On several occasions this month, I have had an automated telephone call saying, "Thank you for making your purchase of a mobile phone with …". It goes on to say that if the item is not my purchase, all I have to do is to press "1" on … Read more
Last summer, I repaired the broken glass on the fence side of the greenhouse. This required taking down the neighbouring fence to gain access to the panes. In so doing, I closed the entrance for the mice that set up home in the cold … Read more
The last year has been a productive time for me. I have managed to fulfil many of the tick boxes mentally listed, partly because I have had the family at home to embolden me to keep going, just knowing that they are around to call if I … Read more
I have an aging car with an old battery nearing its expiry date. Via a connector in the boot, I have attached a trickle-charge solar panel in the tailgate window to keep the battery charged up as high as it will allow. This way, the car … Read more
I was listening in on the radio to Jennifer Kavanagh, a representative for the RAND Corporation, an American non-profit global policy think tank. She made observations about social media and their influence in the recent USA presidential … Read more
Some time back, I watched a programme on television called Antiques Roadshow, which Caroline encouraged me to take in. I say "encouraged" but in reality, it was more of an expectation of husbandly compliance for a quiet life. The … Read more
Before COVID-19, our church has usually had a Christmas craft fayre, mainly as an outreach for the local community. The church membership, who are mostly tasked with supervising the various craft table activities, come, too. They are … Read more
As I have written elsewhere , I have a yearly dialogue with the tax department. Year-on-year, they seem unable to join up the dots between our income and their rules. This year was no different. In COVID-19 times, it was more troublesome … Read more
Yesterday, I was standing in the queue, practicing social distancing, waiting to buy my fish, chicken, peas, and chips, when a man approached, singing his own version of a Nat King Cole song: "When I fall in love, it will be for money …" … Read more