going out during lockdown

Hi there

On Tuesday i walked to the chemist's to pick up some prescription medicine.  I got so excited preparing for the journey.

I threw open my wardrobe door.  I'm-going-out!-I'm-going-out!  Wow!!  Except for that one hopeless  time when I tried hobbling up the road on my bad ankle, I'd been stuck inside - without a street-walk - for over a month.

I rifled through my clothes.  Nope, a black business-like blouse wasn't suitable for my first trip outside;  I needed to pick out something that denoted sunshine, and rainbows, and hoo-ray.  Nothing that shouted Covid-19 or doom.

Perhaps a sparkly top that I'd bought in Las Vegas?  Wait-no, not that!   I didn't want to blind the chemist with all my fabulous glitter.

Jeans?  A dress?  A skirt?  A coat?  Jacket?  Ball-gown?  Tiara?

I pawed through my wardrobe, my heart happily racing, and throwing clothes left, right and centre, over the bed, the floor, the hallway.  No wearing of sweat pants, old t-shirts, and slippers with cute panda faces for me today.

It took an hour to find a nice ensemble to get me to the chemist's.  Okay, the chemist is only a three minute walk away from my house -  and I only came across two people whilst on my trek  - but in the old days I would've worn jeans and a sweater to get there, and today was new days for me, not old days.  I was stepping out in my leaving-the-house clothes, and with a jaunty stride.  On my way to Being Me again.  Move aside Covid-19, Lorraine is (almost) back.  See me, people, hear me roar ...

Whoopee, swimming!

Hi there

Today is day one of level three lockdown.  I am allowed to swim!

And I did.  Swim.  The sea at Hataitai Beach was flat, the sun was out, my ankle didn't hurt too much, and I felt great.  This will be my eleventh year of winter swimming, hope I get through the season.

ANZAC Day

Hi there

25 April, ANZAC Day

Because of Covid-19, there can be no ANZAC commemorative marches or services in New Zealand today.

This morning, 6 am, I stood at my gate, thinking of the brave men and women who have served my country through the years.

It was a very moving experience, knowing that maybe hundreds of thousands of kiwis were standing in silence, like me, in their driveways.

My minute's silence extended because everything was so peaceful.  My mind flipped into the images of photos I had seen of kiwi forces in peacetime and wartime.  And I shed a tear.

I didn't feel stupid standing there at dawn, with radio buds in my ears, listening to The Last Post.  I felt privileged because the future could so easily have gone another way.  If not for the courageous men and women who fought for my freedom, I might not be standing in the  driveway today.  I thank all kiwi warriors from the bottom of my heart.


Lest we forget ...

above:  Kiwis are encouraged to put a poppy in their windows today.   A friend took that encouragement to heart.

Lockdown Poem , by J

Hi there

We're over three score years and ten
Our house is like a holding pen
We've all been told to stay inside
Can't take the car out for a ride

Can't go down to the local shop
Here in the house we have to stop
Our shopping must be done on-line
We're stuck inside come rain or shine

Meanwhile we have to wait and see
When we can drop to Level Three
We've had four weeks at Level Four
And don't feel we can take much more.

- j

supermarket shopping

Hi there

above:  I'm off to the supermarket.


Hi there

During Lockdown, I've been walking round and round the backyard. My sprained ankle still hurts for the first five minutes.  But because I have to navigate over and around the hose, weeds, looose sticks, a so-called garden, sparrows, and a shed, I'm not going as fast as I really want to.

So, I decided to brace the unknown and venture out of my street this morning and my ankle hurt for the whole 20 minutes.  Maybe because I couldn't stop myself power walking?  The physiotherapist said it would be months before my ankle got better, so looks like it's a return to the garden path with an amble instead of a strut?

Happy Birthday to me!!!!!!

Hi there

... and how does a person celebrate her birthday in lockdown?  Improvise, that's how.  Besides, improvising takes up twenty minutes and that's twenty minutes out of boredom and  closer to release time.

Only another fortnight to go....

Covid-19 - Coping

Hi there

I still can't get it into my head that Covid-19 is slithering around the world.    It seems impossible, like some sort of movie-of-the-week.  But it's real life, and people are sick and dying, and it's all so unbelievable, and sad, and disgraceful, and ...  and ...  Nope, can't think of words that are heavy enough to cover what's going on ...

My fave country in the whole world is Italy.  It breaks my heart to read about what the Italian people are going through.  I remember the time I was lost in Rome, and in a panic, and this elderly woman stranger took me over, like a mother hen.  She walked me down the streets, pointed where I should go and when I tried to thank her, she told me that her son was overseas and her wish was that if he got lost, someone would help him.  I was 21 at the time, and even now, whenever I see an obvious lost tourist in New Zealand, I rush to help.

I did return to Italy a few years back.  Beforehand I took a six day 'Tourist Italian" course.   I learnt and understood navigation of streets, shops, menus, transport, hotels, everyday phrases, etc.   For example, I would ask someone (in Italian) where a pharmacy was and when the answer came back, "down two blocks, through the traffic lights, then turn right", I would understand.

New Zealand Lockdown

Hi there

I'm exercising as much as I can, what with a sprained knee and a torn ligament in my ankle.  Twenty minutes around the backyard every second day, followed by hand weights.

I guess we have to have "Faith of the Heart" (a favourite song) -