The Game of Life

Lady M kite flying in Paphos. A happy day in her game of life! 

Howde Peeps,

Donald and I are still with you and trying to find posts to cheer you up. This Covid thing is still with you and causing chaos. We know that Lady M see life as a game in which we can never win but she  always remained positive when the dice throws her low numbers. Right now, it's throwing everyone low numbers. So please enjoy rereading this, stay positive until the dice begins throwing double sixes again. Love S and D xxxxx

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Hello Everyone,

Lady M still here and is feeling philosophical, positive and nostalgic while working on the present theme for her blogs, namely Life.

It all started on that day when she thought about her age. Life is definitely a game which we all play. We have no choice. We are automatically included on the day we are born rather like being the car, dog, top hat or other token placed on Go on the Monopoly™ board. Someone else threw the dice and decided on our starting number. However, unlike Monopoly™ there are no winners in the game of life. (The pic of daffs on the left? Lady M likes it).

So, we are born, and we begin to move around the board of life. If we are lucky we may find ourselves living on Mayfair or perhaps our destiny is to remain on The  Old Kent Road.

 Our first memories are of that so called glorious period of childhood or the age of discovery. We discover the difference between right and wrong, we discover that we have needs like sustenance, we learn how to communicate, we learn that humans wear clothes, we learn how to behave. Our gathering of knowledge begun in those early months before we even walk is the beginning of a lifetime of learning. There will be talk of that place called school where education is drummed into the brain; much essential learning for what follows childhood... adulthood. The dice will be thrown again. Where it lands will determine our education. We will go through this stage because Time and Tide wait for no man. During those years the dice may be thrown again and throw things into confusion. Maybe, one of those factors determined by fate of the dice like moving, redundancy, death, divorce, or other changing circumstances will change everything. As children we are not in control and cannot change where the dice lands. Of course, other factors play a part in the lives of different individuals. The country and place of birth will have an effect on opportunities and chances.

Lady M likes this place

 We move round the board of life. If we break the rules it is Go to Jail. Alas, unlike Monopoly™ there is no get out of jail free card. Sometimes. it may seem as if life is easy or we are on the Free Parking spot. This will not last for long.

 Another  throw of the dice and we are either in higher education and still learning for some career or other or we are in the work place and struggling to pay the bills. At some stage we will pass Go and have a windfall. Hopefully, more than £200. For others, it will be a low score and a sad lot in life... homeless, refugees, poverty, poor health.


A few more years pass by and we move on to another phase after another throw. What has the dice given us... a partner, a marriage, children? We are parents but we don't feel prepared. It all seemed so easy in those lazy, hazy, crazy days of childhood. What do we do? We muddle through and do the best we can.

 The pic? One of her memories from afternoon tea at The Tower Ballroom in Blackpool. Another happy day for her. It reminds her of a German phrase she learned, Abwarten und Tee trinken. Simply means, wait and drink tea. When the dice are conspiring against us all we can do is wait and hope. Or, many find consolation, support and hope in their faith whatever it maybe. Our faith or religion is a personal choice. We may be born into a specific one but in later life it will be our choice or determined by the dice. Those children grow up and throw their own dice. Our lives have changed again. We are moving faster round the board. We question why we are playing this game. Could or should we have made different decisions? No! We wait for the inevitable.

A good attitude to the game of life!

Those final throws determine how we spend those last days of mortality. The final waiting game. I have a friend who lives in a retirement village. He said that they referred to the village as 'God's waiting room.'

Yes, I confess, although I do not reside in such a village yet I am in that waiting room. The dice has given me some good numbers and some bad ones over the years but somehow I have survived. They say that wisdom comes with age. I don't know. I was born a genius! But what I do know is that we will never win in this game so the best we can do is enjoy it, particularly the good times, and be happy as we float round the board.

Next week, Lady M will be challenging you!

Until then, just remember that you cannot win. It is impossible but have a great week anyway! If the dice throws a double six and you win the lottery my number is... 😃😇😉😊😁

Yours, Lady M

Lockdown 12

A holiday memory, Yeriskipou Church, Cyprus

Hello Peeps,

Lady M still here and somehow surviving Lockdown in what I can only describe as a desperate country. It is now thought that we should have gone into lockdown a week earlier, and then the number of deaths would be half what it is now. Well, we are only second to America. Fourth in the global table and we have the worst situation in Europe. We see New Zealand on the news, a country totally free of the virus. They have moved back to normality. The secret? Early lockdown and good testing. 

