Isolation and flowers

Just a low key update today as things continue to go well here. Poppy and Lee have both developed sore throats and general flu like symptoms so I have retreated to my study and segregated bathrooms, towels etc so that I avoid catching the bug from them. Poppy missed a day at school today from being too poorly to go but she seems much better now so my enforced isolation should not last too long. She is still very pleased with herself having won the school singing cup but is worried her throat will not have cleared up enough for her to sing at the award ceremony as planned next Wednesday.

I am still doing well medically with a visit to the doctors due next Thursday and my critical scan now set for the 26th of July, and then a week of waiting while they work out what the results mean, hopefully that will be the all clear which starts my move back to work in August as I am getting pretty bored with exercise, cooking and more recently a bit of gardening. I was not allowed to do any gardening other than push the lawnmower for the first six weeks out of hospital due to all the bugs in the soil etc. Over the last few days I have managed to clear the accumulated six months of weeds from our flowerbeds carefully using gloves and antibiotic hand wash afterwards, although I am not a gardener at all its nice to see things pretty tidy in the garden and sit outside for coffee in the sunshine after a day in the garden.

The news at the moment has me in despair as you may guess given my previous blogs in favour of a fairer settlement for the Palestinians - to see them implode as a group into factional fighting is just exasperating. As I have said before they have shown very poor unity and common sense as a group over many years plucking defeat from the jaws of many victories.

My first foray into stocks and shares happened this week, I have always been a bit wary of debt so have concentrated on paying back money owed on houses etc rather than investing, perhaps this is an overly conservative view but there it is. Anyway I had the chance to put a bit of money in a stock ISA (which is tax free in the UK so a good idea). After 24hrs I had managed to lose 100 pounds so not a brilliant start ! Lets hope things go in a more positive direction in the future.

We had two artistic highlights this week one was poppy's singing and dance role in the end of school performance of the senior school and the other was Lee's aunt graduating from the Edinburgh art school and being a part of the final year exhibit. She has taken up the art class since retirement and is doing really well selling some of the works she was showing. Well done Dorothy!

So no big news from here, no news still continues to be good news, hope you all are looking forward and enjoying the summer.

Cheers

Gerry