Frump to Fab 2021

helensbiggestfan

Mrs P it is.......as you know I am an eternal optimist and I was pretty sure I was in the clear but because I had such a vast array of weird and wonderful symptoms i thought it wise to get tested, especially as they were all listed as possibles.   That's the trouble with viruses, the symptoms are sometimes so widespread and generic.  

The problem with covid is it's probably in danger of turning us all into hypochondriacs.  One little cough and we panic.  😂

sugarbaby125

Hello Ladies,

Maman it is just a label, the health issues I live with meant I was at severe risk with Covid-19, has meant that after surviving it once last March, I have taken every precaution not to contract it again. I have received 4 double sided pages of A4 advice form Lambeth Council of all of the support they can offer people like myself in this group. It is a truly fantastic array of support for all of your practical needs. financial support and also emotional support. I am truly impressed with Lambeth council. 

I will not be accessing any of the support on offer, as I do not need any of it. Funds are not limitless, they need to be used by those Lambeth residents who are affected by Covid-19 and are in desperate need of support. I get all of the emotional support I need from my siblings, I have no debt, in fact I have credit on all of my bills and I have enough savings to cover any unpleasant surprises that will mean a large cash outlay, for example white goods breakdown. 

LL you are right, whoever is the leader of a country or large organisation is to be pitied in many ways as they have so many burdens and they are under so much pressure. Thank goodness your Covid test was negative.    

My word for this year is Resolve. I want to make sure that I am making personal progress in my life this year. I want to tackle issues as fast as they arise. I want my actions, especially my spending this year to be measured and proactive. I will make even more of an effort to keep in touch with my extended family as often as I do my nuclear family. 

thepurplepixie

helensbiggestfan said:

Who do you think would be a better bet. .........Starmer seems smart enough for sure, and I think he would give it a fair crack of the whip but can he sort out the Party.  He's got a huge task ahead of him on that front.  He's dragging a dead horse behind him.  

Tbh I think whoever is PM, President, monarch  or whatever you want to call them, most leaders usually have an unenviable task. And, much as it pains me to say it, I don't think being  "nice" is what's needed in a leader, it's not enough.  Having a killer instinct and possessing a ruthless streak are probably requisite, as is an in-depth knowledge of Machiavellis teachings.  More than anything they have to be cunning, wily and yes at time duplicitous.   

Both Churchill and Elizabeth 1, who were two of our greatest and most popular leaders, were far from nice.  Two extremely intelligent, and cunning individuals who knew how to look at the big picture and play the long game and who could be ruthless when necessary.  

As I've often said before I'm just glad it's not me in the hot seat.  As Shakespeare said ......"heavy lies the crown".  It takes a terrible toll on the wearer.  You only have to look at the before and after pictures to see what leadership does. Theresa May, Blair, Cameron, even Obama all looked at least 20 years older after their stint in office.  Lincoln looked like a walking cadaver.  Oddly enough Maggie Thatcher seems to be the only one who didn't age much, during her time in office.  She seemed to thrive.😉

I do feel a certain sympathy for any leader, whether political, or even some captains of industry. Someone has to take the tough decisions and it can be lonely up there on those pedestals.  

Anyway......the good news.  My covid test came back negative. 

 I have to say I'm extremely impressed with how the system works.  I ordered my test kit online, got it next day.  I posted the kit back yesterday, got the result back today. Can't ask for more than that.  The NHS has set up priority collection boxes with the Royal Mail so you can even post back kits at weekends and bank holidays and it will be picked up that day. You just have to register and then   make sure you use a priority Mail box.  The test itself is easy enough to do, only takes a few seconds.  Of course testing centres are even quicker for results but for anyone who can't get to a testing centre then the diy version is brilliant.  

And it's nice to know that I have "just" a lurgy, even if it is horrible.😂🤣.  

Not sure where you seem to have got the idea I expected him to be nice.  Stabbing your leader in the back is stupid, he's given members of his party a great example and he can't complain if it bites him on the backside.  I know he sees himself as a Churchill but really he isn't even a pale imitation.  He wanted to be PM, he stabbed people in the back to get there, he calculated whether to go Brexit or not on the basis of how it would help him not the country.  Do I feel sorry for him?  Not a bit, no ones got a gun at his head, if he doesn't like it he knows where the door is.

Floss

I don't think Boris has anyone's respect either - apart from the fact that he looks so untidy (and his nanny would be appalled!) he plays on his friendly buffoon act. He's supposed to lead the country, not be our friend or make us laugh with his clowning around. I don't doubt he is intelligent, but being clever and behaving like a bumbling oaf do not go hand in hand and make him a laughing stock at times.

candygirl

For any fellow Obama fans , there is a fab film on Netflix , about his early life.I must admit to having a crush on him ❤❤❤

helensbiggestfan

Our current leaders certainly have the ability to stir up strong reactions.  I am pushing 70 and I have never seen such passion in politics as we are seeing now.  All to the good because I used to fear that as a nation we were becoming very apathetic, with many people not even bothering to use their vote.  And that's dangerous, 

Taking a purely academic and objective overview of politicians in general, I think most political leaders can be both stupid and clever, but only the long reach of history can really judge which actions were unwise and which were necessary and ultimately successful. 

