Wow…. this time last year we could do anything we wanted to do. Go anywhere, see anyone, hug and kiss anyone. Our options were endless. Yet we were driven by status and possessions, being seen to have all the latest “stuff”.

We used to greet family and friends with a hug and a kiss…. now we don’t even see them. What a difference a year makes.

I was thinking about this on my dog walk this morning…. now first of all we cannot ignore the devastating facts.

2.59 million people in the world have died from COVID-19 so far. 11.7million cases have been reported.

Scotland have seen 205,000 cars with 7,421 deaths. I remember last year when our deaths sat at 2,482 for a good wee while as we came out of lockdown 1.0. A group of people tidied up rubbish left by people in a park in Edinburgh and set the 2482 number out in bin bags… now here we are at 7,421.

You have to zoom in on this graphic and it’s a bit blurry but the COVID-19 ball at the bottom is now way bigger than the recent pandemics yet still goes a long way before it competes with HIV/AIDS.

Again zoom in (still blurry) but COVID-19 is almost half way up the list on death toll too.

I had no concept that something like this could affect us in life. Yet as we stand today I am still very lucky to have not caught it myself. Also for those I know, who have caught it, to have been unwell at the time but seem to have recovered fairly quickly.

There is no doubt about it that life as we knew it will change. Gone will be the random handshakes, the polite hugs with people that you didn’t really know but are introduced to. It is now fully acceptable just to smile, nod and say hi. I am sad about that.

Despite these statistics in some ways our generation will be the envy of many to come. They will talk about the years that people were forced to stop working and stay at home. All of those who are furloughed or unable to work would have killed for x amount of months off work until it became a reality. How do you fill your time when you have all the time in the world?

Then there are those key workers who have had to work harder so the rest of us could survive. They must be exhausted by now.

Most people I speak to are fed up with the monotony of it all but also nervous of everything starting back up again. We’re becoming so used to this disconnected lifestyle as the days tick by.

Strange, strange times.

I’ve said it before, I am going to try and make the most of the days we have left in lockdown before the country re-opens and we get back to the new normal.

Early morning dog walk with Bhruic and Freya today.

Another very productive day. Dog behaviour calls made ✅ all tasks on my task list done ✅ crocheting ✅ blog ✅ sold the air fryer that was up for sale ✅ and it’s only 2.20pm.

I’m going to use the rest of the day to relax. These have been good days. We’ve got lots done. Now for some more ME time.

Stay safe everyone 💜💜💜