This too shall pass….

How things have changed since I last put fingertip to keyboard ( doesn’t quite have the same ring to it as “put pen to paper” does it? but it is supposed to be progress so I’ll try and work with it!) We were going about our daily business rushing here, rushing there- seeing family, meeting friends ,walking the dog with pals, shopping ( with an “ oh I forgot to buy butter – no worries I’ll call at Tesco ( other supermarkets are available…) tomorrow when I’m meeting myself coming backwards from doing whatever” attitude, and whatever else we filled our days with. Those of us with ears, listened to government advice not to go out to pubs, clubs, restaurants or bars but others didn’t . I still don’t think even now some people realise the enormous impact of this nasty little invisible thing otherwise known as Covid 19, that is wreaking havoc across the globe and changing lives for ever. If everyone did, please explain to me why, after clear instruction from the government on “ social distancing”( which I’ll come back to later staying 2 metres away from you of course…) and staying away from anyone other than those living in your house , Derbyshire police came across this –

Then our government realised that advice was not sufficient and we moved very quickly to having pubs, restaurants etc closed and then to total lockdown, although not as Spain, Italy and I think, France know it. Like them we must only go out for food or pharmacy, and all workers considered non- essential must now stay at home. However, we are allowed out once a day for the purposes of exercise – whereas in Spain Italy and France, that is not allowed. They are however, allowed to exercise their dogs if they have them, but no more than 50 metres from their homes . So you may imagine some clever individuals wanting to get out but having no reason (or dog) to do so, might try and borrow a neighbours dog…… sadly, the Spanish police are always a step ahead! So if you go out where our little bolt hole in Spain is, you are advised to carry with you proof of your address and of ownership of the dog accompanying them ( along with the customary poo bags) ! I think if I were there, by the time I’d remembered to gather all those documents together, I may well leave the house having forgotten the dog! Whenever I think of the Guardia Civil or the Policia Local stopping someone and asking if the dog with them is theirs, I can’t help but think of Peter Sellars as Clouseau in Pink Panther Strikes again – and the “Does your dog bite ?” sketch! I recommend , dear reader, you look it up -it will surely bring a smile to your face!

So we at the moment can exercise daily , with or without ,a dog.

We are blessed here to be surrounded by beautiful countryside, so whilst we drove out for the above walk, we have plenty of walks to do within easy reach of our back door .

I suppose at this point I should tell you, about our gazebo – with a wonky floor ( and a wonky balustrade courtesy of a wild party, held by our youngest son when we were not in residence,)I tell you of the floor problem for one reason – 17 years ago the DB got down on bended knee ( he claims he had intended to fix said wonky floor!) and proposed. The rest is history and needless to say, the floor remains wonky!!!

Back to the matter in hand – at the moment we feel lucky. We are doing as we are told to do and I am pleased to say everyone we see is respecting the “ social distancing “ rules. Now I said I would return to this so I have. A couple of nights ago I heard a BBC newsreader discussing this with an interviewee, and she made a really valid point. It has been labelled “social distancing” but in reality it is “physical distancing” – just because we keep a minimum of two metres between each other, doesn’t mean to say we can’t pass the time of day, say hello or even smile. You may guess , dear reader, that this ruminating rambling sixty something year old does all three!!! Before all restrictions came into being I had started to have a long walk Thursday with a girl from my hooping class ( more of that to follow!!!!!) Every person we met we’d say “morning”, “hello” or get engrossed in deeper conversation – I must say walking with a dog is a conversation starter in itself . We came upon a middle aged gentleman, definitely avoiding eye contact , walking toward us – I said my usual cheery “morning”( even though it was afternoon!) and whilst he didn’t engage in eye contact he did acknowledge the greeting . My walking pal said to me “ I knew of all people , you’d get him to speak!” That is me ! Since our lockdown , the DB has walked with me almost every day! Prior to lockdown I used to walk four days with my dog walking pals , and then my long walk Thursday walk – because the DB really didn’t want to walk. He could never understand why , if I’d only gone a short way, did I take so long. Now he knows – my walks provide a whole social life in themselves, but I wouldn’t have it any other way . Every day ( regardless of this new situation) I aim to make another’s life just a bit better- and whether it be with a smile or “hello” it works!

