April 27th

Another Monday , and today I have lots of energy.  The zoom chat with my children ,stepchildren and the grandchildren gave me a real boost, as did my private chats with Andrew, Philip and Penny

I love my weekly Zoom with my sisters.

I continue to be in awe of my clients working on the front line, as well as all my clients and students family and friends staying home and following the rules.We are all doing the best we can.

I find the telephone work much more tiring and I have an increased respect for The Samaritans.


I enjoy thinking of things to send out to Artist's Way students each week.


I enjoy many programmes on Radio 3 and Radio 4 and feel very grateful for the BBC

I watch a little Netflix some evenings and I am grateful for that, but once again I have to admit that I miss my evenings at The Philharmonic, Fact cinema and Everyman theatre.

I miss bus rides, uber rides, seeing my clients and students at number 83.

I miss having friends over for dinner, meeting people for coffee or a glass of wine, going out for dinner with Andrew and Lucy.

I take heart when I go to Sefton Park ,seeing spring  blooming , hearing the magnificent birdsong seeing all the folk enjoying the sunshine the springtime in a careful distant way.

I enjoy a city walk too .I miss the city I can hardly imagine walking along Hope Street, wandering around the Albert Dock, a trip on the Mersey Ferry, choir at Mann Island, and Hunts Cross.

I continue to be very grateful for the many people who bring my shopping to my window.
I am grateful to my neighbours who are kind friendly and inclusive. I especially like the two new arrivals and 83, Arlo the puppy and Vinnie the kitten.


I love how lovely the garden is looking in such a short time with the help of the neighbours; and look forward to seeing all the plans come into fruition.



I have done all my spring cleaning during this time, and have enjoyed it, I miss Carmen coming to clean every fortnight, and will certainly have her back when the time comes, but as I am not going anywhere I have rather enjoyed taking care of the flat.


I enjoyed a wee celebration we had last week in the garden for a neighbours 30th birthday. I made the cake ,we all did our best to make it special for him.


All shall be well
and all shall be well
and all manner of things shall be well............and so it is

Into week 4

This week, for the first time I felt a bit down about this new way of life.  I also feel conflicted because I know I am so lucky to be able to pay my bills, I can get out to the park for a lovely walk, cook and bake ,have enough food, help some clients, zoom with friends and family. Yet I miss my life, my normal,every day every week routine, running courses, seeing clients in the flesh, meeting friends for coffee for lunch, going to the Philharmonic, The Everyman, Fact. Mann Island and Hunt's Cross choir. Going out for dinner with friends, visiting Andrew and Lucy in Woolton, seeing the new things they are doing in No 22.

It is a big adjustment for all of us , which makes it hard to admit how hard it is for me, I miss John even more during this time, I miss my dad  my mum, I miss Anita. My mind is turing to all my family and friends who are long gone. My lovely grandparents, aunts uncles and even some cousins, all dead now.

I know that I am passing through this moment as I do from time to time, you are never too far away from remembering and missing your loved ones. and mostly I am used to it and I enjoy my life and feel so grateful to have shared in all these peoples lives.

I am grateful to still have Patsy, Kev, Philip C, Pete, Tony , Jenny W, Sue and Margaret, still in my life, as they are all in my age group. I am surrounded by  much younger people, and I relish that ,it is good for me and keeps me young I really like young people.

I do like to be with my peers too.

This week, Janet my Asda driver got me lots of flour and caster sugar and other baking things, I am so grateful ,Stef, brought me some shopping, a new friend Paula, from Next Door brought be a few things ,I really like her, and think after this is over we might meet for coffee.

Sadly William and Emma lots kirk this week and we were all sad, I made them cakes gave them some flour and we all raised a glass to Kirk ,in our own flats.

Chandlers opened again on April 15th ,my dad's 92nd birthday. I always get my Christmas Tree from Chandlers. William and Emma very kindly went along and got me lots of plants to fill up my empty pots. Sandy and Joanne have painted the shed doors and fixed my hose, it has now stopped leaking :)

The garden has been transformed, full of life and young people all working away to make it nicer, I like it. We hope to get a new fire pit and some new garden furniture.

Two people have ordered cakes from me for Thursday, I feel very happy about this as Nel's Bakes has had to close down due to current crisis. They are both friends, but are insisting on paying me.

I am much happier when I feel helpful and useful.

Peace love and healing , to the North to the South to the East and to the West.

Easter Monday

It is a week now since I blogged, there is not enough happening each day to talk about to be fair.

I have been doing some telephone counselling this week and that has helped me, helping others.