I have just watched Lucy Worsleys programme called Blitz Spirit. It was fascinating, especially seeing just how many serious mistakes the government of the day made in the early years of the war.  Just like our own governments handling of covid they made rash decisions which had to be rescinded. But, just like our own present day crisis, the government of the day were ill prepared for what lay ahead and they had to make up policy as they went along.  Amazing how many parallels there were with our current crisis.  But then that's what history does best, it shows us patterns, and it gives credence to the saying "History has a habit of repeating itself". 

I am no Boris fan, in fact I have a very jaundiced view of politics and politicians in general, but I do try to remain objective and am largely non partisan.   And I can feel empathy for people who are clearly exhausted. I wasn't surprised at the way Johnson orchestrated his leadership challenge because I saw that challenge as inevitable. It came as no surprise to me and I'm guessing Theresa May was smart enough to know  it coming.  It was always only a matter of time before someone had a go. I think most people only ever saw her as a "caretaker PM". Just filling the post as a temporary stop gap.  

 After the Brexit vote,  Cameron threw in the towel, Farage ran a mile, and so Theresa May was eventually elected as Leader, more as default rather than a real choice. There wasn't much competition, because the majority of the Conservative party weren't prepared to stick their heads above the parapet,  preferring the safety of the back benches and playing a game of wait and see. Johnson clearly wanted the job but took it upon himself to bide his time and so didn't throw his hat into the ring.  Winning is all about timing and he must have sensed the time wasn't ripe. Better to play the long game, let May take a bruising and fail, then the party would accept him as leader.  Johnson knows his Machiavelli. 

After May was elected by the party She took it to the country and put it to the vote,  presumably to cement her position and silence any critics who would say she wasn't elected by the people and therefore didn't have a proper mandate. It was probably the right and honourable thing to do but it was a huge gamble that backfired.  Unfortunately for her she actually weakened her position because she got such a low majority. It turned out to be a grave tactical error, even though she went for a general election for the right reasons. 

With hindsight she should have probably just ridden it out. The stats at that point were in her favour, she could have used that strength to her advantage to push legislation through and give her bargaining power in the Brexit negotiations.   With such a low majority only a very strong and charismatic leader would have been able to control the party and hold it together and rebuild.  May instantly became a lame duck and her days were numbered.  Brussels knew this which is why she had such a hard time trying to negotiate any kind of deal.  Under the circumstances a leadership challenge was inevitable, she was finished. If it hadn't been Boris it would probably have been someone else.   

Was he a vicious back stabbing viper in the nest or did he simply do what all leadership challengers do.........stalk their prey, bide their time  and then attack when their opponent shows sign of weakness.  It does appear rather unseemly and distasteful but alas, thats how the game is played. He's no worse than countless other politicians who have done  exactly the same thing.  

 It's no different from how it is played out in the animal kingdom.  If you are a hungry lioness or wolf and you are hunting gazelle or deer you will stalk the one who looks like the weakest member of the herd.  You will watch and wait and then strike when the moment is most opportune.  

Politicians are just the same.  It's a high stakes game and they play to win. You may recall It happened to Margaret Thatcher. When they spotted a chink in her armour the cabinet descended like a pack of jackals.  I wonder how long they had been waiting for that moment.  

I wonder how much of it is down to good old fashioned misogyny.  Got to keep the little woman in her place.  Give them a little job in the minor league and call them "Blair's Babes". The public school mafia fear strong women so feel safer sticking  to their old boys network.  You see it in the City as well as politics.  

Putting personalities aside, only time will tell if our current government have handled both Brexit and Covid effectively.  We can't really see yet what the long term effects of either will be.  All we know so far is that the world has changed.  I would love to be able to read the history books 50 years from now. 

Wednesday2000

To change the subject completely from politics, I love the new Eir rose-hip face serum I bought. The reviews mentioned it smelling sweet like dolly mixtures and it does a bit.  It glides onto my skin very nicely.

I don't know if anyone else does this or started doing it but I have started to notice health problems that my mother had. I was looking in my hand held magnifying mirror yesterday in bright sunshine (yikes, lol) and looking at my spider veins on my cheeks. I haven't spoken to my mother for about 20 years and she is only 20 years older than me but I remember her having to use that green correcting foundation on her cheeks too. I know I have drunk a lot of alcohol in my time but I wondered if it was genetic. I have also noticed my fingers tingling and feeling like they are stiff the past few weeks again. I had this same problem when I was diagnosed with fibro (2017) but I remember my Mum having the same thing in her forties. I thought it might possibly be from holding my kindle at awkward angles as I have been reading a lot lately. My Mum wasn't a big reader though so I'm going to try and find out from my brother is she has any type of arthritis or anything I should know about.

