Me and ‘im have had such a lazy day today - we got up VERY late, ate a small breakfast then walked to the next village to see if there was an open shop so we could buy some milk. This sheep was looking at us over the dry stone wall that bordered the footpath and the field and stamping its feet at us - we think it was a way of saying 'don't come any closer!' There wasn’t a shop open so we went home milk-less! When we got back, we watched an old movie on TV, drank tea and dozed (well, it has to be done at Christmas - when else can you be so totally self-indulgent).

It’s been blissful in as much as I can’t remember the last time I was able to sleep until lunchtime - there is always too much else to do in my life. There is also something about all this ‘good’ air - it’s soporific!!! Mind you, it could have been something to do with staying up until 1am so we could watch the Spurs on ‘Match of the Day’ - I’m sorry but I resent the fact that MotD was shunted to such a late slot to make way for some crappy ‘light entertainment’. Ah well, at least we saw the goals.

Then guilt comes because we’re having such a brilliant time while the poor folks of South Asia have been dealing with the most terrible catastrophe imaginable, Seeing the footage has been truly terrifying and sobering. A local search and rescue team from Devon has been seen on TV tonight, waiting for the orders to scramble to help but they are saying there is little in the way of ‘searching and rescuing’ to do because it’s not been like a traditional earthquake in as much as there aren’t collapsed buildings with people trapped in rubble as is usually the case. We were watching the scenes and DM remarked that we as a country would be much better off in all senses by spending the money set aside for war to help these poor souls whose homes and livelihoods have been washed away. Our politicians just don’t seem to see the truth of the ripple-effect benefits of help rather than guns. I must say that pisses me off a great deal.

Both DM and I are getting a bit fretful about our own situation, however far removed and however much we are lucky by comparison. We will run out of some essential supplies tomorrow and can’t get them without a car or some other form of motorised transport - coal and logs are too heavy to carry four miles from the nearest town. Our car is still dead and won’t be fixed until at least Wednesday and there are no buses until Wednesday. I’m worrying about running out of milk and he is worrying about running out of fuel. We may have to see whether we can find a functioning taxi service to take us to the nearest town for supplies but that depends on them having finished their holidays. We both feel a bit trapped by the situation if truth be told.

The good thing is that we now appreciate the value to rural communities of local services, at a time when our local shop has served notice that it will close in a few weeks time. We have both been very nervous about our situation but feel completely impotent to change it (the owners of the shop have shut it for five days over Christmas, a sad statement about their commitment to the community). I think we will become vociferous supporters of local shops in villages like our own - we are fortunate in as much as we know that we have some old doors in our outhouse that can, if necessary be sawn up and burned to keep us warm but our elderly neighbours probably don’t have the strength to do that for themselves. There are many here who couldn’t even conceive of phoning a taxi to go and get coal. The community is delicately balanced but if the balance tips any further, many of our neighbours won’t be able to stay here. That seems so wrong and so unnecessary. So tonight my thoughts are on how to save the shop and whether or not we can find a way to get coal tomorrow.