It was a year ago this week that Wuhan went into lockdown to contain a virus we had only be hearing about for a few weeks. We still didn’t think it would make it to the UK and whilst we were hearing about it more and more on the news, we were still going about our normal lives, safe in the knowledge it was happening over there <waves right madly to the right>. When Wuhan came out of lockdown 76 days later things were very different in the West.
I can’t believe it is almost a year now since this all started. It still feels surreal and in some respects that it isn’t really happening. That we can look out of our window and see cars going past the window as if nothing had changed, it is only when we wander into town to the supermarket that it really hits. The closed shops (it is still only supermarkets and “essential shops” that are open so 80% of the high street is closed), quieter car parks and everyone in masks is a sudden reminder that we are, indeed, living in a pandemic.
To be honest we don’t go into town very often, I think it has been twice this year, but instead rely on a once a week food delivery from Ocado. It is almost like we have built a cocoon now and I am beginning to think that it will feel really strange to go back to the life we had before. Do you ever think about how strange it will be to actually just jump in the car and drive off for the afternoon? TO make plans and put them in your diary with no worry about them cancelling? To see a Tweet from BA advertising their flights sale and to actually be able to look at the destinations and book somewhere without thinking “how long will a refund take if they cancel”.
I felt like we were in a bit of a slump and needed some cheering up so I ordered a breakfast platter from a local business on Saturday morning. It was delicious and I would definitely recommend it as a lovely way to start a weekend. Lisa also does afternoon tea boxes too, which I think we might have to try out at some point. We ate it whilst watching America’s Cup heats, about which I know nothing even after watching a couple. The laziness continued as we ordered a take away from a local pub for dinner. Decadent and really not something we will be doing often but it was such a treat. And I cannot tell you how lovely it was to not have to think about making food for a whole day.
And then it snowed, and oh my goodness it was glorious. I adore snow. It reminds me of being a young child. There is a different stillness with snow. A silence that feels different from any other. We went out for a walk on Sunday afternoon and found that our local golf course that had closed over night a year or so ago is now a country park that people are free to wander. Bruce even made a snowman and I did a snow angel. It was such a welcome distraction from everything else that has been going on (and from the fact that the dog was at home destroying a black bin bag we had inadvertently left on the kitchen floor).
It was just what we needed and went some way to recharging our batteries ready for a new week.
Image of mug courtesy of shutterstock