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Spidey’s Serene Sunday – Part 302 – Christmas 2020

20 Dec 2020 47 Comments

by Ritu in Spidey's Serene Sundays Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Christmas, Coronavirus, Spiderman, Spidey, Spidey's Serene Sunday

Christmas isn’t a parade or a concert, but a piece of home you keep in your heart, wherever you go.”
Donnaa Vanliere

Thank you. Spidey, for finding some words to soothe, at a very tough time.

Earlier, I was wallowing, because it was confirmed that a colleague of mine, that I had contact with, has tested positive. this meant that I was to be in self-isolation for ten days, taking me up to 27th December.

Yup, missing out on Christmas, totally.

But the rest of the family would be okay. They could, at least, go and see the in-laws, and there might have been some semblance of normality.

We were just getting ourselves prepared.

I’d already bought a frozen turkey crown, pigs in blankets, and all the veggies, and crackers, etc, just in case of us being at home, rather than with the extended family. Presents were ready for a doorstep exchange, just in case, too.

And the hope was, that on the 27th December, the last day of the 5 day Christmas Grace that the Government had deemed a possibility for families across England, we could all be together for a short while, at least. (Providing I don’t feel unwell, or end up testing positive myself in the next few days.)

But at 4pm(ish) on Saturday, BoZo and his clueless minions took the decision (which they should have taken ages ago, when the virus numbers started to rise considerably) to cancel the original Christmas plans of three households being able to mix between 23rd and 27th December, and they have also introduced a new Tier 4, (under which we are, now, too, being in Kent).

So from tomorrow, we are effectively in lockdown, again, until at least 30th December. No non-essential shops to be open, no indoor gyms, hairdressers, nail salons, etc. No going into other households, unless you are in a support bubble. Only meeting maximum of one person from another household, outside.

It’s gutting for those who really had their hearts set on seeing their families for the festive period.

I, for one, would usually be seeing my parents for a couple of days. I’ve not seen them since August. But we had already decided that their safety was more important, and that video calls would be the plan for the day.

But I think what is important to remember, is the essence of the quote above.

Christmas is in our hearts. And even if it has to be a quiet one this year, the hope is that all the cancelled joy we have experienced this year, will mean we are safer, healthier and happier, for the next one.

So… tell me, how are you feeling, if the new Christmas plans have affected you?

Have a peaceful Sunday Peeps.

Spidey’s Serene Sunday – Part 301 – Angel

13 Dec 2020 39 Comments

by Ritu in Spidey's Serene Sundays Tags: Angel, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Loss, Spiderman, Spidey, Spidey's Serene Sundays

“As long as there is love and memory, there is no true loss.”
Cassandra Clare

Thank you, Spidey for such a touching quote today.

Yesterday, I received the news that a very precious person, my aunt, passed away.

Malli Bhua was one of my Pops’ sisters. She lived in America, and after a wonderful 94-year life, she bid us farewell, and went to meet her Maker.

She was the sweetest of souls. A woman who was peaceful, through and through. Spiritual, with an aura of someone special about her.

We lived in different countries. I hadn’t seen her for many years, but our love was still strong. The memories I do have of her, will always stay close to my heart.

I am just thankful that Pops was able to spend time with her last year, on a trip to see her. We have some precious videos of her, bedridden as she was, even then, kissing the phone screen as she saw videos and photos of her great nephews and niece.

He’s sad. We’re all sad.

But grateful that she is no longer living a life stuck in bed, unable to do anything for herself, anymore. She is at peace, now.

My Malli Phua will never be forgotten.

RIP my beatiful Aunt 🙏🏽

Have a peaceful Sunday Peeps.

Spidey’s Serene Sunday – Part 300 – Tercentenary!

06 Dec 2020 44 Comments

by Ritu in Spidey's Serene Sundays Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Spiderman, Spidey, Spidey's Serene Sunday

Thank you for sticking with Spidey and me for the last 300 (ish) weeks!
Ritu Bhathal

Wow!

Spidey. You and me for 300 weekly posts. That is kind of mind blowing, isn’t it?

I thought, this week, we would just go back to the origins of Spidey’s Serene Sundays, especially for all you newer followers!

