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What a week!

 It has been a somewhat tumultuous week with good news followed by bad news all in one day.  With my head full of the complications of both I spent a totally sleepless night, pacing the house and making lists.  I find that therapeutic.  Yes I know I am odd.  When  I turned the news on I heard the Duke of Edinburgh had died.  At 99 it was not surprising but like our own death, we know it is coming but somehow we hope it never will.   I met the Duke of Edinburgh twice, once when I was only 15 years of age.  We had sailed over from Portchester Yacht Club to participate in Cowes Week and while registering  our arrival in Cowes Yacht Club we came across the Duke propping up the bar.  I had never seen television so I had only seen his picture in the newspapers but there was no mistaking him.  He was with three other men and they were being rather loud.  The Duke's contribution to the conversation was littered with swear words and I must have looked shocked at such language. No-one swore in my family, nor did my friends so it was totally unfamiliar.  He saw me staring and burst out laughing.  Then he bowed and apologised.  I was so embarrassed I scuttled away.

The next time I met him was in New York when he made an official visit with the Queen.  He was on his best behaviour of course   My children also met the Queen that day but as they had never lived in Britain, she was just someone remote I suppose because none of them remember it.

So back to the good news and bad news, both are so much more complicated during the restrictions.  I also find getting rid of things to be therapeutic but even that is difficult during a pandemic so I had better make more lists.

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