views from lockdown – week 6 – 12 May 2020

“We are making photographs to understand what our lives mean to us.” Ralph Hattersley US photographer and journalist born 1921.

Lockdown continues, time seems fluid at the moment. I’m just taking one day at a time, pottering around the garden, time with My Chap, sorting out the house, cooking and listening to music.   I’m still looking for the small positives every day, usually flowers 😉 and photography. Our dwarf lilac (in the header photo) looks and smells wonderful at the moment, especially in the evening.

I’m trying to stay inside our lockdown bubble but it is hard as the Government are making a right pig’s ear of it all.  Increasing numbers of people seem to ignore the rules, especially over VE day weekend.   I see the streets busier, cars driving faster and pavements more crowded – I haven’t been over 2 miles from my house in the last two months apart from one trip to get lactofree supplies in the car (4 miles!).

Again this week, I am joining Sarah from Life in a Breakdown and Bex from Futures and other contributors too.  We are sharing how we have got in the past 7 days in lockdown in the UK.

Here are the questions:

1. How are you feeling/coping?

I’m still exhausted, my arthritis pain is still high and my anxiety is rising.  I’m still sleeping OK because of medication. But this week has been harder going like last week – anniversary last week of my ex dying, VE day stupidity and my husband getting a call about potentially going into work soon.

2. What are you doing to keep yourself occupied?

‘Working’ days

I’m pottering along with studying – I’ve been watching more videos about blogging.  I’m just going with the flow about it all.  It’s not a competition to learn fresh things – it’s enough to just exist, be kind to yourself and eat/shower.

I want to make sure I don’t fall into brain fog in case I get called back into work from furlough.

Gardening

My husband saw some bedding plants outside a little local shop so bought me back – I have petunias 😊 The tomatoes are ready to plant out.  We are still trundling on with sorting out the garden.  It’s full of aquilegia, osteosermum, Calafornian poppies and many plants on the verge of flowering.

Evening  routine

In the evenings we’ve been watching films, TV and listening to music.

• The A Word is back – It’s fabulous, as ever. Suburb acting from everyone.  It’s two years on from the previous series, Joe is ten.  On a side note I’m loving picking out Manchester and Lake District locations.  I am missing the hills.
• Films – we watched Hidden Figures (2016)
  A fabulous uplifting film about three African American women over coming the racism Mand gender discrimination within NASA in the early 1960s. Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson and Dorothy Vaughan were pivotal mathematicians in the US space race – They were pioneers.  Katherine Johnson only died in Feb 2020 at the age of 102.

Zoom Chats

Talked to my Women’s Institute crew @cottonopolisWI – it was our monthly meeting this week.  Chatting to mates far and near.

I’ve stepped up the distance I’m walking – at least 2.6m as I am doing a fundraiser for the Motor Neurone Disease Association.

Mindfulness

As well as my usual visualisations, I’ve been joining in some online mindfulness groups.  I think I need to do more of these.  It helps to put something in my diary as I’m much more likely to stick to it.

3. How are you dealing with everything at the moment – are you self-isolated, going out for essentials etc? Has this changed?

We are only leaving the house/garden to go for local walks or a run – and local lidl about once a fortnight and milk from a small local co-op.  My husband is baking bread and doing most of the cooking.  He finds it relaxing.  We are still staying home as much as we can.  I’m following the Scottish advice, even though we are based in Manchester! And dipping into the experts on twitter.

My husband had a call from his work on Monday and he MAY have to go back into work soon.  He’s waiting to hear more about the PPE/new procedures – it’s a big building and a small team.  Luckily, he drives to work.   I think many of the customers will still stay closed so I’m hoping he doesn’t get called in yet. My anxiety is increasing – argh!

4. What advice do you have for others?

Follow the rules – stay home, stay safe, wash your hands, flatten the curve and keep supporting the NHS.   It’s really serious and it’s sad to see people ignoring the rules.

