I’m due to return to work on Monday but received an e-mail the other day from our Chief Executive informing us all to work from home, where possible, for the next two weeks due to the current increase in coronavirus cases in Northern Ireland. We are now a week into a six week lockdown as a new variant of the virus has caused positive cases to rocket. Hospitals are at 100% capacity with queues of ambulances waiting outside them.
Scary times indeed as we continue to pin our hopes on the two approved vaccines rolling out faster than the current variants are spreading. Until then I will sit tight, only venturing out to walk the dog or stock up on supplies of Diet Coke and iced coffees. We have everything we need at home and do not want to place ourselves or others at heightened risk. So we sit tight and count our lucky stars for what we have.
I’ve been in and out of work a lot this year so have lost touch with a number of homeless people I got to know from my daily walks to and from the train station. I wonder how they are coping, especially given the bitterly low temperatures we’ve been experiencing this week. It hammers home how fortunate I am to have a warm home, full fridge and loving family. We can never afford to take such ‘things’ for granted.
That’s been my problem for so many years, taking things for granted and then falling to pieces when I hit the self-destruct button and stood on the verge of losing them all. 2021 is a year for appreciating more the constants in my life and I have my homeless friends to thank for that. Hopefully when I return to the bustle of post-COVID Belfast I can reconnect with them again and do a little to help them as they have helped me realise the truth staring me right between the eyes.
Black Thoughts 
I’m sorry things are so dire in Northern Ireland, fx for the vaccines. I’m pretty sure in Australia back last March homeless were put into motels to help contain the virus, I hope if we could do that then we’ve found an ongoing solution but big doubts
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Thank you Jen 🙂
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You forgot the most essential supply – honeycomb ice cream! (Or is that classed as a luxury?) I hope the time passes quickly for you. I’m sure those homeless people will be missing their chats with you too. Take care.
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Thank you. The honeycomb ice cream is all gone 😬
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that’ll be nice if you can reconnect with them again! They blessed you and you can return the favour!
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Thank you Carol Anne.
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Yes, appreciating, thankful, blessed, and so fortunate that we are still here to tell the tale. Sharing this post as so many of us are counting our blessings 🙏 😊
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Thank you very much 🙂
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My privilege and pleasure ❤😊
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True. This morning I’ve been feeling grateful for the situation God has created for us here at our house. We have a warm house, a nice garden, a few chickens that are providing our eggs. My husband built a little cold frame and we even have lettuce still growing in there this winter. God is so good to us. I’m grateful to be able to share some of it with others as well.
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It sounds most idyllic 🙂
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Take care out there. Lovely blog.
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Thank you and the same to you 🙂
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🙂
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Take care! It is all so unreal right now. Here’s to hoping for better days in 2021.
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Thank you and the same to you 😊
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I heard you might get the Oxford vaccination?
Things are bad here too. 😢
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Yes. It’s being rolled out nationwide from tomorrow 🙂
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Happy New Year to you and your family!!
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And the same to you 😊
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I try to stay at home as much as I can. I only go out when I need to.
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Us too.
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