Usually I send cards to my friends, but the local card shop has closed, the post office closed and one of the post boxes has been removed.
I decided I would make a donation to the charity Parkinsons UK instead. They do work on trying to find and resolve the causes of Parkinsons disease. Hopefully I will be helping others in my circumstances.
Cards are a fun way to show you care about your friends and family. They were first sent by the Victorians in 1843. They became more popular in the 1860s and 70s. People used the penny post to send them to their loved ones. I do t really want to stop sending them, but digital life affects reality.
How do I send a canvas in the post? I have wrapped it in bubble wrap but when I got to the post office they didn’t have any boxes big enough. They suggested I put it in a bin liner and tape it well but I didn’t think that would be secure enough. I asked them if they had any old cardboard boxes and they gave me two small boxes with low sides. I will try and unfold them and use them to strengthen the front and back. I was then going to use a black bin bag, but I went in the petrol station to fill up. They were chucking out a large cardboard box so I asked for it. I will use that as outer packaging with lots of tape. I’m glad I called in. Wish me luck, and the canvas a safe journey X.
Here’s the portrait I painted of my friends dog and a photo of him with it x.
I think I posted it a couple of weeks ago but it’s only just winged it’s way over to America. His owner is really pleased with it. It’s a watercolour painting. Quite small. I enjoyed doing it although it took me a few months because of everything going on in my life. Happy it’s arrived.
Ugh! I got up really early to move the car. My parking pass has run out, so I can’t park in front of my house between 8am and 9pm so I’ve had to find a spot in another street.
The good news is that I have applied for the pass. I had to use the Internet as the council does not have an office open to the public anymore. Everything is via their website. What about people who are not computer literate, or don’t do online banking? Poor people are gradually being disenfranchised. They could use a library. But lots of them have been closed due to budget cuts.
So I have done the forms online and got a receipt to prove I’ve paid. But I still have to wait for the pass to be posted to me. The bad news is that post isn’t delivered as frequently as it used to be. At one time post was delivered on the next day all around the country. That includes most of Scotland, Wales and the far south west. Now, however, the royal mail is concentrating on parcel deliveries. It’s letter service is a lot less important (all those emails…) and to add insult to injury the price of a first class stamp is now £1.10 (at least depending on its size). I can remember when you could buy a stamp for 20 pence.
Worse still, the email says that due to high demand, it may take ten days for the pass to be posted out! That will be ten Working days, two weeks.
So at least I will be getting up early for a while. Although I can have a lie in on Sundays and bank holidays!
This arrived today! It’s almost the length and width of our settee. My hubbys brother has sent it in the post. Why? It’s meant to be a pond yatch. But our pond is smaller than the box!
I don’t need more stuff in the house. I don’t know how much wrapping is inside the box, I just told my hubby I’ve now got something to put him in when he has passed away.
Hubby and brother used to make toy boats as children, they had a small lake near their childhood home where they built ships and then reinacted naval battles and set fire to the ships (I don’t have to say what I want to do with it do I?)
Oh well, another start to another weird day. Household peace may resume. But I’m not sure when! I just wish he’d open the box, but he seems happy just to look at it!
We contacted our local bike shop because my hubby wants to send his old bike frame to his brother so that it can be tidied up and restored a bit. If we were not nervous about going to visit hir brother, and they were not under a local lockdown, we would have taken it in the car. But no, we can’t travel there as we would not be allowed back!
So this is a HUGE box to put the frame in. It’s about six foot by four? It’s sitting in the living room because it’s too wet to pack it up at the moment. No doubt the cats will try and get in… Sending cats to Lancashire? Not likely!
Mallaband-Brown 