Lockdown positives and lifestyle changes

I work from home now and enjoy more light, space and freedom than at the office. I spend less. Read more. Have taken up knitting—an old hobby and have added more variety to my cooking. I’ve also learned that I am able to be on my own. Best of all, my marriage has been closer than ever.

No cant think of one positive apart from has taught me not to waste life.
Cant wait for the restrictions to be lifted

My life is no longer dominated by noisy extraverts who have no concept of 'too loud', 'too crowded', etc. We don't have daily fast food litter (live on a walking route to secondary school). I have peace and time to read, walk and learn new flute pieces.

Can’t think of anything other than saving money - but for what??

Not seeing my real friends - I’ve long since ditched the ‘fair weather few’. Hardly seeing DGS and can’t offer much help to DD2 in a difficult first pregnancy (SinL has really stepped up though).
DH has terminal cancer - so he could have had his last Christmas. It’s all so uncertain.

Plus we are all a year older. A year we’ll never get back!

Lockdown has not made a lot of difference to us because we were living quietly before it started. It is however becoming tedious now and we are looking forward to the day when we can go out and about again.

School children being at home means there are far fewer sweetie papers to pick up on the grass verge between our fence and the pavement, as they are not going past to get the bus to school.

I don't think there are any other advantages.

Definitely spending less!!

GCs are 6

I’ve not been as busy for at least 3 years since I finished my OU degree. Since last March I’ve bubbled with daughter and GCs aged become housekeeper, teacher and now teaching assistant Monday to Friday and home for 2 days of relaxation at the weekend. All my craft activities have been reduced but cooking dinner for 4 has made up for it. For me, it’s a temporary change with new experiences, keeping me busy all day.

I admit to looking forward to a more leisurely pace of life when lockdown ends, hopefully in the not too distant future.

Umm....... no can’t think of any positives. Dull and restrictive. I commiserate with those whose say life is not much different to what it used to be.

Its made us realise it was time to move.
We put the house up for sale and are now waiting for a moving date. Been really busy sorting out 40 odd years of clutter from loft, garage, shed, hoping the Charity Shops open soon, don't want to take things to the tip, when they might be useful for someone.
The new house will suit us better, downstairs lou and utility plus bigger kitchen (I've a small galley kitchen at the moment. ) I can have a dishwasher and not have to go into the garage to use the dryer or get items from the freezer. I'll be sad to leave as its where we brought up our 2 sons but the garden is now getting hard work for us and the drive is very narrow and hard to reverse up as we get older.
Covid has made us really look at how we were living,

I’ve got a long list of positives !
I don’t have to travel in fact last December/Jan I took 6 flights and on the last one I prayed just to not have to travel I was so sick of it , just to be in one place and stop travelling and it happened!
I was dutiful visiting relatives and now I can just zoom, phone
I don’t have to entertain for business
I can work online no tubes bus etc
I don’t have to worry about clothes
I can do gp by email ( fantastic )
Save money on restaurants ( now DH and I fill a flask of coffee and go to stare at the sea in the car for a change of scene lol cheaper)
I’ve had time to sort cupboards
Written a book
Lots of time for reading
Spent lots of time with DH
Reconnected by email with old friends
Walked much more
I could go on lol .....
To cut a long list short I’m loving it

I've walked a lot more, read a lot more and saved money due to no shopping and no holidays, or come to think of it, petrol. Pre lockdown, I felt as though it was all getting too much of a merry go round. Lockdown has given me breathing space as well as more time with DH.

So many plusses. I'm not at all sure I want my old life back with all those commitments.

Believe it or not I've been having Physiotherapy appointments via the telephone and they've worked a treat. I too have saved loads of time, petrol, parking fees etc.

I have not really minded lockdown. I miss my family and friends but feel grateful for my warm home, enough food in the cupboards and my cosy bed.
I am on my own but find the days go by quickly. It is good not to have anywhere I have to go and I can please myself what I do each day.

I like your idea Bazza, although hubby and I have not yet been called for our vaccinations. In our area, over 75's are still being contacted (we are 73 and 71).

