Views from lockdown – January 2021

I am writing a summary of each month in lockdown, as not ‘that’ much is changing for us personally as the months go by.  Greater Manchester has been in some level of local or national lockdown since July 2020.  It is definitely harder to handle it all when it’s dark, wet and cold.

I wanted to keep a record of what happened during 2020/21 in these strangest of times so I’d have something to look back on in the future.

You can read more about my lockdown diaries here

Key events in January

Two vaccines roll out – Pfizer Biontech and Oxford AstraZeneca

The vaccines rolling out across the UK first to those first to those over 80, front line health care workers, staff and people in care homes, those over 75, and those over 70.  Also, the ‘extremely clinically vulnerable’ i.e. ‘the shielders’ who are any age including plenty of working age people.

By end of Jan 9.1m had received their first dose of the vaccine, but only a very small proportion had received their second dose.

My mum and aunt are among them, as are all my over 70s pals and ‘clinically vulnerable’ crew. I’m MOST relieved for my pals risking their lives and wellbeing in health and social care front line work.

However, about 1200 people are dying every day from Covid-19 – it is grim. The overall deaths from Covid since the beginning of the pandemic in the UK is more than 109,000.

Helped my mum buy a car from 200miles away

My 80+ mum needed a new little car, so we did some internet surfing with her rather random criteria, found two options and she decided to get a Hyundai I10.  She’s very happy with it.

Anniversaries for my brother and my Dad

The end of the month saw my brother’s birthday; he died suddenly in 2017. The next day marked 21 years since our Dad died from lung cancer. They are missed and loved every day.

Frankly, it was a very tough time for me on top of all the pandemic/lockdown restrictions.  It took all my energy to work full time, eat and sleep and it took a couple of weeks to turn the corner and feel more myself.

My health

Arthritis pain high, fatigue high – the feeling of being hit by a truck often.  I have to rest every day and pace myself carefully.  However, things could be much, much worse.

1. What lockdown level? Lockdown 0.3 National since 26 December 2020

Children are home schooled again (apart from key workers kids), but I’m reading more people are being classed as ‘keyworkers’.

However, the roads are busy and many more people are out and about.  Many more businesses are open for ‘click and collect’.

We are still doing the same as we did in March 2020 – minimising how many places we go and who we see (no-one).  This third lockdown is hard going it.

Just follow the rules, keep your distance, wear masks and wash your hands often. Oh and get your vaccine when you’re offered a slot.

2. Working situation

I’m working from home and My Chap is working in a huge warehouse with six people.

I started a new contract role in mid-December, so it was very busy in the run-up to Christmas. I’m working in a lovely team, with plenty of projects to be get stuck into, and it’s using my healthcare sector knowledge.  I bought myself some new Irregular Choice trainers to celebrate.  They’re called Jigsaw.

I’d remind everyone Life isn’t a dress rehearsal, wear the shoes.  Don’t keep things ‘for best’ use things. and love them.

3. Who are you with?

My Chap.  We say hello to the neighbours in our small cul de sac and keep in touch on WhatsApp.  There’s plenty of cats and a couple of dogs too.
I haven’t seen any friends in real life in Greater Manchester for months.  We occasionally bump into local pals when we are out walking in the neighbourhood but that’s it.  Everyone else I see online.

4. Where have you been this month?

Nowhere! Except for the local Lidl twice.

Outdoors

Walking around Monton, Worsley, Bridgewater Canal and around Worsley Woods.   I haven’t been more than five miles from my house on foot since March 2020.  We did walk on a different part of the Bridgewater Canal during Jan, down towards Patricroft, and towards Trafford park a few times during the month.

My Chap hasn’t been running at all which isn’t like him.  He can’t run when it’s very icy as he has asthma. There are races planned for later on in the year, but we both think many will be postponed.

5. How are you feeling?

Bone tired. My arthritis pain is much higher than usual, which makes my fatigue much higher but frankly its been like this for over a year.  I’m on stronger medication now which I hope will help but it takes a while to notice the difference.  My arthritis pain is massively affected by the weather especially when it rains.

6. Who do you miss?

I’m missing my friends and my family.  Children have been born, people have moved house and all sorts of great and not so good things have happened.  I miss live music, gigs, and the theatre pottering around craft markets.

7. What keeps you going?

Yoga, mindfulness, listening to music, but spending time talking to friends and family but most of all My Chap – he is always positive.

8. What is on my to-do list?

More photography and perhaps some sewing too.  I’ve been looking at the garden nursery websites for Summer perennials.