After Johnson’s vague speech on Sunday and contradictory guidance doesn’t help. We won’t be changing what we do – minimal trips out for food shopping, walking for me and running for my husband and that’s it.  I’m expecting to see an upturn in cases and deaths two weeks or so after VE day.  Over 30,000 official deaths, 2nd highest in the world. Grim.

5. What have you bought this week that others might like? Especially if from a small business.

Doorstop photography

A friend of a friend local to me in Monton, in Eccles is a photographer.  Lian came to take our photograph on a gorgeous sunny day.   She liked our plants 🙂 I think our photo is fabulous (need a haircut but most people do).

Lian is raising money for Francis House Children’s Hospice in memory of her best friend who died when she was 16.  She has raised nearly £2500.  Well done Lian – you are doing a fabulous thing.

• www.justgiving.com/fundraising/lian-c

Many photographers are doing this around their localities – why not get involved for

My Chap and me Rebecca outside our house 7 May 2020 – Taken by and copyright Snappy Photographer

I think this is the 2nd time My Chap has appeared on my blog 🙂  I am going to ask Lian to come back and take another photo later in the year.

“Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever… it remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything.” Aaron Siskind US Photographer (1903-1991)

Live in Salford? Book The Snapper Photography

Get in touch with Lian via her Facebook page below. Below is more information about how she takes photos.  Have a look at her gallery. As well as people there are plenty of dogs and the odd super hero.

6. How has your routine been this week? (Question by Don’t Cramp My Style)

I’m still keeping to a good routine during ‘working week’ – up, showered and breakfast before 9am.  Stopping for a proper lunch break, a bit more ‘work’ and pottering in the garden. Then a daily walk around the neighbourhood to round off the ‘working’ day and transition to our evening time.   We are so fortunate to have many options.  The golf course has a couple of public paths too.   At the weekends, we walk after tea as it is very quiet, the occasional dog walker.

7. Have you planned anything for once lockdown is over in the past 7 days?? (Question by Don’t Cramp My Style)

Nope – not really.  I’ve been thinking about what I want to do more of in the future – spending time with friends and family – and less time commuting and working.   More crafting especially silver clay jewellery.  More time taking care of my physical and mental wellbeing so more time in the great outdoors, more yoga, more mindfulness.

8. Anything else

Creativity

I’ve been taking photos of the flowers in my garden and on our walks and that’s about it. My fingers are still painful so I can’t do much of my usual crafting.  Hopefully, the pain will ease soon.  I know it’s the underlying anxiety driving the pain but that doesn’t mean I can stop it hurting.  I am just absolutely nackered, so am planning on having a quiet week.

*****

How has your week been?

Stay at home, stay safe and protect your community and the NHS.

Carpe Diem,

Love Bec xx

Follow my view from life in lockdown

• views from lockdown – early March, working from home
• views from lockdown – week 1 – 7 April 2020
• views from lockdown – week 2 – 14-April
• views from lockdown – week 3 – 21 April 2020
• views from lockdown – week 4 – 28 April 2020
• views from lockdown – week 5 – 5 May 2020
• views from lockdown – week 6 – 12 May 2020
• views from lockdown – week 7 – 19 May 2020

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Here’s week six from Sarah and Bex:

• www.lifeinabreakdown.com/life-in-a-lockdown-6
• www.ialwaysbelievedinfutures.com/life-in-a-lockdown-linky-week-6

If you’d like to join in with Sarah from ‘Life in a Breakdown’, Bex ‘from ‘Futures’ and the contributors. Answer these questions and join in:

1. How are you feeling/coping?
2. What are you doing to keep yourself occupied?
3. How are you dealing with everything at the moment – are you self-isolated, going out for essentials etc? Has this changed?
4. What advice do you have for others?
5. What have you bought this week that others might like? Especially if from a small business.
6. How has your routine been this week? (Question by Don’t Cramp My Style)
7. Have you planned anything for once lockdown is over in the past 7 days?? (Don’t Cramp My Style)
8. Anything else?

Click the picture below for the link-up info or look under their posts:

Not got a blog? just email yourself your answers to these questions 🙂