It's hitting home again this weekend

[User133847]

It's hitting home just how much our normal lives have gone for now.

Easter weekend is effectively the start of summer. The weather is picking up, you've got a long weekend, if not working, to either go away for the weekend, or have nights out or whatever. Instead it's 4 days either stuck at home, going for a walk or perhaps sitting in another garden.

June still feels ages away.

I understand how for some people are still a long way away from where they want but this week my son has been able to go to cricket training and football training we are rediculously excited for his footie match tomorrow it really does feel a huge weight has been lifted off us.

My second lock down birthday today. A year ago I didn't think I would survive to see another birthday. DC waved from the gate.
This time it was socially distanced in the garden and we are partly vaccinated.
So hope for the future.

@Boph

My second lock down birthday today. A year ago I didn't think I would survive to see another birthday. DC waved from the gate. This time it was socially distanced in the garden and we are partly vaccinated. So hope for the future.

You know social distancing isn't law? You can hug your people.

I have a care visit to do for mum tomorrow. After I do the stuff she needs, we will be parked on the sofa together. Mummy cuddles are still important for both of us.

I disagree. This is the beginning of the end. We are on our way to freedom. We can meet up again outside. The light at the end of the tunnel is clearly visible now. Not long to go now. Just hang in for a few more weeks.

@MiddlesexGirl

I disagree. This is the beginning of the end. We are on our way to freedom. We can meet up again outside. The light at the end of the tunnel is clearly visible now. Not long to go now. Just hang in for a few more weeks.

Deja vu all over again

Last Easter, we were just at home. Allowed an hours exercise

We were never only allowed an hour's exercise! So many people believed this but it was never the case.

No, no friends at all. It is very lonely. It's been years since I had a conversation with anyone who isn't DH or DD (aside from small talk with people in shops/doctors and so on). DD is in her 20s so no friend's mums to chat to. The pandemic has made me feel even more lonely - everyone is talking about missing friends and family and I have nobody to miss. I'm in my late 40s now and have pretty much given up on making new friends.

Very envious of all the garden-havers! Outside space must make lockdown much more bearable.

We spent the day with my parents outside. It's not really the governments fault you choose not to have friends is it?

Deja vu all over again

No. We are in a much better place with the success of the vaccination rollout.

Last year the guidelines said an hour's exercise. Most people probably try to follow the guidelines if they consider them reasonable.b

@MiddlesexGirl

Deja vu all over again

No. We are in a much better place with the success of the vaccination rollout.

Last year the guidelines said an hour's exercise. Most people probably try to follow the guidelines if they consider them reasonable.b

I know the law, not the guidelines.

Vaccinations do not lead to "freedom".

This time last year DS had a totally locked down birthday this year we are going to ply footgolf then fish and chips by the beach. Its totally different.

The "hours exercise" was never a real thing - Michael Gove was asked in an interview what he thought was "reasonable" and off the cuff he said an hour and suddenly everyone took this as a rule. It was utter nonsense. They could never legislate for what is "reasonable" - a very fit cyclist's reasonable is very different time to a nonfit person dandering down their road and back. And the Govt knew it. Even Gove said it was his own opinion.
Can't believe a year on people still think it was ever enshrined anywhere apart from ParanoidRUs.

Agree, the hour thing was never true god how people love to preach at you

@TheVampiresWife

I agree. Last Easter was shit but we consoled ourselves with the thought that this Easter would be very different. But it's not, not really. If you have friends or family you can theoretically spend time with them which you couldn't last Easter, fair enough - but if you don't have either (I don't) there's not much else you can do. Usually me and DH go away for a night or two, or go for meals/cinema/drinks or whatever so this Easter will be just as shit as last year.

What makes it worse is the knowledge that even when these things begin to return it'll be a bit like in Friends when Monica says 'But rules control the fun!'. There'll be nothing spontaneous about nipping to the pub and it'll be vaccine passports and signing in everywhere - DH won't be getting his vaccination for ages (he's 37) and anyway he doesn't own a phone so won't be able to flash his passport. So much for the roadmap and all restrictions lifted on 21 June.

