So what have you been doing with yourself in these lockdown times?

So here we are a good while into lockdown, just thought I’d let you know how it’s all going at TopladyTalks – land! 

Well, to be perfectly honest it’s getting a bit like groundhog day here. I thought that life in lockdown would be pretty similar to my usual chronic pain managing life, but, it turns out that it’s been really quite different. I’ve spent far more time outside In the last three weeks, than I have done for ages and no, it’s not because the weather has been really warm and springlike. It’s  because like everyone else, I have stopped going anywhere (and those who know my darling P know he is very happy that I have had to slow down)  it’s because it’s given me a chance to just sit, stand, wander carefully and slowly around the garden and I’m seeing things that I simply didn’t see there before.

Who knew that was so much life going on in the hedgerow? Apparently they’re full of birds! And those birds are very busy at the moment doing what birds do when the weather warms up and because I am actually standing and watching, I can see the whole thing. It’s a marvellous sight to see and hear and I’ve loved sitting and staring out at them from my kitchen table.

 

In the garden, daisies have suddenly appeared in the lawn. I don’t normally watch P when he does the lawn but I have now. I love watching the way he mows around them, it’s so sweet. Reminds me that things are growing, spreading, ready to flowers. Elsewhere, the ivy has taken over and various other green things are sprouting (can you tell I’m NOT a gardener?!?)  and whilst the garden is still a tangle, it is still somewhere to relax and de-stress.

Because of course, no matter who you are, where you are,  whether you have acres of land or no garden whatsoever, this lockdown is stressful. Stress over wages, bills, children, homeschooling, self isolating, shielding, everything is stressful. 

And given that the whole world is causing us stress at the moment, like everyone else I have had to learn how to manage the stress as well as my pain. So what have I done to keep myself busy, to keep my mind active and to distract myself from the terrors that are happening around us…..??

 

Let’s play bake off!

Like everybody else in this lockdown when you’ve had about enough of watching the TV, thoughts turn to food, and then of course to baking. It all started off so simply with an old apple cake recipe that I’d had for ages to becoming almost addicted and wanting to go further but then suddenly running out of the one thing that no one could find in any supermarket, any corner shop, any farm shop or any other kind of shop – Flour! Flour? Where can you get flour….??

Flour has become the new currency in this country. “What are you short of?” asks the neighbours, The reply is always the same  “if you can find any kind of flour, self raising, plain, bread flour, any flour at all, that would be great.” (Plus trying to get hold of fruit, veg, pasta so that we can avoid going into the bigger shops….)

Although maybe a shortage of flour could be a really helpful thing in our house as baking every day, every other day, has a simple side-effect. I think I shall be getting out of this lock down a little bit bigger than I was before. Ah well – #firstworldproblems…..eh!

 

 

Let’s watch the briefings!

Now I’ve always been interested in news and current affairs, but never so much as now when I am finding myself glued every single day to watch the press briefings from Downing Street. I am literally turning into a briefing groupie, I did miss one the other day but it was a Sunday so that was ok (hope they didn’t mind!)

 

I’ve also spent time ……

Trying to sort out my acrylics nails…..

Eating far too much chocolate and cake……🤦‍♀️

Quizzing on Zoom…..(who knew what that was eh?!?’

Trying to hide my grey roots…..

Dying my hair pink……

Clapping the carers…..

Encouraging  my 80yr old Dad to do the garden instead of me….. 🥴

 

 

 

But mostly……..

After attempting to become a cross between Nigella Lawson and Monty Don and failing miserably with increased pain spikes, (quelle surprise! 🤦‍♀️) my new focus for my pain management has had to be self care and with that, a new trial of something different – my first foray into CBD oil. I’ve been sent some as a trial by the good folks at Reakiro and am one week into it so I’ll let you know how that goes (hopefully in my next blog!)

 

 

 

So whatever you’re all doing to keep yourself sane, keep doing it and hopefully all this madness and sadness will be over soon. #stayhome #protectthenhs #savelives  ❤️💙❤️