‘You need a lift’ might seem an odd title but bear with me. Today’s blog is about lockdown and how we pass the time!
I know it’s late in the year, and winter really, but it’s a wonder we aren’t all floating away with continual heavy rain. I hope you haven’t had any flooding – that must be awful.
Thinking about being stuck in the house for weather and Covid, it got me to thinking about things to do to keep us occupied. It must be awful for people who live alone. I bet most of us didn’t think that the virus would go on for so long, or at least were hoping it didn’t. Television has been a boon for a lot of people stuck in the house all the time, along with computers to keep us in contact with the outside world.
I suppose I’m lucky living with my daughter and husband, or did she feel lucky that we lived with them? Mmmmm I’ll have to think about that one! I do know there isn’t a dull moment here, which after thirty some years of being together must be a record. Most marriages don’t even last that long do they!
Anyway, lots of conversation goes on here, usually accompanied by laughter at the stupid things we do, well two of us in particular. I’ll leave you to guess who that is! I enjoy my TV because when they are working, I’m on my own anyway. I spend quite a long time by myself and usually find things to keep me quiet, that’s if they can (keep me quiet)!
The trouble is that, being blessed with enough aching bones for the rest of the country, it stops me from venturing out on even a short walk. I’ve been particularly bad these last two weeks with a very painful body from head to foot. And my knees, don’t get me started on that one.
As you know, we live upside down to enjoy the view. I mean, why would you want to be downstairs when you can have a view all day? I certainly don’t! The drawback is that I obviously have to go upstairs if I want to look at something nice – which usually means several trips a day.
As my body has decided to succumb to good old arthritis pain all over, especially my knees which I can only describe as agony, going up and down stairs is an ordeal to say the least. It takes me half an hour to go up and down slowly, one step at a time. So I tell the others to go first or it would be bedtime before they did get up there, after following me.
Every time Kevin sees me he starts saying’ you need a lift’ which has become his swan song as he knows that no way am I having a stair lift. We had been looking at proper lifts for quite a long time. Have you seen them? You can get a double or single very compact lift to get you up and down easily. Every two minutes it’s ‘you need a lift’ to the point that it’s worth getting one to shut him up!
Anyway, digression aside and back to watching TV. As you know, by and large Kevin and I are clones of each other, while Jane is turning into her dad! The same goes for tastes in TV programmes as I like my soaps, dramas and thrillers and all that sort of thing. I do also watch a lot of medical and documentary films.
Hubby watches anything art based, understandable as he is an artist, and documentaries of almost everything and he’s getting Kevin to be the same. It’s quite laughable really. The minute Jane and I go to bed, within seconds, up he springs, grabs the remote control with this look in his eye that he can watch what he wants. Then both the men start going round and switching all the living room lights off. It’s like being in the blitz with the blackout!
By the time we’ve got downstairs, it looks as though nobody’s in it’s so dark, but that’s how they like it. There’s nothing like it for them, hubby becomes alive and animated the minute he has hold of the remote control, with this daft smile on his face in eager anticipation for what they are watching.
I also love tapestry work which is rationed to ten minutes a day at most because of awkward swollen fingers. But what I really enjoy is doing my cryptic crosswords. I just love them and can’t get enough of them it’s so absorbing. Time just flies as I use my brain cogs to work them out. Then, of course, I also have my adult colouring, which both Jane and I love.
I can highly recommend this hobby to anyone who is bored, alone or just miserable. It switches your brain off, just the concentrating on what you are doing and what colours to use next. I started off about four years ago, just fancying doing some colouring, which I hadn’t done since I was a young child about four centuries ago. It’s very addictive once you get the bit between your teeth and develop your ability and progress.
When I look back at my first book it seems so childlike but now I’m doing books that really make me use my brain. Give it a go if you are fed up of your own company, can’t go out or are tense or miserable. It really does work, especially if you stick at it.
Then of course, I have my little dogs who I talk to all day long. They give me company and lots of love as I prattle at them through the day. I bet they think I’m loopy, just like the others do. All in all, lockdown hasn’t bothered me as much as it might have done as I can find plenty to do to keep me busy. I hope you are coping too.
