Rules

Life’s Golden Rules

~ beetleypete ~ 68 Comments

If you cannot find your reading glasses, they are usually on top of your head.

Just as you get into a nice warm bath, someone will ring the doorbell.

The keys you have been looking everywhere for are still hanging in the front door.

After waiting in for a parcel delivery, as soon as you have to go out, it will arrive. You come home to find a card that says “Sorry we missed you”.

If the sign on a multi-story car park says ‘Spaces Available’, you will drive around every level to discover that some people have parked across two spaces. So you have to drive out again, and find somewhere else to park.

If you are talking to someone on your landline telephone, somebody else will ring your mobile because your phone is engaged.

 

 

 

 

The Last Sunday Musings For January

~ beetleypete ~ 49 Comments

The first month of 2022 is almost behind us, and February beckons. It is not a leap year, so just the 28 days to come.

We bought a new vacuum cleaner this week. I think all the cleaning after decluttering finished off the cordless one, even though it wasn’t that old. The replacement has a bigger dust collection bin, so won’t need as many trips to empty it during cleaning.

—————————————————————————————-

Ollie has a few more days of tablets to complete his course. His fur is visibly growing back now, and has less patches. But it has some way to go yet before he looks ‘normal’.

—————————————————————————————–

With daytime temperatures varying between 1C and 15C in the same week, the strange winter weather continues. Some parts of Britain have experienced 80 mph winds, but they haven’t got as far south as Beetley just yet.

—————————————————————————————–

It took until Thursday the 27th for everyday life to return after Christmas and new year. By everyday life I of course mean bin collections, which are now back to their normal days. I no longer have to look at an online waste collection calendar to work out which day the dustmen are coming.

——————————————————————————————

That same day, Thursday, all Covid-19 restrictions finished officially in England. No more compulsory masks, except for medical premises and on London Transport. It is too early to say yet if millions are abandoning mask-wearing, and flocking to crowded events. And quiet Beetley is no benchmark for that research of course. As for us, we will be continuing to wear masks in closed public spaces like shops, and on any public transport. After all, people are still dying every day from the virus.

Just on Friday alone, 277 people in England died from it.

——————————————————————————————-

Have a wonderful Sunday everyone, and stay safe.

——————————————————————————————–

Freedom Day

~ beetleypete ~ 66 Comments

Yesterday was the so-called ‘Freedom day’ here. The ending of all formal and legal restrictions in England relating to the pandemic. The country has now ‘Opened Up’.

No more legal requirement to wear face coverings or masks.
No more compulsory soocial distancing.
Theatres, Cinemas, Bars, Nightclubs, Restaurants, all fully open with no more restrictions on numbers.
Outside and inside events allowed without any limit on numbers attending.
Families allowed to visit loved ones in hospitals and care homes after such a long time.

Not everyone was happy about that.

Those with health conditions that give them reduced immunity. Staff at care homes being told masks were still compulsory for them, as well as vaccinations being mandatory. People attending hospitals, health clinics, and doctor’s appointments becoming angry that masks are still compulsory in those places. Despite the high statistics surrounding the vaccination programme, infections are still increasing, especially among those who have refused vaccination, or are in the younger age groups.

To confuse the issue even more, our buffoon of a Prime Minister then announced that from September, anyone attending an enclosed nightclub will have to show proof of vaccination, or will not be allowed in. I can understand their anger. Yesterday, they could go to a nightclub with no vaccination, and no mask. In September, that will not be allowed if they are not vaccinated. It is crazy. Why not wait until September to open them?

Because of money. It’s always about money. Pressure from the entertainment industry, and drinks manufacturers, the need to open during the peak holiday season, and get in as much money as possible before new restrictions apply at the end of that season, in September. The holiday market is equally confused. You can travel to some countries with no need to self-isolate on return, as long as you have had both vaccinations. If not, you will have to self-isolate for 10-14 days on return from your holiday. That means a 2-week holiday requires up to 4 weeks off work, so is not possible for the majority of the population.

Travel on public transport was left to the discretion of the carrier. So in London, the Mayor has made mask-wearing compulsory on all London Transport for the foreseeable future. But in other cities, it is to be left up to the traveller to decide whether ot not to wear a mask.

It’s a complete mess, and full of contradictions. The government has shown itself to be both decisive and indecisive in the same sentence. Many are confused, and that’s understandable.

No other European country facing a steady increase in infections attached to a new variant has taken the chance to open up fully. England has become an ‘experiment’.

An experiment with the lives of its people at stake.

Guests Posts: Another Try

~ beetleypete ~ 68 Comments

The last time I offered to host guest posts on this blog, the response was rather lukewarm.

Not downhearted, I have decided to make that offer once again, whether to new bloggers, experienced bloggers, and anyone who has previously had a guest post on here. It is not time-limited, so if you want to write something specifically for the guest post, you can send it at leisure.

I will advise you of the ‘rules’ once again.

1) You must be an existing follower of my blog, or follow me on Twitter. @beetleypete
2) Feel free to promote one of your books. But NO SELLING of products please.
3) Post to be under 3,000 words, preferably less than 2,000.
4) Any images or photos to be small files only.
5) No bad language or blatant racist and sexual references. This is a family blog.
6) No religion please.

*If you do not want your real name used on the post, please make this clear to me*

Your post will not be edited or corrected by me, so please check it before sending.

All posts will be left on my blog permanently, and shared on Twitter the day of publication.

Please add a short bio, and a photo of yourself if you want one shown.
(Up to you)

The post can be about anything you choose. There is no ‘theme’.

Please send the text AS AN EMAIL (not a Word Document) to petejohnson50@yahoo.com
Please send any images separately, to the same email address.
If you are promoting a book, please add full buying links, as well as a photo of the cover.

When the post has been accepted, I will send you a link to it, and would expect you to engage with any comments received. If for any reason I do not accept the post, I will email you with my reasons why.

Over to you!

Recent Guest Posts

~ beetleypete ~ 26 Comments

I would like to thank everyone who sent me a guest post for publication. This was the best response ever, and I was delighted.

I hope that everyone will agree that the guest posts were of a very high standard, and I was very happy to feature the bloggers involved.
Although I apologise if you felt somewhat inundated by so many at once. 🙂

Please remember that this is not ‘time-limited’. You can always send me a guest post at any time, and it’s very easy to do.

1) Send me the text of your post to petejohnson50@yahoo.com (Or a link to where I can find and copy that text)
2) Send me any photos/images you want to add separately, to the same email address. Make sure the images can be copied or downloaded though.
3) If you would like to add your own bio, or short introduction, send that separately too.
4) Please send any links to blogs or published work as ‘full links’, not just typed out.
5) Reblog my guest post on your site, to attract more readers.
6) If you have had a guest post featured before, no problem. Send me another one!

Feel free to promote your published work, or any current project. But I DO NOT allow blatant selling. So no links to your SEO, Etsy, or Ebay sites, please.

Nothing will be edited or altered, as long as it is less than 2,500 words, and the photos are reduced into small files.

This is a full-time offer, and open to anyone who follows my blog, or is a part of this wider blogging community.
I will expect you to acknowledge and reply to all comments, as engagement is the key to good blogging.

Best wishes to everyone. Pete.