As the New Year approached, we were looking forward to making plans for the coming year, including our up coming 60th birthdays, then …………………. everything screeched to a halt as the Prime Minister announced a 3rd National Lockdown. A feeling of deja vu hit our household. The dread of home schooling, rising tempers with three generations cooped up together 24/7, and the thought of booked holidays, disappearing out of reach.

Our elder daughter who had been staying with us during lockdown 2 had, had enough of the busy household and returned home. As it turned out it was a good move when she tested positive for Covid. 😢. Fortunately she had recently had the vaccination, so her symptoms have been less than they may have been. She has lost her sense of taste and smell and finds herself exhausted at the slightest exertion, but her colleagues have been in constant touch and keeping her spirits up.

I think being in the Winter months, it is harder this time. The weather has not been great in recent weeks, so we have spent more time indoors and with no review due until the middle of February, this is turning out to be a very loooong 12 months.

It hasn’t been all bad, apart from the cancelled events and holidays, we have all had time to reflect on life and what is important to us.

Lessons of Covid Year:

• Social distancing – although initially this was a very weird concept, it has made the majority of the population, more considerate and polite to others. People, out for their daily exercise are so pleased to see others that, you are more likely to get a “hello” a smile and a thank you as you step aside to give each other room to pass.
• Clapping the NHS – We all took to our front gardens every Thursday evening, clapping and making lots of noise, to thank all our key workers for taking care of us during these unprecedented times. It brought communities together and an opportunity to chat, at a distance, with neighbours. Lots of people making new friends along the way.
• Boredom – has been turned around, to doing all the jobs we’ve been meaning to do for months, even years. Lofts have been sorted and cleared. Old furniture has been recycled and given a new lease of life. Houses across the nation have had repairs completed and rooms redecorated. Gardens have been tended and redesigned. Old hobbies rediscovered and new ones taken up.
• Family – Our family has become closer. We have spent more time eating together, walking on the beach, in the woods and the park. The boys have read to us and taken delight in showing us their arts and crafts. We have played games, made birthday celebrations as special as we can, explored new recipes, had cocktail evenings and afternoon teas.
• Captain Tom – The entire nation was inspired by this 100 year old gentleman and the huge amount of money he raised for the NHS charity. Every town has had their own local heroes also doing what they can to raise much needed money for charity.
• Home schooling – What a nightmare! Parents have always respected teachers and their ability to control a class of rowdy children. Learning took on a whole new meaning with parents juggling work, home life and trying to impart knowledge to their little cherubs. We failed completely, managing only around an hour of learning every day. But we also had “PE” most days and lots of arts and crafts. Lockdown 3 has been a bit more structured, with more online lessons, where the boys can see their teachers and classmates. We are managing one online lesson in the morning, followed by some learning at the dining table before lunch. It’s then either out for a walk if the weather allows, or arts and crafts making castles and robots. We finish the “school” day, back online for story time with one of their teachers.
• Working from home – So many people have moved from their offices to working from home. For some it has worked well and helped them juggle family, home life and work. For others it has meant isolation, not seeing colleagues and clients face to face. With office space not being utilised, and employees being as, if not more productive, some companies may review their need for such large office space.
• New words – Our vocabulary has expanded over the past year. Social distancing is a whole new concept. No hugging, no kissing, and elbow bumping replacing hand shakes! New normal, whatever that means. Unfortunately I’m not sure we will go back to our usual way of life anytime soon. Furlough, who knew a year ago that was even a thing? But well done to the government, it has been a lifeline to so many employees and small businesses.
• New way of life – Well, like everyone else, staying home is the new going out. We have adapted by using Zoom to have visual contact with family and friends. We have been lucky, having so many in the house, to have been able to entertain ourselves at home. We have used our daily allowed exercise, to explore our local neighbourhood and surrounding countryside, discovering some wonderful hidden gems. When tiers have permitted, we have had socially distanced catch ups with family and friends. Maybe I am getting old, but in some ways, although I miss family and friends, I have enjoyed the slower pace of life. I envisage that the future, may hold more entertaining at home and in smaller groups, at least until people are more comfortable with larger gatherings.
• New hope – With the first vaccine arriving in the UK in early December, momentum is building to vaccinate the more vulnerable in our society, to protect them from the ravages of this virus. From next month I climb up to a higher category, (obviously becoming more vulnerable 😂), so am hopeful that I will be invited for mine in the not too distant future. It gives new hope to the population that we are closer to being released from our homes, to our “new normal”.

2020-2021 should have been the year of the rat, but turned out to be the year of the mask. Hopefully they will not become mandatory outdoors, but I fear they may be with us indoors for some time to come. If it works alongside the vaccine to contain this virus, then so be it.

Although we are not making any new major plans, we are hopeful that the later half of the year, will see a loosening of restrictions and we can once again start looking ahead to a more active future.

Stay safe everyone, the end is nigh 🤞