I am noticing already the toll this lockdown in  having on my clients, some are stir crazy and frightened, some are experiencing domestic abuse, some totally shattered and grief stricken because of the work that they are doing on the front line. I do find telephone counselling more tiring for me, I like being a counsellor, because of the close contact and intimacy with my clients, I don't  get that on the telephone

I do know my work is helpful to my clients essentially because they tell me it is. I also hear the difference in their voices towards the end of the sessions. I am not sure there is much reflection going on in the current crisis,  people need a safe place to offload their deep fear, their anger and their pain.

I am glad I can provide that safe space,  it does cost me and that is ok .

I keep in touch with my students weekly to give encouragement and some exercises that might be useful or at least a distraction.


I enjoy being in touch with the choir ,the facebook, and Zoom singing time is good fun . I hear from so many of these amazing folk about so many acts of kindness that are going on out there in lovely generous Liverpool.

The Easter bunny was out in a few streets, delivering easter eggs to all the children, at a safe distance of course. There has been music and distance dancing in the streets too. My sister in Balloch sent a video of some people on her street doing the slosh at their front doors, to celebrate a neighbours birthday.

I have about ten people offering to get my shopping. I met a new friend this week on next door, Paula, she is keen to help anyone who needs help . She saw my request for plants, and offered to collet one from another neighbour who has a fern for me ;and bring it here;we had a nice chat at the window.
I love my walks in the park, I can't believe how much birdsong  I now hear. Spring is so beautiful the daffodils are dying back but the blossom is stunning, simply takes my breath away.I know it is so good for me to be out there.I hope we are allowed to keep going out for that precious hour.


The Prime Minister is now home from hospital, but wont be back at work for a while. I really hope this experience will change his view of our NHS and start to fund it generously and pay the staff a good salary.

I had Easter cards from Archie and Martha with such lovely messages they made my day, also I felt a bit sad not to be able to visit with them

I had a zoom call with Penny and talked to Steve and all the children, they were showing me their super den.

I write to D  regularly but not really sure how they all are out there. I am concerned.

I am having more Zoom chats now, it is beginning to feel more normal,.

I had my first Zoom chat with T and that was good , nice to see friends as we cant meet for coffee.


Johnny was in a radio 4 play this week, I thought the play and Johnny were great; it was  all about George Elliot. P&K listened too and they also thought J was great.

My neighbours are all working hard in our communal garden transforming it for all of us, it is so nice to see other people out there working and enjoying the space, the fire has been lit a few evenings, lovely to see, I keep my distance, but in time it will be great to be out there with them.

I have been thinking a lot about John and my folks, and all the people that I love who are gone now. Maybe its the time of year, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday are often a time of reflection. I have had  a few days this week when I felt sad for me to be honest, and for the world.
I am getting on with life and I am grateful to be able to self isolate and have so much help. Conversely I miss my family my friends, my clients and my students. I miss getting on a bus or in an uber to go to the Everyman theatre , to Fact, to The Philharmonic.I miss travelling to London Cambridge, Scotland,. I am sad I am not travelling to Castalla this year for my two months visit to dear Castlenel.

I miss my evenings out with Andrew and Lucy and visiting them in Woolton.

I miss Philip more somehow at the moment. I did enjoy a lovely chat with him yesterday, we had a good catch up.

I really enjoyed Easter Sunday dinner on Zoom, with Andrew ,Lucy, Wendy, Sophie, Lola, Nick ,Christine, George ,Russell and Marie.

It was quite an experience, seeing all those people on the screen ,eating their food, in different parts of England and Germany.We  had an easter quiz which was good fun , then we had a quiz lead by Nick which went on for a very long time and I had no idea about most of the topics, but we continued to drink wine and just enjoyed being together.


All shall be well
and al shall be well
and all manner of things shall be well......and so it is

6th gifts and treats

Today is a beautiful day the sun is shining and I had a beautiful walk in the park, it is the anniversary of Andrew and Lucy meeting such a shame they cannot go out to celebrate together.I sent a card and an e card, I also sent cards to Wendy and Gary for their silver wedding on 8th, and get well cars to E and M .I can go to the post box which is amazing ,a nice thing to do.
I always took for granted going to the post office buying stamps, just every day things.I have discovered that I can buy stamps online.

I wanted to send a book to a client which I thought would be helpful for her. Luckily my neighbour said she would take the parcel to the post office for me. The post offices near us were closed, she had to drive around for a while to  finally find a post office that was opened, she posted my book, got me 12 2nd class stamps, and a daffodil pin to cheer me up :)
 M. came with some shopping that she got for me in Aldi, I have not shopped in Aldi, but everything is fine and cheaper than my normal shopping. It was lovely to have a chat at the window. She brought be some lovely pink carnations as a wee gift.

After my walk, I came home to find a wee bag of gifts from a young student; half a dozen eggs, teabags, and some oat flour which she had ordered from a friend in Ireland. I am so touched by the kindness that I am experiencing.



