The Week

 

Hello all. Apologies for the lateness. I struggle most to produce content when there is very little to tell you, and this week has been more or less the same. The biggest highlight of the week was HOH managing to get the telly tuned to Southwest news. Most of the news was the same as when we left - farmers in a mood, holiday park owners in a mood and a lady on a surfboard complaining about the sewage in the sea. It's all quite comforting, actually. 

There is nothing to report on the house front. We are all dealing with a deafening silence as "top-level" planning apparently goes on. It's all made a bit more annoying as the media and the socials are getting involved. Well, when I say media and the socials, I mean our local paper and TikTok, etc. Our local news outlet normally confines itself to hassling the council about car park fees and sharing tales of women who thought that they had a bit of a cough but now find that they are due to meet their Maker in a couple of weeks. However, they have found a new way to pass the time by turning up at our place and hassling security guards, shouting, "Is there anyone in there? Is there?" (Actually, there usually are people in there to be frank, but they are all adults and have made their own decisions.) Trust me, love. This is not going to win you the Pulitzer. 

Also, my daughter sent me the clip below from TikTok this week, which she captioned "Just people on TikTok being 'normal' about your situation". As the great Terry Wogan used to say - "they're not all locked up.

Speaking of Wogan era things, we were channel hopping the other night, and we came across the end of the Morecambe and Wise Show. They were singing "Bring Me Sunshine", and Janet Webb came on at the end and took all the applause. That was so lovely and funny. I remember, years ago, trying to explain it to our kids - "Why are they singing?" Who is that lady?" "But she hasn't even been in it." I knew immediately that if I couldn't explain the significance of people like Morecambe and Wise to them, then I would have failed as a parent. I then embarked on a period of indoctrination about Top Seventies Comedy. I may have overdone it, so it may have backfired, but at least they know who Larry Grayson was.

Also in the lovely things category - we're loving watching Sort Your Life Out, and Race Across the World is back. Hurrah! Anyone with half an eye open can see how staged Sort Your Life Out is, but it is so lovely and positive, seeing these people who often have very difficult life circumstances to deal with, getting support to get back on track. And I just love Stacey. She just seems so  - well - nice. 

I am very admiring of the people in Race Across the World. I am sure that they have a van full of producers, medics, mediators and language experts following along behind them, but it is still amazing. Apparently, when they are auditioning, they are sent out and told to navigate as quickly and efficiently as possible between two points in London. That would be me out at the first hurdle then. I mean, I can do it, but I like to take my time, which is not really what the point is. 

Yesterday was unexpectedly glorious weather, so we took ourselves off to the Hoe for an hour, along with the rest of Plymouth by the look of it. It did us good. Can I be frank with you? Do you mind? We are finding this period quite difficult and faith challenging. We are old now, and this is top-level draining. I understand that the question "Why?" is not really acceptable to a mature person/Christian, but ..."Why?" Answers on a postcard, please. Have a good week.