April, and the good people of Slovenia are placed in lockdown for the third time since the pandemic started. It is also the third lockdown for us as a family, though the first one we experienced was in Spain. Feeling the strain This is supposed to be an eleven day 'short, sharp shock' lockdown to... Continue Reading →
The Quarantine Diaries #39: On having the kids at home
Since my last Quarantine Diary entry, I've been rather busy. We've moved house as a family and gone through the rigmarole of enrolling the children in their brand new school and nursery. In Slovenia, schools and nurseries re-opened this week for all ages up to third grade. My eldest son was given an extra week... Continue Reading →
The Quarantine Diaries #38: On Battles Lost and Won
This week has got me thinking about battles, both personal, and on a much grander scale. We all face personal struggles now and again, but it does seem at the moment that the problems we are facing as a human race far outweigh the internal struggles of any individual. I do however believe that the... Continue Reading →
The Quarantine Diaries #34: Chronicles of Lockdownia
Winter has come to the mythical kingdom of Lockdownia, coating the shadow side of the valley in glittering fairy dust. Surely some subtle magic is afoot. As crimson light gilds the high peaks to the North and the moon rises, the Queen grows weary. It has been a week of ups and downs in the... Continue Reading →
The Quarantine Diaries #33: The brighter side of lockdown
I'm happy to report that I'm feeling much better than I did when I sat down to write the previous diary entry. PMDD has left the building, and so has my mother-in-law, though I must say that the symptoms of the former eased considerably the moment that the latter left. I still struggled with the... Continue Reading →
The Quarantine Diaries 30: Return to Lockdown
It's the First of November and all over Europe, countries are returning to varying degrees of lockdown. I have decided to return to my 'Quarantine Diaries' as a means of staying sane during Lockdown Round 2. I started out by re-reading my post 'Lessons Learned in Lockdown' to see what I thought I'd learned back... Continue Reading →
The Quarantine Diaries 24: On the Move?
The French Government announced yesterday they are imposing a two-week quarantine on anyone arriving from Spain, apparently in retaliation for similar measures imposed by the Spanish Government. Prior to that, free movement across Schengen borders was allowed, as far as I'm aware. This is a rapidly evolving situation, and transiting through two additional countries en... Continue Reading →
The Quarantine Diaries 16: Symbol of Hope
'Guiness' the Cat 'I LOVE Guiness, Mammy!' Not normally the words you want to hear from a two-year-old. But in this case, he was talking about a neighbourhood cat who we'd befriended a few days before lockdown started. Now the children have been let out on (reasonably) good behaviour, we went looking for Guiness last... Continue Reading →
The Quarantine Diaries 15: At Liberty!
In another post dedicated to my kids, Benji and Ollie, today I want to tell the story of their first trip out in six weeks. For six weeks they'd been hidden behind closed doors. I'd been looking forward to this moment since the Spanish Government announced the relaxation of lockdown restrictions last week. I actually... Continue Reading →
The Quarantine Diaries 9: The Yin and Yang of Lockdown
Though I've already written about finding balance in earlier entries, in today's post I'd like to dig a little deeper by exploring the concept of balance in nature, and in life. I will then look at how we can apply this concept to help us deal with the unique challenges posed by lockdown during the... Continue Reading →