Diary Entries

Thought New Year was going to be quiet – but 1.30 am saw me dancing to 80s hits while husband and friends intermittently danced, drank and snoozed. 2020 was going to be a great year – I knew that because there were so many exciting plans. Our son was getting married in Bali in April and it was going to be small but wonderful gathering of friends and close family. In May I was jetting off overseas (business class of course) to the US for work. June would see us celebrating our Ruby Wedding anniversary. And in August my partner, of 40+ years, and I were going to be living it up cruising around Italy with a side trip to England tacked on to see other friends and family. Well that is what we were going to be doing….. What are we doing? Husband made redundant which probably now means retirement for him. Obviously, wedding is off until goodness knows when with our money being safely taken care of by a hotel that may not survive the crisis. I spend lots of time with colleagues in the US but instead of a business class trip, I’m talking to them by Skype at 6.30 am every day. And the anniversary celebrations and cruise; dim memories apart from when I resurrect the battle to get our money back from the travel providers. This was the year that I was going to lose that weight and hit the gym. Instead I bake at weekends and spend hours each day in front of a computer eating red velvet cupcakes while two daughters relieve the boredom of online studies doing damage to floorboards in online gym classes. I may not even see my son, who lives in Darwin, this year. Is it really only May?

We all know what the negatives have been in this horrendous pandemic – and whilst I have had some personal disappointments and setbacks, there have been plenty of positives. Having my daughters home: family dinners, family TV watching, trivial pursuit, arguments – we’re a family again Still having a job but not having to get up, wash hair, put on make-up, wear uncomfortable shoes, and waste 1.5 hours each day in gridlocked traffic Going through the house and sorting, tossing, cleaning, painting, fixing, organising Feeling that life is no longer out of control – and enjoying being ‘controlled’ Having the perfect excuse to not go to the gym and being able to choose not to do exercises I don’t feel like doing while on online exercise classes without feeling embarrassed Setting up Zoom chats with my overseas sister and brother and speaking to them more regularly than I have done in years Sorting out all the recipes I’ve cut out of newspapers and magazines for years – and actually trying them out Making delicious treats – which then only I eat but it doesn’t matter because I only wear tracksuit trousers now Being able to spend more time with, and play with, my new kitten Appreciating my lovely garden Saving money – no trips to restaurants, theatres, concerts, cinemas; no holidays or weekends away; no new clothes, no make-up Laughing at the creativity and humour of all the COVID19 jokes and memes