Sorry to pry, but does your 37yr old husband really not own a phone?? I'm genuinely shocked

[quote unchienandalusia]@TheVampiresWife

"If you have friends or family you can theoretically spend time with them which you couldn't last Easter, fair enough - but if you don't have either (I don't) there's not much else you can do. "

Firstly you really have no family or friends? If that's the case I would say you are in a very tiny minority.

And it's not theoretical. You can spend the day with another household. Ok it's in the garden but this is a vast improvement on where we were a few weeks ago and certainly at Christmas. I for one am feeling much more positive. [/quote]
My family are 150 miles away. My husband are in Ireland. I have two kids. Travelling 150 miles to sit in their garden then travelling back....not fun. Only my dad drives, he doesn't/can't do a 300 mile round trip to sit in a garden for a couple of hours.
Yes I have friends, but I want to see my family. My eldest is crying to see grandma and granda. This fucking sucks 😒

Life feels pretty normal to me at the moment. Lockdown easing has dramatically changed things - as has the weather

@AcornAutumn
You know social distancing isn't law? You can hug your people
True but I am CEV and DS is a teacher. Covid rates in our area are still very high. Therefore a hug just now is a risk he isn't prepared to take. Once he is vaccinated, though he will be bottom of the list.

[quote Boph]@AcornAutumn
You know social distancing isn't law? You can hug your people
True but I am CEV and DS is a teacher. Covid rates in our area are still very high. Therefore a hug just now is a risk he isn't prepared to take. Once he is vaccinated, though he will be bottom of the list.[/quote]
Your choice of course

I am CV, my cousin was unlucky enough to get a shielding letter (which he ignored). We'd hug if we could see each other but where he lives, local lockdown hit before we could do that.

Some might say mum is CV due to her age but I don't know if that's just a MN thing.

Really, I mentioned it wasn't law because some posters seem to have odd ideas about what the law says.

@moochingtothepub I didn't 'choose' not to have friends. Moving to a new city in my 30s, mental health issues, disability and not being able to work all mean I don't mix with people enough to make friends. After many years that leads to a huge lack of confidence.

@MNWorldisCrazy no - he says he has no use for one!

@vampireswife you're really not alone. I'll be spending Easter weekend alone. It just feels like any other lockdown day. My family are in other countries. I have my DDs here with me though. I don't have any close friends. I have some acquaintances. My DDs - young adults - are pretty much the same. We're like a little island. Also it's going to be icy cold this weekend so I don't fancy sitting in a garden anyway. I have become more introverted during this last year, I think it's through choice. I have enjoyed the lack of social pressure, it feels freeing.

Compared to last Easter things are so much better. I have been out and about working all week and I have seen groups of kids meeting up at the park. (My teen included) Footclubs and training sessions have restarted and hearing people getting together in their gardens fills me with joy.
Sadly not for us this Easter as working and limited family and friends nearby but last year I didn't know if the small businesses that provide my small income would survive. They both did.
We have low case numbers and a vaccine. Lots to feel positive about and in June hopefully I can travel to see family.
This is coming from someone who's it breaking point during the last period if homeschooling.

I think you have to try take the positives where you can. I have a long weekend off work which is more than I have had for ages. I'm meeting a friend to go for a bike ride and it will hopefully be a nice day.

I haven't had my vaccine and nor have any of my friends but meeting up outside is allowed.

It's not nice I agree though better with daylight beyond tea time now the clocks have gone forward.

Do not forget that if we had a competent government that had acted in September and December promptly, we would have had non-essential shops open last week, and possibly gyms. Make your voice heard by not voting Conservative in elections on May 6th if you have them in your area.

I live by myself and last Easter I saw one local friend for a walk and that was it, and it came after a month of my only human interaction being a weekly local walk with that friend.

This Easter I have my best friend staying for a couple of days (we are in a support bubble), have another friend coming round for lunch in the garden today, getting the train a few stops into the countryside to go for a walk with a couple of other friends on Monday. Feels like a massive social whirl tbh! So much nicer than this time last year.

I think we are in a much better place than last Easter. We aren't in a full on lockdown, we have vaccines and I truly believe the worst of the pandemic is now behind us. There are lots of challenges ahead, though.

But it is still very tough. to everyone who is feeling down this weekend