Anyway. I was hoping the spider veins might improve now I'm not drinking wine and also using sunscreen daily. You can get them zapped by laser I read, but I will give them a chance to calm down first.

I am up early again as I had another early night. I was so tired from my husband being on nights the past week. I am back on coffee and on my second cup so far. I will go for a walk as soon as my hair dries from my hot shower. I used the Garnier banana hair mask this morning.

thepurplepixie

Wednesday if it is eventually arthritis in your hands I can't recommend crochet highly enough.  I know it sounds mad but I hate painkillers, they make me feel sick, and if I do a few days of crochet I can come off them completely.  I suppose it is just a form of physio.
I also use compression gloves which are a big help with the side effect that if you slather some handcream on first then your hands look lovely and feel soft the next morning.
I hope it isn't the start of arthritis but if it is there are things that help.  Not sure about the hereditary thing but my grandmother and uncle hand very bad arthritis in their hands/wrists so I think I might have a genetic connection but I've never investigated that.

thepurplepixie

helensbiggestfan said:

Our current leaders certainly have the ability to stir up strong reactions.  I am pushing 70 and I have never seen such passion in politics as we are seeing now.  All to the good because I used to fear that as a nation we were becoming very apathetic, with many people not even bothering to use their vote.  And that's dangerous, 
Really?  I think Margaret Thatcher stirred up a fair bit of strong reaction. 

 After the Brexit vote,  Cameron threw in the towel, Farage ran a mile, and so Theresa May was eventually elected as Leader, more as default rather than a real choice. There wasn't much competition, because the majority of the Conservative party weren't prepared to stick their heads above the parapet,  preferring the safety of the back benches and playing a game of wait and see. Johnson clearly wanted the job but took it upon himself to bide his time and so didn't throw his hat into the ring.  Winning is all about timing and he must have sensed the time wasn't ripe. Better to play the long game, let May take a bruising and fail, then the party would accept him as leader.  Johnson knows his Machiavelli. 
Did you see Gove and Johnson the morning after the vote?  You had to look quickly as they ran faster than anyone else.  Yes they got their nerve back but if you want to talk about throwing the towel in.............

Was he a vicious back stabbing viper in the nest or did he simply do what all leadership challengers do.........stalk their prey, bide their time  and then attack when their opponent shows sign of weakness.  It does appear rather unseemly and distasteful but alas, thats how the game is played. He's no worse than countless other politicians who have done  exactly the same thing.  
Live by the sword and die by the sword, that's why I feel no sympathy for him.

I wonder how much of it is down to good old fashioned misogyny.  Got to keep the little woman in her place.  Give them a little job in the minor league and call them "Blair's Babes". The public school mafia fear strong women so feel safer sticking  to their old boys network.  You see it in the City as well as politics.  

Well he is racist and sexist so probably.

Putting personalities aside, only time will tell if our current government have handled both Brexit and Covid effectively.  We can't really see yet what the long term effects of either will be.  All we know so far is that the world has changed.  I would love to be able to read the history books 50 years from now. 
Alot of the work I do is with small care homes and I am happy to judge what they have done to and failed to do to them and the vulnerable residents.  I also have an elderly relative, almost 90, who is in a care home that was seeded with covid by someone sent out of hospital when infectious with covid as per govt policy to save the NHS.   I'm also happy to judge an idiot who bragged about shaking hands with everyone in a hospital that had covid patients and continues to ignore his own 2 m social distancing rules even now.  I felt so sorry for NHS staff who looked uncomfortable as he insisted on getting close to them and elbowing bumping at the weekend.  Has he learned nothing in the last 12 months?

I think history will judge him harshly as will the families who have lost their loved ones on his watch.  Is he, and his govt, responsible for every death?  No.  Are they responsible for some of them?  Yes.

helensbiggestfan

Good Mornjng lovely ladies...

still no voice, 😂. Still heavily congested but feeling brighter each day, so getting there.  Whatever "it" was its certainly very nasty, so I doubt I will see my family yet.  I don't want them to get this one.  

Wednesday......I think we do inherit some genetic disposition towards certain illnesses from our parents, and also how we age. But I think our genes are only part of the story.  Lifestyle is also of importance.As our knowledge grows and medicine advances we can "cheat" our genetic inheritence or at least be in a better position to manage any issues. 

I think it's a very good idea to investigate your genetic inheritence then you can take steps to mitigate any incipient problems.  Apparently Kindles, IPads,  mobiles etc can cause neck problems.  I have noticed that overuse can make my neck quite painful. 

Interesting news this Mornjng.  Apparently there is going to be a trial for home testing kits for cancer smears. What a good idea. 

Going to have a nice pamper session this Morning.  Skin still very dry and dehydrated so time for some serious TLC.  

Very mild here, so going to go for a walk later.  Have a great day y'all.