What were you meant to be doing this weekend?

I would have been helping to run a festival of Breton and Cornish people in Falmouth. My job is to organise the bands/groups/performers on Easter Saturday afternoon around the pubs in Falmouth and a Fest-Noz /troyl in the evening. I would have also danced with two of the Cornish dance groups, one that I run and another. The whole festival (Aberfest) goes on for a few days, but I was planning to go up to London today to stay with my daughter and granddaughter for a week. Sad not to be doing that, but Messenger video calls are helping, plus I'm really enjoying time to do crafts and gardening. Pask lowen (happy Easter) to all the gransnetters!

Happy Anniversary, Grammaretto and Mr Grammaretto

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Seeing this from both sides. We can look back , the lockdown gives us time to reflect.
We can also dream about the future and enjoy the present.
It's our Wedding Anniversary today. It has been unusual but not unpleasant.
As we had our lunch we congratulated ourselves on the tasty meal and nice wine and thought how glad we hadn't booked to go away anywhere.
Happy Easter everyone. Stay safe.

Our small family would have been enjoying a professional photo shoot amongst a local bluebell wood.

The daily death total is breathtaking: it literally takes my breath away like a punch to my gut, every single day. However, for my sanity I have to make myself think unceasingly about how our life was, and hopefully will be again in happier times.

We would normally have lunch in our favourite restaurant on Easter sunday when DD would have travelled from her home in Brussels. Don't know when I will see her again.
GC would have got eggs and spending money but this year we just said hello in a video call.

I think that is right, MawB.
It is all so tragic, but we must think of silver linings and new horizons too.

At Christmas I had as a gift from a friend, a voucher for myself and daughter to have tea, sandwiches, cakes, etc in a tearoom in a village quite near to us. We had planned to go in the Easter holidays. Thankfully it's valid for a year.
Summer holidays maybe?

Gave I missed something?
Sympathies on your loss Franbern - but am I wrong in thinking it is FranT who has sadly lost her daughter?

Nonspecific plans but I can be assured I would have spent a lot more than the £3.03 pence I have spent so far this weekend. I round definitely be with my DD and DGS at some garden centre somewhere.

Our two oldest grandchildren should have flown in to spend two weeks with us on Thursday. No church this morning either. Very nice service online. Today we should have been out at a restaurant for dinner. Instead we are on our own in isolation. Make do with Facetime. Although I imagine their parents were looking forward to the break.

Franbern I think you are heroic, after the loss of your daughter to Covid-19, in being able to be so reasoned and rational about the many deaths that happen every day, - and continue to happen, even now. But you are absolutely right.

Because my daughter was going to New York to celebrate her 50th Birthday, she was coming to us in Cornwall from Warrington for the Easter break and a meal had been booked for tonight.

All the above now cancelled and we have planned a ZOOM party on the actual day of her birthday.

Presents are being sent via on-line companies.

Had been looking forward to Easter/ Birthday weekend with my family.
Although I am lucky enough to (under normal circumstances) see 2 of my grandsons regularly.
I have not seen my son, Dil and grandson since last year.
Knowing it is for the best and the greater good does not stop it hurting.

I take your point Maw but just because one can’t do as one planned it’s not necessarily gloom and doom. I have found that sitting out in the garden in the lovely sunshine is quite a pleasant alternative to the A1, M62.
My mum is perfectly happy that we have put off our visit! She seems to be loving this lock down.
All but one of her DGC have phoned regularly to chat as have we, herDD’s, her neighbours have been wonderful and as she appears to think that exercise is mandatory she’s walking more and getting fitter.

Just to put a little perspective on the very sad Cuoonvirus death numbers (and I have had to mourn a family member and two friends in the last two weeks). However, let us remember that every day of every year deaths from Cancer and Heart Attacks are this number, just under a thousand - yes, every day, 365 days of the year. No daily press briefings on those!!!

maw I absolutely take your point, and I’m quite sure we all feel as you do, but in amongst all this death and despair we must be able to find hope, love and fun.

Think of the fun had during the war! (In my mother’s case rather too much fun imo) That didn’t detract from the hell that was going on but was a coping mechanism!

I’m sure you must agree that this is just that .

To be honest if we can’t dream and think about nice things and happy times we might as well give up. I for one am not going to do that.

Had a very planned out week. Last Wesdnesday was due to drive to London to take over my daughter;s house for a weeks cats and house sitting, whilst she and her daughter are in France. During that week I had set up arrangements to have lunch and meet-ups with several of my friends in and near to London,. Easter Sunday I was due to go down to the South Coast, to spend the day with my twin daughters and three young grandchildren, staying overnight and driving back to London on Monday morning.
Due to drive back home next Thursday having welcomed daughter and g.daughter back home on the Wednesday.
Hopefully, I will stay be able to do this another time., but do find myself often imagining that alternative life I should be having now.

witzend, I think your remark about cutlery drawers was totally uncalled for. I dont think maw is preaching just giving her opinion and I can see her point of view.

I dont agree with her We should have been having the littlest dgs for a few days while his parents went to Las Vegas to get married and all we had last time I spoke to him was a close up of his (very lovely!!) tummy!

I'm very sad about that DD3 and her lovely partner are not having their much anticipated wedding having found each other after disastrous first marriages - DD in particular!

My Dad is 83 today. He's 250 miles away, has Parkinson's and advanced dementia and I can no longer talk to him on the phone. My Mam is 82 and trying to cope with him in isolation.

This week we would have been with them for a visit and I could have given my Dad a cuddle for his birthday.

I’m afraid you do come across as preachy, MawB, since you appear to be accusing those of us who are merely stating or thinking of what we would have been doing - yes, maybe a little bit wistfully - of self-indulgence.

This would have been on a flight to Orlando to celebrate my daughter’s 21st.

Up in a helicopter over Newcastle. A gift from DD and SIL for Christmas. X

Not being self indulgent but I’m not sure how I could stop my brain thinking about what we would have been doing !
We would have been caravanning in the New Forest with all 3 DDs and their families.
Instead we are having a family quiz night on zoom.

We would have been on holiday but also rushed around to see family before and after.

Am quite happy to not be doing all that. I always feel like I need a holiday AFTER easter holidays, but always feel obliged to A. make the girls easter break fun (translation: expensive ?) as we never do much feb half term, and B. catch up with wider extended family, the ones we might not have seen since christmas.

Its always planned more around what I think we should be doing rather than what I want to do IYKWIM.