How Are You Feeling A Year And A Bit on From The Start Of The Pandemic

 How I am feeling a year and a bit on from the Pandemic start ?

At the beforePandemic my world did crash down so very much as I had thrown myself into volunteering at a school and I was getting myself out and about . I did the socialising of people when I choose to and I was very much in control of my own life and then the Pandemic felled the playing field for us all.

I remember going shopping in advance of all the Cobra meeting s and then there was the toilet roll chaos , it all seemed so very feral and surreal. As I lugged tins of beans home I thought this will linger on and it has lingered on. I think now I am in a place of we are going to have to live with this virus and masks will be there always now though maybe through choice when the last bit of the restrictions are lifted.Life can be a bit of a pick and mix at times all bit it with a bit of a fluff attached to a sticky sweet , I try and remain positive but it can be tricky at times especially when life throws challenges at us .

Today I have popped into town for a mooch round the charity shops as I love and adore a vintage ramble and I don't half mind quirky stuff.It is a joy to be able to able round still seeing people is a novelty and there is still much leaping out the way as if you're doing the time warp ! 

So how are you feeling a year and a bit on from the start of the Pandemic ?

Be More Bill

Be more Bill I say . Met an 88 year old gentleman on the bus the other today who is just getting out there and living and waking . Bill has lost virtually every friend ( he’s only got one left ) he’s even lost his wife . But Bill still has a smile.

Be more Bill

I decided to take myself on the bus to have a little wonder round Asbhourne which is in the Peak District and it is wonderful to live in such a beautiful county .The freedom that now comes with the roadmap to near normality is wonderful and of course I remain cautious .But I am so so happy to be out and about harmed with my feed and whatever bus or train I choose , I don't drive !

Time is my own now and that is a good thing and it is nice so nice to be able to meet people and the impression they leave will last a lifetime. And that little encounter with Bill has enabled me to tell you about that beautiful human encounter , human encounter however fleeting can be so important. Communication greases the wheel of life and communication does not always have to be verbal , as much as I like people ( at times ) I do also like to be able to get far far away from them.

Getting Back to Socialising Without breaking the Bank

 I know you will be be spending your pennies socialising but hold on and keep those pennies in the piggy bank just a little bit longer . I am sure that you will have picked up some great baking skills over the various lockdowns we have had and are a dab hand at baking the infamous banana bread.We can all agree we have had a jolly challenging year and hopefully the end is it site. So we the current restrictions in mind why don't you :

1. Use up those Spirits with your friends at an indoor / outdoor cocktail party as well all have those odds and ends of spirits tucked away at the top of the fridge that you can't reach without fetching a step ladder.

2. Start a combined hobby with friends what about hiking and walking with friends as it mostly free apart from a good pair of walking boots and sensible clothing.And of course a good rain coat is essential and honestly you will be amazed what is on your doorstep.

3. Garden party and make it a working one , help each other with the gardening tasks that make have mounted up and then at the end celebrate your hard work with that cocktail party you have been promising yourself.

4. Check what you can sell to fund a special meal out or drinks with friends , you will be amazed at what is kicking 

5 Pick a location where you can either park for free or a small cost , we did this the other day at Holy Island where the parking cost £7 but no other cost was involved except a cup of tea soup and a shared cake .

Darley Abbey World UNESCO Heritage Site

There is nothing like a super wander in the sunshine on a Sunday especially round a UNESCO world heritage site of Darley Abbey that is up there with the Pyramid s and the Taj Mahal to name but a few.

And all this on my door step and how lucky am I and even more lucky for you that I’m sharing I’m my adventures. I like nothing more that adventure s and seeing the architecture and the marvels of the Industrial Age . While some pubs in the area have gone the way of the pandemic other building s have had new life breathed into them in the ways of bars and cafes. Darley Abbey is a vibrant area list in time with plenty of places to explore and river walks a plenty .

And though my hair has not seen any scissor action , I am pleased to have lost some 2 stone in weight and I have been working hard to do so.It was tough last year with all the restrictions which put the brakes on me going to the gym and then the stay at home order. But now with restrictions starting to lift I am going all out with bells and whistles to lose more and that is my smiley face which I have been praising hard on.

Beauty In The Ordinary Day

There’s beauty in the ordinary which in turn makes it extraordinary and I’m so very glad I see the world differently . It’s wonderful to be out and had have the joy of exploring again .

Wirksworth is a lovely gem of a place in the Derbyshire Dales and you’ll fall in love with all the nooks and crannies of the beckoning adventures of the streets, lanes and countryside on the fringes.