A sign of the times .

We have heard on the news that people suffering with COVID can have low oxygen levels without realising it and so delay getting the help that they need in time . 
With that on our minds , plus noticing that our son and daughter in law who both work for the NHS had bought one , we went online and ordered our very own oximeter

 . I’m bringing it to your attention in case you decide that you would like one too . 

I’ve noticed of late ,  that  when I sit down to write my blip journal my mind goes blank and I’m overcome with weariness . So I am trying to over ride the feelings and write on . 

Boris is just announcing that schools will remain closed after half term  and  headline in our local paper reports that the vaccine is being withheld from our area because we have vaccinated more than most areas so the other areas need time to catch up , it’s the same for Burnley too, despite the fact that we have had the most deaths suggesting a more vulnerable population, which it is of course . 

I didn’t post yesterday because we got into a bit of a panic over the stability of the garden wall which we share with our neighbours . It looked, for all the world, as if it was going to topple over !  It was dark and pouring with rain but as needs must we donned our waterproofs and went out to try and dismantle what we could . 
The landlord for our next door neighbours ( a pleasant man) came round to look at the wall  this morning and was sure it wasn’t in immediate danger of falling over . 
What a relief , we have enough cracking and dripping in the house  to keep us going at the moment . We have a civil engineer friend coming* to have a look on Friday .

It appears that the landlords son is a bricklayer and that they are planning to redo the walls in spring . 
There is a silver lining : we may need a bricklayer to help us with our cracking gable end . Although we have lived in this area for nearly 40 years we lack the local knowledge required to find quality , skilled works people . The network is based on word of mouth linked to family or who you went to school with. 
We are still outsiders in that respect . I expect it’s similar in many places . Most Blackburn with Darwen people have lived here for generations, unlike us although we gave raised the next generation here !

Hope your day also has its silver linings xx