Day 8 of Lockdown 🔐

So we’re just over one week into lockdown and in general I would say that it’s going ok in my household. We’re all in relatively good spirits. We still have enough supplies – we have no real reason to complain. Some days I look at Table Mountain from my window and I wish I could go outdoors for a hike or a run, but mostly I’m just satisfied. And I’m grateful that we are safe.

It’s been eerily quiet on the news front – there don’t appear to be so many new cases Of COVID19, compared to the spike we saw last week. Everyone says it’s the calm before the storm. I hope this isn’t true, but I think it might be.

I finished my first beading project tonight. Rather pleased about that. A rosary! Want to make a blue one next, and then a green one too. In another past lifetime I used to be a staunch practicing catholic, but I can’t call myself that any longer. In fact I’d rather not be labeled as anything to do with religion because I’m just not very religious any longer. I have a relationship with my maker, and that’s good enough for me.

Despite this however, I find it comforting to make rosaries. Interestingly, I also find it extremely comforting and reassuring when I hear people praying the rosary – in my mind there’s and association with praying the rosary and a safe space. I don’t believe I’ll ever pray the rosary again myself, but I have memories of people who are important to me like my mother and grandmother praying the rosary in my formative years and I think that may be why.

Anyway, now I just think that rosaries are so very beautiful and I particularly love making rosaries with seed beads. So here is the red one I made. My plan is to make a the other two, hopefully before lockdown ends. And then I just need to find some catholic people to give them to!

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I’ve also been productive this week in terms of work. Spent most of my time on curriculum development, but also a lot of time strategising and gathering data. I’ve concluded that despite my ability to continue teaching online, it will be grossly unfair and unethical if I do – thus, I’ve abandoned thoughts of doing that. My students do not all have access to either data, a device to study with or even a safe and comfortable place to study. Even in this modern day and age, that is the reality.

I don’t yet know how or what next, but this is a signal to me of a gap that I have to start working towards closing. But that’s a topic for another day.

All signs of the times… the world as we know it and understand it is going to change. I don’t think any of us can anticipate how for sure, but what we can be sure of is that it will.

I’ll end on a lighter note…. also sign of the times, I have been invited to my first online birthday party tomorrow! Isn’t that weird but exciting? Although I wish it was a contact party, I know that’s not possible right now and so I’m so very glad that my friend decided to do something. So curious to find out what he has planned.

We are adapting, finding new ways of doing things. And since no one knows what the new ‘normal’ is, the cool thing is that we can make it up as we go along….. I think I’m gonna get dressed up for the party, with perfume and everything – why not uh!