Book Review during Lockdown 2020

I have to admit that the title of this book puzzled me all the way through to the end.  But in the end it was clear.

Between the cover and the last page are words, words, words that are a writers paradise - the jargon of the writing world as the protagonist, Lana Green - Author, tells us of her journey to publishing her second book.  She has writers block, she is stuck for a hero, she has diminishing finances but all these lead her to new people, new homes and eventually a new way forward.

There is a love story to uncover, broken hearts and dementia - that cruel twist of fate on a famous writer's life.  There is a writing group, discussions of works in progress and Lana's own dilemma with Mark and Jack.

I became engrossed from the beginning, aware of the luxury of having TIME to read during this big lockdown - time to sit in the garden sunshine, in bed not worrying about 'time to get up' and snuggled in my favourite lounge chair - reading without distractions. 

The Forgotten Guide to Happiness is a delight, an education, a hope as I still await publication offer for my own novel.

Well done Sophie Jenkins.  *****

LOCKDOWN LAND

Sitting on the rattan sofa in the garden on a perfectly sunny spring afternoon, the flowers coming into bloom, the leaves on the trees giving a show of their best green leaves, a mown lawn and birds twittering, chirping and cooing, it's hard to imagine that its not Sunday - it's Lockdown Thursday, week 4, and life beyond our wall and front door is a war zone of fighting a deadly virus.  How both sublime and crazy is that?!

Corona Virus (COVID19) 2020 

How are you all doing?  How are you spending your TIME - that commodity we don't usually have enough of and now we have too much of it?  I've mostly been positive in telling myself - this too will pass - a saying my dear Aunt, God rest her soul, would say when troubles come as oft they do throughout a lifetime.  The first few weeks were tense, stressful, frustrating, annoying but then, feeling the pain of it all in my arms and neck muscles I 'crashed' - had a day of doing absolutely nothing.  It helped me to take stock and reassess my behaviours.

The 'wash your hands', 'don't touch your face', 'stay home, stay safe, save the NHS' messages had settled into my mind rather than buzzing about like a bee about to sting.  Obsession and paranoid activities became a new normal - panic and dread mixing together like a mixture for baking, but instead of making something lovely it was producing a recipe for stroke or heart attack I felt.  And so after the day of rest my fears came down several notches and although a feeling of helplessness washes over me from time to time I have taken self-care actions and feel so much better.  

I limit my intake of news - it's so grim and the reporters/interviewers 'push' Government officials and others with impossible to answer questions - there are NO answers to 'when will it end', 'when a vaccine 'might' be available', etc etc.  Instead I ring someone every day for a chat - people I would only see occasionally or usually keep in touch via Christmas cards, emails or text messages.  Hearing their voices or seeing them on FaceTime is very uplifting.  Thankfully, to this point in time, I have only one friend who has had and recovered from the Virus, a friend of a friend's husband has died of it and everyone else is coping best they can with the situation.

I have done all the household tasks I don't normally make time for - cleaning the car out of sweet papers etc; cleaning the oven (yuk!), seeing the bottom of my ironing basket, gardening, window cleaning, fence painting - anything to fill the time.  Now I am left with a lighter routine of cleaning, reading, journalling, using the internet for on-line shopping (a full time job!) and I learnt how to use YouTube as my church wanted people to contribute to their Lent programme.

I have family members involved with the NHS and Care Homes so the clapping on the doorstep on Thursday nights are emotional, as I am sure it is for so many of us.  Despite the criticism and negative news reports, some of which are very valid, they soldier on saving lives, making the sick comfortable, saying kind words over the dying and putting aside their own fears and needs in the battle to win over this situation.  

Lockdown Land is our new 'norm' for now, maybe for the rest of spring and summer - who knows.  Going with the flow of each day is all we can do, accepting the situation and the small joys and disappointments.  People are making such fun videos and connecting more with their children; neighbours are talking over the fence again or across the street keeping social distancing.  Who would have imagined at the beginning of 2020 this was even possible.  Our world has been turned upside down and hopefully, when all this is over, great changes will have occurred for us to take better care of our planet, our little world beyond our four walls and within them too.

Stay safe my family, friends, Twitter pals, Facebook friends and readers of this blog.  Thank you to every key worker for  delivering services that are vital to our wellbeing and mental health.  May you be blessed in abundance.

Comments are welcome here or via Twitter @tweetsue13.