This week I would like to share my log for last weekend. 

Enjoy!

Day 75, Another weekend!

Wow! I’m looking at the news and am seriously alarmed. Protests are going ahead worldwide over the death of George Floyd. Yes, okay. All for it. "Black Lives Matter" but we are in a pandemic. What do I see? Thousands of peeps in close proximity at Parliament Square, London. Both the Home and Health Secretary have pleaded with peeps not to gather in large numbers at this time; in fact not more than six peeps. Their pleas have been ignored. Clearly, peeps desire to protest over racism against blacks is stronger than their concern over the pandemic. We all know what that means. Soon that ‘R’ figure is gonna rise again. Look out! Lockdown will be back.

An interesting point has just been made. Technically, these peeps are breaking the law. Are the police going to arrest them? Unlikely. I see a poster at the lead, as they’re marching to the Home Office, JUSTICE FOR and beneath it pics of about eight peeps who have presumably lost their lives through injustice and police brutality. I’m now hearing that George Floyd is not alone in this situation of being unable to breathe and pleading for his life. The PM of Australia is on the news. He has given the same message to peeps, but Sydney is alive with throngs and masses of protestors. The Australians and the rest of the world are united. Covid 19 has taken second place to racism. Okay, things are wrong and need to be put right, but now? Surely, this will add fuel to the fire of racism when more peeps lose relatives as a result of increased victims of Covid 19.

Actually, I think it’s confession time. I am a white British individual and deffo not racist but I am guilty of that ostrich approach to the racist situation largely through ignorance. I have had Sikh neighbours for many years. In more recent years we have had serious parking issues on our little street. The police have been involved and my neighbours have said that the police both listened and treated me differently from them. I didn’t believe it, but then I’m educated to degree level, an author, and former teacher. The lottery of life. I guess it’s been a case of ignorance being bliss. How many others can identify with me? 

Moving on. It’s after 2.00. What have I done today? Lazed. What am I going to do? Laze. I blame the weather. It’s drab and that wet stuff occasionally falls from the sky. So different from last weekend when all the windows were open and the sun ruled the sky. Oh well, it will return; it’s just having a little rest at the moment.

Gonna watch the film "Carousel" later. Have fun, folks.

Had lunch. Hey, Antonio has been in between that wet stuff falling. Made my day. The film is as good as ever. Waiting for the famous song, very appropriate for today, "You’ll never walk alone".

Will make my phone call when the film finishes.

Such a sad ending. Made the call, and had dinner. Now I’m looking at the figures. Today the UK has 1,557 new cases. Worldwide the figure is 86,239. Lockdown is easing? What planet are those peeps on? After today’s worldwide protests it will probably be double that in a couple of weeks. There’s a time and place for everything. This is not the time for protest marches whatever the reason. So much has happened virtually in the last weeks why can’t the civil rights movement use virtual reality for now and protest later? 

Okay, I’m saying goodnight now. Back tomorrow.

Day 76, Sunday June 7th Trinity Sunday.

Today is a day of many happy memories. I’ve been looking at my photo album from the sixties. I have pretty pics of me in chorister robes walking through our lovely little village, Ashford in the Water, at the Blessing of the Wells. This is an ancient Derbyshire tradition; peeps gave thanks to God for the gift of wells and life giving water. I wonder if it’s happening this year? Our church was the Holy Trinity Church, hence the reason our thanksgiving was on Trinity Sunday. 

We moved to this village in March 1960. I recall talk of wells dressing and had a vision of peeps taking clothes to put on the wells. Alas, that is not the case. The dressing is large clay boards with flower petals and foliage pressed into the clay to create an image, usually Biblical. Each Well had a name and a specific group in the community was responsible for it. Once completed and erected they would stay in place for a week. Visitors would come to view them; they were also a source of income. When it was over they were removed and stored until the next year; six weeks before the event they would be taken down to the river and placed in the water to soften the clay. Clever! That first year, sixty years ago I helped for the first time. My allocated well? The Children’s Well. I stayed with that one through to my last time, in 1969, prior to College days. Treasured memories. 

Last year, I was looking at a page on Facebook on the history of that village and saw a short film of one of those years. I couldn’t believe my eyes; there was my father crossing the road. Yes, my father alive again. Wonderful. What’s that phrase, “Today’s moments are tomorrow’s memories?”

