Fifteenth October

Half way through another month and what is different? Er...

Fortunately we have managed to get fairly regular supermarket deliveries but it is disheartening to read of panic buyers every so often. We used to walk to the supermarket to get our groceries, topping up using the local shop but since all the lockdown started we began ordering online.

I despise the internet. Luddite? Far from it, I was excited by the internet when it first started but as time has gone on, there are dreadful companies such as Amazon which do nothing for honest retailers and surely the very worst of a bad bunch - Facebook, the most rotten and corrupt company to have existed and which is gradually destroying humanity in a way that Covid will never achieve.

October already

Is it really October? The days/weeks/months do seem to blend into one.

Whilst the days indeed seem to be almost identical, there surely will never be another year like this one.

I am reminded of Dickens... It was the best of times, it was the worst of times... except it is more... It was the oddest of times, it was the dullest of times.

Any other suggestions?

A sad time

 It is with great sadness that one of our members has died recently. 

Rob was a great character, a lovely, kind man. He had many wonderful stories about his tremendous life and loving family. Our get togethers were always enhanced when Rob was with us, he will be greatly missed.

Time for some good weather

Well, with the children going back to school surely that usually starts a run of good weather.

The apples are starting to ripen and we are getting another good crop of raspberries.

This year we are cooking and pureeing the apples for freezing and also freezing the raspberries. 

A gusty time

 It has been windy but not as bad as forecast, yet. 

Here is a weather forecast, the weather this week is likely to be changeable and we may have rain with some sunny periods, there is still a degree of uncertainty though. I mean what is the point?

An update to the previous blog re TV licence etc. I forgot to add that we have done away with our TiVo box from Virgin Media too. I have disconnected all the TV aerials etc. 

So it's only Catch Up TV or DVD's etc. from now on. But although it's only been a few weeks we don't actually watch even those, it's either audio books from the library, the radio including internet radio or... books!

Scam again

After we cancelled our direct debit for a TV licence, we received a letter (actually before the next actual payment was due!).

But what was creepy was that we received an email from 'TV Licensing' 

 

I have erased our email address from the above screengrab.

Things to note that this is a scam. The sender address ends .co.uk.a - the extra .a is not valid uk email address.

The letter begins Dear our email address. The TV licensing already know our name, so again this is incorrect.

The TVL No. is not our TV Licence number and all the other numbers are bogus too.

The date is in an American format - why would the British Biased Company use that?

BUT the insidious part is the final bit although the web link looks official the actual address is nothing like it and takes you to a totally different site and whilst I have not clicked on it obviously, I can guess that it looks official and will ask you to enter your details and bank details so that they can process your missed payment. Oh and take every penny out of your bank account at the same time.

Please if you get one of these emails, do not open it but forward it to your internet fraud department.

Something

What is everyone doing to keep going?

Biggest excitement for us was our first online supermarket delivery. More slots are becoming available now so we were able to get one with Asda.

we chose Asda as for me they make by far and away the best gluten free bread and unlike Genius gluten free, it isn't packed with Xanthan gum. Xanthan gum is an awful product originally derived from the bacteria that makes cabbages go mouldy, black and slimy - poisonous. But despite that it's not that which puts me off as Xanthan gum is just like glue to me or rather plaster of Paris, I would be better off eating wheat!

Anyway they delivered almost everything we requested and it all had a good long date and even the bananas were very green, which we like.