Way back when… 300 ish weeks ago, I was relatively new to blogging. I had fallen into this blogisphere, to be honest, and I had no clue about what to write. I used to post randomly. There was an awful lot of stream of consciousness posts, though I wasn’t aware that was their name. And I’d post random stuff. Silly pics, anecdotes, my thoughts.

No rhyme, nor reason.

One Sunday morning, I went to visit the bathroom, as you do, and I was greeted with the sight of Spidey, as above, sitting on the bathroom window sill, in deep meditation.

My son, Lil Man, was obsessed with all things Spidey, at that age. It was a fixation that lasted for a good few years. It meant that pretty much every place in our house had something Spidey-themed. From plates and cups in the kitchen, to Spiderman toothbrushes and flannels in the bathroom, duvet covers in the bedroom, to a wardrobe filled with Spidey tops, tracksuits and even undies! (These were all my son’s, one anyone else’s I hasten to add.

Even my in-law’s house wasn’t missed. There were toys, and even a dress up outfit there, too.

In fact, Spidey was even there in his learning, with Spidey Learn to Write and Learn to Count books, and even special reading books!

So, that morning, I didn’t bat an eyelid at Spidey sitting there, as I performed my morning ablutions.

Then, as I went about my day, an idea hatched in my mind. Spidey was looking so serene, and full of wisdom, why not incorporate him into a regular post?

And so, Spidey’s Serene Sundays was born.

300 (ish) posts, (ish, because I may have missed a week, here or there, and misnumbered in the past – come on. I am human, after all!) and here we still are. It has been wonderful, discussing inspirational quotes with Spidey, and filtering our thoughts here, every week, and I have some of you diehard readers, who don’t miss a single Spidey post, ever!

Here’s to another 300, eh!

So… tell me, how long have you been a reader of Spidey’s?

Have a peaceful Sunday Peeps. And enjoy your week!

Spidey’s Serene Sunday – Part 299 – Family

29 Nov 2020 48 Comments

by Ritu in Spidey's Serene Sundays Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Family, Spiderman, Spidey, Spidey's Serene Sunday

“To us, family means putting your arms around each other and being there.”
Barbara Bush

Thank you for that, Spidey.

Family is on my mind, a lot, right now.

If you’ve been reading for long enough, you know how close I am to my family.

We may live at a distance from one another, but we make sure we get together regularly.

Well, we did. Before all this pandemic stuff started.

Since December, I’ve seen my parents once, in August. They live three hours away, and are classed as vulnerable, due to their age.

I can’t risk that, but I hate not being able to get a Pops hug, or a Mum cuddle.

Since March, I’ve ‘seen’ my in-laws, spoken at a distance, on the driveway, and when we were briefly allowed, been into their home for short stints. I can count those one two hands. We usually go there daily. Not anymore.

The kids can go there (when not in self-isloation) as they are part of our childcare bubble, but just the kids. So I drop off at the door, and pick up from the door…

My brother is so far away, and he is used to my parents being able to go over to Helsinki a couple of times a year. Video calls are the norm. But now, it’s been over a year since he physically saw any of his family, due to the travel restrictions.

And now, we are creeping closer to Christmas. Lockdown 2.0 is coming to an end, on Wednesday 2nd December, but for our family, here in Kent, we are still under strict restrictions, being in Tier 3, as cases are still rising, despite the measures the Government set, to try and halt the spread, before the festive season.

I say strict measures, but this is what we can and can’t do. (Tier 3)

No mixing indoors, or outdoors with anyone who is not in your support bubble. (But, you can still go shopping with thousands of others as the shops will be open.)
If you are gathering with your support bubble, the Rule of Six applies. No more than six individuals allowed.
Schools still open, with no additional measaures introduced to aid the prevention of the virus.
No pubs or restaurants open, unless it is for takeaway or delivery.
Gyms etc. can open, but no indoor exercise classes.
No indoor entertainment venues can open.
No spectators at sports matches.
Avoid travelling to other parts of the country.

Amongst others…

And with school, we are in until 18th December, without a 14 day window to self isolate, before the festive season, when we have been told that, hopefully, up to three households can mix for a total of five days, to be together at Christmas. So, if a child or adult was to test positive in one of the classes, it could ruin any chance of being with family, anyway.

