How are you coping?

[Aloka]

Dear friends, has " lockdown" been imposed in your country because of Coronavirus? - and if so, how are you and your loved ones coping with the restrictions and/or the situation in general ?

(This isn't intended to be a topic about politics, by the way!)

Hope all our members are safe and well.



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[KathyLauren]

The restrictions here are supposed to be quite strict: no non-essential trips, single shopper only, one shopping trip per week, no visits. I don't think many people are following them, to be honest. We do more than one trip per week: some stores are only open limited days. Otherwise, we follow the restrictions closely.

The isolation is hard. I would love some social interaction. About the only social interaction these days is greeting store cashiers, or telling idiots to keep their distance.

Recovering from surgery in this atmosphere has its merits and drawbacks. On the one hand, I don't have to go anywhere or do anything. On the other hand, the pain just adds more of a nuisance to the whole situation.

I totally understand the reason for the restrictions, and it seems that they are starting to show some positive results. On the other hand, I will be very happy when it is all over.

I hope you are coping well, Aloka, and all the other members.

Om mani padme hum
Kathy

[Aloka]

Thanks very much for sharing, Kathy. I'm ok thanks.

Wishing good health and happiness to everyone.

[justusryans]

I’m coping ok. I just wish people would take it more seriously than they often do. I worry a lot about everyone in these times. Hoping for the best for all.

[philg]

I find having a routine helps. I'm working on languages at Duolingo, sight reading for my keyboard and reading Buddhist posts. I'm trying to grow lots of veg in plant pots although am finding it hard to get enough plant compost. My greenhouse is full of seedlings at various stages that need looking after and there's been no rain so the hanging baskets are drying out pretty quickly and need watering a couple of times a day. To keep fit I've got my laptop set up on the handlebars of my exercise bicycle, and I cycled 30 miles along the Rio Grande cycleway in Colorado last night. Maybe I'll be in the French Alps today. We are lucky in that we can get a weekly delivery of groceries so we don't need to go out to any shops apart from the pharmacy occasionally.
Keep safe all.

[Olderon]

Wife and I have been taking our Kelpie (part Dingo) puppy for walks every other day and playing with her in the back yard. She loves chasing / retrieving a small 8 inch diameter lawn mower tire. She runs like the wind and loves long walks in the local forests and parks.

We are wearing nitrile rubber gloves and respirators now when we go shopping. We have found literally hundreds of online lectures fit to our interests, and we have been cooking for each other daily.

My yard work is current and I have my irrigation system up and running for about a week now. Interestingly the temperature has been dipping below freezing the last few days and since my watering cycle starts at 04:00, this leaves a sheet of ice on the front walk and drives until about 10:00 or so. Fortunately, our neighborhood children have been taken out of school, so no one is sliding on the ice for now. Perhaps the temperature will rise due to global warming soon and the ice will subside.

[Empty Bowl]

I'm feeling burned out with viruses. I am a Respiratory Therapist, and just finished an eight night stretch in a filtered air suit running ventilators for Covid patients on the night shift. Come home, sleep, return. I get some relaxation by sitting quietly on my deck in the morning with a cat on my lap, watching birds in the backyard feeder and trying not to think.

We are overwhelmed with the sick. Added to the work pressure, there is a feeling of guilt that so many people's jobs have vanished and businesses are closed, yet I can have all the overtime I can handle. My teenager is living with her grandparents, and texts me to tell me she loves me and to not get the virus and die, okay?

When will this end? No guess. I'm aware of the need for more mindfulness and quiet thought day by day.

[Aloka]

Its really good to have you visiting us here again, Empty Bowl. Thank you so much for helping people who are ill with this awful virus.

....and have a big hug.

With metta,

Aloka

[woodscooter]

Hello again, Empty Bowl.

It sounds to me that you are at the sharp end of this terrible pandemic, and I can appreciate how draining it must be to be doing the work that you do.

You are one of the life savers. You have full respect for fighting the fire, for doing the work that I cannot do.

Even though we recognise the suffering all around us, the loss of loved ones, the loss of jobs and businesses, we aren't required to take the suffering of others on to ourselves. It seems you are intuitively doing the right thing, sitting quietly when you can, cat on lap. Keep on.

[Cyril]

I telework. I spend too much time on my laptop (my eyes ache) but I never get bored.
I have a walk everyday, alone or with my girlfriend. But in France we have to respect rules each time we go out :
- we have to fill a form, explaining the reason why we leave our home
- if the reason is « physical exercise », we can’t stay outside more than 60 minutes, and we must stay in our neighbourhood (within 1 kilometre from home).
If a policeman notes that you break these rules, you have to pay a fine : 135 € !
Wearing a mask is not (yet) mandatory. However in my town, about 50% of the persons I see in the streets wear a mask. For my part, for several days now, I’ve been wearing a fabric masq : it’s itchy and you have to breathe through your mouth.
I live in a flat, and there is no real park in my neighbourhood ; so I start to miss trees.
In short, I’m doing well.
Kind regards,
Cyril