CV19 LOCKDOWN WEEK 2.
Deadlines know no lockdown. Here I am still running against the clock.
Saturday 21 March – Friday 27 March (Writing this Friday morning.)
As I said last week we are doing the “arse-in-the-butter” form of lockdown where I am living. I cannot and will not complain for a second. Yes it is serious. No it is not like in so many other countries. Our government tells us every day we cannot let up for a second in the way that we have to live out lives right now. Money will start to be paid out next week for those suffering loss of income. Our shop falls into that category. Social distancing has been in full swing for the last two weeks and and starting to show some positive results maybe, the predictions and cases matching what was suggested at the beginning. There are idiots. There are corona parties. But it is at this point a very small percentage. Some people are as dumb as wallpaper.
My husband went out and bought me hair clippers last Saturday. Yes, that is an essential item. I have been planning the hair buzz for the last couple of days, and am about to do it. Today, 28 March at 18:30 CET live on Instagram. Drop in since you will all be at home anyway. Of course I am terrified, but the fear of my hair being too long outweighs it.
It was five years ago this week that Vero launched the two Rozys in Milan. Memories came up in my FB feed. (One of the terrible side effects of the lockdown is that I have reopened my FB page.).
Tara brought to my attention that David Goggins was gonna do a 60 minute live-on-social -media workout on Monday. We did it together. It was hardcore to say the least. Squats, lunges, jumping jacks, sit ups, push ups. 10 second breaks if you needed one. It took me two days to recover properly. We are going to do it again tomorrow. After we had finished the workout, we chatted briefly about David Goggins. Tara told me how inspirational his book was and that I should read it. Yesterday when I came home from a run, I found a copy of the book in my letter box. Tara had a copy sent to me. I cried, really. It changed my whole day and cheered my soul. Love in the times of Corona. That kindness will remain with me forever. I had to put the book down to write this post.
I made cookies during the week to share with the supermarket ladies and friends.. Baking makes feel I have some sort of control.
My mother kept journals for the last twenty-five years of her life. Each year’s journal has a large envelope that is full of the postcards, magazine and newspaper cuttings, letters, birthdays cards along with it. I have about fifteen years of the journals here in my home and the other ten years or so are still in the UK. I brought the suitcase that I keep them in up from the basement and am starting to re-read them. She wrote them all exactly how she spoke, and it is a great joy. It is particularly interesting to see that she wrote every single haircut she got down. Sometimes with a little drawing of the new cut, and always commenting as to whether Jane or whoever had done a good job or not. Those who know me will find that hilarious and haunting!
Some of Mum´s journals.
I started to run this week. Have not run in twenty years. And I am smugly satisfied that I have not peed myself yet.
The UK is now on lockdown, and about time, and Boris J is immersing himself in his Churchill wanna-be role. The country pulling together in that oh-so-British way. I would expect nothing less. I hope it is not too little, too late. Having talked with people in NYC via Zoom, I just cannot imagine how terrifyingly bad it is there.
LOCKDOWN PERFUMES OF WEEK 2.
I am still wearing perfume. L’Artisan Passage d’Enfer. Neela Vermeire Mohur. Hermès Musc Pallida Oil layered with Cèdre Sambac. Chanel Boy. Chanel N°19 Pafum and Lutens Iris Silver Mist in the evenings.
I have never been bored in my life, and I am not bored now. My main concern is do I buzz my hair 20mm or 15mm?
Yes of course I know how bloody serious this all is. It is a pandemic. I am not stupid.
How has your week been?
“It’s the end of the world as we know it (time I had some time alone), It’s the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine (time I had some time alone)”. REM.
CQ.
There were around a thousand deaths in Italy over the last twenty-four hours, and nearly as many in Spain. I dare not look at NYC. I have Italian friends who will have to lockdown even longer. My heart breaks.
A Bottled Rose 
I will watch your haircut, if I remember the time. If we all behave it will get better in some weeks.
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Tonight Tanja. 18:30 CET. I was not clear in the post and have amended it! Yeah – I hope things look a lot different in a couple of months and for the better. Bussi. ❤️
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I don’t know how you do it. This was funny and touching and sobering all at the same time.
The little things get to us as well as the big things. We’re human and this is a strange and scary time. Nothing else I’d rather read right now.
Thanks for being real and sharing here.
P.S. I love that your mum recorded her haircuts with drawings! The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, eh? The Insta Live with be EPIC.
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Hey Tara! I just cannot seem to live my life without a deadline to haunt me. I think it can be the little things that get to us more. And having a place to write about them and to comment is one of the great pluses of our technological age. I shall stay here as long as is needed/wanted. ❤
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60 minute live workout! Holy cow…I read that initially as 60 seconds, and wondered if I just might manage that. Puts my spot of gardening (with no means of disposing of the waste) in the shade. And how nice of T to send you the book.
What a great idea to delve into your mum’s journals! Like Tara, the haircut parallel amused me. My mum kept diaries too, which are all at my brother’s somewhere. One day maybe…
These are harrowing times indeed. Many things still puzzle me about the science and the stats – we lose 15,000 people to flu each year already, but the crucial difference is that these are spaced out more over the winter, whereas COVID-19 is so infectious that it causes this surge in casualties that overwhelms the hospitals.
I do also worry about the economic toll, especially as it affects the younger generation, but at least the whole world is in the same benighted boat.
