User: rebecca94

Hi Emily

I am pleased that you are well and that your school has not been as badly affected as some. I am sure it was wise to continue with mask wearing. Half term seems to be arriving quickly - you will no doubt be pleased to have a rest.

I have a coach trip early on Saturday. It is a "taster" designed for new customers and is a mystery tour. We leave on Saturday morning and return on Sunday evening with one night in a 4 star hotel and a route which will take in several places of interest.

I am not sure of the destination but it could be Bournemouth. It will be great to get back again and meet people. Cruises are starting in a few weeks - there are offers on prices to tempt more "clients" Norway seems popular Once they start, Andrew will come back on board doing admin work.

We met up last Saturday - a walk, meal and long chat. He is fine but still worried about his mother although numbers are reducing in his area. He tries to do all the shopping etc to prevent her from going into crowded areas as much as possible. West Ham are being televised in a cup match this weekend so he will be watching it.

Joel seems to be doing well with his training - it cannot be easy conducting a funeral. We have special services to mark the Queen's 70th Anniversary of coming to the throne on Sunday but I will miss them. I think there is music/hymns sung at the Coronation but the main celebrations will be in June.

The shop is doing well. I do a mix of sorting and till work. I expect I will do some more mid week shifts until the cruises start as the coach trips tend to be long weekends until the spring.

Again comfy warm clothes for me - grey jumper, black trousers and trainers. I will need to sort an outfit for Saturday evening. You keep putting me to shame!

I will be able to tell you more about the mystery weekend next time

Enjoy your week

Rebecca

Hi Emily

Have been on leave again this week - working several shifts in the shop as otherwise I would have been rather bored. I rearranged the book section and also found some nearly new shoes. Grey flats and cream sandals. I couldn't resist at £4.50 each!

I think your school is wise to continue mask wearing. It seemed to me too early to relax the restrictions and it was mentioned several times on the news that student numbers are still rising.

I shall continue to wear mine in shops and we will find out on Sunday if our church will encourage mask wearing. I expect they will.

I am planning to see Andrew tomorrow. Will travel up at about 9.00 a.m. and aim to be home before dark. There is no football tomorrow and he was convinced that last minute goal should not have been allowed last week.

The mothballed cruise ships are being cleaned with a view to the full programme starting again in March. Take up has been low with a lot of cruises being cancelled - so I won't be going to Barbados until next winter but Europe looks very likely soon. In the meantime coach tours will be back with some short weekend breaks and mystery tours and "tasters" to tempt new customers.

Your outfits always outshine mine at the moment. Just got back from a food shop - so grey jumper, black trousers and trainers!

I hope that you and Joel keep well and stay safe.

Take care

Rebecca

Hi Emily

I postponed seeing Andrew today - a combination of frost/fog and a headache (time of the month) We have just had a chat on the phone - not the same I know - but he understood.

He was disappointed at the Leeds result as he thought that they should have won that match but they didn't play that well. He was pleased to be able to see a match again though.

Cruises should be running again normally by Spring. Some companies are operating now but take up is understandably low and I expect that they are losing money. It is difficult to socially distance on a ship and no doubt "clients" will have to demonstrate that they are fully vaccinated etc. No doubt there will be difficulties with that as per a certain tennis player!

Another week in the charity shop. It is good to keep busy. I now have a black skirt - just above knee length. It started life in M & S and is quite good quality. It cost me £3. No luck with red tops though yet. My "black" stockings are the thin ones.

I am hoping to go on a coach trip in early Feb when there are some long weekends planned as "winter warmers" and some to attract new customers with special deals on rates.

I thought that you might be having issues with infections/isolations at school. It surprised me when I heard that restrictions on mask wearing were to be eased so soon. I would not be surprised if infection numbers rise amongst students.

I am pleased to hear that Joel did well with the funeral. It unfortunately will be part of the job. Celebrating a full and happy life is a good way of looking at it. Sadly we had a case of a younger person here - following a traffic accident.

Your grey outfit sounded great - better than mine! Not much effort from me today - not feeling up to it - blue woolly jumper (rather old but warm and comfy), older black trousers and bedroom slippers.

Enjoy your week and stay safe

Rebecca

Hi Emily

I went to see Andrew yesterday for about 4 hours. It seemed ages since we last met in person and it was great to spend some time together again. The weather was milder dry with little fog so I felt safe driving there.

We went shopping and I persuaded him to buy some new shirts. It was a type of covered market and prices were reasonable. He ended up buying three - all suitable for work. I paid for them as we couldn't spend much on each other at Christmas. Andrew doesn't tend to buy new clothes until there is a real need and wears items until they nearly fall apart! I managed to buy some black stockings (although they were not called black on the packet) ready for a black/red outfit.

We had fish and chips for lunch and I left at about 2.30 to get home in daylight. He was pleased about the cup result and is planning to go to see the game against Leeds today.

I did two shifts in the charity shop. I thought I had found a black skirt but it had a hole in it! It is quite fun going through the bags of donations - some items are virtually new and others are just fit for the bin! I had a couple of turns on the till as well and yes. it is good to work with mother.

I hope that school is not too difficult for you. We keep hearing about staff having to isolate but numbers of infections do seem to have started to fall at last. The uncertainty cannot help with planning your work.

I imagine it wasn't easy for Joel to take his first funeral. I don't know if I could manage dealing with families in their grief but no doubt he will get used to it and he is a very caring person.

No definite news about cruises yet. The Caribbean does not look likely now but summer European cruises are selling quite well and coach breaks start at the end of February.

Today, grey skirt knee length, grey jumper, opaque stockings, grey flats.

I may be able to join you in red/black soon!

Enjoy your week

Rebecca

Hi Emily

No great excitement for me since I last posted. I am planning to do a few shifts in the charity shop next week. I have a few items to donate - some clothes that I never wear and some books that I found.

The tidying is nearly complete and, yes, I do start reading things which means it takes much longer than it should to do things!

Andrew is working for head office - finance work - mainly from home but he does travel in once a week. We speak on the phone most days but the Covid numbers are high near his home and I am not keen to drive on busy roads in dark wet weather. We will plan on meeting soon though. He is keen to avoid his mother having to go out for example shopping as well as she is late 60s.

I hope that your school work goes well. They seem to be talking of reducing the isolation period even more now to avoid lengthy staff absences. Has Joel commenced work again. We had retired clergy taking our service last week to give our vicar time off.

I did see Death in Paradise on Friday - so typical of a small island (except the death rate). I think there is a new Vera tonight which sadly clashes with Call the Midwife - so some recording to do.

I must get some black stockings. I will start looking for red/black items next week. Today - mid blue cardi, light cream shirt, blue knee length skirt, opaque stockings, grey flats.

Have a good week and stay safe

Rebecca