be the first of a trilogy — the prequel to Iolo’s Revenge (published a couple of years ago) — I am tempted to entitle it ‘The Badass Trilogy’ as in ‘what turns a nice girl into the woman I have become (according to my daughter)?’ Of course the answer is ‘Life!’
dianaashworth 
Your interesting short stories always make me smile Diana, full of witt and charm.
Hope your keeping well in these crazy times.
Thank you Mandy. We are doing the only thing one can at the moment, in town, in winter, we are decorating — although to be exact I am not actually decorating, I have slipped away and Bill hasn’t noticed yet! Love to you all, Diana
I do enjoy your posts, Diana. We are in a new lockdown here as well. These are strange times, especially on this side of the Atlantic. Enjoy the holiday season, find the good bright and beautiful wherever you can.
Thanks Lavinia — we watch the news on CNN so are keeping somewhat abreast of news from your side (occasionally looking at Fox — for balance!) It has been very interesting of late and has taken our minds off our own woes. I’ve also been reading “Journal of the Plague Year” by Daniel Defoe (its free on the internet) which puts things into perspective and reminds us that even then –1665, a lot of the survivors had worked out the importance of social distancing — I do hope things settle quickly for you all. Bill’s sister who lived in USA for 40 years is cooking us turkey tonight — Happy Thanksgiving!