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Hi Mme Bonkers! Yep. 60 minutes. And that was absolutely non-stop. A killer. I have shared it with a couple of friends and I did it again yesterday. I wanna be a Navy Seal. Get the diaries. The economy has taken a nosedive. There are some very interesting environmental things happening. And as Portia said to me last week “We have lived through a golden age, buddy. Time to pay the piper.” Hugs. 🙂
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We have been in preventive quarantine since we arrived in Canada from the US on Sunday. Last night at 11:30 the ambulance came to take my next door neighbour away in protective gear. Things have just gotten a lot more tense for me. I wonder if they will quarantine or test the residents of my building? And will they blame us for bringing the virus into the building? We have scrupulously respected the quarantine but I am afraid.
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Hi there Tara, Blimey. That sounds nervy. I don’t think they are testing everybody yet are they? As I understand there are not enough tests to just test everyone on the spot. Why would you get blamed? Yeah it is gonna be a sometime scary ride that we are all on. I know you shifted from one place to another which probably causes unnecessary worries. Don’t. Seeing people in protective gear is so surreal. Keep us updated here if you want/have a chance. Lots of love. Val xxxx ❤
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I was worried about being blamed for infecting him because I just returned from the US to Canada last Sunday. But then i found out he had just returned from Mexico 10 days ago so it likely wasn’t me (I am not sick & haven’t been tested).
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Awesome. Must be wine o’clock then. 😉
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Yesterday I went to pick up fruit and veggies I ordered earlier this week and when I drove out from our yard suddenly I got the feeling „this can’t be real, it was just a bed dream“… The whole situation is completely surreal.
I work from home and in fact am pretty busy. I exercise every day (otherwise I would be already insane !). I read a lot and I‘d be very thankful for your Netflix recommendations…
Parfum-wise I went fully niche this week, but they are so pretty and unpretentiously „grounding“, totally what I need these days…: Whistler by Wild Coast Perfumery and Soft Woods by Libertine Fragrance. Lovely fragrance by lovely people.
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Ah, btw, I‘d go for 20mm first – you can make it shorter anytime…
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I am gonna do 15.
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Well, I was sure you will 😛😘
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Hi LJG! We are just watching the third series of The Ozarks. Do not ask me how I have sat through so many episodes because I have no sane answer. If you have not seen The Dawn Wall – watch it. It is absolutely brilliant, totally inspiring, and I have watched it three times. It is on Netflix. And then if you can find it watch Free Solo, not on Netflix, but we found it somewhere else. Cannot remember right now. Fully Niche. That is something I might try, although I have very few. I survived the haircut. It seemed to amuse a lot of people and now I have no hair. I two weeks it will look norma, and it feels great! ❤ ❤ ❤
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Thanks for the recommendations !!!
I watched your hair experiment and it looked pretty good to me 😀
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Val, it’s great to read you: oddly, it feels a little more normal when you see friends posting.
I have a question about those cookies: how does that work with all that quarantine stuff? How do you ensure that you’re not spreading the virus, G-d forbid you have it? I’m sorry for the stupid question, I know you’re a professional – it’s rather for my sanity here since we’re still buying at least bread that isn’t factory produced.
Since I’ve been sick for the last 2 weeks (not a virus), working from home for me felt completely normal (I just recently, in December, did it for 3 weeks). I’m slowly getting better (I hope), so we started evening walks. Which immediately resulted in sciatica pain. I’m not giving up but it saddens me that my back health seems to be in counteract with my physical activity. We’ll see.
Off to get some bread and milk – hopefully, shelves won’t be empty.
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Dearest Undina! ❤ Our shop is shut. Every non-essential store is closed. It is not a stupid question! I bake once a week right now for the supermarket ladies, so they have something for their families. I say ladies because it is predominantly women in the supermarkets here. They are giving us such a great service. (The government is also giving them bonuses and not taxing them. Brilliant.) A couple of people have ordered and I just leave them outside of the shop and they swing by and grab them. I hope you continue to improve. We have not had an empty shelf here and I see no reason for you to have. This mad shopping, particularly prevalent in the UK is ridiculous. And thanks for popping in to say hi! Bussis. 🙂
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Late to comment (no change there). I’d love to see the results of your buzz cut if you could pop it in here? I’m not on any social media, and plan on staying that way. I don’t know whether you’re brave or bonkers😉 I gave hubby the treatment last week, took it all off rather than the usual No 1. He likes it, so that’s it from now on. Every week if he complies. I love that you have your mum’s journals. That’s very special, and funny. Your mum sounds like a great character. I’d have my nose stuck in them if I was in your shoes. Old letters and photos and notebooks and whatnot draw me in, I could lose days happily browsing through them. I’m glad you haven’t abandoned perfume. It’s still one beautiful thing we have. I’m at home for two weeks now and for the foreseeable that’s not changing. I’m walking lots, to stave off the crazies. I usually have a busy social life so I don’t know what’s hit me! Luckily I live in the country so I’m less worried about getting sick than I would be if I were in a city. Well done for thinking of your supermarket workers. I don’t think they’re getting their due, in general. They are working extra hard. Our shelves aren’t empty here either after the initial flurry of panic buying. 2020, the year of the toilet roll crisis🙄. Be well, don’t go overboard with those workouts!
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Hey Cassieflower! Well I ma even later to get back to you. Apologies. I may post a picture om my post tomorrow or not. I have not decided yet. 😉 Brave and bonkers probably, I just could not stand it being so longon top. I have read Mum´s journals before, but much too fast and not searching for more meaning int hem. I have absolutely not abandoned perfume, although I now that could bepossibe if things got really shit here. I have kind of changed what I wear though. Rose and Cuir from Malle being an example. I wore it soooo much over the last six months, but just doesn’t work now. I belongs to another me. Sounds dramatic and I now I willgrab it soon like a long lost friend. Overboard with the workouts? Too late. Hugs. ❤
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