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