My friend Kim lives in the UK.
Everyday this week, while she’s been in lockdown in England and we’ve been staying at home here in Sydney, she and I have been working on crossword puzzles together.
It’s just the best thing.
And yes, it was 4.53am and yes, I did go back to bed…
If our current world crisis had occurred fifty years ago, I wonder how things might have been different. Perhaps lower population density might have resulted in a more contained spread. But I suspect the sense of isolation would have been far greater too – I know how difficult it was for my folks when they moved to Australia and could only speak to their family via telephone for precious minutes once a year.
So today, I’m feeling incredibly grateful for technology that lets me share a crossword with a faraway friend via my mobile phone.Thank you, lovely Kim, for helping to keep me sane during isolation! And for knowing all the answers to the hard clues!
Thank you also to all of you who are reading these daily posts. It’s not easy to find something to write about each day – especially when we’re not venturing out much – so I’m grateful for your patience with the somewhat random and brief nature of these scribblings. And again, I’m thankful that 21st century technology lets us touch base like this every morning.
Wishing you all a restful Sunday, and I’d love to hear about the creative ways you’ve found to stay connected during lockdown! ♥
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
I do online jigsaw puzzles at 4am, waiting to get sleepy again after waving the Husband off to his 3am start of day shift… Most of my friends in the UK have learned to expect a random FaceTime call around that time of day, looking at a sleepy, pyjama’ed me with my hair standing on end, but needing to connect with someone else who’s awake! As I write this, sitting up in bed with the Husband snoring beside me and Mouse the greyhound lying between us, occasionally prodding me with a bony paw for more strokies, I’m reflecting on how much better we have all become at communicating NOW, rather than leaving it to another day because there’s always something else to do… We will emerge from this with our friends knowing how much they are valued and appreciated.
No patience needed your daily posts are a highlight of my day. Thank you.
Pre-covid19 study continues to be my focus, so I love… need to see what’s entertaining you via these blog posts. Similarly other blog now irl friends via social media community which now goes back many years. For other family and friends we make the best of Facebook… post pics and fun things, belong to common groups and comment… when we have time, cos everyone’s schedule/commitments are different. It keeps us current. And of course, we pick up the phone.
My daughter (in Darwin) and I (in Canberra) have been playing bridge together the last couple of weeks. It’s been lovely …
Never apologize, I am always happy to hear/read what you have to say! Must say that cross word puzzles are not my thing but to ‘see’ you and your friend in the UK do it is just wonderful!! Keep at it :)
Thank you, Celia, for your daily posts. They are a welcome sight and an interesting read during these ‘times’. May you and your family stay well. ⚘⚘
We are cooking a lot. I’ve learned how to make corn tortillas, the hub has really become obsessed with sourdough (thank you, Celia) and the boy baked his first brioche yesterday. I’ve been calling, emailing, writing letters, Facetimeing and had my first Zoom meeting today. Also sewing face masks and dropping off at friend’s houses. :-)
Hi Celia, I wanted to add my voice to the others – I have so appreciated your daily updates! Thank you for sharing a bit of your life with us, inspiring me and giving me something to look forward to reading each day. I’m going to get back to my sadly neglected blog today as I’ve found that journalling has been a helpful way to order my thoughts lately. Finding some joy to share with others each day will be a good discipline to keep me on the right track. I’ve been having fun in my kitchen, stumbling through the sourdough dance that you have so perfected and looking forward to that first springy, tangy loaf! Many blessings to you and yours.
Thank you for taking time and making us smile. You are so interesting, I love reading your posts. The hat you wore the other morning was so funny. Cheers Jana
Hi Celia, I am another person who reads and enjoys your posts. Also your SD recipes have been in use for a few years now!
We play banagrams via Skype with our son. We live in central Queensland and he is in the far north. It’s a great way to keep in touch and we all enjoy it!
I can’t add anything to the above posts as they say it all. Heartfelt thanks as always
Hi Celia thank you very much for posting these last few weeks, we have enjoyed catching up with you so much.
I am happy to see you blogging so regularly – I don’t manage to read every post but then again I am not managing to blog as much I expected during lockdown. But I am also finding myself busy with zoom catch ups and whats app groups. I have thought a lot about how it would have been a few generations ago to have this sort of lockdown but also that the virus never would have spread the way it has back then. A friend said that she thought perhaps there is a god doing this make us slow down and my response is that if there is I am glad s/he got us up to speed on so much digital connection before slowing our physical connection.
BTW Celia – I am reading your post while baking sourdough bread and I am constantly thankful to you for making sourdough possible for me with your overnight recipe – I have made it so often, passed it to so many people and am looking forward to todays bread that has olives and cheese in it!
Your post is a major highlight of my day as well. Thank you for being so fun and quirky…….
Celia, it’s just such a wonderful thing to read your daily blogs, thank you for sharing all your ideas and neat things to do. Many greetings from California, your Priscilla is still alive and active, giving me wonderful breads to bake, since I’m finally able to buy flour again. Stay safe and happy.
I like random blogging – it’s like the old days! My mother and I have been doing a “social distancing collaboration”. We send each other three blank pieces of card with a few lines drawn on or painted or collaged (you get the drift) and we have to complete the starter card in some way. Turns out the mother/daughter dynamic never changes. She thinks I should be finishing them in the way she has in mind, I find ways to subvert her ideas. Still good fun though and always a surprise when the post arrives.
So enjoy your posts, and what great ideas from others!
I’ve really enjoyed this, and it has made me feel more connected and less isolated. I hadn’t realised how much this solitary bear liked people (on my own terms of course) until we couldn’t connect in person.
Thank you for being my friend 🤗
We’ve been having video cocktails and coffees during this lockdown, the time difference makes it more difficult but it’s doable. I can’t imagine going through this without technology.
The Spanish Flu spread like wildfire in the early 1900’s.
[…] other thing I’ve been doing this week is sharing crosswords long distance with Celia of Fig Jam and Lime Cordial. She has been starting them in Sydney and then sending me photos of the grid and clues to see how […]
Celia, I’ve been enjoying your daily musings more than you know. (And more often than I indicate…) Sometimes I save them for weekend reading over coffee and other times it’s 3:00 a.m. when I can’t sleep — or immediately, like today — but your thoughts matter to me! Your comment section is fun, too.
These days I’d be hard pressed to write a daily post unless folks would be excited about domestic duties and ponderous thinking (lol), but I’ve grown accustomed to the pace. You have a wonderful array of topics that pique my interest — and apparently many others’! Keep it up, girl.
Music is on the forefront for me. I just returned to the piano bench at church this morning after a six week hiatus (still “live streaming” with minimal people around( and I came home invigorated and wanting to do MORE. Like the ol’ song says: “You don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone.” Appreciate EVERYTHING!
Thank you for your wonderful daily posts. I’m new to the blog and loving the daily updates on what’s happening across your world. It’s the only blog I’m reading right now. Much appreciated.
PS. I started with my starter (pardon the pun) and have found your resources and insight on how to do the good stuff really rewarding. Thanks
These certainly are strange times, yet there are many positives like the time to appreciate the things around us. I’m in Melbourne and we’ve been cooking even more than we normally do. I’m using the time to learn more about my new found hobby of sketching which is like warm golden syrup dumplings for the soul. Blogging is a wonderful way of knowing and understanding how things are in other countries. It transcends the hype of TV news and allows us to ask the simple question of “How are you, how are you coping?” Anyway you know what I mean. Stay healthy and keep up the cheery blogs.
I always enjoy reading your posts and musings. Please keep it up.