A LOVELY BUT SHORT BLIPMEET

My lovely Blip friend, Debbie, otherwise known as Mindful_life, who has actually been absent from Blip because of work pressures for a while, got in touch to ask if we could meet up before Christmas - and of course, I was happy to meet her.

Prior to our meeting, I went for a wander around the Orbital Retail Park at North Swindon, but I didn’t really enjoy it, and yet it was something I used to love prior to Covid.  I guess I’ve got used to not being around people and now find it difficult, along with thousands of others, I’m sure.  I get cross because lots of people are still not wearing masks, but many are also just wearing them over their mouths, which sort of defeats the object!  Somehow, wandering around has lost its appeal, and the coffee shops I looked in were full, so I just bought an M & S sandwich and ate it in the car before I went to meet Debbie.

Before leaving M & S though, I did find another bottle with my name on it - see extra - not quite the same spelling, but perhaps I should buy one for us to have at Christmas.  I was hoping to find something that Mr. HCB could buy me for Christmas and/or my birthday, but nothing caught my eye and actually, there is nothing I need, so why buy just for the sake of it?

It was lovely to see Debbie again and we had a great time together, as we always do - she is so much younger than me, but ever since we worked together a long time ago, we have got on well and that hasn’t changed.  I gave her a grouse feather that we had found on the North Yorkshire moors when we were away in October, for her son, who loves that sort of thing and she has just messaged to say he loved it - it’s great when children appreciate the simple things in life.  Before we knew it, her lunch hour had gone but we said we will definitely talk on the phone before too long, as we only scratched the surface in our chat.

Today is Christmas Jumper Day in aid of Save the Children UK, so Debbie was wearing hers - although you can only see the reindeer antlers - unlike me, who had my purple one on - so I was pleased she agreed to let me take a photograph and I have made it a bit more Christmassy by putting a green background and I hope you will agree, she looks lovely.  Wish I had thought to give her some money for Save the Children. 

Advent Haiku
Christmas is the time
to reconnect with old friends - 
they are so precious
Maureen Iles