ALL MY PRAYERS AND THEN SOME MORE TO YOU MY FRIEND

And also to all the rest of you in this traumatic time we are in.

I live in South London in a beautiful Care Home where we are considered to be a Category One risk so have been locked down already for a week. Our Dining Room, Chapel and all Social venues shut. Each location within the grounds isolated from each other with different key or card locks. Strict security everywhere with temperature and well-being assessment being checked daily on ALL care and administrative staff. Our families can deliver essential items we need but  labelled and only to security at the gates where the parcels are sanitized.

We can walk in our grounds but alone only and must avoid all contact with others who are mobile. We can no longer visit our sick friends in the Home.

Life for me revolves are breakfast, lunch and supper (reduced menus!), my computer and the TV. My daughter has put Netflix on it for me so I have some films too. I am also in phone contact with my family

So to my friends living far and wide as well as those of you who I dont yet know, I send my prayers and comfort.

I consider myself blessed to be here in this protected environment

Lady Di (Wench, Shade, Rory and KC) are all hunkered down in the "Nature Coast" of beautiful Florida.  I personally have not left our property since Mar 12th.  My sweet husband does all the grocery runs...I don't like shopping to begin with.  He says the stores are pathetic, shoppers are hoarding items, no paper products, sanitizers, or water available.  Our governor has told people that this is not like a hurricane situation where you have to stock up on water, batteries, food, etc.  The supply lines should still be in tact, electricity will be supplied, water lines will  not be interrupted...but still they hoard!  We have always been cautioned to "have a year's supply" of necessary items in our food storage, so we have tried to do that.  There is really nothing we need and are always willing to share what we have.  We are very blessed.  Our pool is 86 degrees, we have sunny weather, we have thoughtful neighbors, and luckily, we are healthy enough to be able to do our own yard work...and there is a lot of that!  We need to weed, mulch, mow, etc.  I also am very active in "indexing" genealogical records.  I recently added four generations of ancestors to my dad's tree (he is 97 in Arizona), and I'm feeling really happy about that.  Our three (adult) children are scattered: Houston, Lexington and Columbus areas and seem to be doing OK so far...they are all under 40.  The grandchildren (11 of them) are happy to be out of school, but unhappy about their lack of social interactions with their friends.  Electronics seem to be our salvation right now.  I love MC.  It keeps me semi-sane.  Thoughts and prayers to all for their health and safety.

“And the people stayed home. And read books, and listened, and rested, and exercised, and made art and music, and played games and sang, and learned new ways of being, and were still. And listened more deeply. Some meditated, some prayed, some danced. Some met their shadows. And the people began to think differently.

"And the people healed. And, in the absence of people living in ignorant, dangerous, mindless, and heartless ways, the earth began to heal.

"And when the danger passed, and the people joined together again, they grieved their losses, and made new choices, and dreamed new images, and created new ways to live and heal the earth fully, as they had been healed."

~Kitty O'Meara

Now the world is completely mad

it makes me angry, makes me sad

at least there’s one place with no hassle

yes, you’ve guessed it - Midnight Castle!

So, friends, stay safe within these walls

as we wander through the halls

this tunnel is long and dark like night

but, at the very end there must be light

Best wishes to each and every MC player

Shroomie xxx

a round of applause!

Thank you Di and Miss T

Hi everyone,

Reporting in from Leicestershire UK I have been in self isolation since last Tuesday because of my age and strict instructions from my children. I live in a small village and felt we were safer than most but we already have one case in the village. I'm lucky that my son lives a couple of minutes away and he has been shopping for me, that includes buying me multi vitamins to keep me healthy bless him. I worry about my daughter and her husband who both work in schools. John is a chef and manages the school meals. Su is a teaching assistant.

There have been quite a few tears this week. I help at the local Primary School and won't see any of the children again this year as being over 70 it is likely to mean 4 months in isolation. Thank goodness for the sunshine. It might still be cold but it is good to be able to spend time gardening. My next door but one neighbour is also a keen gardener and we can have a chat from a distance. My son came the other day and we stood at opposite ends and he phoned my daughter for a group chat. 

I haven't been on MC for a couple of days now. I've not really felt like it which isn't like me but I really must get back to gifting. 

Anyway, lovely people and special friends stay safe and look after yourselves and loved one.

I am considered a high risk person. I have been self quarantined since the first of March. Not even shopping. I had made a Costco run before everyone was hoarding TP, and had purchased a large package, so I am set on that for at least 6 months. I am living out of my pantry for now, which is a good thing as I tend to over buy groceries. Aside from goings stir crazy, I am doing well. I an doing Richard Simmons exercise videos instead of of going to Cardiac Rehab Gym as I am used to doing. While I am used to spending a lot of time alone, I am also used to going out frequently on Senior bus for shopping and recreational outings, and I miss that. But this too shall pass away. 

Hi Dot.

The next four weeks here in NZ is EVERYONE in lockdown except essential services - doctors, pharmacies, supermarkets, health workers. And like you, doctors are mostly doing consults by phone where possible. Everything else is closed. No takeaways. No deliveries. No public transport.  Everything closed. So we are actually more shut down than you are at the moment. After the four weeks it will be re-evaluated and maybe we can go back to the type of level you are currently at. I'm going to miss pizza delivery!

I was really hoping to get a flu shot this week, but that's gone out the window. No idea when I can get one now. It's starting to get cold here down in the south, so flu and cold's are right around the corner. I was fortunate enough to be able to go out and get a refill on all my meds yesterday, so I am set there for the time being.

Take care of yourself and your family at this time. And I hope everything works out for your son. Is your government being helpful to those who lose their jobs over this?