I have to admit that I was surprised when I saw the author K.M. Peyton’s obituary in The Guardian this morning, mainly because I had just assumed that she had died years ago, she was 94 years old. I loved her Flambards books and the 1979 TV series which was based on them. I must admit that I hadn’t realised that she wrote a lot more books than those ones over the years. I don’t recall seeing any others on my trawls around second-hand bookshops.
To another subject – last week.
I suppose it had to happen, but after managing to dodge COVID for four years it caught up with us last week, after what had been the quietest week we had had for about a month. We only went to the library and the supermarket, both of which were really quite empty. Anyway, we survived and after three really horrible days of constant headache, coughing and exhaustion the symptoms eased off and we’re just about back to normal now.
The variant that we got obviously managed to dodge the vaccination as Jack had only got his booster last month, I wasn’t eligible, but he was just as ill as I was. I’ve been told that it is people who had managed to stay COVID free who are getting it now, apparently it was inevitable. It wasn’t a great start to the new year but I suppose it could have been worse! In one way it’s really good as with the imminent arrival of our second grandchild at least it menas that we don’t have to worry about passing it on to the new baby when it arrives as we should be immune for a while now.
Please wear a N95 mask! In the States, covid is rampant among people who have had all the vaccines and boosters, and who had covid and survived back when people were dying from it. So the antibodies theory isn’t holding up. This variant is considered faster to acquire though with lesser effects – but that’s not what I’ve been hearing from my friends who fit those categories (above) – it was a siege for them. The only way to be safe is to wear a mask – if not for you and your husband, then for the prospective parents – Congratulations!
My family loved watching Flambards every week on tv, and soon afterwards we went to England and got tickets to The Mousetrap in London and what a surprise – the Flambards actor who played Dick was in the cast! We were so excited! We wondered if he recognized us!
Take care, stay safe!
Jeannike,
Of course he recognised you!
I think that the governments here are just in denial about Covid and think it’s all done and dusted, or hope it is anyway. The advice we got was compltely wrong as they said to isolate for five days, but we were really toxic after five days. I’m just happy that we didn’t go out at all or have any visitors after being at the supermarket, so we definitely didn’t spread it around. We will be wearing masks and I always carry a bottle of hand sanitiser in my bag now. Thanks for taking the time to comment, and for the congratulations! Keep well!
Katrina
Glad you’re both recovering! I’ve still dodged the bullet but I guess it’ll get us all in the end.
FictionFan,
I worried about being in among so many different people and venues at Christmas, but that wasn’t a problem at all, I suppose it’s just a luck thing, but we weren’t close to anyone when we picked covid up, but they have got rid of all the supermarket screens now, I wish they had kept them up! Keep dodging that bullet!
What a depressing way to begin the year! I am glad you are both feeling better. I am also in the still dodging it club although my siblings wonder if I had so mild a case I didn’t notice. I signed up for a study of people who hadn’t got it because I thought they would confirm it one way or another but they haven’t called me.
Exciting about the new grandchild!
I was extremely sad when I read about Peyton because for years I have meant to write to her. I wish I weren’t such a procrastinator. I only had one thing to tell her that others hadn’t but it would have made her laugh, I am sure. I have quite a shelf of her books as I think we discussed when we were doing Bookshelf Traveling (I think so, anyway).
Constance,
We probably did discuss your Peytone books previously! I think most of the were ‘pony’ books though and I didn’t read a lot of books like that. I loved Flambards for the flying and WW1 aspect. Black Beauty and Sahara Hostage (Kelman D. Frost ?) were my horse books.
Well I am exactly the same, for years I meant to write to Mary Stewart, she hung on until she was in her 90s too, but I never did manage to write that letter, also Pilcher, who lived only about ten miles from here, then suddenly she was dead too, again over 90 I think.
Keep dodging covid!