My sisters and I had a three way zoom, and it was the first time we all saw each other online. On whatapp we could see two and hear all three. They are well, like me, missing family, friends, but we all realise how fortunate we are to be able to self isolate, unlike some of my clients and friends who are working on the front line in not the best conditions and without the right protective cloths.Bless them all.

I am sad to hear our Prime Minister is very ill, I did not vote for him and not sure how good he is at his job, but I wish him well, I wish him a speedy recovery. I think the current crisis, may well have challenged him in to growing up and becoming more serious.


Su my singing teacher is great, we had two online meetings last night.One to do some breathing exercises and one for a sing along, it really cheers us all up.

I can't get an online shopping at all, luckily my neighbours get all I need for day to day, but I will need a bigger shopping at some point. I bought some wine on line, thought I was buying six bottles of Muscadet, a wee nod to John,  it cost a bit more but thought it would be a nice treat, when it came it was six half bottles, so very expensive indeed , but I kept it any way.

I am sitting here at the table the sun is streaming in the windows, Mozart is playing , my peace plants look beautiful as do my pink carnations and my daffodils.


Yet I know the world is in a grave state and it still does not seem possible.


I am sending healing out to the North, the South the East and the West.

All shall be well
and all shall be well
and all manner of things shall be well......and so it is.

April 5th

I have been writing this week in my journal and morning pages, which made me think I have been doing my blog, which, I hear from my daughter in love that I have not been publishing.

I thought that when I sent it to face book ,others could share my journey during Covid19.

This week, I have had a daily walk in Sefton park, which I am so grateful for. I have noticed that as the weather has got warmer more people are out there, everyone is sensible and kept their distance.

I have done  some telephone counselling, and it helps me to feel helpful and useful too and to be fair , brings in a little extra money.

My young friends and neighbours continue to get my shopping. One of them has fixed my central heating, which is wonderful, as although I am grateful for the heaters that I have been loaned, it is so nice to hear it coming on in the mornings.

I am so grateful to him, he is very willing and always wants me to know, I can ask him anytime for help. His mother is in Germany and he is very happy that she is. He says they are doing much better than we in UK are, he was very impressed with Angela Merkel covid19 lockdown speech and totally unimpressed with UK's prime minister.


Andrew, helped me set up Zoom, and although I am not 100% sure how it all works, I can use it now , which makes me happy.

I have had a few Zoom meetings with Sandra, and another drinks Zoom with Andrew and Lucy , and they had Max and Rick join us after half an hour,it was lovely to see them all.

Lucy was a bit concerned they were not doing enough for me, but that is just not true, they are the ones who are always there for me, not just to help, but to spend fun times with , they are the ones who live here in Liverpool and I am so grateful that they are.

I have lots of help at the moment from local friends, so there is no point in bringing them over from Woolton, when there is help here. This crisis could go on for a long time and so far I have not been able to get an online shopping from Asda or any other supermarket.

I think at some point I will ask A&L to do a shopping for me, when I need it.

I am glad they are there.

My SOSO choir are keeping me entertained with lots of messages and jokes and online singing too. Su is great to keep our spirits up

I have two Artist's Way groups, and I send them encouraging messages, and some home work  each week,which they are grateful for. I do for them what Su does for me, it is always nice to have some encouragement especially when you are the one that usually give it to others.

I am doing well during this time, I feel grateful for family and friends , students and clients, I always have things to do,and have people to talk to every day if I want to. Conversely I miss my old life, The Philharmonic, The Everyman, Fact, Coffee and lunches with friends. I miss my evenings with Andrew and Lucy, at the theatre, or out for a meal, entertaining them here. Having friends for dinner, my read aloud evenings.What a rich life I have, so much to be grateful for,


All shall be well
and all shall be well
and all manner of things shall be well.

Mach 31

I started on my 12  one hour  slot plan today, a little piano, a little Spanish, weekend blog, daily cleaning,lovely long walk in the park,  A young man called Tom from Next Door brought me a fan heater and a loo roll today. Carmen saw my post about it, and offered me another heater, like the one Charlie brought me, probably not so expensive to run, so today i was given two heaters by two very generous and caring people.

I joined in the SOSO online Zoom sing along today it was really good fun.

I wrote a long email to David, and sent postcards to Archie and Martha, Kate, Johnny, Felix and Harry.

My local area, is very quiet, and the people bring me shopping are helping me feel a little less isolated.

I am watching Last Tango in Halifax, I like it but,  i find it disturbing too.

I prefer, Masterchef, Mock the Week, QI , have I got news for you, they make me laugh.

Stef brought me veggies and salad to day, and Stefan brought me fruit Salad and milk and malted milk biscuits ...I am very grateful to and for them.


I am staying warm but miss my central heating !


Peace to the North
Peace to the South
Peace to the East
Peace to the West
Peace be without
Peace be within......peace peace peace,,,,,,,,,and so it is !