We are really conscious of the fact that both our kids are in Secondary school, where the virus was rife, hence the whole school closing and operating online, for an isolation period, and I work in a Primary school, where we are more likely to have young, asymptomatic pupils, so the risk is mainly to the adults.

And in the Early Years, where I work, we have been told that PPE and social distancing with the kids, is not only detrimental to their wellbeing, but also nigh on impossible.

It’s true.

How do you get a 4-year-old to understand that the adult in charge of them, shouldn’t be really comforting them, when they fall, physically? It’s what they need. How do you deal with the coughs and sneezes, runny noses, and toilet accidents, inevitable at this age, in a Covid-secure way, each and every minute?

I douse myself in sanitiser, I have my anti bac spray, I wash my hands regularly. I wear a face covering or face shield when dealing with parents and other adults, but there are so many places, I can’t protect myself as well as I should be able.

Because I wouldn’t be able to do my job.

And Home Learning for the little ones. Really? Have you actually tried? It’s tough to engage 30 kids when they are in front of you, for a few minutes. At home, on screen, when half may not even log in, is even more detrimental to their early education.

So, we, as a family, need to make tough decisions now.

Do we, if allowed, spend most of the five days we are allowed, mixing with the in-laws? Or do we just pop in for Christmas Day? I’ve already spoken with my parents and we know I can’t go to see them this time. It’s the same for my sister in law and her family. When her other two sisters come home, they already reach the three households, so she wouldn’t, theoretically be able to go over, anyway.

I know my in-laws will just want us to be there, with them the whole five days. But we aren’t sure it’s the safest thing to do. We’ve sacrificed so much, so far…

And how many people will bend the rules, just a little, over those magical five days, because, obviously, the Government know something we don’t, about the virus taking a break over Christmas, leading to a possible third Lockdown after the festive break?

I don’t know about others, but my family means much more than that.

I am prepared to sacrifice seeing any of our loved ones, this year, to ensure, as much as is in our hands, that any future celebrations can happen in a bigger, and better way.

A quiet Christmas, doesn’t have to be less jolly, does it?

There are always video calls, Zoom catch ups, and the hope that soon enough, when vaccinations are approved and implemented, that normality can settle, one more.

So… tell me, what do you think about the whole lockdown/Christmas get together issues?

Have a peaceful Sunday Peeps. And enjoy your week!

Spidey’s Serene Sunday – Part 298 – Rejuvenation

22 Nov 2020 21 Comments

by Ritu in Spidey's Serene Sundays Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Quote, Rejuvenation, Spiderman, Spidey, Spidey's Serene Sunday

“Perhaps the earth can teach us, as when everything seems dead and later proves to be alive.”
Pablo Neruda

Thank you for this one. Spidey. It resonates, this week, especially.

The last few months, I have been feeling a part of me shrivel away, as the momentum of the current situation around the world takes over everything.

Exhaustion set in. All I could do was wake, work, feed family, sleep.

And repeat.

There was no room for my creativity. No matter how much I tried, I couldn’t magic words on a screen. Sure, I wrote my Spidey posts, and my catch ups for the Mondays, but that was it. No real creativity needed.

Countless times, I have opened up a blank post, thinking I would take part in one of the weekly challenges I enjoyed taking part in on the blog, but even with the most inspiring prompts, nothing came.

I deleted the posts.

I had started to learn lettering, and found it so therapeutic, but again, lack of time and energy zapped the will, or ability, to start any projects.

But this week, something began to emerge from within.

Like a shoot, finally ready to burst through the ground, or a bud beginning to open, my imagination began to fire up.

Ideas for different blog posts came to the forefront. I have thoughts about the book two WIP that want to be captured on screen. I actively wanted to take part in a fiction challenge.

And so, finally, on Friday, I wrote my first piece of flash fiction for around six months, and it felt good.

I’m still tired, don’t get me wrong. Seriously, this week, apart from one evening, I have fallen asleep for at least half an hour, and woken up, startled.

But I want to write.

And I will.

I feel my creative well has begun to fill, and though for many reasons, I am not tired, creatively, I am rejuvenated.

I hope you are ready for the posts that are sure to come, and the hope that the WIP will begin to take shape again, in the near future!

So… tell me, when was the last time you felt rejuvenated?