A for Anticipation - Scottish Borders in Lockdown: A-Z 2021

A-Z Blogging Challenge 2021

 Recording my Everyday Life -  A Picture for Future Generations

A for Anticipation 

  

Few people I am sure would say tere was little positive about  2020 and early 2021, what with the news dominated by Covid -  the worst crisis that has faced the world since the Second World War.   On  a personal  note - halting holidays, local travel, social visits, community activities, delaying  medical procedures  - basically affecting our ability to enjoy an active, varied life.

In the beginning, I must admit I was a wee bit complacent about the pandemic.  I followed the news of the virus  in China and chatted with a friend whose grandson was working in the British Embassy in Beijing.  When the virus spread to Italy, I thought, we don't know anyone who has been in Italy.  Even when the virus reached the UK, I thought we were safe, living where we do in  the village of Earlston  in  the rural Scottish Borders, 30 miles south of Edinburgh. 

The triple Eildon Hills - an iconic image of the Scottish Borders, 5 miles from my home.

But the cases escalated beyond anything I could have imagined and like everyone else in the country,  my life became dominated by Lockdown  restrictions  brought in in the UK mid March 2020 - too late in many opinions, compared with other European countries. 

 

In some ways I almost welcomed the enforced change of pace to my life. I am retired but  very involved in a number of local organisations and activities.  It was unusual for me to have so much time at home, and I made my “To Do” list to occupy my days.  These included:

 

Tidy up the garden after the winter and the garden shed.

Tidy out the hall cupboard.

Tidy out the loft i.e. declutter.

Do some minor spring cleaning.

Spend more time on my family history and work my way with that "To Do" list.

Sort out the paperwork of my local and family history.

Sort out the hosuehold papers. 

Finish the throw I was crocheting 

 

 

 

Earlston in Lockdown, Wednesday April 15th 2020 at 10.00am  with the  lack

 of traffic and people on the usually busy High Street the most striking feature.

 

So far, so good.  But the first  Lockdown lasted far longer than I anticipated  - not just a month but four months and my new everyday life began to pall – I no longer had meetings and activities to go to, could not meet friends  for a casual cup of coffee, no eating out for lunch, only essential shops  i.e. food & pharmacies were open for any thought of retail therapy; conversations on the phone tended to be dominated by Covid, the weather, and our various ills (we were at that stage of life!)   What else was  there to talk about when we never went anywhere?  How life was changing! 

Social distancing, hand sanitiser, masks became of everyday life;  of seeing on TV the frightening pictures of Covd wards in hospitals,  of fearing rising death rates, but also hearing tales of heroism by medical staff.

 Courtesy of Pixabay

 

A brief respite in the summer was very welcome – a chance to meet people, to eat out, to visit town shops – before our second Lockdown kicked in over winter.  Here in the UK we are about to see some relaxation, but it is concerning that other countries in Europe are anticipating their third Lockdown.  So what can we look forward to?  More of the same messages? 

 

 Courtesy of Pixabay

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In this A-Z I will be working my way through to Z for Zoom (something I had never heard of before Lockdown),  via Bubbles  and Body & Soul, Comfort Eating, Hobbies and Hair,  Mask and Music, Noticing Nature, Realities & Regulations, Slogans, and Vocabulary -  a new language was emerging. 

 

Do join me on this journey and share your own experiences of Life in Lockdown.  I look forward with Anticipation to reading them. 

 

 

 

Onto B for Bubbles, Books and Body & Soul 

 

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