• Favourites,  Lifestyle

    Update 2020-2022 … FINALLY!

    A new blog post… FINALLY. It’s been over a year, right? Maybe even 2 years.

    So here goes. An update…

    I am in the process of finding myself & purpose in life. I am thinking of starting up Yoga & meditation but I am still not sure how to go about it – as it’s all new to me. All I know is it’s meant to have many health benefits. I’ve also found over the past few years I have gained a few stone & lost some weight in lockdown but I have become more motivated to get fit & healthy which I want to do in the next few years!

    ….

    So, what have I been up to over the last few years?

    I’ve been to a few events over the last year but the main thing that happened to me was in July 2021 I broke my ankle and had to have surgery and learn to walk on it again. It’s 50% fixed now, but still plays up sometimes, by that I mean it gets stiff occasionally and my walk isn’t right. I’m considering rebreaking it and starting with physio to get me back walking 100% normal again.

    Other than breaking my ankle in 2021,

    I managed my way through lockdown in 2020. Lockdown was a struggle for me a social bee who loved meeting up with friends regularly. Not being able to pop out for coffee or drinks and food was a nightmare. I did have one socially distanced meeting outside with my best friend. Also on the 75th anniversary of VE DAY, I celebrated in a street party with neighbors.. socially distanced, but it was still fun with music, drinks & dancing outside.

    How did I cope with the lockdown? With friends who weren’t nearby or I couldn’t meet at that time. I relied on social media and video calling like Zoom, Google Meet & Facebook Video chat. Over Christmas time all of my friends got in a big group chat & organized a Christmas quiz with drinks, at home over Facebook Video. I was last at the quiz, I’m always rubbish at quizzes but it was great fun.

    This may not seem like much as I struggled through the lockdown but also gained great memories too. Other than the ones mentioned already, there was; a clap for the NHS, Queues outside shops, face masks, and loads of other stuff. I managed to lose about a stone that year by going for long walks around the block & the local park.

    Lockdown was a different time,
    I don’t think it will ever happen again in my lifetime.

    Take Care,

  • writing

    Short Poem called “2020”

    Winds blow swiftly in the breeze
    As the changes occur
    We are all changing, this year

    The world is slowly evolving
    And we are all blissfully aware

    One cries “WHAT HAPPENED?”
    As the rest continue to stare

    2020
    It’s over, too soon
    A new normal has arrived.


    By Danielle Mcdowall

  • Favourites,  Lifestyle

    COVID-19 and ME (in the UK, 2020)

    A blog post about the hell of the last year (2020)

    The last year has been hell for everyone.because of COVID-19. The blight of the whole world. “The modern plague”, “the death flu”, etc..

    For those who are unaware of COVID-19 – it is a virus/infection that is airborne and can be transmitted by human to human connection in close contact. It started in China and 100s of thousands of people have got it, and over 50,000 have died from it. Many more have infected people with it. The official stats are still going up and it has spread worldwide. It is a deadly virus

    COVID-19 spread around the world and got eventually to the UK. As a UK citizen, I was worried anyway, but not until mid-year 2020, did my local area feel the worst of the pandemic.

    The UK had been on/off for over 4 months under “Lockdown” which meant we could not do every day things such as meeting friends and family, going to work, the pub or even meet in large groups in public.

    My area realised it got dangerous in the UK when we had to start wearing medical face masks in public – shopping, walking the dog, etc. It also affected other events such as Live TV, festivals and events being cancelled. Also filming for tv shows changed dramatically, with something called “social distancing” – This was a preventative measure to stop the spread of COVID-19.

    Recently, around September (roughly) “Lockdown” ended, things looked brighter and then BOOM. In October, again, Lockdown was reinforced in certain parts of the UK – the most highly infected areas. The number infected and dying were up for the first time in months.

    This time, the general public could still go about normal jobs but up-until this day (October 2020) we, the UK citizens, are still frightened of catching this deadly virus. It is the modern pandemic and we are not out of the woods yet.

    We, The UK (and the world) are hoping the worst of it is over and it will start to ease off by New Year or in the year of 2021. But WHO Knows? It may never go completely.

    Please give me your stories of COVID-19 in the comments.

    UPDATE: “The Covid death toll across the UK has surpassed 60,000 for the first time, hitting 61,116, according to analysis of official data. The total number of deaths registered by the three statistical agencies across England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland now stands at 59,927” (read on The Guardian.online)