This morning I watched the service from St David’s Cathedral in Pembrokeshire and later "Songs of Praise". Today, “S of P”was a special one and not the one originally planned. It highlighted the murder of George Floyd and the racist issue. Illuminating and certainly a better way to look at the problem than marching in large crowds and adding to the pandemic problem. A phrase has just come to mind… Houston, we have a problem!

It is still wet and drab here but my darling delivered. His melodic tones brighten any day. How many more peeps chose to buy ice cream today? Probably not many. Who cares?

There’s no update on the virus this weekend. I wonder why? Has our government gone into hiding, in fear of the community, after so many mistakes over Covid19? There are more protests this afternoon in various cities. Why have they not been stopped? The figures? Total cases has now passed the 7,000,000 mark. 

Okay, off for lunch now and possibly a bit of ironing I think plus games, tv and work. I shall end the day with a bubble bath.

Have fun. Just think. The easy option is always the easiest but it may not be the best. There’s no problem that does not have a solution but finding it is the hard part. For the sake of your sanity accept what you cannot change.

Stay safe, peeps. Lots of love, Lady M xxxxx

Lockdown 3

Hello Everyone,

Well, we are now in our third week of lockdown. Sadly, some have not survived it and I send my sympathy and condolences to those who have lost loved ones. It is our Easter weekend and normally we would be excited and looking forward to sunny days ahead and much activity. Churches will be empty this Friday morning, the time for remembering Christ's crucifixion, and on Sunday for his resurrection. If there was ever a time to look after or look out for each other it is now. If there was ever a time to be positive, smiling, happy and hold on to hope it is now. My pics this week are of my book showing the apt title and a candle. I would like to ask you all to join me this Eastertide and light a candle for all those who are suffering. We must also remember those front line soldiers who are still working and putting their lives at risk for the rest of us. They deserve our respect and our weekly applause. I am going to post a section telling the Easter story and two of my Lockdown passages. I hope they will help you or maybe even inspire you to do something positive through these Groundhog days.

The Easter Story

Today is Good Friday in the Christian Religion. It is the day when Christians remember how Jesus died on the Cross outside the Jerusalem City Wall. 

On Sunday the church  will celebrate the Resurrection of Christ. That first Sunday morning, when the women went to the tomb where Jesus had been hastily lain only to find the stone removed and the body missing, is celebrated. The women were anxious to anoint the body, in accordance with Jewish tradition, at the earliest opportunity. Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and other women arrived at the tomb, expecting to find it secured by a stone. Imagine their surprise, the stone rolled away and the tomb empty. Inside, a young man, wearing a white robe, spoke to them, "Do not be amazed; you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen, he is not here; see the place where they laid him. But go tell his disciples and Peter, that he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him as he told you."

(Mark ,Chapter16, vs 6 & 7.)

Lockdown

Day 14,

Hey, we are almost at the end of week two in the UK. Other countries are further into this. After our monarch’s inspiring address yesterday we can do a few more if we have to. Maybe, we should see each day as an adventure. This is different from anything we’ve ever known before, horrendous as it is, if we look at it as something exciting and with new opportunities it will seem easier to endure.

It’s 12.19 and I’m on my second cuppa. Yep, late today but I was reading until the small hours and was still awake at 3.00 am. These things don’t matter now do they? Night and day have become kinda synonymous. Oh it was a Sophie Kinsella book.

I know some peeps are getting bored. Well, bored peeps are boring. If you’re bored you need to do something about it. Take this time to learn a new language, take up a new hobby, catch up on reading, catch up on odd jobs. The choice is yours and with the Internet you don’t even have to go out.

I’ve just been sent a message about prayer. If ever there was a time for prayer it’s now. Whatever your religion or beliefs never underestimate the power of prayer.

What am I doing today? Not sure yet but I will not be bored.

Now, let’s take a look at the figures. Be brave. Locally, the number has risen to 316. Not good. The UK number of cases is 48,000 where as USA is at 336,000+. Worldwide the figure is 1 ¼ million. Deaths 70,000+. It wants me wanna have a lot of duvet days but we must be positive. Always remember good will conquer evil. We will win this war.

