Facebook pages prior to the following …. I am sure some of you may already read some of these but those who have not it will give you a flavour of what has been happening almost on a daily basis with my Mum……
Monday 23rd of March – Lockdown is announced, I paste on Facebook….
Think about this tonight.....how many will do it.. Good luck it’s going to be a tough ride. X
When the Corona Virus finally exhausts itself and the danger is over,
let's do something good for our country,
Let's spend our holidays in Britain, eat in local restaurants, buy British
products, buy local meats and veggies and support local businesses. These
businesses are going to find it very difficult to get back on their feet and
survive without our help. They're suffering badly now.
Our products are some of the best in the world. Our country is one of the most
beautiful.
I receive a telephone call from Mum – “Hello did you see the news tonight? What are we going to do? I think I am going to be one of the people who has to shield and stay in for twelve weeks!! Who will do my shopping?” Me – shaking my head and thinking life is literally going to be impossible, “Well I normally get your shopping Mum when you cannot go out so I guess I will and I am sure Steve (my Brother in Law) will help out if needed.” I come off the phone shaking my head, while my husband Gary kindly rubs my back and says don’t worry we will get through all this.
The next few days I do not post on Facebook, I am so miserable about the ‘Lockdown’ that I don’t want to impose my feelings on others. However Gary goes from being normally positive to becoming very strict about the new government rules, barely allowing me out of the house even though I wear a mask and gloves. Items kindly supplied by Gary’s niece Carol and her husband Stuart; I can see the next few months are definitely going to drag!! In fact in this first week I think we have more arguments about going out, etc than we have in all our forty years of marriage! What an absolute Nightmare and that’s without all my Mum’s usual phone calls.
Thursday 26th of March (3rd day of Lockdown) copied from a Friends Facebook page - It’s a big eye opener all of this, isn’t it?
We are finally realising money has no value.
Your amazing job is no longer an amazing job, your expensive clothes now have no worth and no one cares how you look anymore.
Your big house is just 4 empty walls like everyone else’s.
Your nice car is running on 4 tyres, the same as everyone else’s.
We are finally seeing who the important people are, the ones who make a difference to our lives and are doing the crucial jobs we need.
Shop workers ✔Care workers ✔NHS staff ✔Emergency services ✔Farmers ✔Teachers ✔
Lorry drivers/delivery people ✔Cleaners ✔Refuse workers ✔
These people are the ones who keep our country ticking over, the core
of our daily lives, the people who regularly go unnoticed and are often frowned
upon but keep working hard, generally on a low income.
People constantly look down on them and gloat that they earn more money than
them.
But what worth does your money have now?
How secure is your job in the real world when we take a step back to reality?
I’m proud of all of these people, they don’t earn enough for what they do, and they’re never appreciated for what they contribute.
Be kind to them, thank them, go out your way to tell them what an amazing job they’re doing.
Could you imagine how awful this would be without them??
Be thankful, I’ll be happy to buy them all a drink if we come out the other side
Tonight most of the neighbourhood (including us) and the rest of the nation stands on their doorsteps to applaud the NHS in public as they are having to fight this invisible war with the virus, while so many people are literally dying in hospitals and goodness only knows how many more alone at home. Feel so very sad and down hearted.
Friday 28th of March …. We watched Pablo Bloom (one of our favourite resort singers) perform from his home in Benidorm, whilst wondering when we will be able to go back there? Very much doubt it will be this year. Highlight of the night, I got a shout out from Pablo for Gary’s Birthday tomorrow and he played the relevant Beatles song we requested - Happy night.
Saturday 29th of March, Gary’s Birthday but it doesn’t feel like it even though I bought him a surprize present. I suppose a Metal Detector wasn’t such a good idea when we cannot go out. Hope the day improves, although very few cards as obviously nobody can go out to buy any or post them. Plus few phone calls definitely not the best Birthday especially as we should have been in the Caribbean celebrating it. Tonight we video called some friends in Canada, who we had not seen for over 30 years! Amazing how we all just picked up where we left off last, fantastic to speak to Gavin & Carol. Absolutely Love you both and look forward to speaking to them both again.
Thursday 2nd of April, After the weekly clap for the NHS, I watch ‘One Man Two Guvnor’s’ starring James Corden through the Theatre at Home viewing on YouTube. As it’s been a rough day I watch it alone as Gary isn’t bothered about seeing it, a shame really as James Corden is so funny in it.
