Hey I hope everyone is staying safe and your health and well-being has not been compromised. Life can feel dire and scary at the moment with all that’s going on but I wanted to try and encourage you to try and stay positive, rather than getting completely overwhelmed and consumed by anxiety – which is completely understandable and difficult to avoid.

Hopefully everyone is adhering to what we have now been told to do. It is vital for everybody to completely self-isolate if you or any of your family have ANY of the symptoms of corona virus.

If you are not self isolating you still need to stay away from other people where possible – social distancing – this is easier for some than others. If you are a social butterfly this is going to be tricky but those of us who don’t necessarily enjoy social situations might not find this too much of a chore! Have you noticed there is almost an eerie atmosphere when you go out? Or maybe it’s just me! I live in a village where usually people stop and chat and pass the time of day. That’s not happening now. We took the dogs out for a walk yesterday and I felt like I was intruding when I said hello to people, people were walking far away on the other sides of the paths/fields which felt quite alien but I think that’s how it has to be for now. On our way home a lady was walking towards me with a pram so I felt compelled to walk into the road so we weren’t within breathing space of each other. People are wearing masks and covering their faces with scarves.

Sorry this post isn’t sounding very positive is it, I’ve gone off on a tangent about I feel about the situation. I’m scared if I’m honest and I’m scared that some people aren’t taking this as seriously as they should be.

If everyone – and I mean everyone – follows the advice then surely this horrible virus will die because it will not be passed from one person to another and with no hosts to live on then surely it will be destroyed.

For now I am just trying to eat healthily, where possible, I can’t sanitise everything because we are unable to buy anti-bacterial cleaner so it’s traditional hot soapy water and kitchen cleaner – but that’s ok.

Rather than using anti-bacterial hand cleaner (as some people seem to be hoarding so this is unavailable in the shops at the moment) we have standard soap and are washing hands every time we touch anything that someone else may have touched – and that’s ok too.

It’s not just my household though, I know many others are in the same boat.

I’ve noticed that within my group of friends and within my group of work colleagues there is a real feeling of camaraderie and a sense of trying to help each other out where we can.

I wish the whole world would be like this towards each other ❤️

My hours have been reduced at work as it has had to temporarily close, but I am grateful that I still have a couple of days a week and they will find jobs for us to do – that’s ok and I will be learning new skills.

Like many others we are unable to get certain food but hopefully everyone will have enough to keep them healthy – you may be able to buy raw ingredients and learn and have more time to cook nutritious food from scratch.

Hopefully you are well enough and have the space to get outside, get some fresh air and enjoy the outdoors. I’ve already been out in my garden this morning and pruned back a rose and a salvia plant – hopefully it’s the right time of year or I will end up with a very bare garden. If we have to stay in our gardens we may as well try and make them look nice hadn’t we. That’s the first bit of gardening I’ve done in months but as long as it doesn’t rain I hope to get back into it! So we may have a nation of tidy gardens!

On that note, I think I’m going to pop back outside and do a bit of pottering!

I hope you and your family are safe. Look after each other and stay healthy.

Are there any activities you are planning on doing while life has to change temporarily? I’d love to hear your thoughts.