Will watch the goggle box for a while and then maybe face the mounting dishes in the kitchen. Have fun. Normally, I would be going to the library for afternoon tea on Monday. Yes, it’s deffo Monday, yesterday was Sunday! Routine had disappeared but not down the black hole. It’s just taking a rest and will return. I’ve also noticed that library books have all been dated for return on June 30th. Do they know something we don’t?

It’s 6.30 pm and the day has sort of drifted by. I went out for a walk. Well, to be more precise I walked about two hundred yards round the block. There was not a soul in sight. A helicopter hovered above. I’m assuming they were monitoring the situation particularly in the nearby Park and Sandwell Valley ensuring peeps were not congregating or sunbathing. I can’t believe peeps are actually doing that. I did notice a change on our Tesco’s car park . No cars. It looks like it’s been set up as a Covid19 testing centre.

I’ve just had the great experience of the week…I put the bin out. I waited all day until 6.00 pm. I took my grey household waste bin out of my back gate and my neighbour brought her bin out at the same time. It was really exciting. I never thought the day would come when putting a bin out would be so exciting or the highlight of the week. Garden rubbish and food waste collections have been suspended so we only have recycling and household rubbish collections now and for the foreseeable.

What next? I shall watch the soaps and then the last episode of 'Liar'.

So, stay safe folks.

Day 15,

Oh dear, our PM, Boris is in intensive care. His symptoms persisted while in isolation and now it’s serious. Should we all learn from this? The virus is demanding. He insisted on working and leading the Government while in isolation. Should he have rested?

Something has just been delivered. Dare I pick it up off the mat? I’ll put gloves on first. Well, it was the letter from the Government on Coronavirus. I guess in about a hundred years time one or two of these remaining letters will be sold for a fortune on a kind of eBay equivalent unless we have destroyed the world by then.

The weather is brill and we’re having a kinda mini summer leading up to Easter. So, this afternoon I’ll be in my little garden working on my potting plants.

I keep feeling my forehead. Do I have a temperature? Well, I could only guess as I don’t have a thermometer. If I tried to buy one they’re probably scarce or cost a fortune now. Anyway, I don’t have a dry cough. Curiosity has got the better of me. Just had a quick look at thermometers at Boots online.. not only expensive but many out of stock, coming soon. We are not only a country in chaos but a world in chaos.

Normally, I would be planning day trips and listening for Antonio’s melodic sound heralding the arrival of ice cream at this time of year. Many would be packing ready to hit the skies for holidays in foreign climes. Recently, a relatively new word became popular…staycation. The idea of holidaying at home as opposed to abroad. People would take a holiday somewhere in the UK rather like the days of my youth when a holiday was an annual event, not a monthly one, and a trip to the seaside. Usually, it was a week. If you could afford two weeks you were really lucky. Now, a holiday or staycation means stay in your home!

Yesterday, I saw an article by Simon Calder on travel. He predicts that overseas travel will take around five years to get back to where it was before this pandemic. Many are still stranded abroad as flights were cancelled and borders closed last month. Are peeps going to want to fly abroad or go on a cruise after this? How many airlines or businesses, hotels, restaurants etc will survive?

So, let’s look at the figures for today. Note, I’ve put it off today. Worldwide, 12,000 new cases. USA well ahead of any other country at 360,000+. Alarming. We have had more than 5,000 deaths.

On that sobering note it’s time for my second cuppa.

Back for the news at 1.30. No, it’s not good. Tremendous noise in the skies… two helicopters going round today. Have sorted some of my plants out this morning. Relaxing for a while. Thinking about what to do next.

Listening to the update on BBC and learn that I shouldn’t take much notice of the statistics. The listed ones here are hospital deaths only. They do not take into account care homes where many are losing their lives to this virus or deaths elsewhere like homes. So that may mean twice the number shown. Also, the case figures may well be fiction. So, I guess when all this is over we’ll just round it up to the nearest million or so.

Something exciting to report today. I’m learning how to post on Instagram. How many people will acquire new skills during this sad time? Ingenuity and creative skills? Afterwards will peeps have learned never to take things for granted particularly as they look at the mountain of toilet rolls stored in the corner of the lounge (the only room in their property large enough to accommodate them).

A car came round today. I rushed to the window. Movement outside. It was only a council van.

Only one soap opera on the box tonight. Then I shall have my third game of Scrabble and attempt to beat my score. Finally, a nice relaxing bubble bath before I retire. Stay safe peeps and well.

And stay safe my friends. Have the best Easter you can and please light a candle.

Lady M xxxxx