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 18: Shift your Attitude towards Gratitude
'Shift your attitude towards gratitude.' That's what my online yoga teacher, SaraBethYoga teaches in her fantastic online yoga videos. I highly recommend these to anyone who loves yoga or is interested in trying it out. She has videos for all levels and abilities in a variety of different styles. In current circumstances, I think it's... Continue Reading →
The Quarantine Diaries 17: Lockdown Playlist
In response to today's Discover Prompt, I'm going to outline a music playlist which helps to keep me sane and grounded during lockdown. I know lots of people have been making and sharing playlists with friends and family in an effort to keep cheerful and stay connected. This playlist is for my WordPress family, and... 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 14: Parenting Magic
Today's post is dedicated to my children, Benji and Ollie, who have endured six weeks of total lockdown in Spain. They haven't been able to go any further than the garden. They've been absolute stars of the lockdown show. They've had to make their own magic, with a little help from mum and dad of... Continue Reading →
The Quarantine Diaries 13: 9 Months Sober
If my sobriety were a baby, I should be giving birth today, to a Brand New Me. Or perhaps just to the Old Me, which would be the Young Me, before I started drinking. Unfortunately, I've been through a tough time over the last few days, and all the old behaviours are coming back: shouting... Continue Reading →
The Quarantine Diaries 12: The House of Life
In today's entry, I take a look at another poem by Seamus Heaney, 'The Blackbird of Glanmore,' and the extended metaphor of the 'house of life' presented therein. It's something I've been thinking about a lot during this strange period of quarantine, with a little time and stillness to reflect upon my life and re-evaluate... Continue Reading →
The Quarantine Diaries 11: Back to Nature
The two of us looked out at the blue sky, the bare chestnut tree glistening with dew, the seagulls and other birds glinting with silver as they swooped through the air, and we were so moved and entranced that we couldn't speak.Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl, 23 February 1944 As I write... Continue Reading →
The Quarantine Diaries 10: Consumerism Halted
In today's post I take a look at what's happening (or not happening) 'out there' in what used to be called 'the real world.' Commercial activities have been stripped down to the bare minimum, and many people have been brought to question their whole value system because of this. Empty aisles Yesterday, I ventured into... Continue Reading →