Friday 3rd of April – It would have been my Grandma’s Birthday today, I wonder what she would have made of all of this? Gran would probably have said “I think it must be something in the water!” – one of my Gran’s favourite saying when something out of the ordinary happened, maybe she had a point? It is also Abbie’s Birthday (Gavin’s eldest step daughter’s Birthday, I have sent a card but feel bad that I couldn’t send her present too and hope she has a good day.
I have taken the following from a friends Facebook post today which just about sums up how we are feeling..
We fell asleep in one world, and woke up in another.
Suddenly Disney is out of magic,
Paris is no longer romantic,
New York doesn't stand up anymore,
the Chinese wall is no longer a fortress, and Mecca is empty.
Hugs & kisses suddenly become weapons, and not visiting parents & friends becomes an act of love. (I really hate all this social distancing!)
Suddenly you realise that power, beauty & money are worthless, and can't get you the oxygen you're fighting for.
The world continues its life and it is beautiful. It only puts humans in cages. I think it's sending us a message:
"You are not necessary. The air, earth, water and sky without you are fine. When you come back, remember that you are my guests. Not my masters."
Saturday 4th of April … Feeling a bit better after today's exercise. NHS advises Aqua Aerobics for bad backs but had to give that up as Gary wasn't happy with me filling the bath & trying it at home, as I made a bit of a splash!! Found a Fab fitness guru on YouTube a bit easier than Joe Wicks but good to stretch with Jenny McClendon - feeling good again, although this ‘Lock Down’ is already getting me down especially as Mum rings me at least three times a day. Not only missing my voluntary gardening but so missing going to the Feel Good Factory at Palatine Gym - no exercise I have tried so far gives me the benefit I get from attending there. Still searching & hoping for success. Need this drastically not only for my back but mental health too...
Sunday 11th of April – Easter Sunday …. Loving Mary Berry at Easter on TV, so many fabulous traditions. Wishing we could all get together but know we need to stay safe everyone. Happy Easter everybody.
12th – 21st of April - Not much to report, in between times, the weather has improved significantly and we seem to spend most afternoons when Gary is not working from home, sat on the front drinking and chatting with our neighbours John and Barbara. Also doing jigsaws..
Wednesday 22nd of April … Pleased to have this piece in The Gazette today, about Jimmy who is passionate about his reminiscence work. Just a shame they didn't include his contact details. Not feeling so good today, balance not good at all so no walk out not even to Mums. WE do the Pub Quiz that our friends run from Rugby on YouTube and find that’s a good distraction from everything that’s not going on due to the virus being around.
Saturday 25th of April another Facebook post …. Media pretty quiet about this...Over these last four weeks and during a time when schools are usually shut, teachers and early years staff across the country have been into schools and nurseries where they have interacted with children of NHS staff and other Key Workers who are highly exposed to COVID-19. They have not been given face masks or protective clothing. They haven’t had free coffee, half price pizza, free data or special shopping hours. They have performed their jobs in ways they have never done before and have done this with a smile on their faces so that the children in their care don’t know how scared they are; scared for those children, scared for their own. They are scared of being responsible for taking the virus home to loved ones.
Thank you to all Teachers, Early Years staff, Teaching Assistants, sports coaches, kitchen staff, site managers, cleaners, office staff and anyone else heading into a school or nursery to keep it running so that our NHS and carers can take care of the sick and the vulnerable, our shops can stay open and deliveries can continue. You too are heroes!
Thursday 30th of April - Today's I decide to start writing about my Trials with Mother, as I am sure Gary is worried that I am getting too upset by her calls and we just end up arguing about her if we discuss it. Maybe it’s me? as my sister says she doesn’t receive so many calls .... Went for shopping but as usual got the wrong things, a Geranium that wasn't large enough and Custard Powder in a tin not a packet! Fifth telephone call of the day “Hello Mum have you rung to say your prescription has been delivered?” Mum – “Oh has it Thanks for letting me know”. Me – “No I was asking you!” Mum – “Well you know I keep ringing Whitworths at Acre Gate but they just don't answer.” Me – “That's because they're closed, I told you they closed last Friday. Mum - well that's obviously why they are not answering!!” God give me strength!
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