Day 31 Birthday

Notes for new readers - as this is a diary the first entry is the last, so you get to know 'who done it' before the crime is committed! This is a pain but can't be helped. After a week of entries the scrolling will stop and if you want to venture further click on 'OLDER POSTS' and read until you get to the first entry 'The Day Before Day 1

A really lovely day. Being 80 is no bad deal. Chocolates, flowers, champagne, video calls, and lots of phone calls and emails. I feel blessed and hope to last a while longer to enjoy the good things in my life. But I am still very much aware that things are not the same for everyone.

Spent some time in the front garden, tidying it up a bit and giving the tubs a good water. 

Usual walk with Jasper but gave the allotment a miss today. Got some more bird food for the feeders. I can see the birds better in the new position and hopefully the neighbouring cats can't reach now that it's away from the bushes.

Had a video chat with family after a few technical issues. I have loaded WhatsApp on my MacBook and iPad but that didn't seem to be any use. I was reduced to the phone which was okay but small.

Had a great 'zoom' event with 'Le Quagmire Cardiaque' tonight. They played and sang one of my favourite songs Blueberry Hill and recited a poem which I give you below - written, I think, by Peter. I remarked that it was a good job my name wasn't Pat.

BRENDA’S BIRTHDAY SONG

A long long time ago

We cannot remember

How you first arrived into the world.  

But we knew if you had a chance

That you would make the people dance

And play and act and sing . . . 

For eighty years you’ve been growing

Feeding us without us knowing

And now it’s time for us to say . . .

Happ, Happ, Happy Birthday, Brenda

How come you look so young and slender?

We your friends do wish you well

More than you can ever tell

So Planet Earth to Brenda Grove

Don’t give up and don’t wear mauve

Keep on dancing through the night

Don’t give up without a fight. So

Happ, Happ, Happy Birthday, Brenda

How come you look so young and slender?

Chasing after Jasper too

Dancing in the morning dew.

So Planet Earth to Brenda Grove

Don’t give up and don’t wear mauve

Keep on dancing through the night

Dance away locked down tonight.

Happ, Happ, Happy Birthday, Brenda

How come you look so young and slender?

Chasing after Jasper too

Dancing in the morning dew

So Planet Earth to Brenda Grove

Don’t give up and don’t wear mauve

We’ll soon be Zooming in on you

All your friends not just a few.

So we will sing your Happy Birthday

Bestest wishes and glances flirty

Dance without your socks and shoes

Rockaway and blow a fuse

So Planet Earth to Brenda Grove

Don’t give up and don’t wear mauve

Wrap yourself in fairy mantle

Cut the cake and blow the candles

Remember everywhere you’ve been

And now tonight our Fairy Queen

Happ, Happ, Happy Birthday, Brenda

Happ, Happ, Happy Birthday, Brenda  (fade)

Happ, Happ, Happy Birthday, Brenda   (fade)

21 April 2020

Peter Sain ley Berry

Snippet from News

Boris Johnson’s official spokesman has said the prime minister has “full confidence” in Matt Hancock, and insisted Downing Street “absolutely” stands by the health secretary’s target of 100,000 daily tests for coronavirus by the end of April.

The comment came as the latest figures then available showed that 19,316 tests were conducted in the 24 hours up to 9am on Monday, with nine days left to Mr Hancock’s deadline.

And later figures for the following 24 hours showed that testing dipped to just 18,206 people on Monday, bringing to total number of tests carried out over the course of the outbreak to 535,342.

Snippet from Facebook

Dozens of patients with Covid-19 have been turned away from the NHS Nightingale hospital in London because it has too few nurses to treat them, the Guardian can reveal.

The disclosure comes amid a growing belief among hospital management in the capital that the Nightingale, built to great acclaim over just nine days, was becoming a “white elephant”.The hospital has been unable to admit about 50 people with the disease and needing “life or death” care since its first patient arrived at the site, in the ExCeL exhibition centre, in London’s Docklands, on 7 April. Thirty of these people were rejected because of a lack of staff.

Snippet from Twitter

Quote

Old age - when actions creak louder than words. Anon

Video

A birthday card made several years ago by Bo and Tess. A favourite.

Random Photo

Okay. so this is a picture of me painted by Sue McDonagh about 6 years ago. She was in a portrait competition for Sky Arts and she wanted some practice and asked on FB for volunteers. I was one of the lucky ones. I like it.

TOT ZIENS! Eat birthday cake - even the icing!