Still here..

      It's Tuesday and the lockdown is really biting throughout most of the world. How strange that we, who are very social beings, should be shut away in our own spaces for the foreseeable future in case we spread the virus. And here the internet really comes into its own - I know that I would feel totally cut off if I couldn't contact friends and family by Skype or Facetime, and even just by phone. Just think that my Grandmother (who was born in 1875) would not use the telephone because she thought it was a scary invention. In many ways, I guess she was right, but where would we be without it now?

      On Sunday it was little Grandson's sixth Birthday, and as they are in total lockdown in Sitges, he couldn't have the usual jolly party with all his friends. Instead we had a Skype call which included his other Grandmother in Warsaw, and which was pretty jolly anyway. Daughter-in-Law had made a chocolate cake with chocolate icing and sliced strawberries on top, and six candles of course. So we all sang Happy Birthday and he blew out the candles. He was in very good spirits and it was lovely to be able to see them. They are so fortunate because they chose an apartment with a wide, sunny terrace and with views over Sitges to the sea and the mountains.(Being in lockdown in an apartment with no outside space must be a complete nightmare, especially with small children.) And Son has so far been able to work remotely on his computer, which we hope will continue.  

      Daughter is similarly fortunate because although they are all (all six of them) more or less at home together, they have a lovely garden and the weather has been nice enough for the little girls to be outside much of the time. Big Grandson hasn't really changed his routine, he's just chillin' in his room mostly and texting his friends - which is how they contacted each other before the virus anyway. The big difference is that his GCSE exams have been cancelled, and who knows when they might be re-scheduled. The family have a sports field just behind the house, so they can walk the dog on their once a day exercise outing. And Daughter and Partner have also been able to hold on to their jobs too, so far, so I can only keep fingers and everything crossed for them.

      None of this is particularly good news of course, but keeping it in perspective we are all relatively lucky so far. And worldwide the skies are clearing; we can all breathe easier as pollution is magically disappearing. Our man-made climate emergency has been replaced by another, viral, emergency - one equally of our own making which poses a more immediate threat.

      Will the world listen this time, I wonder?

      

In Lockdown...

      Here we are in the second week of lockdown, and while it may be an inconvenience to me as an oldie (and one of the apparently most vulnerable) it has to be so much worse for our children and grandchildren who are maybe not as likely to die from the virus, but are having to deal with losing their jobs and income and maybe their homes too! Their lives will probably never be the same again. It's truly appalling, and I have to say that we who have lived privileged lives for the last forty or so years  have a lot to answer for.
      In general, I would say that we have not deserved this wonderful Planet which we have abused in so many ways. We have built cities that are major polluters of our atmosphere, we have consigned millions of disadvantaged people to poverty starvation and homelessness, we have almost constantly been at war with each other, needlessly killing millions of innocent people, we have glorified greed, profit and selfishness, we have celebrated corruption in our politicians, and nothing, NOTHING, has stopped us until now!
      Perhaps the Planet is now saying ENOUGH. And quite right too. Fear not, our Planet will survive without us, in fact it will probably be in much better shape without us. Let us see how this turns out.
      For myself, I hope beyond anything that my beloved children and grandchildren will survive to make some sense of what they are left with. Please god the corrupt clowns who are currently mishandling every aspect of this tragedy will actually get their just desserts and disappear from this earth just as previous dinosaurs have done. It is a conclusion devoutly to be wished.
      I will be back, I hope.
         

Here we go...

      Well, who would have believed this six months ago? The blooming Corona Virus (or as Donald Trump calls it in his unerring style "the Chinese Virus") has landed on our planet and looks like changing the world and our lives for good. I know that I was wishing for an Alien Invasion when we were in the throes of Brexit, in the vain hope that it might bring us all to our senses, but I truly didn't think it might come in the guise of this nasty virus! The moral is, I suppose, be careful what you wish for! Being well over 70,  I'm in the group of people most at risk of catching the damned thing, but I remain resolutely cheerful and positive. Might as well for there's nothing to be gained by being defeatist and I'm pretty healthy anyway.
      My Hove family, Daughter and Co, are fine so far. Of course schools have not yet closed and so there is a certain amount of risk there, but I'm apparently not allowed to see them from this weekend onward. Not having Big Grandson once a week will be the worst bit, and if it goes on for months I shall be miserable not seeing him. And in Spain, Son and family are in complete lockdown since yesterday, as all the schools are closed (and all the bars, restaurants etc). They are allowed to go out only for food shopping or pharmacy shopping or to go to work I think - though Son can work from home on his computer, which is fortunate. At least we can keep in touch via Skype and Face-time, both of which are blessings we didn't have a while ago.
      As this whole event may well be earth-shattering I felt it was worth recording at the beginning. Who knows how things will change, but change is certain. I'll try and keep up, so watch this space.