TV series

• We finished watching ‘Agents of Shield’ We’ve loved it – seven series with story arcs that continued across all the series.  Excellent strong characters, especially female ones.We are also watching the Marvel films in chronological order.  I definitely need to watch shows that err towards fantasy and not too gritty.
• The Expanse – I’m loving it. Two series in so far.  It’s set in the 23^rd century where Earth and a colonised Mars has declared independence and a large group of people who mine and live on the asteroid belts (the belters).  Many of the moons around the planets are It is complicated and nuanced with fabulous acting with strong female characters.
• Potterythrow down is back – whey! I love this programme. I’ve tried out hand building and glazing with the lovely charity team at CreateBolton www.createbolton.org.uk.  I really enjoyed making pottery and have written about my makes a few times.  Read more: www.viewsfrommygardenbench.com/pottery

If you can get your hands on some clay, here’s a tutorial for a hand built lace patterned planter: www.viewsfrommygardenbench.com/make-a-clay-garden-planter

9. what events are you missing this month and how do you feel about it?

We are definitely missing gigs and the theatre.  Also missing our RunMND crew too.

Exercise

I’ve walked on 14 days out of the month – mostly at lunchtime for about half an hour and hour long/three mile walks at the weekend.  I was hampered by the wet weather and it snowed four times during the month which is very unusual for Eccles as it’s so flat.  The snow gets dumped in the hills that ring Greater Manchester, so my

I still can’t get over the fact that I walked for a longer amount of time in 2019 than I spent driving in a car.  Google told me 121hrs walking that’s an ‘official’ walk not a nip to the bins or the corner shop.  I drove 119hrs in the car.  How random is that?

10. How are you keeping in touch with people?

Zoom, WhatsApp, email and phone calls.  My former work pals meet regularly on zoom, as do my Women’s Institute buddies.  Luckily I’m not on loads of zoom meetings at work.  It’s definitely more tiring contributing to zoom calls even with the camera off.

11. How do you practice self-care?

I’ve written often about self-care. For me, it involved getting outside, gardening when it is dry, crafting and listening to music.

12. What would you do right now if you could do anything?

Get on a plane to visit my Australian relatives.   I hope we might get there in 2022.

13. How has this time made you change your mindset?

It has made me focus on the positive things in my life, on what I can influence – what important to me.  Happiness, health and friendship.  Always be kind too.

14. How do you deal with difficult days?

Try to focus from moment to moment.  I notice small changes in the plants I see on my walks around the neighbourhoods.

15. Do you avoid the news or social media?

I don’t watch the news very often which is a very weird thing for me as I’ve been a news hound my whole life.  I follow medical experts on twitter; due to previous roles in a Uni I’ve worked with experts in viruses, statistics, public health and risk.

16. What one thing has made you smile?

My Chap he always makes me laugh – he’s kind, funny and compassionate. Also seeing the Spring flowers coming up.

17. Have you got something booked that you looking forward to?

I’ve got Women’s institute events on zoom. I’m a proud member of Cottonopolis WI in Ancoats in Manchester.  Many Wis have embraced zoom for meetings, craft clubs and book clubs.
This month I went to a zoom talk from Sarah who’s a curator at Hampton Court Place.  It was fabulous.

I’m also watching webinars from Action for Happiness www.actionforhappiness.org

18. Have you saved money?

Yes, no commuting for me, shopping at Lidl which is much cheaper and no new clothes, shoes or incidentals.  I did treat myself to new trainers from Irregular Choice to celebrate getting a new role.  Otherwise, all our spare cash is going on overpaying our mortgage.

19. What have you done that you’ve not normally got time for?

Time for reading, crafting and photography.  I went to a two-hour wellbeing poetry writing workshop with Suzy from Radical Joy.  It was great and I learnt a lot about how to give yourself the space to write poetry.  I’ve not written a poem in over 20 years and I was proud of what I wrote.  She’s running another workshop on 21 March.  More details: www.radicaljoy.co.uk/workshops

20. what would you like to remember about this time and why?

How much working from home suits me, in a connected team on interesting projects.  I’m going to write more about this soon.

More negatively, I trying not to rant; the incompetent Government response, always too late, too lax about rules, and not even bothering to bring in strict quarantine for returners to Britain.

21. Have you kept a list of things to do once this is over?

Yes but I’m not dwelling what I can’t do but what I CAN do – it’s about ‘reframing’ the situation for me.

Carpe Diem,

Love Bec xx xx