I remember going in to lockdown realising I had been in my own version of a lockdown for 2 years before the world joined me. I welcomed every one in with open arms, felt less alone and had been surprised to discover that in many respects, I preferred it. The healing that happened, the clarity it gave me and all the time and space in the world to do all the things I’d always wanted to do, like read and write. As much as I embraced it and kept myself sane with yoga teacher training, women’s circles and a witchcraft course, I have thought about the effects it will have had on young people. We’re yet to see that play out and also the impact the trauma will have had on so many x
yes that's exactly it - there were some beautiful and unexpected opportunities that came out of it, I'm so glad you got to experience some of that amidst the madness xx
A beautiful reflection ... in all its layers. That camper van conversion looks awesome! That you have photos mapping to the great list of things that happened or were made possible or helped mark the days is a treasure. Really. It brings to life the “goodness” that still happened in that span of time, even if there are things now you mourn or wonder about.
Aah thank you Amy - I have a whole piece about the camper van separately - it was quite an epic process!!! I haven't really thought about the whole thing for a while, and opening that photo album just reminded me how random and extraordinary it all was xx
I love the list of things you gained! It's vital to acknowledge that with every loss there is a gain.
I won't go into the details of the angst, confusion, fear and frsutration I felt at the time, apart from to say how sad i felt for people dying without their loved ones.
But I do remember the peace and quiet. It was quite freaky at first for there not to be the hum of cars and planes that I didn't really notice before they weren't there. I remember going into town and realising a town wasn't a town without people there. It was just an empty concrete, brick and tarmac ghost town waiting to wake up again.
I was glad to have a home big enough still that our three adult sons could be with us. Safe.
Most of all I appreciated that living in the countryside afforded us a lot more freedom to be outside in the garden and daily walks which I did with my husband instead of on my own for a while.
Then finally after the end of the first lock down driving an hour and a half to the beach to find hardly any people and instead oystercatchers had repopulated it! What a treat. At least for a while. It gave me faith that nature will recover...
it did me as well...fish in the canals in Venice, experiencing the absence of constant noise - something we will probably never have the privilege of experiencing ever again. A wake up call in so many ways, although one that feels forgotten already some respects. So much sadness, so much contemplation, so much reflection, so many new found ways to live 💕
We had been supporting local businesses for years. Hardly ever went into a supermarket. In fact because we were buying our fruit and veg from a local greengrocer and a local market gardener, we were never short of food. We had looked after them over the years and they looked after us in return. One of my sons thinks we're a bit mad to shop at different places. It takes a lot more effort, thinking ahead, ordering ahead. But it gives us peace of mind that we are supporting other locals. Thursday morning I go to two of our local market towns to pick up our groceries and along the way have nice chats with the shop-keepers. It's social as well as practical. 😎
I enjoyed listening to this, Emma! I listened as I went for a quick walk this morning before an afternoon sitting in the band pit at Epsom theatre. You really got me thinking about those two years. I think I'm still processing a lot of it and as you say, it's a reflection of mixed emotions: happy, sad and everything-in-between memories, but certainly a catalyst for a lot of change.
Thanks so much Hannah - I'm delighted you had a listen!! A catalyst for so much change... really looking forward to catching up with you next week, what a treat! x
Wow - again you are so intuitive and insightful in your thoughts and reflections - so much Rubys true and even though covid is now a closed chapter it was so significant it’s ripples are still felt everyday in many parts of our life x
Aah thank you so much 🙏. I think it will take years to understand the impacts. It's so strange that now it feels like it never happened in terms of our day to day, but in another way it's quite mindblowing! Lots of reminders this week x
The lockdown here in Spain was toughhhhh and has been made illegal since, though I don’t feel mad at the decisions made. It was tough but I could feel it was for us, to keep us safe. But I’ll never forget the suited up in white suits and masks spraying the streets snd the military driving round... It was scary.
We enjoyed people playing instruments from their balconies, phone calls to friends only a could steers away, 8pm applauding for the staff then subsequent neighbour chats, observing a neighbours very fat cat we called lockdown cat and listening to our young neighbours having fun.
I was teaching my kiddies online and some hours with students from around the world, including those in the epicentre of it all in China.
Like Amber I’d been on a form of lockdown before had as I’d been mega sick, so well versed in keeping entertained. My husband and I despite confided to a verrrrry small flat, we got on splendidly!
I then during the restrictions of covid in Spain and amidst a mega lockdown in Portugal planned and had a major surgery. I can’t quite comprehend what I managed to do, it’s all so surreal looking back with the Portuguese police baffled as to how a Spanish car was in the middle of Portugal.
I’ve got some writings about my lockdown I planned to share here and you’ve inspired me to dig them out!