As we are moving to Scotland next week, and will need to register with a new GP Practice, our vaccinations might be slightly delayed.

If any Charities are willing to take your idea further, I would certainly be prepared to donate.

I have walked and discovered a whole new are!

I love the no pressure and it was all great for a while but to be honest I've had enough of this way of living. Only having my husband for company is wearing me down. My husband is a quiet solitary person who doesn't chat much.. All he misses is his guitar group. And that is starting to fade. But I so miss the company of friends and family. I'm actually a bit depressed. I just try to remember that Spring is coming.

Bazza

Thanks for your reply Jocork. I have emailed a lady at Oxfam, no reply as yet. I was thinking more of a television appeal, telling everyone how they could show their gratitude, perhaps with a text number to make it really easy to donate. Maybe I’m being too idealistic, which my husband tells me is a failing of mine!

Perhaps a bit idealistic but better optimism than pessimism in these times. I'm kept going by looking for the silver lining in every cloud!

Thanks for your reply Jocork. I have emailed a lady at Oxfam, no reply as yet. I was thinking more of a television appeal, telling everyone how they could show their gratitude, perhaps with a text number to make it really easy to donate. Maybe I’m being too idealistic, which my husband tells me is a failing of mine!

Bazza

In desperation of finding how to start a new thread on gransnet, I’m going to do it here as it’s the most suitable one I can find, so here goes. My husband and I are lucky enough to have had our first vaccination, and I was wondering whether there is an organisation who could collect a small voluntary donation, say a tenner, from people who have been ‘done’ to help poor countries pay for their vaccine. I would happily do this if I knew it was going to the right place! Any thoughts?

I don't know about providing vaccines but yesterday I had a leaflet from the Disasters Emergency Committee who work in countries where there is severe poverty, at present made worse by covid19. They supply soap and hygiene packs and PPE to countries that are struggling to fight the pandemic.

Personally I'm still trying to support the charities close to my heart as all charities are struggling at present as many people are feeling the pinch due to furlough or job loss. I've also started volunteering at our local food bank.

I don't know if maybe the Red Cross might have a role as they work internationally too.

Janejudge, I have had telephone consultations with my rheumatologist and one video one with the cardiologist, who couldn't get the hang of the video, proceeded to hang up and phoned me!

I had my first physical hospital appointment today since I started shielding, it was totally surreal. I was the only patient in the clinic!

Not having to get up early for appointments.
Nobody just "popping in " and staying for ever.
Enjoy phoning people, writing e mails.
Love my computer more and more,especially when GN arrives in the morning.
Enjoying a gentler pace of life.

I have always enjoyed my own company so don't mind lockdown, I do miss socialising with my friends but have been lucky that I am in a "bubble" with my DD & DGSs.

I am looking forward to being able to get in my car & go out exploring, visiting NT Properties & lots of interesting places.

My life hasn't changed too much with lockdown, I don't often have visitors, I cook but have done more baking during lockdown. I intend to do more of the things I want to do once we can get around freely again

JaneJudge

Marydoll, have you had any video appointments with the hospital? We had one Monday and I really hope they keep them in place. I realise sometimes we need to be seen in person but this was a neurology medication review, an appointment that would have taken most of the day, driving there, finding somewhere to park, getting into the hospital, finding the clinic, waiting, seeing the nurse, waiting, seeing the Dr, having to get lunch, having to get back to car, having to get back to wherever. We just logged on and the whole thing took about half an hour! It was so much easier

Theyre great. My son has had a couple - and while we havent saved as much time as you have it has been so much better. The consultant even seems to be able to stay on time as well, unlike his in person clinics!!

Oh yes, so many similar experiences here too - more cash has been a boon. Not spending on fuel for trips out with obligatory tea and cakes, buying thank you gifts and entertaining friends with the bottles of wine that involves too has left a small amount accumulating in the bank account. We have managed to buy a freezer for the garage (our Covid/Brexit bunker store), change the car and donate the old one to our son who needs it for getting other work, get the alarm fixed and the boiler serviced. All very necessary costs which would have caused a lot of stress had there not been a few pounds spare