One son lives in Spain and has been under a tighter lockdown ( as previously described ) than us , but they wear masks and gloves when shopping . So I thought about this – and indeed whilst my experience in Aldi ( other supermarkets are available!) last Thursday was a pleasant one, all shoppers trying to respect the 2 metre social distancing, inevitably during the procession around the store the gap narrows. As a result,yesterday I made a mask ……

Actually, this snood came with me on the Camino last September ( which is where this blog all started !) – all I did was to sew some old sheet to cover my nose and mouth! I have no idea how the unsuspecting customers of Aldi will react on Thursday ,but I hope they won’t all run for cover! …..well it would take social distancing to another level!

We have been in lockdown now for precisely one week and the end is certainly not nigh. I am beginning to feel a sense of decreased motivation amongst some and of feeling “down – this is bound to happen at times. We are being asked to do things totally alien to us. I am a hugger – I coped with elbow bumps when we were told not to shake hands or hug , but now really still can’t believe I have adapted to not even going near people. One of the worst things for me is struggling to give comfort with just words – now that is hard and next time I will talk about that a bit more.

I feel it is so important to keep structure to each day – especially now we all have more time on our hands and each day is very much like the next . I think it a good idea to challenge ourselves, learn a new skill or try and achieve something we’ve been desperate to achieve. Okay, so back to the hooping ….. I ( yes I) discovered over a year ago that my neighbour had joined a hooping class. Anything she can do …… as it turns out I can’t do it better! I have never hooped before – no hoola hoop for me as a child – but I joined the class . Good exercise – for my back! I spent the majority of time bending down to pick the confounded hoop up from the floor when it resolutely refused to stay anywhere near my waist despite my best efforts. So after several classes and a lot of frustration – it stayed up for two twirls …….. Determined to succeed I purchased a hoop and took it with me to Spain to practice. After two months of six days a week, five minutes each side hooping ( loosely put) I managed to keep the hoop in motion for one( and one only) session of five minutes. I was overjoyed! So now, at my power hooping class – I can even move my arms whilst hooping! Is that enough – not a bit of it ! My teacher Sarah, can not only hoop and move her arms but walk ( nee dance) around whilst doing so! I am well aware that I will never be like Sarah but you’ve guessed it dear reader, my challenge to myself is to move my feet whilst hooping – now don’t be silly please , arms and legs together I hear you say – my arms and legs barely work together when standing still! That will be next year’s challenge!

Sarah has started an online class via Zoom – getting onto Zoom alone was hard enough for me , anyway we will see how I get on tomorrow- I’m hoping to show off my new found skill!

My Fitsteps dance teacher is also doing something similar – at least I’ll have mastered Zoom by the time of her class. The dance class is great fun – yours truly is not a natural mover or shaker! As a small child, my mother took me to my first ballet class – only to be pulled aside at the end and told that her infant may do better in the tap class! I look on with envy at the lovely Olivia who moves incredibly beautifully , she dances professionally – and gaze in amazement at how her hips move in so many directions as she does the samba routine , cha-cha routine and the rest . I try desperately to get similar movement to no avail – my hips would need a map to follow hers I think and as yet I haven’t found such a map!

We will all get through this , hence the title of this particular blog . However we may not all get through unscathed. I pray you and yours keep safe ,dear reader, and I leave you with this uncannily relevant poem by Catherine O’Meara titled “ And people stayed home” written in 1869 after the famine . I personally found it both moving and reassuring …..

And the people stayed home ,and they read books, and listened, and rested, and exercised, and made art, and played games, and learned new ways of being, and were still.

And they listened more deeply. Some meditated, some prayed, some danced. Some met their shadows. And the people began to think differently.And the people healed.And, in the absence of people living in ignorant, dangerous, mindless, and heartless ways, the earth began to heal.

And when the danger passed, and the people joined together again, they grieved their losses, and made new choices, and dreamed new images, and created new ways to live and heal the earth fully, as they had been healed.