The end of the first month of 2021 and I’m sure I’m not alone in thinking that we wouldn’t (or hoping) be still living life in lockdown. The ‘new normal’ that we discovered last year is here to stay and I’m starting to forget what life was like when we were able to go out freely and hug loved ones. Not to mention panicking about whether I have remembered my mask and if it has been too long since I last washed my hands.
Coronavirus milestones
It’s been a week of Coronavirus milestones. Marking a year since the first cases were diagnosed in the UK. Although it would be weeks until we all sat up and really took notice of the effect this virus posed on our lives and the world around us.
A truly devastating milestone of 100k UK deaths recorded from COVID-19 also happened this week. Remembering back to when we as a nation were doing our level best to keep deaths under the 20k level. Somewhat of a distant memory now, so many families affected by the virus – heartbreaking.
In brighter news, we have managed to vaccinate more people than the rest of Europe combined. Although the vaccination takes a few weeks to take effect and a second dose is required. Hopefully, this means we are on the right path, albeit a very long time before we will be eligible for the vaccine (despite supermarket workers seeing hundreds/thousands of people each day).
Keeping up to date with COVID-19 news
It has been a long time since I watched the daily Coronavirus briefings on TV. Only tuning in for the special announcements. Finding the updates and questions answered a mixture of overwhelming and unhelpful. Turning to Jenny from The Brick Castle who has been assisting everyone digest all the news with her UK Coronavirus updates via Facebook and The Brick Castle blog. She is doing an amazing job and I’ve sent a little donation to her as a thank you for all the time and effort she puts into the updates.
#WigglesGiftBoxExchange
Last year on the back off falling back in love with books I started a dedicated bookstagram account. Showcasing the books I’ve been reading, book quotes and book talk. I’ve been overwhelmed by the amazing community feel and have joined in with a few challenges and opportunities. The Wiggles Gift Box Exchange is one that I have done a couple of times, although I took a break over Christmas. This week I received a beautiful box of treats from @yorkshire_booklover. A lovely treat to receive and brighten up life in lockdown.
Turning to violence
A phone call from the school on Friday afternoon alerted me to the news that Tigger had been punched in the jaw by another pupil at lunchtime. Not the first time that he has been on the receiving end of violence by one of his classmates. Whilst I understand that we all deal with our emotions differently I do wish that they would refrain from turning to violence. The incident has been all sorted and Tigger, thankfully, is uninjured. Still not something I like having to hear about and deal with.
Exhausted
I’ve been hit with a bout of exhaustion this week, not necessarily tired in that I want to sleep all day – although that does sound appealing. It’s more a general lethargy feeling, unable to muster the effort to complete anything. I’m hoping that this is just my body telling me to slow down for a while and recharge. Luckily, I have been on shorter shifts this week so I’ve been able to rally myself to complete these, although my inbox hasn’t been looked at for a while – must knuckle down and clear this in the next few days.
