Take care

 

It has happened again and I nearly fell for it.

The text said,

‘The outer packaging of the mail package was damaged during transportation, and the address information was lost…’ You can probably guess what it asked me to do next because all was not what it seemed. It was a scam of course and they asked me to press on a link to provide details of my address. I did not press but I imagine that they were trying to get more information about me.

Things are complex these days and not always what they seem. I have been buying a new fridge. I thought that it would be simple and chose my favourite brand online, but it was ‘not available’ on any of the sites. So, I changed brand but that was not available, so I simply chose one that was available regardless of make. Then I had to know capacity, under counter or over, freezer compartment or shelf. And it went on until I was sick and tired of the thing and almost decided that I did not need a new one after all (but I do). In the end I did not feel that I was in charge, but I opted for one model anyway. Last of all there was the delivery date to decide upon. I was putty in their hands by then and agreed a date that they could come rather than a date convenient for me. I was left feeling that things were not in my control as I flicked through the options on their website.

A person who came to clean our carpet yesterday said she had that same feeling of not being able to control events. She had recently changed electricity supplier and all went well. She pays by a card which you prepay and then put into the meter, so she knows that she had paid for all her electricity. But suddenly she had a £2,000 bill from her old provider, she did not have that sort of money and she knew that she did not owe it. They wanted the money and even told her she could pay it back in instalments, but she would not pay because she did not owe anything. In the end Ofgem sorted it all out and confirmed that there had been a mistake.

The carpet was cleaned beautifully and all the William Morris flowers and climbing plants have come to life again.

It is as if spring has arrived early. But as I look out of the window, I can see I am deluding myself and despite the swelling daffodil buds we have quite a way to go yet.

(Taken from my column in the Shropshire Star)

The tree peony bud trusting that there will not be another frost.