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Well, life definitely got in the way of blogging these past 18 months and I’m not just talking about the pandemic. I changed jobs, still working from home and have been working on many complex projects, but one has just about finished. I decided to start blogging again and taking photographs – so here I am getting back into a few topics I’m interested in.
Joining ‘Life after a Lockdown’ from Sarah and Rebecca
Last March 2020, I really wanted to document what was happening every week during a pandemic, as we were and are living in momentous times. I was furloughed from work in April and May 2020, and so was my husband, so I had time to photograph, write and walk around the neighbourhood.
So I joined the link-up from Sarah at www.lifeinabreakdown.com and Rebecca from www.ialwaysbelievedinfutures.com They are still writing every week, over 18 months later, so I thought I’d join in with the current questions.
You can read more about my previous lockdown diaries here.
So what are the questions?
1. How are you feeling/coping?
2. What have you been up to over the past 7 days? Are you living life as normal, being cautious or still being very careful?
3. What’s a helpful tip you would like the future to know about living in / or after a pandemic?
4. What tips do you have for others when out and about?
5. What is your favourite post of the past 7 days (it could be yours or someone else’s)?
6. What have you been grateful for over the past 7 days?
7. What has made you smile this week?
8. Anything else you would like to mention?
Here’s my answers.
1. How are you feeling/coping?
I’m tired and I feel like I’m in groundhog day. I could really do with a holiday getting away somewhere else but there’s no chance at the moment. It is very busy at work, working on interesting projects with a lovely team. I am still working from home but I am getting some more kit delivered including a big monitor; it isn’t much fun editing websites on a laptop.
2. What have you been up to over the past 7 days? Are you living life as normal, being cautious or still being very careful?
Still being very careful – wearing masks when we are inside buildings or when it’s busy outdoors. This is because my chap had a shielding letter last year and currently he’s waiting for his Pfizer booster vaccine too.
We did get out to one of our favourite places – Ordsall Hall in Salford by Salford Quays. It was just lovely to be back in this Tudor mansion. If you’re local check out their events for the Autumn/half term.
3. What’s a helpful tip you would like the future to know about living in / or after a pandemic?
Fresh air is really important, so is hand washing and wearing a mask. It isn’t over.
4. What tips do you have for others when out and about?
Do more than what the ‘rules’ say – including all the suggestions above and give people more space.
5. What is your favourite post of the past 7 days (it could be yours or someone else’s)?
Everyone is really ramping up to Halloween in the blogging community. I’m particularly enjoying the food options.
- Jane at Hodgepodge Days:
Recipe: honey spiced pumpkin pie - Rachel at Marvellous Mrs P
Pumpkin spice cupcake recipe - Naomi at BooBerrit
Autumn orzo Pumpkin Pasta
6. What have you been grateful for over the past 7 days?
That my arthritis isn’t too painful considering the weather has taken a turn for the worse here in Manchester. Getting out and about with my Chap locally around Monton and Salford.
7. What has made you smile this week?
We got out and about in the neighbourhood – we saw some guerrilla gardening by the Bridgewater Canal. There were about 12 sunflowers staked up – don’t they look great? The header image is one of the sunflowers.
8. Anything else you would like to mention?
TV
I am still loving Marvel. I’ve been watching ‘What If?’ really enjoyed the concept and the graphics.
Films
Free Guy, I’ve not seen many Ryan Reynolds films apart from Deadpool but I really enjoyed this film The next step on from The Truman Show.
Out and About
The only place we’ve been to recently is RHS Bridgewater Garden which is a couple of miles from me. We’ve been six times since it opened in May. I need to get my photographs together and write some blog post about what you can see and do at the garden. Find out more:
How’s your October been so far? What are you looking forward to?
Carpe Diem,
Much love Bec xx
7 Comments
Rosie Hill (@EcoGitesLenault)
18/10/2021 at 8:54 pmI live in France and pretty much everyone here is still wearing masks which I am very grateful for. It really does help to keep infection levels down … and I love the guerilla gardening you found. My sunflowers failed to germinate this year so they made up for my lack of them.
Cloo
18/10/2021 at 9:13 pmThis is a great thing to document so you can look back on it.
I have been scared to go back to normal so have been careful but at times that’s hard when others aren’t doing the same
StressedMum (@stressedmum01)
19/10/2021 at 11:17 amI have been taking part in this linky from week 1 and loving it, I love Ryan Reynolds films and have seen Free Guy. Glad your arthritus has not been too bad and hopefully continues to be manageable for you
jennifuchs
19/10/2021 at 6:35 pmI would love to get away too. We did have a couple days locally at the seaside over the summer, but I’d really love to visit my parents who live abroad and whom I haven’t seen for almost two years thanks to the pandemic.
Lyndsey O'Halloran
19/10/2021 at 6:38 pmWe haven’t watched Free Guy yet but it’s on our watch list. There’s so much I want to watch right now that I struggle to make time for it all
MELANIE EDJOURIAN
19/10/2021 at 7:31 pmI agree with getting fresh air. It is important for both our mental and physical health. We always use hand gel and wear masks in shops.
Lisa Jackson
20/10/2021 at 7:25 pmI would love a holiday as well. I work in the NHS so still mask wearing. It’s definitely not over yet but it is nice that we can actually go about and do things albeit cautiously:)