I remember going in to lockdown realising I had been in my own version of a lockdown for 2 years before the world joined me. I welcomed every one in with open arms, felt less alone and had been surprised to discover that in many respects, I preferred it. The healing that happened, the clarity it gave me and all the time and space in the world to do all the things I’d always wanted to do, like read and write. As much as I embraced it and kept myself sane with yoga teacher training, women’s circles and a witchcraft course, I have thought about the effects it will have had on young people. We’re yet to see that play out and also the impact the trauma will have had on so many x
yes that's exactly it - there were some beautiful and unexpected opportunities that came out of it, I'm so glad you got to experience some of that amidst the madness xx
A beautiful reflection ... in all its layers. That camper van conversion looks awesome! That you have photos mapping to the great list of things that happened or were made possible or helped mark the days is a treasure. Really. It brings to life the “goodness” that still happened in that span of time, even if there are things now you mourn or wonder about.
Aah thank you Amy - I have a whole piece about the camper van separately - it was quite an epic process!!! I haven't really thought about the whole thing for a while, and opening that photo album just reminded me how random and extraordinary it all was xx
I love the list of things you gained! It's vital to acknowledge that with every loss there is a gain.
I won't go into the details of the angst, confusion, fear and frsutration I felt at the time, apart from to say how sad i felt for people dying without their loved ones.
But I do remember the peace and quiet. It was quite freaky at first for there not to be the hum of cars and planes that I didn't really notice before they weren't there. I remember going into town and realising a town wasn't a town without people there. It was just an empty concrete, brick and tarmac ghost town waiting to wake up again.
I was glad to have a home big enough still that our three adult sons could be with us. Safe.
Most of all I appreciated that living in the countryside afforded us a lot more freedom to be outside in the garden and daily walks which I did with my husband instead of on my own for a while.
Then finally after the end of the first lock down driving an hour and a half to the beach to find hardly any people and instead oystercatchers had repopulated it! What a treat. At least for a while. It gave me faith that nature will recover...
it did me as well...fish in the canals in Venice, experiencing the absence of constant noise - something we will probably never have the privilege of experiencing ever again. A wake up call in so many ways, although one that feels forgotten already some respects. So much sadness, so much contemplation, so much reflection, so many new found ways to live 💕
Yes! So many wake up calls! Our dependence on big business, especailly around food supplies kind of freaked me out. And yes, so quickly forgotten. 😘
We had been supporting local businesses for years. Hardly ever went into a supermarket. In fact because we were buying our fruit and veg from a local greengrocer and a local market gardener, we were never short of food. We had looked after them over the years and they looked after us in return. One of my sons thinks we're a bit mad to shop at different places. It takes a lot more effort, thinking ahead, ordering ahead. But it gives us peace of mind that we are supporting other locals. Thursday morning I go to two of our local market towns to pick up our groceries and along the way have nice chats with the shop-keepers. It's social as well as practical. 😎
I enjoyed listening to this, Emma! I listened as I went for a quick walk this morning before an afternoon sitting in the band pit at Epsom theatre. You really got me thinking about those two years. I think I'm still processing a lot of it and as you say, it's a reflection of mixed emotions: happy, sad and everything-in-between memories, but certainly a catalyst for a lot of change.
Thanks so much Hannah - I'm delighted you had a listen!! A catalyst for so much change... really looking forward to catching up with you next week, what a treat! x
Me too! x
Wow - again you are so intuitive and insightful in your thoughts and reflections - so much Rubys true and even though covid is now a closed chapter it was so significant it’s ripples are still felt everyday in many parts of our life x
Aah thank you so much 🙏. I think it will take years to understand the impacts. It's so strange that now it feels like it never happened in terms of our day to day, but in another way it's quite mindblowing! Lots of reminders this week x
The lockdown here in Spain was toughhhhh and has been made illegal since, though I don’t feel mad at the decisions made. It was tough but I could feel it was for us, to keep us safe. But I’ll never forget the suited up in white suits and masks spraying the streets snd the military driving round... It was scary.
We enjoyed people playing instruments from their balconies, phone calls to friends only a could steers away, 8pm applauding for the staff then subsequent neighbour chats, observing a neighbours very fat cat we called lockdown cat and listening to our young neighbours having fun.
I was teaching my kiddies online and some hours with students from around the world, including those in the epicentre of it all in China.
Like Amber I’d been on a form of lockdown before had as I’d been mega sick, so well versed in keeping entertained. My husband and I despite confided to a verrrrry small flat, we got on splendidly!
I then during the restrictions of covid in Spain and amidst a mega lockdown in Portugal planned and had a major surgery. I can’t quite comprehend what I managed to do, it’s all so surreal looking back with the Portuguese police baffled as to how a Spanish car was in the middle of Portugal.
I’ve got some writings about my lockdown I planned to share here and you’ve inspired me to dig them out!